RAF Clifton

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Royal Air Force base in Yorkshire, England

title: "RAF Clifton" type: doc version: 1 created: 2026-02-28 author: "Wikipedia contributors" status: active scope: public tags: ["royal-air-force-stations-of-world-war-ii-in-the-united-kingdom", "royal-air-force-stations-in-yorkshire", "military-airbases-established-in-1939", "military-airbases-closed-in-1946"] description: "Royal Air Force base in Yorkshire, England" topic_path: "history" source: "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/RAF_Clifton" license: "CC BY-SA 4.0" wikipedia_page_id: 0 wikipedia_revision_id: 0

::summary Royal Air Force base in Yorkshire, England ::

::data[format=table title="Infobox military installation"]

FieldValue
nameRAF CliftonRAF YorkRAF Rawcliffe
ensignEnsign of the Royal Air Force.svg
ensign_size90px
partof
locationClifton Without, North Yorkshire
countryEngland
image
image2
typeRoyal Air Force station
coordinates
pushpin_mapNorth Yorkshire#UK
pushpin_map_captionShown within North Yorkshire
pushpin_labelRAF Clifton
ownershipAir Ministry
operatorRoyal Air Force
controlledbyRAF Bomber Command
open_to_public
site_other_label
site_other
site_area
code
built
used1936-1939 Civilian Use
1939-1946 RAF use
1946- Civilian Use
battlesEuropean theatre of World War II
past_commanders
garrison
occupants
footnotes
elevation14 m
r1-number00/00
r1-length
r1-surfaceAsphalt
r2-number00/00
r2-length
r2-surfaceAsphalt
r3-number00/00
r3-length
r3-surfaceAsphalt
h1-length
airfield_other_label
airfield_other
::

| name = RAF CliftonRAF YorkRAF Rawcliffe | ensign = Ensign of the Royal Air Force.svg | ensign_size = 90px | native_name = | partof = | location = Clifton Without, North Yorkshire | country = England | image = | caption = | image2 = | alt2 = | caption2 = | type = Royal Air Force station | coordinates = | gridref = | pushpin_map = North Yorkshire#UK | pushpin_map_caption = Shown within North Yorkshire | pushpin_label = RAF Clifton | pushpin_label_position = | ownership = Air Ministry | operator = Royal Air Force | controlledby = RAF Bomber Command | open_to_public = | site_other_label = | site_other = | site_area = | code = | built = | used = 1936-1939 Civilian Use 1939-1946 RAF use 1946- Civilian Use | builder = | fate = | condition = | battles = European theatre of World War II | events = | past_commanders = | garrison = | occupants = | designations = | website = | footnotes = | IATA = | ICAO = | LID = | GPS = | WMO = | elevation = 14 m | r1-number = 00/00 | r1-length = | r1-surface = Asphalt | r2-number = 00/00 | r2-length = | r2-surface = Asphalt | r3-number = 00/00 | r3-length = | r3-surface = Asphalt | h1-number = | h1-length = | h1-surface = | airfield_other_label = | airfield_other = Royal Air Force Clifton, or more simply RAF Clifton, is a former Royal Air Force station located 1.5 mi north west of York city centre and 2.6 mi south west of Haxby, North Yorkshire, England.

The airfield was opened in 1936 as a civilian airport but by 1939 the station was taken by the Royal Air Force (RAF) for use in the Second World War and was returned in 1946 when the airport reopened. However, in 1955 the airfield was closed for good. The airfield during wartime was also known as RAF York and RAF Rawcliffe.

Station history

The airfield was originally York Municipal Aerodrome which opened in 1936 after an air circus had used the site previously but on 1 September 1939 the site was requisitioned by the RAF for Bomber Command.

The first squadron to use the airfield was No. 613 Squadron RAF between 7 September 1940 and 8 July 1941 as a detachment while the main squadron were at RAF Firbeck. The airfield was empty until No. 4 Squadron RAF arrived on 27 August 1940 originally with the Westland Lysander III/IIIA adding the Curtiss Tomahawk IIA in April 1942 and the North American Mustang I in May 1943.

On 27 June 1942 No. 169 Squadron RAF arrived with the Mustang I as a detachment from RAF Doncaster. The squadron stayed until 12 October 1942.

During its lifetime Clifton was used by RAF Bomber Command, RAF Army Cooperation Command, Fleet Air Arm, RAF Fighter Command and RAF Maintenance Command.

Accidents

A Handley Page Halifax Mk VII JP203 crashed on approach to Clifton on the 8 June 1945. The aircraft had left Hooton Park, Cheshire on route to Clifton for scrapping by No. 48 Maintenance Unit RAF. Both crew members on board were killed.

Current use

::figure[src="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/4/40/York_Aerodrome_Plaque_with_daffodils_-geograph.org.uk-_737421.jpg" caption="Memorial plaque to the former aerodrome"] ::

The airfield site now forms a housing estate, industrial estate, shopping centre and local nature reserve (Clifton Backies).

However, there are two stubs of the original runways still visible north of the A1237 near the roundabout leading to the shopping centre. There is also a stub of another runway and taxiway visible to the south of the A1237 just west of Wigginton Road.

References

Citations

Bibliography

References

  1. "RAF Clifton Airfield". Control Towers.
  2. {{Harvnb. Jefford. 1988
  3. {{Harvnb. Jefford. 1988
  4. {{Harvnb. Jefford. 1988
  5. {{Harvnb. Jefford. 1988
  6. {{Harvnb. Jefford. 1988
  7. "York (Clifton) (Rawcliffe)". Airfields of Britain Conservation Trust.
  8. (September 2025). "Clifton Airfield". Clifton (Without) Parish Council.
  9. "Accident Handley Page Halifax Mk VII JP203, Friday 8 June 1945".
  10. (1999). "Yorkshire airfields in the Second World War". Countryside Books.
  11. (27 August 2010). "Park rangers who put nature in the city". York Press.
  12. "Clifton".

::callout[type=info title="Wikipedia Source"] This article was imported from Wikipedia and is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 License. Content has been adapted to SurfDoc format. Original contributors can be found on the article history page. ::

royal-air-force-stations-of-world-war-ii-in-the-united-kingdomroyal-air-force-stations-in-yorkshiremilitary-airbases-established-in-1939military-airbases-closed-in-1946