RAF Alconbury

RAF Alconbury
RAF Alconbury
Near Huntingdon, Cambridgeshire in England
	RAF Alconbury's gate guardian, a US Air Force F-5E Tiger II, seen during 2020
	RAF Alconbury Shown within Cambridgeshire
Coordinates	52°21′48″N 000°13′22″W / 52.36333°N 0.22278°WCoordinates: 52°21′48″N 000°13′22″W / 52.36333°N 0.22278°W
Type	RAF station (US Visiting Forces)
Area	497 hectares (1,230 acres)
Site information
Owner	Ministry of Defence
Operator	US Air Force
Controlled by	US Air Forces in Europe – Air Forces Africa
Condition	Operational
Site history
Built	1938
In use	1939–1942 (Royal Air Force); 1942–1945 (US Army Air Forces); 1951 – present (US Air Force)
Garrison information
Occupants	423d Air Base Group
Airfield information
Identifiers	IATA: AYH, ICAO: EGWZ, WMO: 035620
Elevation	46 metres (151 ft) AMSL
Runways
12/30	2,500 metres (8,202 ft) Asphalt
06/24 (WWII)	1,750 metres (5,741 ft) Concrete
12/30 (WWII)	1,235 metres (4,052 ft) Concrete
18/36 (WWII)	1,235 metres (4,052 ft) Concrete
	Notes: Flying ceased in 1995

Royal Air Force Alconbury or more simply RAF Alconbury is an active Royal Air Force station near Huntingdon, England. The airfield is in the civil parish of The Stukeleys, close to the villages of Great Stukeley, Little Stukeley, and Alconbury.

History[]

Opened in 1938 for use by RAF Bomber Command, the station has been used from 1942 by the United States Army Air Force.^[2] It was occupied by the 93d Bomb Group of the Eighth Air Force: visitors included King George VI who visited the site and saw the Boeing B-17 Flying Fortresses there on 13 November 1942.^[2]

It was announced by The Pentagon on 8 January 2015 that RAF Alconbury and RAF Molesworth would be closing by 2020. Most of the units at Alconbury and Molesworth will be moved to RAF Croughton, along with the personnel.^[3] However, changing security conditions in Europe and resurgent politico-military moves by Russia have caused USEUCOM to begin reconsidering these closure actions in 2017 and actual closures remain in flux.^[4]

Former Royal Air Force units[]

15 Squadron from 15 April 1940 to 15 May 1940 operating the Bristol Blenheim IV - temporary move from RAF Wyton.^[5]
40 Squadron from 2 February 1941 to 31 October 1941 operating the Vickers Wellington IC - moved to RAF Luqa, Malta.^[5]
52 Squadron detachments from RAF Upwood during 1939 with the Fairey Battle and Avro Anson.^[5]
156 Squadron formed at Alconbury on 14 February 1942 from elements of 40 Squadron with the Vickers Wellington, moved to RAF Warboys in August 1942.^[5]
No. 1 Photographic Reconnaissance Unit RAF^[6]
No. 3 Photographic Reconnaissance Unit RAF^[6]
No. XV Conversion Flight^[6]
No. 139 Squadron RAF^[6]
No. 264 Maintenance Unit RAF^[6]

Based units[]

Units based at RAF Alconbury.^[7]

United States Air Force

United States Air Forces in Europe - Air Forces Africa (USAFE-AFAFRICA)

501st Combat Support Wing
- Headquarters 501st Combat Support Wing
- 423rd Air Base Group
  - 423rd Civil Engineer Squadron
  - 423rd Communications Squadron
  - 423rd Force Support Squadron
  - 423rd Medical Squadron
  - 423rd Security Forces Squadron

References[]

Citations[]

^ "Defence Estates Development Plan 2009 – Annex A". GOV.UK. Ministry of Defence. 3 July 2009. p. 15. Retrieved 4 May 2019.
^ ^a ^b "Alconbury". American Air Museum in Britain. Retrieved 26 November 2021.
^ "RAF Mildenhall to close amid other Europe consolidations". Stars and Stripes.
^ Vandiver, John (17 April 2017). "EUCOM Gives 'Another Look' at Planned Base Closures". Stars and Stripes. Retrieved 1 September 2020 – via military.com.
^ ^a ^b ^c ^d Jefford 1993, p. 153
^ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e "Alconbury". Airfields of Britain Conservation Trust. Retrieved 22 April 2020.
^ "Units". 501st Combat Support Wing. Retrieved 13 February 2019.

Bibliography[]

Jefford, C.G. (1993). RAF Squadrons. Shrewsbury, England: Airlife Publishing. ISBN 1 85310 053 6.

External links[]

501st Combat Support Wing

[1] "Defence Estates Development Plan 2009 – Annex A". GOV.UK. Ministry of Defence. 3 July 2009. p. 15. Retrieved 4 May 2019.

[aam-2] "Alconbury". American Air Museum in Britain. Retrieved 26 November 2021.

[3] "RAF Mildenhall to close amid other Europe consolidations". Stars and Stripes.

[4] Vandiver, John (17 April 2017). "EUCOM Gives 'Another Look' at Planned Base Closures". Stars and Stripes. Retrieved 1 September 2020 – via military.com.

[Jefford153-5] Jefford 1993, p. 153

[ABCT-6] "Alconbury". Airfields of Britain Conservation Trust. Retrieved 22 April 2020.

[7] "Units". 501st Combat Support Wing. Retrieved 13 February 2019.

[1]

[2]

[3]

[4]

[5]

[6]

[7]

v t United States Air Forces in Europe - Air Forces Africa
Air Forces	Third (Europe)
Bases	Aviano Air Base Lajes Air Station RAF Alconbury RAF Lakenheath RAF Mildenhall Ramstein Air Base Spangdahlem Air Base
Support facilities	Chièvres Morón RAF Akrotiri RAF Fairford RAF Molesworth RAF Welford San Vito Stuttgart Airport Taszár Air Base Tuzla Air Base
Major units	31st Fighter Wing 39th Air Base Wing 52d Fighter Wing 65th Air Base Wing 48th Fighter Wing 86th Airlift Wing 100th Air Refueling Wing 423d Air Base Group 501st Combat Support Wing