RAF Alconbury USAAF Station 102
Huntingdon,Cambridgeshire in England
RAF Alconbury'sgate guardian, a full-scale model of aUS Air ForceF-5E Tiger II, seen during 2020
Site information
Type	RAF station (US Visiting Forces)
Code	AY[1]
Owner	Ministry of Defence
Operator	US Air Force
Controlled by	US Air Forces in Europe – Air Forces Africa previously RAF Bomber Command[1] *No. 2 Group RAF *No. 3 Group RAF
Condition	Operational
Location
RAF Alconbury Shown within Cambridgeshire
Coordinates	52°21′48″N000°13′22″W / 52.36333°N 0.22278°W /52.36333; -0.22278
Grid reference	TL295795[2]
Area	497 hectares (1,230 acres)[3]
Site history
Built	1937 (1937)/38
In use	May 1938–1942 (Royal Air Force) 1942–1945 (US Army Air Forces) 1951 – present (US Air Force)
Battles/wars	European theatre of World War II Cold War
Garrison information
Occupants	423d Air Base Group
Airfield information
Identifiers	IATA: AYH,ICAO: EGWZ,WMO: 035620
Elevation	50 metres (164 ft)[1]AMSL
Runways Direction Length and surface 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 simplyRAF Alconbury, is an activeRoyal Air Forcestation nearHuntingdon,England, that for many years was used by theUSAF. The airfield is in thecivil parish ofThe Stukeleys, close to the villages ofGreat Stukeley,Little Stukeley, andAlconbury. Flying operations are no longer based at the site, with most of the land, including the runway, having been sold in 2009 to become the new settlement ofAlconbury Weald.

Opened in 1938 for use byRAF Bomber Command, the station was used from 1942 to 1945 by theUnited States Army Air Forces.^[4] It was occupied by the93rd Bomb Group of theEighth Air Force; visitors includedKing George VI, who visited the site and saw theBoeing B-17 Flying Fortresses there on 13 November 1942.^[4]

It was announced byThe Pentagon on 8 January 2015 that RAF Alconbury andRAF Molesworth would be closing by 2020. Most of the units at Alconbury and Molesworth were to be moved toRAF Croughton inNorthamptonshire, along with the personnel.^[5] The decision was later reverted on the grounds of cost-effectiveness, with RAF Alconbury remaining as a support base for theJoint Analysis Center.^[6]

• 15 Squadron from 15 April 1940 to 15 May 1940 operating theBristol Blenheim IV - temporary move fromRAF Wyton.^[7]
• 40 Squadron from 2 February 1941 to 31 October 1941 operating theVickers Wellington IC - moved toRAF Luqa, Malta.^[8]
• 52 Squadron detachments fromRAF Upwood during 1939 with theFairey Battle andAvro Anson.^[9]
• 156 Squadron formed at Alconbury on 14 February 1942 from elements of 40 Squadron with the Vickers Wellington, moved toRAF Warboys in August 1942.^[10]
• A Detachment fromNo. 1 Photographic Reconnaissance Unit RAF (April 1985)^[11]
• No. 3 Photographic Reconnaissance Unit RAF (1941)^[12]
• No. XV Conversion Flight (January 1942 - May 1942)^[13]
• Sub site ofNo. 264 Maintenance Unit RAF (November 1945 - September 1948)^[14]

• 92nd Bombardment Group (Heavy)^[15]
  • 325th Bombardment Squadron^[15]
  • 326th Bombardment Squadron^[15]
  • 327th Bombardment Squadron^[15]
  • 407th Bombardment Squadron^[15]
• 93rd Bombardment Group (Heavy)^[15]
  • 328th Bombardment Squadron^[15]
  • 329th Bombardment Squadron^[15]
  • 330th Bombardment Squadron^[15]
  • 409th Bombardment Squadron^[15]
• 95th Bombardment Group (Heavy)^[16]
  • 334th Bombardment Squadron^[16]
  • 335th Bombardment Squadron^[16]
  • 336th Bombardment Squadron^[16]
  • 412th Bombardment Squadron^[16]
• 482nd Bombardment Group (Provisional)^[15]
  • 812th Bombardment Squadron^[15]
  • 813th Bombardment Squadron^[15]
  • 814th Bombardment Squadron^[15]
• 801st Bombardment Group (Provisional)^[17]
  • 36th Bombardment Squadron^[17]
  • 406th Bombardment Squadron^[17]
  • 788th Bombardment Squadron^[17]
  • 850th Bombardment Squadron^[17]

• 85th Bombardment Squadron (1955-59)^[15][a]
  • North American B-45 Tornado
  • Douglas B-66 Destroyer
• 10th Tactical Reconnaissance Wing^[15] (1959-87)
  • Douglas RB-66 Destroyer
  • McDonnell Douglas RF-4C
• 527th Tactical Fighter Training Aggressor Squadron^[15] (1976-88)
  • Northrop F-5E Tiger II
• 10th Tactical Fighter Wing^[15] (1988-94)
  • Fairchild Republic A-10 Thunderbolt II

Units based at RAF Alconbury.^[18]

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

• List of Royal Air Force stations
• United States Air Force in the United Kingdom

• Birtles, Philip (2012).UK Airfields of the Cold War. Midland Publishing.ISBN 978-1-85780-346-4.
• Falconer, J (2012).RAF Airfields of World War 2. UK: Ian Allan Publishing.ISBN 978-1-85780-349-5.
• Jefford, C.G. (1988).RAF Squadrons. A comprehensive record of the movement and equipment of all RAF squadrons and their antecedents since 1912.Shrewsbury: Airlife.ISBN 1-85310-053-6.
• Sturtivant, R; Hamlin, J; Halley, J (1997).Royal Air Force flying training and support units. UK: Air-Britain (Historians).ISBN 0-85130-252-1.

Wikimedia Commons has media related toRAF Alconbury.

• 501st Combat Support Wing

• Royal Air Force stations in Huntingdonshire
• Royal Air Force stations in Cambridgeshire
• 1938 establishments in England
• Installations of the United States Air Force in the United Kingdom
• Airfields of the VIII Bomber Command in Cambridgeshire
• Military airbases established in 1938
• Royal Air Force stations of World War II in the United Kingdom

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• Short description matches Wikidata
• Use dmy dates from September 2020
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• All Wikipedia articles written in British English
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