OCTOBER 1962The Cuban Missile Crisis

16–28 OCTOBER 1962Thirteen days. A world on the brink.

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Home / Thor missiles / Stations

Project Emily · Eastern England

Twenty stations.
One nuclear force.

Four main bases, each with four satellite stations. Explore the places where RAF crews operated Britain’s Thor missiles, with American custody of their warheads.

[1]

Compare Thor ranges with Jupiter in Italy and Turkey →

20 stations

Thor missile stations in eastern EnglandTwenty approximate RAF station locations, in the Feltwell, Hemswell, Driffield and North Luffenham groups. The station list below provides the same information.RAF Feltwell · Feltwell groupRAF Mepal · Feltwell groupRAF North Pickenham · Feltwell groupRAF Tuddenham · Feltwell groupRAF Shepherds Grove · Feltwell groupRAF Hemswell · Hemswell groupRAF Caistor · Hemswell groupRAF Ludford Magna · Hemswell groupRAF Bardney · Hemswell groupRAF Coleby Grange · Hemswell groupRAF Driffield · Driffield groupRAF Carnaby · Driffield groupRAF Catfoss · Driffield groupRAF Full Sutton · Driffield groupRAF Breighton · Driffield groupRAF North Luffenham · North Luffenham groupRAF Folkingham · North Luffenham groupRAF Melton Mowbray · North Luffenham groupRAF Harrington · North Luffenham groupRAF Polebrook · North Luffenham groupEASTERN ENGLANDNORTH SEAFeltwellHemswellDriffieldNorth LuffenhamN
Approximate station-area locations, not surveyed launch pads. Coastlines simplified from Natural Earth public-domain data. Original site graphic.

Feltwell group

RAF Feltwell

No. 77 Squadron. Three-missile station in the Feltwell group. Approximate station-area marker.

Feltwell group

RAF Mepal

No. 113 Squadron. Three-missile station in the Feltwell group. Approximate station-area marker.

Feltwell group

RAF North Pickenham

No. 220 Squadron. Three-missile station in the Feltwell group. Approximate station-area marker.

Feltwell group

RAF Tuddenham

No. 107 Squadron. Three-missile station in the Feltwell group. Approximate station-area marker.

Feltwell group

RAF Shepherds Grove

No. 82 Squadron. Three-missile station in the Feltwell group. Approximate station-area marker.

Hemswell group

RAF Hemswell

No. 97 Squadron. Three-missile station in the Hemswell group. Approximate station-area marker.

Hemswell group

RAF Caistor

No. 269 Squadron. Three-missile station in the Hemswell group. Approximate station-area marker.

Hemswell group

RAF Ludford Magna

No. 104 Squadron. Three-missile station in the Hemswell group. Approximate station-area marker.

Hemswell group

RAF Bardney

No. 106 Squadron. Three-missile station in the Hemswell group. Approximate station-area marker.

Hemswell group

RAF Coleby Grange

No. 142 Squadron. Three-missile station in the Hemswell group. Approximate station-area marker.

Driffield group

RAF Driffield

No. 98 Squadron. Three-missile station in the Driffield group. Approximate station-area marker.

Driffield group

RAF Carnaby

No. 150 Squadron. Three-missile station in the Driffield group. Approximate station-area marker.

Driffield group

RAF Catfoss

No. 226 Squadron. Three-missile station in the Driffield group. Approximate station-area marker.

Driffield group

RAF Full Sutton

No. 102 Squadron. Three-missile station in the Driffield group. Approximate station-area marker.

Driffield group

RAF Breighton

No. 240 Squadron. Three-missile station in the Driffield group. Approximate station-area marker.

North Luffenham group

RAF North Luffenham

No. 144 Squadron. Three-missile station in the North Luffenham group. Approximate station-area marker.

North Luffenham group

RAF Folkingham

No. 223 Squadron. Three-missile station in the North Luffenham group. Approximate station-area marker.

North Luffenham group

RAF Melton Mowbray

No. 254 Squadron. Three-missile station in the North Luffenham group. Approximate station-area marker.

North Luffenham group

RAF Harrington

No. 218 Squadron. Three-missile station in the North Luffenham group. Approximate station-area marker.

North Luffenham group

RAF Polebrook

No. 130 Squadron. Three-missile station in the North Luffenham group. Approximate station-area marker.

The map and directory describe historical sites. They do not imply public access to former military land.

Sources for this page1

Numbers refer to the passages above. Open a title to read the source, or use a return link to go back to its citation.

  1. RAF Historical Society Journal 32: Thor range, deployment and station table, pp. 74–81↩ Back to text
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