RAF Bruggen
Encyclopedia
The former Royal Air Force Station Brüggen, more commonly known as RAF Brüggen, in Germany
was a major station of the Royal Air Force
until 15 June 2001. It was situated next to the village of Elmpt, approximately 43 kilometres (26.7 mi) west of Düsseldorf
near the German-Netherlands
border. The base was named after the village of Brüggen, the nearest rail depot. Construction began in mid-1952, which involved the clearing of dense forest and draining of marshland. The station became active in 1953 during the rapid expansion of NATO forces in Europe
.
. This followed the decision to supply all RAF stations in Germany through the port of Antwerp. In 1954 the unit was redesignated as a Mechanical Transport Squadron and was responsible for equipping and supplying all RAF stations in Germany and The Netherlands
. The unit remained at Brüggen until 1963, when it was amalgamated into the 431 Maintenance Unit which continued to operate until 1993. The demise of 317 MT Squadron marked the end of an era, as it had been on the continent shortly after D-Day under its previous title of 317 Supply & Transport Column. It had built itself an enviable reputation and following the cessation of hostilities carried out convoys to Prague
, Warsaw
and Moscow
. In the 1950 Review of the Royal Air Force, the unit was described as the Carter Paterson
of the autobahns.
Throughout its life, 317 carried out a number of humanitarian operations; the first being medical supplies to Bergen-Belsen
. This was followed in 1947 by Operation Woodpecker in which timber and peat was supplied to the civilian population of northern Germany in one of the coldest winters on record. This was followed by the return of displaced persons and POW
s to their home towns and cities within the British Zone. They were called upon again at the start of the Berlin Airlift (Operation Plain Fare), and lastly, in the winter of 1961, the Squadron took a convoy of fuel trucks to the oil refineries
in Rotterdam
for heating oil which was delivered to hospitals in Germany during the great freeze when the canals were inoperable.
from the summer of 1957. From 1969 to 1975 the F-4 Phantom
operated in the strike/attack role, and were replaced by the SEPECAT Jaguar
from 1975. The squadron Jaguars were replaced by the Panavia Tornado GR1
beginning in 1984. With a height of four Tornado GR1 squadrons at Brüggen, and also at its nearby sister airbase RAF Laarbruch
, Brüggen and Laarbruch formed the largest Tornado force in NATO. Hardened Aircraft Shelter
s were equipped with the U.S. Weapon Storage Security System (WS3), each able to store up to 4 WE.177
tactical nuclear bombs, for delivery by Tornado aircraft.
admitted that there had been an accident with a nuclear weapon
at RAF Brüggen on 2 May 1984. The nuclear weapon fell from a transport truck, as the missile wasn't securely attached to the truck. The weapon was 8 times more powerful than the bomb that was dropped on Hiroshima
in 1945. The casing was x-ray
ed after the incident, and found to have been undamaged, a testament to the inherent strength of nuclear weapons casings. The six people/military staff who were responsible for the accident, received a reprimand for their actions in the incident.
, No.14
and No.31
squadrons. No.9, No.14 and No.31 squadrons took part in the Gulf War
and operated from the base during NATO's air operations in the Kosovo War
, supported by VC10
tankers.
The decision to remove all RAF assets from Germany was taken in 1996. As a result of the Strategic Defence Review
No. 17 Squadron disbanded on 31 March 1999 and began the gradual drawdown of the base. No. 14 Sqn relocated to RAF Lossiemouth
in January 2001. A formal ceremony on 15 June officially ended a continuous Royal Air Force presence in Germany since World War II
and all of the remaining Tornados had left for RAF Marham
by 4 September 2001.
431 MU - 431 Maintenance Unit
on 28 February 2002 to become a Garrison
, and is now known as Elmpt Station, Javelin Barracks.
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
was a major station of the Royal Air Force
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...
until 15 June 2001. It was situated next to the village of Elmpt, approximately 43 kilometres (26.7 mi) west of Düsseldorf
Düsseldorf
Düsseldorf is the capital city of the German state of North Rhine-Westphalia and centre of the Rhine-Ruhr metropolitan region.Düsseldorf is an important international business and financial centre and renowned for its fashion and trade fairs. Located centrally within the European Megalopolis, the...
near the German-Netherlands
Netherlands
The Netherlands is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located mainly in North-West Europe and with several islands in the Caribbean. Mainland Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east, and shares maritime borders...
border. The base was named after the village of Brüggen, the nearest rail depot. Construction began in mid-1952, which involved the clearing of dense forest and draining of marshland. The station became active in 1953 during the rapid expansion of NATO forces in Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
.
