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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.

RAF Driffield RAF Eastburn Driffield Training Area
Driffield, East Riding of Yorkshire in England
Station badge
RAF Driffield Shown within East Riding of Yorkshire
Coordinates	53°59′41″N 000°29′11″W
Type	Royal Air Force station * Parent station 1936–43 * 43 Base HQ 1943–[1]
Code	DR[1]
Site information
Owner	Ministry of Defence
Operator	1918–1920 Royal Air Force 1936–1977 Royal Air Force 1977–1992 British Army 1992–1996 Royal Air Force 1996–Present Defence Training Estate
Controlled by	RAF Bomber Command * No. 2 Group RAF * No. 4 Group RAF * No. 6 Group RCAF
Site history
Built	1918 (1918) as RAF Eastburn 1935 as RAF Driffield
In use	July 1936 – 1996 (1996)
Battles/wars	European theatre of World War II Cold War
Airfield information
Elevation	19 metres (62 ft)[1] AMSL
Runways Direction Length and surface 00/00  Concrete 00/00  Concrete 00/00  Concrete

History

The site was first opened in 1918 by the Royal Air Force under the name of RAF Eastburn, and closed in 1920.[2] 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.[3]

The station was the initial posting of Leonard Cheshire[4] VC, who was at that time a member of 102 Squadron.[5]

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.[6][7]

On 1 August 1959, the station was armed with PGM-17 Thor ballistic missiles, which were subsequently decommissioned by April 1963.[8]

Units

The following units were here at some point:[9]

References

Citations

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.
• Falconer, J. (2012). RAF Airfields of World War 2. UK: Ian Allan Publishing. ISBN 978-1-85780-349-5.
• 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.
• Sturtivant, R.; Hamlin, J.; Halley, J. (1997). Royal Air Force flying training and support units. UK: Air-Britain (Historians). ISBN 0-85130-252-1.

External links

• UK Airfields - Driffield
• Derelict Places – RAF Driffield – May 2011
• Airfields of Britain Conservation Trust – RAF Driffield (Eastburn)
• Control Towers – RAF Driffield airfield

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