RAF Driffield
Station Crest
Role
Location	Driffield Driffield Driffield, also known as Great Driffield, is a market town and civil parish in the East Riding of Yorkshire, England. The civil parish is formed by the town of Driffield and the village of Little Driffield.... , East Riding of Yorkshire East Riding of Yorkshire The East Riding of Yorkshire, or simply East Yorkshire, is a local government district with unitary authority status, and a ceremonial county of England. For ceremonial purposes the county also includes the city of Kingston upon Hull, which is a separate unitary authority...
Date Opened	1918
Date Closed	1996

RAF Driffield was a Royal Air Force station situated near Driffield

Driffield

Driffield, also known as Great Driffield, is a market town and civil parish in the East Riding of Yorkshire, England. The civil parish is formed by the town of Driffield and the village of Little Driffield....

 in the East Riding of Yorkshire

East Riding of Yorkshire

The East Riding of Yorkshire, or simply East Yorkshire, is a local government district with unitary authority status, and a ceremonial county of England. For ceremonial purposes the county also includes the city of Kingston upon Hull, which is a separate unitary authority...

, England

England

England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...

.

Situated between Kelleythorpe

Kelleythorpe

Kelleythorpe is a hamlet in the East Riding of Yorkshire, England, it forms part of the civil parish of Kirkburn. It is situated in the Yorkshire Wolds on the A614 road near to its junction with the A164 road. It is situated approximately south west of Driffield town centre.It is now the location...

 and Eastburn

Eastburn, East Riding of Yorkshire

Eastburn is a hamlet in the East Riding of Yorkshire, England, it forms part of the civil parish of Kirkburn. It is situated in the Yorkshire Wolds on the A164 road, approximately south west of Driffield town centre and north west of the village of Hutton Cranswick.-References:...

 on the A614 road, there stands an aerodrome. In recent times, it was known as Alamein Barracks and used as an Army driving school. But the site was once a busy military airfield that operated for many years – spanning the development of aviation technology, and the history of the Royal Air Force.

History

The first aerodrome to occupy the site was made up of wooden and brick buildings, similar to those found at Duxford or Hendon. Known as Eastburn

Eastburn, East Riding of Yorkshire

Eastburn is a hamlet in the East Riding of Yorkshire, England, it forms part of the civil parish of Kirkburn. It is situated in the Yorkshire Wolds on the A164 road, approximately south west of Driffield town centre and north west of the village of Hutton Cranswick.-References:...

, No.21 Training Depot was the first unit to occupy the site from 15 July 1918, joined later by Nos. 202

No. 202 Squadron RAF

No. 202 Squadron of the Royal Air Force presently operates the Sea King HAR.3 in the Search and rescue role at three stations in the northern half of the United Kingdom. It was originally formed as one of the first aeroplane squadrons of the RNAS before it became part of the RAF.-Formation and...

 and 217 Squadrons from March 1919. However, by early 1920, these units had disbanded, leaving a deserted airfield, which was removed some years later.

During the early 1930s, Driffield was selected for one of the RAF’s expansion scheme aerodromes, with construction work beginning in 1935. This new airfield consisted of five large aircraft hangars, curved round the grass runways that stretched towards the north-west. Placed neatly behind these hangars were the many buildings that made up the camp. Opened in July 1936, RAF Driffield became home to a number of bomber squadrons. By 1938, these had been replaced by No.77

No. 77 Squadron RAF

No. 77 Squadron RAF was formed on 1 October 1916 at Edinburgh, and was equipped with B.E.2 and B.E.12 aircraft. The squadron disbanded at RAF Turnhouse on June 13, 1919....

 and No.102

No. 102 Squadron RAF

No. 102 Squadron was a Royal Air Force night bomber squadron in World War I and a heavy bomber squadron in World War II. After the war it flew briefly as a transport squadron before being reformed a light bomber unit with the Second Tactical Air Force within RAF Germany. Its last existence was as a...

 Squadrons, and were eventually equipped with the twin-engined Armstrong Whitworth Whitley

Armstrong Whitworth Whitley

The Armstrong Whitworth A.W.38 Whitley was one of three British twin-engine, front line medium bomber types in service with the Royal Air Force at the outbreak of the Second World War...

 bomber.

