Editing Acaster Malbis (section)

==History==

===Early history===
The land on which the village stands was named by the [[Roman Britain|Romans]] as Val-Caester. In Latin, Val means "a wall" and Castrum means a "camp".<ref>{{cite web|url=https://archive.org/stream/oldkingdomofelme00boggrich/oldkingdomofelme00boggrich_djvu.txt|title=Roman History|accessdate=19 November 2010}}</ref> When the Romans departed the land was acquired by an [[Anglo-Saxon]] called Aca.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.yorkshire-england.co.uk/Selby.html|title=Anglo-Saxon Owner|accessdate=19 November 2010| archiveurl= https://web.archive.org/web/20101025215319/http://www.yorkshire-england.co.uk/Selby.html| archivedate= 25 October 2010 <!--DASHBot-->|url-status = live}}</ref>

The village is mentioned in the [[Domesday Book]] as ''Acastre'' in the [[wapentake]] of Ainsty and was recorded as belonging to two men, Elsi and Robert.<ref name="S&N Publishing"/><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://opendomesday.org/place/SE5845/acaster-malbis/|title=Acaster [Malbis] &#124; Domesday Book|website=opendomesday.org}}</ref> Ownership passed to the Malbysse family during the reign of [[Richard I]]. The family held the lands for about 200 years. In 1190, Richard Malebysse was a leader involved in the massacre of the Jews at [[Cliffords Tower]] in York. [[Richard I of England|Richard I]] dismissed the sheriff and constable of York and imposed severe penalties on the city and arrested many of those who had taken part. Richard Malbysse had been described by a Hebrew scribe eight years earlier as "the evil beast". As punishment, the King ordered his estates seized into the king's hand and two of his esquires were thrown into prison.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.british-history.ac.uk/report.aspx?compid=36322&strquery=acaster%20a0-11-19|title=Jewish Massacre in York|accessdate=19 November 2010}}</ref>

In 1314, John De Malbysse was appointed as a [[sheriff]] of the county. His daughter married into the Fairfax family who then inherited the lands after the deaths of John De Malbysse and his son Walter. The Fairfax family held the estates until 1745 when it was sold to Lady Dawes and was eventually inherited by [[Beilby Lawley, 3rd Baron Wenlock|Lord Wenlock]].<ref name="S&N Publishing">{{cite book|title=Bulmer's Topography, History and Directory (Private and Commercial) of North Yorkshire 1890 |pages=852 & 853|date=2002|orig-date=1890 |publisher= S&N Publishing|isbn= 1-86150-299-0}}</ref>

During the [[English Civil War]], the city of York was under siege from Scottish and Parliamentarian Armies. They had settled around the city in a great arc, with Lord Thomas Fairfax's army to the east and the Scots to the south and west. A bridge of boats, similar to those constructed at [[Nether Poppleton]], was constructed over the River Ouse at Acaster Malbis to allow communications between the two armies.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.british-civil-wars.co.uk/military/1644-york-march-marston-moor.htm|title=Civil War|accessdate=19 November 2010|archive-date=28 February 2009|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090228033814/http://british-civil-wars.co.uk/military/1644-york-march-marston-moor.htm|url-status=dead}}</ref>

===RAF Acaster Malbis===

[[RAF Acaster Malbis]], situated between the villages of Acaster Malbis and [[Acaster Selby]], was commissioned in 1942. Originally it was a grass airfield used by the No 601 Squadron Auxiliary Air Force from 6 January 1942 until April of that year. They flew American [[Bell P-39 Airacobra|Bell P39 Airacobra]] fighter planes. From 6 April 1942 until the beginning of 1943 No 15 Pilots Advanced Flying Unit was established here to train recently qualified pilots to convert to twin-engine aeroplanes using the [[Airspeed Oxford]] aircraft.

On 25 January 1943 the airfield was reconstructed into a full size 'Class A' bomber station, with three concrete runways, steel hangars and new administration buildings. Initially the airfield was used as a relief landing ground for heavy bombers stationed at [[RAF Rufforth|Rufforth]] and [[Marston Moor]]. From November 1944, No 4 Aircrew School took over for pilots, navigators, and air gunners to complete their ground training whilst waiting for a posting to a squadron. In 1945 there were between 200 and 300 RAF personnel living on the camp.

After the end of the war, RAF Acaster Malbis was home to [[RAF Maintenance Command|No 91 MU (Maintenance Unit)]] who were responsible for the storage and disposal of vast amounts of ammunition. This function was not complete until well into the 1950s. RAF Acaster Malbis was decommissioned in 1963 and the land sold by public auction. It resumed operations as a private airfield in the mid-1970s until the mid-1980s. Large parts of the runways have since been dug up and the buildings have fallen into disuse with many being demolished, although one hangar and the [[control tower]] still remain.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.ainstyvillages.org.uk/AsArticles1.html |title=RAF Station |accessdate=19 November 2010 |url-status = dead|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20110903124814/http://www.ainstyvillages.org.uk/AsArticles1.html |archivedate=3 September 2011 }}</ref>