RAF Driffield

RAF Driffield
RAF Eastburn
Driffield Training Area
RAF Driffield; RAF Eastburn; Driffield Training Area;
	Station badge
	IATA: none; ICAO: none;
Summary
Airport type	Military
Owner	Ministry of Defence
Operator	Royal Air Force
Location	Driffield, East Riding of Yorkshire, England
Built	1918 as RAF Eastburn; 1935 as RAF Driffield
In use	1918–1920 Royal Air Force; 1936–1977 Royal Air Force; 1977–1992 British Army; 1992–1996 Royal Air Force; 1996–Present Defence Training Estate
Elevation AMSL	82 ft / 25 m
Coordinates	53°59′41″N 000°29′11″W / 53.99472°N 0.48639°W
Map
	RAF Driffield Location in the East Riding of Yorkshire

Royal Air Force Driffield or RAF Driffield is a former Royal Air Force station in the East Riding of Yorkshire, in England. It lies about 2 miles (3 km) south-west of Driffield and 11 miles (18 km) north-west of Beverley. It is now operated by the Defence Infrastructure Organisation, as the Driffield Training Area.

History

The site was first opened in 1918 by the Royal Air Force under the name of RAF Eastburn, and closed in 1920.^[1] In 1935 a new airfield was built, initially training bomber crews. In 1977 the site was turned over to the British Army for use as a driving school, and was renamed Alamein Barracks, a satellite to Normandy Barracks of the Defence School of Transport at Leconfield.^[2]

The station was the initial posting of Leonard Cheshire^[3] VC, who was at that time a member of 102 Squadron.^[4]

On 15 August 1940 there was a German air raid on the airfield. Casualties included the first fatality in the Women's Royal Air Force.^[5]^[6]

On 1 August 1959, the station was armed with PGM-17 Thor ballistic missiles, which were subsequently decommissioned by April 1963.^[7]

Units

The following units were here at some point:^[8]

No. 1 Fighter Command Modification Centre RAF
No. 2 Blind Approach Training Flight RAF
No. 2 (Coastal) Operational Training Unit RAF
No. 2 School of Aerial Fighting RAF
No. 3 School of Aerial Fighting & Gunnery RAF
No. 4 Group Target Towing Flight RAF
No. 5 Group Target Towing Flight RAF
No. 5 Service Flying Training School RAF
No. 6 Anti-Aircraft Co-operation Unit RAF
No. 8 Flying Training School RAF
No. 10 Air Navigation School RAF
No. 21 Training Depot Station
No. 21 Training Station
No. 43 Base RAF
No. 102 Squadron RAF
No. 104 Squadron RAF
No. 203 Advanced Flying School RAF
No. 204 Advanced Flying School RAF
No. 226 Operational Conversion Unit RAF
No. 642 Gliding School RAF
No. 1484 (Target Towing) Flight RAF
No. 1484 (Target Towing and Gunnery Flight) RAF
No. 1502 (Beam Approach Training) Flight RAF
No. 1613 (Anti-Aircraft Co-operation) Flight RAF
Air Bomber Training Flight (No. 4 Group)
Aircrew Transit Unit
Air Fighting Development Unit
Fighter Weapons School

References

Citations

^ Chorlton, Martyn (2014). Forgotten aerodromes of World War I : British military aerodromes, seaplane stations, flying-boat and airship stations to 1920. Manchester: Crecy. p. 43. ISBN 9780859791816.
^ "RAF Driffield". Hull & East Riding at War. 10 July 2013. Retrieved 12 March 2016.
^ "No. 35005". The London Gazette. 3 December 1940. p. 6862
^ Jackson, Leonard (November 2011). "Group Captain Leonard Cheshire VC, OM, DSO and two bars, DFC - Lincolnshire Life". www.lincolnshirelife.co.uk. Retrieved 18 February 2019.
^ "WAAF". www.rauxaf.net. Retrieved 18 February 2019.
^ Goss, Chris (23 August 2018). "The Many: RAF Ground Crew in the Battle of Britain | Britain at War". britainatwar.keypublishing.com. Retrieved 18 February 2019.
^ Delve 2006, p. 114.
^ "Driffield (Eastburn)". Airfields of Britain Conservation Trust. Retrieved 9 February 2016.

Bibliography

Delve, Ken (2006). The military airfields of Britain : Northern England: Co. Durham, Cumbria, Isle of Man, Lancashire, Merseyside, Manchester, Northumberland, Tyne & Wear, Yorkshire. Marlborough: Crowood Press. ISBN 1-86126-809-2.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: ref duplicates default (link)
Halpenny, B,B. Action Stations: Military Airfields of Yorkshire v. 4. Patrick Stephens Ltd, 1982. ISBN 978-0850595321.
Philpott, Ian. The Royal Air Force 1930 to 1939, Volume II Rearmament. Barnsley, UK: Pen & Sword, 2008. ISBN 978-1-84415-391-6.

External links

[1] Chorlton, Martyn (2014). Forgotten aerodromes of World War I : British military aerodromes, seaplane stations, flying-boat and airship stations to 1920. Manchester: Crecy. p. 43. ISBN 9780859791816.

[2] "RAF Driffield". Hull & East Riding at War. 10 July 2013. Retrieved 12 March 2016.

[3] "No. 35005". The London Gazette. 3 December 1940. p. 6862

[4] Jackson, Leonard (November 2011). "Group Captain Leonard Cheshire VC, OM, DSO and two bars, DFC - Lincolnshire Life". www.lincolnshirelife.co.uk. Retrieved 18 February 2019.

[5] "WAAF". www.rauxaf.net. Retrieved 18 February 2019.

[6] Goss, Chris (23 August 2018). "The Many: RAF Ground Crew in the Battle of Britain | Britain at War". britainatwar.keypublishing.com. Retrieved 18 February 2019.

[FOOTNOTEDelve2006114-7] Delve 2006, p. 114.

[ABCT-8] "Driffield (Eastburn)". Airfields of Britain Conservation Trust. Retrieved 9 February 2016.

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