York
YORK see also RAWCLIFFE MANOR
YORK: Municipal aerodrome, Handley Page depot, later GA airfield.
(Also known as CLIFTON MOOR, RAF CLIFTON and RAF RAWCLIFFE and eventually RAF YORK! All very confusing.)
Note: This picture was obtained from Google Earth ©
I could of course be mistaken, but are these the few remaining elements of RAF YORK?
Operated by: 1936 to 1939 Yorkshire Aviation Services
WW2 military: RAF Fighter Command 12 Group Forward Airfield*
4 Sqdn (Initially Westland Lysanders, then Curtiss P-40 Tomahawks, lastly North American P-51 Mustang 1s*)
169 & 231 Sqdns (North American P-51 Mustang 1s)
613 Sqdn (Curtiss P-40 Tomakawks)
658 & 659 Sqdns (Taylorcraft Auster IIIs & Auster IVs)
WW2: No. 4 Aircraft Delivery Unit
WW2+ 1940? to 1948? Handley Page
1946? to 1955: York Flying Club
Location: Roughly 1.5nm NW of York city centre. E of the A19, more or less S of the A1237 ring road.
Period of operation: 1936 to 1955
Military: 1936 to 1952?
Civil: From 1936 to 1939?, then 1946 to 1955?
Runways: Initially ‘all-over’ grass airfield but three concrete runways added in WW2.
WW2: 06/24 1463x46 hard 17/35 1280x46 hard
12/30 1280x46 hard
Civil use later: 04/22 1000x23 hard 16/34 ? x46 hard
NOTES: On the 4th July 1936 it appears that the British Empire Display Tour performed here.
It also appears that in 1937 an Air Pageant was held attracting foreign pilots from France and Germany.
For many years I’d assumed CLIFTON MOOR and RAWCLIFFE were one and the same but, at the end of 2009, I discovered information which appears to indicate these were, in effect two separate sites but sharing the same airfield. (I hope!?)
In June 2020 Mike Charlton kindly contacted me to say that CLIFTON was also used in the autumn of 1937 as an 'on demand' call by North East Airlines on their CROYDON - DONCASTER - NEWCASTLE - PERTH - ABERDEEN service. Probably using an Airspeed Envoy?
It appears that after being the Municipal aerodrome which opened in 1936 for York, this site was allocated in WW2 to Handley Page for use as a repair, modification and test flying facility for their Halifax bombers. After the war ended Handley Page then used the site to destroy huge numbers of this type – and nobody thought to preserve just one! (See below)
MUSTANG 1s
Normally in this 'Guide' I do not go into the detail of 'Marks of types', but it does seem that, at least here, something needs to be explained. The North American P-51 Mustang 1 flown by the RAF in the earlier years of WW2 and powered by a US Allison engine was a very different beast compared to the later Merlin powered version used by the USAAF - which arguably elevated it to being amongst the greatest fighters of WW2. It looked different too, not having the 'bubble' canopy of later versions. The Allison engine was not a success, and therefore the type was quickly relegated to duties such as Army co-operation duties etc.
RELEGATED
There is one set of statistics which seem worthy of mention if they can be relied upon. In late 1944 it seems there were just 384 RAF personnel based here together with 119 WAAFs. This said, a pretty ‘healthy’ ratio in those times especially for making the men happy at least?
SOMETHING TO UNRAVEL
As already said I have found several reports by highly respected authors listing RAF CLIFTON and also RAF RAWCLIFFE, but, by 1944 at least it would appear (?) this airfield site was only known officially as RAF YORK? I am of course only guessing but I assume that one explanation could be that the two closely associated Handley Page repair depots were given a separate name from the actual airfield so that people knew where to go? And, solely serving military contracts, have somehow assumed a ‘RAF’ title along the way? Or is there an entirely different explanation.
Substantial numbers of Halifax bombers passed through the Clifton/Rawcliffe site on the west side of the airfield and the other site adjacent to Water Lane on the south side. All manner of tasks were carried out including repairs, overhauls, rebuilds and modifications. It appears that this work was continuing until the middle of 1947. Perhaps modifying these bombers for civilian use - mainly as freighters.
MIKE STOREY
This comment was written on: 2018-08-16 11:11:47any body have details of visiting aircraft to the 1937 Air Pageant. especially German Aircraft
Roy Littlewood
This comment was written on: 2020-03-28 22:10:40email address is royclittlewood@msn.com. I grew up looking onto the airfield right through the war and was fascinated by aircraft. I can remember all the planes and incidents tha happened. I can provide detail if it would be of any interest. I was only a boy but I could recognise every British and the relevant aircraft by their engine sounds without seeing them.
We'd love to hear from you, so please scroll down to leave a comment!
Leave a comment ...
Copyright (c) UK Airfield Guide
