{{Short description|Royal Air Force base in Yorkshire, England}} {{Use British English|date=March 2018}} {{Use dmy dates|date=March 2018}} {{Infobox military installation | name = RAF Ripon<br>RFC Ripon | ensign = | ensign_size = | location = [[Ripon]], [[North Yorkshire]] | country = England | image =Ripon Plaque.jpg | alt = | caption = The plaque at Ripon Racecourse. This is affixed to the oldest building at the racecourse. | type = Home Defence (HD) airfield | coordinates = {{Coord|54|07|06.6|N|1|29|49.4|W|region:GB_type:airport|display=inline}} | gridref = | image_map = | image_mapsize = | image_map_alt = | image_map_caption = | pushpin_map = North Yorkshire | pushpin_mapsize = | pushpin_map_alt = | pushpin_map_caption = Location within North Yorkshire | pushpin_relief = | pushpin_image = | pushpin_label = | pushpin_label_position = left | pushpin_mark = | pushpin_marksize = | ownership = [[Air Ministry]] | built = {{Start date|1916}} | used = {{End date|1919}} | condition = Open as racecourse | site_area = {{convert|81|acre}} | occupants = [[No. 79 Squadron RAF]]<br>[[No. 189 Squadron RAF]] | footnotes = <!-- catchall in case it's needed to preserve something in infobox that doesn't work in new code --> | elevation = <!-- {{Convert| |m|0}} --> | r1-number = | r1-length = <!-- {{Convert| |m|0}} --> | r1-surface = Grass }} '''Royal Air Force Ripon''' (also known as '''Royal Flying Corps Ripon''') was a [[First World War]] airfield maintained by the [[Royal Flying Corps]] in the city of [[Ripon]], [[North Yorkshire]], England. The airfield was home to [[No. 76 Squadron RAF|No. 76 Squadron]] which was employed on Home Defence (HD) in the United Kingdom. The airfield was created when the Royal Flying Corps (RFC) commandeered the southern half of [[Ripon Racecourse]] in 1916. After the end of the First World War, the airfield was returned to horse-racing.
==History== In 1916, the southern part of Ripon Racecourse, only {{convert|2|mi}} south-east of the city of Ripon,{{sfn|Halley|1980|p=361}} was pressed into service as a base for No. 76 Squadron RFC.<ref>{{cite book|last1=Delve|first1=Ken|title=Northern England : Co. Durham, Cumbria, Isle of Man, Lancashire, Merseyside, Manchester, Northumberland, Tyne & Wear, Yorkshire|date=2006|publisher=Crowood|location=Ramsbury|isbn=1-86126-809-2|page=302}}</ref> No. 76 Squadron was employed on Home Defence duties and had individual flights located at [[RAF Catterick|Catterick]], Copmanthorpe, and Helperby,<ref>{{cite book|last1=Rawlings|first1=John D.R.|title=Fighter squadrons of the RAF and their aircraft|date=1976|publisher=Macdonald and Jane's|location=London|isbn=9780354010283|page=192|edition=2}}</ref> with Ripon acting as the headquarters. Other landing grounds could be used in an emergency ([[RAF Manywells Height]]), though in practice, lesser used locations saw very little activity (if any).<ref name=":AS:">{{cite book|last1=Halpenny|first1=Bruce Barrymore|title=Action stations.|date=1990|publisher=Stephens|location=Wellingborough|isbn=0-85059-532-0|page=158|edition=2}}</ref> As with the other landing grounds in Yorkshire, the site at Ripon was quite compact, covering only {{convert|81|acre}} with basic facilities. The role of 76 Squadron at the base was in countering any [[German people|German]] threats from air, most notably the [[Zeppelin]] airships that would try bombing runs across the north.<ref>{{cite web|title=Ripon - UK Airfield Guide|url=http://www.ukairfieldguide.net/airfields/Ripon|website=www.ukairfieldguide.net|accessdate=14 March 2018}}</ref>
In 1917, [[No. 189 Squadron RAF|No. 189 Squadron]] formed at RFC Ripon as a night training squadron and its stay at the airfield was short (only 5 months) before moving south to [[RAF Hornchurch|Suttons Farm]].<ref>{{cite book|last1=Lake|first1=Alan|title=Flying units of the RAF : the ancestry, formation and disbandment of all flying units from 1912|date=1999|publisher=Airlife|location=Shrewsbury|isbn=1-84037-086-6|page=179}}</ref> On 1 April 1918, the Royal Air Force was formed from the RFC and the Royal Naval Air Service.<ref>{{cite journal|title=Get ready to start the celebrations to mark RAF 100|journal=RAF News|date=8 April 2016|issue=1392|page=5|publisher=Royal Air Force|location=High Wycombe|issn=0035-8614}}</ref> RFC Ripon was changed to Royal Air Force Ripon, though this name would only exist for 11 months.
No. 76 Squadron moved to Tadcaster in March 1919 and was disbanded there just three months later.{{sfn|Halley|1980|p=114}} The airfield at Ripon was returned to the racecourse owners.<ref>{{cite book|last1=Rapier|first1=Brian J.|title=White Rose Base|date=1980|publisher=Air Museum York Publications|location=York|isbn=9780950732602|page=76|edition=2}}</ref> Even after this, the portion of the racecourse to the south was used to land civilian flights including [[Cobham's Flying Circus|Sir Alan Cobham's Circus]] in the 1920s.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.abct.org.uk/airfields/airfield-finder/ripon-i/|title=Ripon I|website=www.acbt.org.uk|accessdate=14 March 2018}}</ref> The site was re-used during the [[Second World War]] as a [[Prisoner of War]] (PoW) camp.<ref>{{cite news|last1=Rogers|first1=Simon|title=Every prisoner of war camp in the UK mapped and listed|url=https://www.theguardian.com/news/datablog/2010/nov/08/prisoner-of-war-camps-uk|accessdate=14 March 2018|work=The Guardian|date=8 November 2010|quote=Ripon is listed as No. 121}}</ref>
During the Second World War, [[RAF Dishforth]], some {{convert|4|mi}} to the east of Ripon was also commonly known as RAF Ripon due to its proximity to the town, but this was a purely unofficial name.<ref name=":AS:" /> The town also had another civilian airfield, due south of the city, that existed briefly in the 1920s.<ref>{{cite web|title=Ripon II - Airfields of Britain Conservation Trust UK|url=http://www.abct.org.uk/airfields/airfield-finder/ripon-ii/|website=www.abct.org.uk|accessdate=13 March 2018}}</ref>
==References== {{reflist}}
===Sources=== *{{cite book|last=Halley|first=James J|title=The Squadrons of the Royal Air Force|publisher=Air-Britain|location=Tonbridge|year=1980|isbn=0-85130-083-9}} {{RAF stations in Yorkshire}} {{Ripon}} {{DEFAULTSORT:Ripon, RAF}} [[Category:Military airbases established in 1916]] [[Category:Royal Air Force stations in Yorkshire|Ripon]] [[Category:World War I airfields]] [[Category:Royal Flying Corps airfields]] [[Category:Ripon|RAF]] [[Category:World War I sites in England]] [[Category:Military airbases closed in 1919]]