RAF Topcliffe

RAF Topcliffe is a Royal Air Force station in North Yorkshire, England. It was established as an RAF Bomber Command station in 1940. During the Second World War, it hosted No. 77 Squadron and No. 102 Squadron flying Armstrong Whitworth Whitley bombers, and later No. 419 Squadron and No. 424 Squadron of the Royal Canadian Air Force flying Vickers Wellington and Handley Page Halifax III bombers. On 1 January 1943, it transitioned to a training station under No. 6 Group RCAF.

During the Cold War, RAF Topcliffe served various roles, including hosting No. 1 Air Navigation School, the Air Electronics and Engineers School RAF, and the Northern Communications Squadron RAF. Units such as No. 24, 36, 47, 53, 203, 210, and 297 Squadrons RAF were stationed here, operating aircraft like the Handley Page Hastings and Lockheed Neptune MR.1. The British Army took over a significant portion of the site between 1972 and 1973, establishing Alanbrooke Barracks, with the airfield becoming an enclave within it. The Royal Navy Elementary Flying Training Squadron also operated from Topcliffe during the 1980s.

In the 21st century, the last remaining RAF unit is No. 645 Volunteer Gliding Squadron, which moved to the airfield in 2003 and operates Grob Viking T.1 gliders for Air Cadets. No. 635 Volunteer Gliding Squadron also operated from Topcliffe from 2009 until its disbandment in 2016. The airfield served as a Relief Landing Ground for Short Tucano T.1 aircraft of No. 1 Flying Training School. Since March 2012, RAF Topcliffe has also been a permanent base for one of the two Yorkshire Air Ambulances, operating an Airbus H145.