World War II

Crews of both No.77

No. 77 Squadron RAF

No. 77 Squadron RAF was formed on 1 October 1916 at Edinburgh, and was equipped with B.E.2 and B.E.12 aircraft. The squadron disbanded at RAF Turnhouse on June 13, 1919....

 and No.102

No. 102 Squadron RAF

No. 102 Squadron was a Royal Air Force night bomber squadron in World War I and a heavy bomber squadron in World War II. After the war it flew briefly as a transport squadron before being reformed a light bomber unit with the Second Tactical Air Force within RAF Germany. Its last existence was as a...

 Squadrons endured a series of training courses and exercises, so that on the outbreak of war, Driffield was ready for action.

The morning of 4 September brought great activity to RAF Driffield. Three aircraft from No.102 Squadron were to drop leaflets during that second night of the war. The fuselages of these bombers were crammed with large parcels of propaganda leaflets, wrapped in brown paper. Access that was normally difficult because of the retracted ventral gun turret, was now extremely challenging through the narrow gaps, between the parcels on either side of the turret. Flying at 15,000 ft, the three aircraft crossed the enemy coastline and maintaining strict radio silence, flew down the Ruhr Valley and into France, releasing their load of leaflets, which were dropped through the aircraft’s flare chute. The following night of 5 September, No.77 Squadron was given its opportunity to drop leaflets, when two aircraft repeated the operation.

On 15-16 March 1940, two aircraft of No.77 Squadron alone dropped 6,000,000 leaflets during a raid over Warsaw

Warsaw

Warsaw is the capital and largest city of Poland. It is located on the Vistula River, roughly from the Baltic Sea and from the Carpathian Mountains. Its population in 2010 was estimated at 1,716,855 residents with a greater metropolitan area of 2,631,902 residents, making Warsaw the 10th most...

; a mission successfully accomplished, despite difficulties encountered with navigation and atrocious weather conditions. This was followed on 19 March by the first deliberate bombing on German soil, when Whitley aircraft from both Driffield squadrons joined those from RAF Dishforth

RAF Dishforth

Dishforth Airfield is a Royal Air Force/British Army station in North Yorkshire, England. It is currently an Army Air Corps helicopter base and a Relief Landing Ground for RAF Linton-on-Ouse. It is located next to the A1 at Junction 49 with the A168. Dishforth airfield is built over part of the...

, who together bombed the mine-laying seaplane base at Hornum

Hörnum

Hörnum is a municipality in the district of Nordfriesland, in Schleswig-Holstein, Germany. It is located on the southern headland of the island of Sylt...

 on the Island of Sylt.

On Thursday, 15 August 1940 there was a German air raid on the airfield. At approximately midday, some 50 Junkers Ju 88

Junkers Ju 88

The Junkers Ju 88 was a World War II German Luftwaffe twin-engine, multi-role aircraft. Designed by Hugo Junkers' company through the services of two American aviation engineers in the mid-1930s, it suffered from a number of technical problems during the later stages of its development and early...

 bomber aircraft attacked the aerodrome, killing 13 military personnel and 1 civilian , and destroying 12 Whitley aircraft. The 169 bombs dropped caused extensive damage, with many buildings, including all five hangars, being either damaged or destroyed.

Weeks later, the surviving aircraft from both Whitley squadrons departed, leaving Driffield to repair the damage, which remained non-operational until early 1941. With repairs to the airfield complete, Driffield saw a new role in the early months of 1941, as fighters replaced bombers, when No.13 Group Fighter Command took control of the airfield. Equipped with Spitfires and Hurricanes, the three squadrons based at Driffield patrolled the North Sea. April 1941 saw the return of No.4 Group Bomber Command and the formation of two new squadrons, both equipped with the Wellington twin-engined bomber. No.104 Squadron

No. 104 Squadron RAF

No. 104 Squadron RAF was formed at Wyton on 4 September 1917 and was equipped with the DH 9. It then moved to Andover, prior to being posted to France in May 1918. The squadron later began re-equipping with the DH 10, however the armistice arrived before this was completed and the squadron returned...

 and No.405 Squadron RCAF (the first Royal Canadian Air Force

Royal Canadian Air Force

The history of the Royal Canadian Air Force begins in 1920, when the air force was created as the Canadian Air Force . In 1924 the CAF was renamed the Royal Canadian Air Force and granted royal sanction by King George V. The RCAF existed as an independent service until 1968...

 bomber squadron formed) commenced bombing operations against Germany.

