# RAF Clifton

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Royal Air Force base in Yorkshire, England

RAF Clifton RAF York RAF Rawcliffe Clifton Without, North Yorkshire in England Site information Type Royal Air Force station Owner Air Ministry Operator Royal Air Force Controlled by RAF Bomber Command Location RAF Clifton Shown within North Yorkshire Show map of North Yorkshire RAF Clifton RAF Clifton (the United Kingdom) Show map of the United Kingdom Coordinates 53°58′50″N 001°06′28″W / 53.98056°N 1.10778°W / 53.98056; -1.10778 Site history Built 1936 (1936) In use 1936-1939 Civilian Use 1939-1946 RAF use 1946-1955 (1955) Civilian Use Battles/wars European theatre of World War II Airfield information Elevation 14 metres (46 ft) AMSL Runways Direction Length and surface 00/00 Asphalt 00/00 Asphalt 00/00 Asphalt

**Royal Air Force Clifton**, or more simply **RAF Clifton**, is a former [Royal Air Force](/source/Royal_Air_Force) [station](/source/Royal_Air_Force_station) located 1.5 miles (2.4 km) north west of [York](/source/York) city centre and 2.6 miles (4.2 km) south west of [Haxby](/source/Haxby), [North Yorkshire](/source/North_Yorkshire), [England](/source/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](/source/World_War_II) 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](/source/RAF_Bomber_Command).[1]

The first squadron to use the airfield was [No. 613 Squadron RAF](/source/No._613_Squadron_RAF) between 7 September 1940 and 8 July 1941 as a detachment while the main squadron were at [RAF Firbeck](/source/RAF_Firbeck).[2] The airfield was empty until [No. 4 Squadron RAF](/source/No._4_Squadron_RAF) arrived on 27 August 1940 originally with the [Westland Lysander](/source/Westland_Lysander) III/IIIA adding the [Curtiss Tomahawk](/source/Curtiss_P-40_variants#Hawk_81A-1/P-40B/P-40C_(British_Commonwealth/Soviet_"Tomahawk_Mk_I"_and_"Tomahawk_Mk_IIA_and_IIB")) IIA in April 1942 and the [North American Mustang](/source/North_American_P-51_Mustang) I in May 1943.[3]

On 27 June 1942 [No. 169 Squadron RAF](/source/No._169_Squadron_RAF) arrived with the Mustang I as a detachment from [RAF Doncaster](/source/RAF_Doncaster). The squadron stayed until 12 October 1942.[4]

- [No. 169 Squadron RAF](/source/No._169_Squadron_RAF) between 15 November 1942 and 18 December 1942 with the Mustang.[4]

- [No. 4 Squadron RAF](/source/No._4_Squadron_RAF) between 12 March 1943 and 20 March 1943 with the Tomahawk and Mustang.[3]

- [No. 231 Squadron RAF](/source/No._231_Squadron_RAF) between 21 March 1943 and 6 July 1943 with the Mustang I. The squadron had a detachment at [RAF Ballyhalbert](/source/RAF_Ballyhalbert).[5]

- [No. 659 Squadron RAF](/source/No._659_Squadron_RAF) between 17 August 1943 and 23 April 1944 with a brief change to [RAF Burn](/source/RAF_Burn) on 31 December 1943. The squadron flew the Auster III before upgrading to the Mk. IV during March 1944.[6]

- [No. 658 Squadron RAF](/source/No._658_Squadron_RAF) between 29 August 1943 and 1 January 1944 with the [Taylorcraft Auster](/source/Taylorcraft_Auster) III.[6]

- [No. 48 Maintenance Unit RAF](/source/No._48_Maintenance_Unit_RAF).[7]

During its lifetime Clifton was used by [RAF Bomber Command](/source/RAF_Bomber_Command), [RAF Army Cooperation Command](/source/RAF_Army_Cooperation_Command), [Fleet Air Arm](/source/Fleet_Air_Arm), [RAF Fighter Command](/source/RAF_Fighter_Command) and [RAF Maintenance Command](/source/RAF_Maintenance_Command).[8]

## Accidents

A [Handley Page Halifax](/source/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](/source/No._48_Maintenance_Unit_RAF). Both crew members on board were killed.[9]

## Current use

Memorial plaque to the former aerodrome

The airfield site now forms a housing estate,[7] industrial estate, shopping centre[10] and [local nature reserve](/source/Local_nature_reserve) (Clifton Backies).[11]

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.[12]

## See also

- [List of former Royal Air Force stations](/source/List_of_former_Royal_Air_Force_stations)

## References

### Citations

1. **[^](#cite_ref-CT_1-0)** ["RAF Clifton Airfield"](http://www.controltowers.co.uk/C/Clifton.htm). Control Towers. Retrieved 11 June 2012.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-Jefford1988p100_2-0)** [Jefford 1988](#CITEREFJefford1988), p. 100.

1. ^ [***a***](#cite_ref-Jefford1988p24_3-0) [***b***](#cite_ref-Jefford1988p24_3-1) [Jefford 1988](#CITEREFJefford1988), p. 24.

