# RAF Ripon

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Royal Air Force base in Yorkshire, England

RAF Ripon RFC Ripon Ripon, North Yorkshire in England The plaque at Ripon Racecourse. This is affixed to the oldest building at the racecourse. Site information Type Home Defence (HD) airfield Owner Air Ministry Condition Open as racecourse Location RAF Ripon RFC Ripon Location within North Yorkshire Coordinates 54°07′06.6″N 1°29′49.4″W / 54.118500°N 1.497056°W / 54.118500; -1.497056 Area 81 acres (33 ha) Site history Built 1916 (1916) In use 1919 (1919) Garrison information Occupants No. 79 Squadron RAF No. 189 Squadron RAF Airfield information Runways Direction Length and surface Grass

**Royal Air Force Ripon** (also known as **Royal Flying Corps Ripon**) was a [First World War](/source/First_World_War) airfield maintained by the [Royal Flying Corps](/source/Royal_Flying_Corps) in the city of [Ripon](/source/Ripon), [North Yorkshire](/source/North_Yorkshire), England. The airfield was home to [No. 76 Squadron](/source/No._76_Squadron_RAF) 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](/source/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 2 miles (3.2 km) south-east of the city of Ripon,[1] was pressed into service as a base for No. 76 Squadron RFC.[2] No. 76 Squadron was employed on Home Defence duties and had individual flights located at [Catterick](/source/RAF_Catterick), Copmanthorpe, and Helperby,[3] with Ripon acting as the headquarters. Other landing grounds could be used in an emergency ([RAF Manywells Height](/source/RAF_Manywells_Height)), though in practice, lesser used locations saw very little activity (if any).[4] As with the other landing grounds in Yorkshire, the site at Ripon was quite compact, covering only 81 acres (33 ha) with basic facilities. The role of 76 Squadron at the base was in countering any [German](/source/German_people) threats from air, most notably the [Zeppelin](/source/Zeppelin) airships that would try bombing runs across the north.[5]

In 1917, [No. 189 Squadron](/source/No._189_Squadron_RAF) formed at RFC Ripon as a night training squadron and its stay at the airfield was short (only 5 months) before moving south to [Suttons Farm](/source/RAF_Hornchurch).[6] On 1 April 1918, the Royal Air Force was formed from the RFC and the Royal Naval Air Service.[7] 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.[8] The airfield at Ripon was returned to the racecourse owners.[9] Even after this, the portion of the racecourse to the south was used to land civilian flights including [Sir Alan Cobham's Circus](/source/Cobham's_Flying_Circus) in the 1920s.[10] The site was re-used during the [Second World War](/source/Second_World_War) as a [Prisoner of War](/source/Prisoner_of_War) (PoW) camp.[11]

During the Second World War, [RAF Dishforth](/source/RAF_Dishforth), some 4 miles (6.4 km) 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.[4] The town also had another civilian airfield, due south of the city, that existed briefly in the 1920s.[12]

## References

1. **[^](#cite_ref-FOOTNOTEHalley1980361_1-0)** [Halley 1980](#CITEREFHalley1980), p. 361.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-2)** Delve, Ken (2006). *Northern England : Co. Durham, Cumbria, Isle of Man, Lancashire, Merseyside, Manchester, Northumberland, Tyne & Wear, Yorkshire*. Ramsbury: Crowood. p. 302. [ISBN](/source/ISBN_(identifier)) [1-86126-809-2](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:BookSources/1-86126-809-2).

1. **[^](#cite_ref-3)** Rawlings, John D.R. (1976). *Fighter squadrons of the RAF and their aircraft* (2 ed.). London: Macdonald and Jane's. p. 192. [ISBN](/source/ISBN_(identifier)) [9780354010283](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:BookSources/9780354010283).

1. ^ [***a***](#cite_ref-:AS:_4-0) [***b***](#cite_ref-:AS:_4-1) Halpenny, Bruce Barrymore (1990). *Action stations* (2 ed.). Wellingborough: Stephens. p. 158. [ISBN](/source/ISBN_(identifier)) [0-85059-532-0](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:BookSources/0-85059-532-0).

1. **[^](#cite_ref-5)** ["Ripon - UK Airfield Guide"](http://www.ukairfieldguide.net/airfields/Ripon). *www.ukairfieldguide.net*. Retrieved 14 March 2018.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-6)** Lake, Alan (1999). *Flying units of the RAF : the ancestry, formation and disbandment of all flying units from 1912*. Shrewsbury: Airlife. p. 179. [ISBN](/source/ISBN_(identifier)) [1-84037-086-6](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:BookSources/1-84037-086-6).

1. **[^](#cite_ref-7)** "Get ready to start the celebrations to mark RAF 100". *RAF News* (1392). High Wycombe: Royal Air Force: 5. 8 April 2016. [ISSN](/source/ISSN_(identifier)) [0035-8614](https://search.worldcat.org/issn/0035-8614).

1. **[^](#cite_ref-FOOTNOTEHalley1980114_8-0)** [Halley 1980](#CITEREFHalley1980), p. 114.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-9)** Rapier, Brian J. (1980). *White Rose Base* (2 ed.). York: Air Museum York Publications. p. 76. [ISBN](/source/ISBN_(identifier)) [9780950732602](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:BookSources/9780950732602).

1. **[^](#cite_ref-10)** ["Ripon I"](http://www.abct.org.uk/airfields/airfield-finder/ripon-i/). *www.acbt.org.uk*. Retrieved 14 March 2018.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-11)** Rogers, Simon (8 November 2010). ["Every prisoner of war camp in the UK mapped and listed"](https://www.theguardian.com/news/datablog/2010/nov/08/prisoner-of-war-camps-uk). *The Guardian*. Retrieved 14 March 2018. Ripon is listed as No. 121

1. **[^](#cite_ref-12)** ["Ripon II - Airfields of Britain Conservation Trust UK"](http://www.abct.org.uk/airfields/airfield-finder/ripon-ii/). *www.abct.org.uk*. Retrieved 13 March 2018.

### Sources

- Halley, James J (1980). *The Squadrons of the Royal Air Force*. Tonbridge: Air-Britain. [ISBN](/source/ISBN_(identifier)) [0-85130-083-9](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:BookSources/0-85130-083-9).

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

v t e Ripon Areas Aismunderby Clotherholme Ure Bank Attractions Courthouse Museum Prison & Police Museum Quarry Moor Sanctuary Way Walk Workhouse Museum Buildings and structures Cathedral Chapel of St Mary Magdalen Holy Trinity Church North Bridge Old Courthouse Obelisk The Old Chapel Opera House St Anne's Hospital St Wilfrid's Church Spa baths Town Hall Ure Viaduct Victoria Clock Tower Sports and education Outwood Academy Ripon Racecourse Ripon Cricket Club Ripon Grammar School Watercourses Canal River Laver River Skell River Ure Others Claro Barracks RAF Ripon Ripon railway station

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