9 May 1941 saw the first operation by No.104 Squadron, when six Wellington aircraft were despatched to bomb Bremen

Bremen

The City Municipality of Bremen is a Hanseatic city in northwestern Germany. A commercial and industrial city with a major port on the river Weser, Bremen is part of the Bremen-Oldenburg metropolitan area . Bremen is the second most populous city in North Germany and tenth in Germany.Bremen is...

. One aircraft failed to reach Germany and returned to Driffield with a jammed rear gun turret. Flying at 16,000 ft, four aircraft managed to release their bombs over Bremen, but were unable to see the results, due to the bright glowing haze of the already burning city. One other aircraft failed to reach the target due to intercom failure, but was able to bomb the secondary target of Wilhelmshaven

Wilhelmshaven

Wilhelmshaven is a coastal town in Lower Saxony, Germany. It is situated on the western side of the Jade Bight, a bay of the North Sea.-History:...

. Despite both targets being heavily defended, all aircraft and crews returned safely. Other Wellington squadrons based at Driffield during the war were No.158 Squadron

No. 158 Squadron RAF

No. 158 Squadron RAF was a World War I proposed ground attack squadron that did not became operational in time to see action, and a World War II bomber squadron. After World War II had ended in Europe the squadron operated in the transport role until disbandment in December 1945.-Formation in World...

, No.466 Squadron RAAF (Royal Australian Air Force

Royal Australian Air Force

The Royal Australian Air Force is the air force branch of the Australian Defence Force. The RAAF was formed in March 1921. It continues the traditions of the Australian Flying Corps , which was formed on 22 October 1912. The RAAF has taken part in many of the 20th century's major conflicts...

) and No.196 Squadron

No. 196 Squadron RAF

No. 196 Squadron was a Royal Air Force squadron originally formed as a training unit during World War I. It was active during World War II in Nos. 3, 4 and 38 Group RAF...

.
In 1943, RAF Driffield was temporary closed for the construction of three concrete runways, the longest stretching 6,000 ft, linked by a perimeter track, along the length of which were situated the aircraft dispersals and bomb dump. The airfield became operational again in June 1944 with the return of No.466 Squadron RAAF, now equipped with the heavy four-engined Handley Page Halifax bomber. This unit began operations supporting the Allied invasion of Europe by bombing targets in the Normandy

Normandy

Normandy is a geographical region corresponding to the former Duchy of Normandy. It is in France.The continental territory covers 30,627 km² and forms the preponderant part of Normandy and roughly 5% of the territory of France. It is divided for administrative purposes into two régions:...

 area.

12 August 1944 saw the formation of No.462 Squadron, a second Australian unit. During the months that followed, both squadrons joined forces to hit targets across Europe. On 10 September 1944, a small force of some 69 bombers, including 30 from Driffield, targeted the German occupied garrison and coastal defence battery at Le Havre. This was immediately followed by a much larger force of some 930 aircraft, which dropped 47,000 tons of bombs. The following day, the raid was repeated when 22 aircraft from Driffield, combined with a total of 218 from Bomber Command, again attacked the target. Ten hours later, the German garrison surrendered to allied ground forces. In December 1944, No.462 Squadron moved to Norfolk, leaving No.466 Squadron to fight on from Driffield. The Australians carried out their final raid of the war on 25 April 1945, when a force of 18 aircraft bombed gun emplacements on the island of Wangerange.

After WWII

After the war, Driffield became home to a number of training establishments. The first, No.10 Air Navigation School, flew from 1946, equipped with Avro Anson

Avro Anson

The Avro Anson is a British twin-engine, multi-role aircraft that served with the Royal Air Force, Fleet Air Arm and numerous other air forces prior to, during, and after the Second World War. Named for British Admiral George Anson, it was originally designed for maritime reconnaissance, but was...