1. ^ [***a***](#cite_ref-Jefford1988p64_4-0) [***b***](#cite_ref-Jefford1988p64_4-1) [Jefford 1988](#CITEREFJefford1988), p. 64.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-Jefford1988p74_5-0)** [Jefford 1988](#CITEREFJefford1988), p. 74.

1. ^ [***a***](#cite_ref-Jefford1988p103_6-0) [***b***](#cite_ref-Jefford1988p103_6-1) [Jefford 1988](#CITEREFJefford1988), p. 103.

1. ^ [***a***](#cite_ref-ABCT_7-0) [***b***](#cite_ref-ABCT_7-1) ["York (Clifton) (Rawcliffe)"](http://www.abct.org.uk/airfields/york-clifton-rawcliffe). Airfields of Britain Conservation Trust. Retrieved 11 June 2012.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-8)** ["Clifton Airfield"](http://www.visionwebsites.co.uk/Contents/Text/Index.asp?siteId=761&SiteExtra=17234363&TopNavId=716&NavSideId=10313). Clifton (Without) Parish Council. Retrieved 11 June 2012.[*[dead link](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Link_rot)*]

1. **[^](#cite_ref-9)** ["Accident Handley Page Halifax Mk VII JP203, Friday 8 June 1945"](https://aviation-safety.net/wikibase/155766).

1. **[^](#cite_ref-10)** Otter, Patrick (1999). *Yorkshire airfields in the Second World War* (4 ed.). Newbury, Berkshire: Countryside Books. p. 296. [ISBN](/source/ISBN_(identifier)) [1-85306-542-0](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:BookSources/1-85306-542-0).

1. **[^](#cite_ref-11)** ["Park rangers who put nature in the city"](http://www.yorkpress.co.uk/news/8357314.Park_rangers_who_put_nature_in_the_city/). *York Press*. 27 August 2010. Retrieved 10 May 2018.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-12)** ["Clifton"](http://www.forgottenairfields.com/united-kingdom/england/york/clifton-s977.html). *www.forgottenairfields.com*. Retrieved 27 November 2017.

### Bibliography

- Jefford, J (1988). *RAF Squadrons, a Comprehensive Record of the Movement and Equipment of all RAF Squadrons and their Antecedents since 1912*. Shrewsbury: Airlife Publishing. [ISBN](/source/ISBN_(identifier)) [1-84037-141-2](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:BookSources/1-84037-141-2).

## External links

- [UK Airshow Review Message Board - Farewell RAF Clifton](http://forums.airshows.co.uk/viewtopic.php?f=2&t=10561&p=107689)

v t e Royal Air Force Formations and units Units Commands Groups Wings Squadrons Flights Conversion units Operational Training units Schools / Training units Ferry units Glider units Misc units Stations Active Former Satellite Landing Grounds Station description Regiment Wings Squadrons Flights Branches and components Air Force Board RAF Regiment RAF Chaplains Branch RAF Intelligence RAF Legal Branch RAF Medical Services Princess Mary's RAF Nursing Service RAF Police RAF ground trades RAF Music Services RAF Search and Rescue Force RAF Mountain Rescue Service RAF Marine Branch RAF Air Cadets Operations Reserve forces Royal Auxiliary Air Force RAF Volunteer Reserve Equipment List of RAF aircraft current future List of RAF missiles List of equipment of the RAF Regiment Personnel Officer ranks Other ranks List of notable personnel List of serving senior officers Personnel numbers Appointments Chief of Air Staff Assistant Chief of the Air Staff Air Member for Personnel Air Secretary Air Member for Materiel Commandant-General of the RAF Regiment Warrant Officer of the RAF Symbols and uniform Badge Ensign Heraldic badges Roundels Squadron standards and battle honours Uniform Associated civil organisations Air Training Corps Combined Cadet Force (RAF section) RAF Association RAF Centre of Aviation Medicine RAF Benevolent Fund RAF Football Association RAF Museum History Timeline Future

v t e Royal Air Force stations in Yorkshire Flying stations Active Leeming Topcliffe1 Former Acaster Malbis Bellasize Beverley Bircotes Bramham Breighton2 Burn2 Carnaby Catfoss Catterick Church Fenton2 Clifton Coal Aston Cottam Croft Dalton Dishforth Doncaster Driffield East Moor Elvington Finningley2 Firbeck Full Sutton Hedon Helperby Holme-on-Spalding Moor Hornsea Mere Howden Hutton Cranswick Leconfield Lindholme Linton-on-Ouse Lissett Manywells Height Marske Marston Moor Melbourne Pocklington Redcar Riccall Ripon Rufforth2 Scorton Sherburn-in-Elmet2 Skipton-on-Swale Snaith Tholthorpe Thornaby Wombleton Yeadon2 Non-flying stations Active Fylingdales3 Menwith Hill3 Staxton Wold3 Former Bawtry Bempton3 Bent Rigg3 Bowes Moor Bridlington Cowden Danby Beacon3 Goldsborough3 Harrogate Holmpton3 Hunmanby Moor Misson Northallerton4 Norton Oxenhope Moor3 Patrington3 Shipton3 Sutton on Hull Notes 1: used for only for RAF gliders 2: now used for civilian aviation 3: communications or radar sites 4: RAF hospital

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Adapted from the Wikipedia article [RAF Clifton](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/RAF_Clifton) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/RAF_Clifton?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.