RAF Topcliffe
Encyclopedia
RAF Topcliffe is a Royal Air Force
station in North Yorkshire
. It is a satellite station of RAF Linton-on-Ouse
.
Topcliffe opened in September 1940 as a bomber station in RAF Bomber Command
and was home to 77
and 102 Squadrons flying the Whitley
heavy bomber. There was a decoy site at Raskelf. Concrete runways were added in mid-1942, and 419
and 424
Squadrons (RCAF) moved in flying Wellington
bombers and later, the Halifax III
. On 1 January 1943 the station was transferred to No. 6 Group RCAF
and became a training station. The station, along with sub-stations at Wombleton
, Dalton
and Dishforth
was designated as No. 61 (Training) Base in late 1943.
The army
moved on to the site in 1972 and renamed much of it Alanbrooke Barracks. However all the flying facilities remain intact. The wartime control tower, with modifications, is still used, and the station is referred to as RAF Topcliffe by the RAF.
During the eighties it was the home of the Royal Navy
Elementary Flying School. In the nineties it was temporarily home to a Tucano
squadron of RAF Central Flying School. It was the home of the Tucano Air Navigation Squadron, teaching student navigators of both the Royal Air Force and the Royal Navy until April 2002 when it moved to RAF Linton on Ouse.
The station is now home to 645 Volunteer Gliding Squadron
, who teach Air Cadets to fly The Grob 109B 'Vigilant' Motor Glider and is currently joined by 635 Volunteer Gliding Squadron, who have been temporarily re-located from their former airfield.
In the early 70s it was also used as a basic Sergeant Aircrew training centre.
During the 1990s and until 2001, the airfield was utilised by Merlin Parachute Club, home to both the 4 Para Parachute display team and the York University Sport Parachute Club. Part of the site is also used for the flying of model aircraft.
Royal Air Force
The Royal Air Force is the aerial warfare service branch of the British Armed Forces. Formed on 1 April 1918, it is the oldest independent air force in the world...
station in North Yorkshire
North Yorkshire
North Yorkshire is a non-metropolitan or shire county located in the Yorkshire and the Humber region of England, and a ceremonial county primarily in that region but partly in North East England. Created in 1974 by the Local Government Act 1972 it covers an area of , making it the largest...
. It is a satellite station of RAF Linton-on-Ouse
RAF Linton-on-Ouse
RAF Linton-on-Ouse is a Royal Air Force station at Linton-on-Ouse near York in Yorkshire, England. It is currently a major flying training centre, one of the RAF's busiest airfields...
.
Topcliffe opened in September 1940 as a bomber station in RAF Bomber Command
RAF Bomber Command
RAF Bomber Command controlled the RAF's bomber forces from 1936 to 1968. During World War II the command destroyed a significant proportion of Nazi Germany's industries and many German cities, and in the 1960s stood at the peak of its postwar military power with the V bombers and a supplemental...
and was home to 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 102 Squadrons flying the 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...
heavy bomber. There was a decoy site at Raskelf. Concrete runways were added in mid-1942, and 419
No. 419 Squadron RCAF
419 Tactical Fighter Training Squadron is an air force unit with the Canadian Forces. The squadron was originally formed during the Second World War as part of the Royal Canadian Air Force...
and 424
No. 424 Squadron RCAF
424 "City of Hamilton" Transport and Rescue Squadron is a search and rescue/transport squadron of the Canadian Forces and based out of 9 Hangar with 8 Wing CFB Trenton.-History:...
Squadrons (RCAF) moved in flying Wellington
Vickers Wellington
The Vickers Wellington was a British twin-engine, long range medium bomber designed in the mid-1930s at Brooklands in Weybridge, Surrey, by Vickers-Armstrongs' Chief Designer, R. K. Pierson. It was widely used as a night bomber in the early years of the Second World War, before being displaced as a...
bombers and later, the Halifax III
Handley Page Halifax
The Handley Page Halifax was one of the British front-line, four-engined heavy bombers of the Royal Air Force during the Second World War. A contemporary of the famous Avro Lancaster, the Halifax remained in service until the end of the war, performing a variety of duties in addition to bombing...
. On 1 January 1943 the station was transferred to No. 6 Group RCAF
No. 6 Group RCAF
No. 6 Group RCAF was an organization of Royal Canadian Air Force bomber squadrons which operated from airfields in Yorkshire, England during the Second World War. Although 6 Group was RCAF, it was controlled by the Royal Air Force as part of Bomber Command. No. 6 Group had been previously active...
and became a training station. The station, along with sub-stations at Wombleton
RAF Wombleton
RAF Wombleton was a World War II training airfield located in the county of North Yorkshire, about 1/2 mile south of Wombleton, England.Wombleton opened in 1943 as a sub-station of RAF Topcliffe. It was part of RAF Bomber Command's No. 6 Group RCAF, and along with the main station at Topcliffe and...
, Dalton
RAF Dalton
RAF Dalton was an airfield used by RAF Bomber Command during the Second World War. It was a satellite or sub-station of nearby RAF Topcliffe and actually nearer to the village of Topcliffe than the station so named.-History:...
and 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...
was designated as No. 61 (Training) Base in late 1943.
The army
British Army
The British Army is the land warfare branch of Her Majesty's Armed Forces in the United Kingdom. It came into being with the unification of the Kingdom of England and Scotland into the Kingdom of Great Britain in 1707. The new British Army incorporated Regiments that had already existed in England...
moved on to the site in 1972 and renamed much of it Alanbrooke Barracks. However all the flying facilities remain intact. The wartime control tower, with modifications, is still used, and the station is referred to as RAF Topcliffe by the RAF.
During the eighties it was the home of the Royal Navy
Royal Navy
The Royal Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the British Armed Forces. Founded in the 16th century, it is the oldest service branch and is known as the Senior Service...
Elementary Flying School. In the nineties it was temporarily home to a Tucano
Short Tucano
|-See also:-External links:*...
squadron of RAF Central Flying School. It was the home of the Tucano Air Navigation Squadron, teaching student navigators of both the Royal Air Force and the Royal Navy until April 2002 when it moved to RAF Linton on Ouse.
The station is now home to 645 Volunteer Gliding Squadron
Volunteer Gliding Squadron
Volunteer Gliding Squadrons are Royal Air Force Flying Training Units , operating military Viking TX.1 and Vigilant T.1 gliders to train Air Cadets from the Combined Cadet Force and the Air Training Corps....
, who teach Air Cadets to fly The Grob 109B 'Vigilant' Motor Glider and is currently joined by 635 Volunteer Gliding Squadron, who have been temporarily re-located from their former airfield.
Other uses
In 1962 The Air Electronics School (for Wireless Operators and Air Electronics Officers) moved to RAF Topcliffe from RAF Hullavington in Wiltshire.In the early 70s it was also used as a basic Sergeant Aircrew training centre.
During the 1990s and until 2001, the airfield was utilised by Merlin Parachute Club, home to both the 4 Para Parachute display team and the York University Sport Parachute Club. Part of the site is also used for the flying of model aircraft.