RAF Brawdy
Encyclopedia
RAF Brawdy was a Royal Air Force
station in South West Wales
near to St David's
.
The Pembrokeshire
base was officially opened on 2 February 1944 as a satellite station for the nearby RAF St. David's. On 1 January 1946 the station was handed over to the Fleet Air Arm
of the Royal Navy
and was initially used as a Relief Landing Ground for RNAS Dale. It was commissioned as HMS Goldcrest on 4 September 1952. In March 1953 the first Hawker Sea Hawk
entered service with 806 NAS at RNAS Brawdy. From 1963 till 1971 Fairey Gannet
and Hawker Hunter
were based at Brawdy in 849 NAS and 738/739 NAS respectively. The Gannets were primarily used in Airborne Early Warning (AEW) and the Hunters for advanced flying training including low-level Navigation, ground attack and air-to-air weapons training.The Royal Navy left in 1971 and the base was allocated to the Department of the Environment
.
In February 1974 the Royal Air Force returned with D Flight of 22 Squadron
taking up residence with their Whirlwind HAR.10 search and rescue helicopters. In September of the same year 229 Operational Conversion Unit
(later the Tactical Weapons Unit) joined D Flight having been forced to relocate after the closure of RAF Chivenor.
The base was home to Hawker Hunter
aircraft of the TWU, and the gate guardian at the base was initially a Supermarine Spitfire
, this was replaced in the early 80s by Hawker Hunter FGA.9 (XE624). This airframe was subsequently sold to a private collector, Steve Petch, who is in the process of creating a website for the aircraft.
By the late 80's it operated BAe Hawk
T.1A (234
and 79
Squadron) and Sea King
(202 Squadron
, B Flight) aircraft. The RAF withdrew in 1992 and the base, now known as Cawdor Barracks, is currently occupied by the Royal Signals, being the main electronic warfare
base of the British Army
.
SOSUS
station, known as NAVFAC Brawdy, was built adjacent to the RAF base. In 1995 the Joint Maritime Facility at St. Mawgan in Cornwall replaced NAVFAC Brawdy and the facility was deactivated on 1 October 1995.
main electronic warfare
unit. The Regiment has a HQ squadron and five signal squadrons, one is based at RAF Digby
Royal Air Force
The Royal Air Force is the aerial warfare service branch of the British Armed Forces. Formed on 1 April 1918, it is the oldest independent air force in the world...
station in South West Wales
Wales
Wales is a country that is part of the United Kingdom and the island of Great Britain, bordered by England to its east and the Atlantic Ocean and Irish Sea to its west. It has a population of three million, and a total area of 20,779 km²...
near to St David's
St David's
St Davids , is a city and community in Pembrokeshire, Wales. Lying on the River Alun on St David's Peninsula, it is Britain's smallest city in terms of both size and population, the final resting place of Saint David, the country's patron saint, and the de facto ecclesiastical capital of...
.
The Pembrokeshire
Pembrokeshire
Pembrokeshire is a county in the south west of Wales. It borders Carmarthenshire to the east and Ceredigion to the north east. The county town is Haverfordwest where Pembrokeshire County Council is headquartered....
base was officially opened on 2 February 1944 as a satellite station for the nearby RAF St. David's. On 1 January 1946 the station was handed over to the Fleet Air Arm
Fleet Air Arm
The Fleet Air Arm is the branch of the British Royal Navy responsible for the operation of naval aircraft. The Fleet Air Arm currently operates the AgustaWestland Merlin, Westland Sea King and Westland Lynx helicopters...
of the Royal Navy
Royal Navy
The Royal Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the British Armed Forces. Founded in the 16th century, it is the oldest service branch and is known as the Senior Service...
and was initially used as a Relief Landing Ground for RNAS Dale. It was commissioned as HMS Goldcrest on 4 September 1952. In March 1953 the first Hawker Sea Hawk
Hawker Sea Hawk
The Hawker Sea Hawk was a British single-seat jet fighter of the Fleet Air Arm , the air branch of the Royal Navy , built by Hawker Aircraft and its sister company, Armstrong Whitworth Aircraft. Although its origins stemmed from earlier Hawker piston-engined fighters, the Sea Hawk became the...