, twin-engined aircraft, which were employed to fly student navigators on short three hour flights. The unit’s Wellington aircraft, endured flights of up to six hours, flying sometimes at night, down to the Channel Islands, along the English Channel and up the North Sea to Scotland. Replaced in 1948 by No.204 Advanced Flying School, this unit taught pilots how to fly the fast twin-engined de Havilland Mosquito fighter/bomber, an aircraft built entirely out of wood.

In 1949, the jet age reached Yorkshire, when No.203 Advanced Flying School formed at Driffield – replacing the Mosquitoes, which departed with their parent unit. This new school would be the first in the world responsible for teaching a new breed of pilot how to fly fast jet aircraft. There were two sections within the school: No.1 Squadron operated the Gloster Meteor – Britain’s first operational jet fighter, while No.2 Squadron flew the de Havilland Vampire.

Before climbing into the cockpit, students underwent four weeks of ground training, learning about jet engines, airframes and the different flying techniques associated with the new and much faster aircraft. This was followed by actual flight training, when pilots were taught basic manoeuvres, aerobatics, formation flying, instrument flying and navigation. Renamed No.8 Flying Training School in June 1954, the unit continued at Driffield before moving to Lincolnshire in July 1955.

That September, RAF Driffield reverted back to the role of a fighter station, when No.13 Group Fighter Command again took control of the airfield. During this period, Nos. 219 and 33 Squadrons, equipped with the de Havilland Venom night fighter, occupied the base until June/July 1957, when both units were disbanded. The following October saw the arrival of the Fighter Weapons School from RAF Leconfield, a unit equipped with a variety of jet aircraft, which itself departed in March 1958.

In 1957, the British Government announced that the RAF would deploy 60 nuclear intermediate range ballistic missiles. From November 1958, Driffield would be home to No.98 Squadron, which was equipped with three Douglas Thor missiles, each with a range of 1,750 miles and capable of reaching Moscow. With the length of 60 ft, these missiles were stored horizontally on the ground and were erected only when ready for firing or during training exercises. Although the missiles were British owned, the nuclear warheads were still under American ownership. Accordingly, the United States Air Force maintained a sizable presence at Driffield. In good bureaucratic fashion, the RAF Launch Officer was expected to sign for the warhead after it had been launched, because technically it was then under British control. The missiles at Driffield were never used and the system was dismantled in 1963.

During the late 1960s, Blackburn Buccaneer

Blackburn Buccaneer

The Blackburn Buccaneer was a British low-level subsonic strike aircraft with nuclear weapon delivery capability serving with the Royal Navy and the Royal Air Force between 1962 and 1994, including service in the 1991 Gulf War...

 naval aircraft were flight tested at Driffield, and in the early 1970s, gliders of No.642 Volunteer Gliding School also occupied the airfield, albeit briefly, while RAF Linton on Ouse had its main runway resurfaced. Sadly, there were to be no more happy landings, and in 1977, the airfield and camp were taken over by the British Army, who renamed it Alamein Barracks. By the early 1980s, the runways were removed and the hardcore used in the construction of the Driffield bypass. The control tower and air-raid shelters disappeared, while the hangars that protected aircraft for many years were converted to protect Government surplus grain from the elements.

The army used Driffield as a driver training centre, until RAF Leconfield

RAF Leconfield

The former RAF Leconfield, or 'Leconfield Camp' was a Royal Air Force airbase in Leconfield , East Riding of Yorkshire, England. The site is now used by the MoD Defence School of Transport Leconfield .-History:...

 (which was also taken over by the Army in 1977) was enlarged to accommodate those who lived and trained at Driffield. In 1992, the RAF regained ownership of this historic aerodrome, naming it: RAF Staxton Wold – Driffield Site. Once again, the RAF ensign flew over Driffield, but not for long. In 1996, the RAF itself transferred its own personnel and facilities to RAF Staxton Wold, thus bringing an end to 60 years of service. On 28 June 1996, the RAF ensign was lowered for the last time, bringing to an end RAF Driffield.
The site has since been used as a driver training area by DST Leconfield.