It was located 4 miles (6.4 km) west of Hornsea, East Riding of Yorkshire, England and 8 miles (13 km) north-east of Leconfield, East Riding of Yorkshire, with the nearest village being Brandesburton.

A small number of fighters were posted there, at the start of the Second World War, before the airfield was rebuilt as a bomber station.

[1][2] In 1935 a number of Handley Page Heyford heavy bombers were based at Catfoss with 97 Squadron.

With the approach of war, it was decided that the east coast was too vulnerable to attack for training and the unit moved out during 1939.

[2][5] The airfield became very busy with different aircraft types and training courses and three concrete runways were built at the end of 1942.

[2] With the end of the Second World War the number of students reduced and the school moved to RAF Leconfield in October 1945.

In 1958 the need to base the new PGM-17 Thor intermediate-range ballistic missile led to a massive concrete launch site being built in the centre of the airfield, under the control of No.