entered service with 806 NAS at RNAS Brawdy. From 1963 till 1971 Fairey Gannet
Fairey Gannet
The Fairey Gannet was a British carrier-borne anti-submarine warfare and airborne early warning aircraft of the post-Second World War era developed for the Royal Navy's Fleet Air Arm by the Fairey Aviation Company...
and Hawker Hunter
Hawker Hunter
The Hawker Hunter is a subsonic British jet aircraft developed in the 1950s. The single-seat Hunter entered service as a manoeuvrable fighter aircraft, and later operated in fighter-bomber and reconnaissance roles in numerous conflicts. Two-seat variants remained in use for training and secondary...
were based at Brawdy in 849 NAS and 738/739 NAS respectively. The Gannets were primarily used in Airborne Early Warning (AEW) and the Hunters for advanced flying training including low-level Navigation, ground attack and air-to-air weapons training.The Royal Navy left in 1971 and the base was allocated to the Department of the Environment
Secretary of State for the Environment
The Secretary of State for the Environment was a UK cabinet position, responsible for the Department of the Environment . This was created by Edward Heath as a combination of the Ministry of Housing and Local Government, the Ministry of Transport and the Ministry of Public Building and Works on 15...
.
In February 1974 the Royal Air Force returned with D Flight of 22 Squadron
No. 22 Squadron RAF
No. 22 Squadron of the Royal Air Force operates the Sea King HAR.3 and HAR.3A at three stations in the southern United Kingdom. The squadron was originally formed in 1915 as an aerial reconnaissance unit of the Royal Flying Corps serving on the Western Front during First World War...
taking up residence with their Whirlwind HAR.10 search and rescue helicopters. In September of the same year 229 Operational Conversion Unit
Operational Conversion Unit
An Operational Conversion Unit is a unit within an air force whose role is to support preparation for the operational missions of a specific aircraft type by providing trained personnel. OCUs teach pilots how to fly an aircraft and which tactics best exploit the performance of their aircraft and...
(later the Tactical Weapons Unit) joined D Flight having been forced to relocate after the closure of RAF Chivenor.
The base was home to Hawker Hunter
Hawker Hunter
The Hawker Hunter is a subsonic British jet aircraft developed in the 1950s. The single-seat Hunter entered service as a manoeuvrable fighter aircraft, and later operated in fighter-bomber and reconnaissance roles in numerous conflicts. Two-seat variants remained in use for training and secondary...
aircraft of the TWU, and the gate guardian at the base was initially a Supermarine Spitfire
Supermarine Spitfire
The Supermarine Spitfire is a British single-seat fighter aircraft that was used by the Royal Air Force and many other Allied countries throughout the Second World War. The Spitfire continued to be used as a front line fighter and in secondary roles into the 1950s...
, this was replaced in the early 80s by Hawker Hunter FGA.9 (XE624). This airframe was subsequently sold to a private collector, Steve Petch, who is in the process of creating a website for the aircraft.
By the late 80's it operated BAe Hawk
BAE Hawk
The BAE Systems Hawk is a British single-engine, advanced jet trainer aircraft. It first flew in 1974 as the Hawker Siddeley Hawk. The Hawk is used by the Royal Air Force, and other air forces, as either a trainer or a low-cost combat aircraft...
T.1A (234
No. 234 Squadron RAF
No. 234 Squadron RAF had a long career within the RAF, being operational on flying boats in World War I and on fighter aircraft in World War II. After the war it remained a fighter unit till 1957. In its last incarnation the squadron was in turn Operational Training Unit , Tactical Weapon Unit and...
and 79
No. 79 Squadron RAF
-World War I:It was first formed at Gosport on 1 August 1917 as a squadron of the Royal Flying Corps. It was equipped with Sopwith Dolphin fighter aircraft in December that year, moving to France in February 1918. It specialised in low-level ground-attack operations, mainly in support of the...
Squadron) and Sea King
Sea King helicopter
Sea King helicopter may refer to:* SH-3 Sea King* CH-124 Sea King* Westland Sea King...
(202 Squadron
No. 202 Squadron RAF
No. 202 Squadron of the Royal Air Force presently operates the Sea King HAR.3 in the Search and rescue role at three stations in the northern half of the United Kingdom. It was originally formed as one of the first aeroplane squadrons of the RNAS before it became part of the RAF.-Formation and...
, B Flight) aircraft. The RAF withdrew in 1992 and the base, now known as Cawdor Barracks, is currently occupied by the Royal Signals, being the main electronic warfare
Electronic warfare
Electronic warfare refers to any action involving the use of the electromagnetic spectrum or directed energy to control the spectrum, attack an enemy, or impede enemy assaults via the spectrum. The purpose of electronic warfare is to deny the opponent the advantage of, and ensure friendly...
base of the British Army
British Army
The British Army is the land warfare branch of Her Majesty's Armed Forces in the United Kingdom. It came into being with the unification of the Kingdom of England and Scotland into the Kingdom of Great Britain in 1707. The new British Army incorporated Regiments that had already existed in England...
.
The US Navy at Brawdy
In April 1974 a United States NavyUnited States Navy
The United States Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the seven uniformed services of the United States. The U.S. Navy is the largest in the world; its battle fleet tonnage is greater than that of the next 13 largest navies combined. The U.S...
SOSUS
SOSUS
SOSUS, an acronym for Sound Surveillance System, is a chain of underwater listening posts across the northern Atlantic Ocean near Greenland, Iceland and the United Kingdom — the GIUK gap. It was originally operated by the United States Navy for tracking Soviet submarines, which had to pass...
station, known as NAVFAC Brawdy, was built adjacent to the RAF base. In 1995 the Joint Maritime Facility at St. Mawgan in Cornwall replaced NAVFAC Brawdy and the facility was deactivated on 1 October 1995.
Cawdor Barracks
The base is now home to the 14th Signal Regiment that is the British ArmyBritish Army
The British Army is the land warfare branch of Her Majesty's Armed Forces in the United Kingdom. It came into being with the unification of the Kingdom of England and Scotland into the Kingdom of Great Britain in 1707. The new British Army incorporated Regiments that had already existed in England...
main electronic warfare
Electronic warfare
Electronic warfare refers to any action involving the use of the electromagnetic spectrum or directed energy to control the spectrum, attack an enemy, or impede enemy assaults via the spectrum. The purpose of electronic warfare is to deny the opponent the advantage of, and ensure friendly...
unit. The Regiment has a HQ squadron and five signal squadrons, one is based at RAF Digby
RAF Digby
RAF Digby is a Royal Air Force station which, since March 2005, has been operated by the Ministry of Defence's Joint Service Signals Organisation, part of the Intelligence Collection Group. Formerly a training and fighter airfield, it is currently a tri-service military signals installation located...
- 14th Signal Regiment (Electronic Warfare)
- Headquarters Squadron (now renamed as Operations Support Sqaudron)
- 223 Signal Squadron (Electronic Warfare)
- 224 Signal Squadron (Electronic Warfare)
- 226 Signal Squadron (Electronic Warfare)
- 237 Signal Squadron (Electronic Warfare)
- 245 Signal Squadron (Electronic Warfare)
External links
- Airliners.net Photo Gallery of Aircraft at RAF Brawdy
- Air Britain Photo Gallery of Aircraft at RAF Brawdy
- Ivor "Taff" Davies Photo Gallery of Aircraft at RAF Brawdy
- Jet Photos.net Photo Gallery of Aircraft at RAF Brawdy
- XE624.org - Home of the ex-RAF Brawdy Gate Guard Hunter FGA.9
- United States Navy - NAVFAC Brawdy
- 1986 Phantom Aircrash Raf Brawdy
- RAF Brawdy, Wales 1985 ~ 1987 Air Shows