317 Supply & Transport Column
In 1953, the 317 Supply and Transport Column arrived at RAF Brüggen from UetersenUetersen
Uetersen ) is a city in the district of Pinneberg, in Schleswig-Holstein, Germany. It is situated approx. south of Elmshorn, and northwest of Hamburg at the small river Pinnau, close to the Elbe river...
. This followed the decision to supply all RAF stations in Germany through the port of Antwerp. In 1954 the unit was redesignated as a Mechanical Transport Squadron and was responsible for equipping and supplying all RAF stations in Germany and The Netherlands
Netherlands
The Netherlands is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located mainly in North-West Europe and with several islands in the Caribbean. Mainland Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east, and shares maritime borders...
. The unit remained at Brüggen until 1963, when it was amalgamated into the 431 Maintenance Unit which continued to operate until 1993. The demise of 317 MT Squadron marked the end of an era, as it had been on the continent shortly after D-Day under its previous title of 317 Supply & Transport Column. It had built itself an enviable reputation and following the cessation of hostilities carried out convoys to Prague
Prague
Prague is the capital and largest city of the Czech Republic. Situated in the north-west of the country on the Vltava river, the city is home to about 1.3 million people, while its metropolitan area is estimated to have a population of over 2.3 million...
, Warsaw
Warsaw
Warsaw is the capital and largest city of Poland. It is located on the Vistula River, roughly from the Baltic Sea and from the Carpathian Mountains. Its population in 2010 was estimated at 1,716,855 residents with a greater metropolitan area of 2,631,902 residents, making Warsaw the 10th most...
and Moscow
Moscow
Moscow is the capital, the most populous city, and the most populous federal subject of Russia. The city is a major political, economic, cultural, scientific, religious, financial, educational, and transportation centre of Russia and the continent...
. In the 1950 Review of the Royal Air Force, the unit was described as the Carter Paterson
Carter Paterson
Carter Paterson was a British road haulage firm, closely associated with the railway industry.-History:It was founded in 1860, formed into a private company in 1887, and converted into a public company in February 1934. In October 1933, the Big Four railway companies purchased control of the...
of the autobahns.
Throughout its life, 317 carried out a number of humanitarian operations; the first being medical supplies to Bergen-Belsen
Bergen-Belsen concentration camp
Bergen-Belsen was a Nazi concentration camp in Lower Saxony in northwestern Germany, southwest of the town of Bergen near Celle...
. This was followed in 1947 by Operation Woodpecker in which timber and peat was supplied to the civilian population of northern Germany in one of the coldest winters on record. This was followed by the return of displaced persons and POW
Prisoner of war
A prisoner of war or enemy prisoner of war is a person, whether civilian or combatant, who is held in custody by an enemy power during or immediately after an armed conflict...
s to their home towns and cities within the British Zone. They were called upon again at the start of the Berlin Airlift (Operation Plain Fare), and lastly, in the winter of 1961, the Squadron took a convoy of fuel trucks to the oil refineries
Oil refinery
An oil refinery or petroleum refinery is an industrial process plant where crude oil is processed and refined into more useful petroleum products, such as gasoline, diesel fuel, asphalt base, heating oil, kerosene, and liquefied petroleum gas...
in Rotterdam
Rotterdam
Rotterdam is the second-largest city in the Netherlands and one of the largest ports in the world. Starting as a dam on the Rotte river, Rotterdam has grown into a major international commercial centre...
for heating oil which was delivered to hospitals in Germany during the great freeze when the canals were inoperable.
1957-1998 - Strike/Attack role
The initial strike capability at RAF Brüggen was provided by the English Electric CanberraEnglish Electric Canberra
The English Electric Canberra is a first-generation jet-powered light bomber manufactured in large numbers through the 1950s. The Canberra could fly at a higher altitude than any other bomber through the 1950s and set a world altitude record of 70,310 ft in 1957...
from the summer of 1957. From 1969 to 1975 the F-4 Phantom
F-4 Phantom II
The McDonnell Douglas F-4 Phantom II is a tandem two-seat, twin-engined, all-weather, long-range supersonic jet interceptor fighter/fighter-bomber originally developed for the United States Navy by McDonnell Aircraft. It first entered service in 1960 with the U.S. Navy. Proving highly adaptable,...
operated in the strike/attack role, and were replaced by the SEPECAT Jaguar
SEPECAT Jaguar
The SEPECAT Jaguar is an Anglo-French jet ground attack aircraft, originally used by the British Royal Air Force and the French Armée de l'Air in the close air support and nuclear strike role, and still in service with several export customers, notably the Indian Air Force and the Royal Air Force...
from 1975. The squadron Jaguars were replaced by the Panavia Tornado GR1
Panavia Tornado
The Panavia Tornado is a family of twin-engine, variable-sweep wing combat aircraft, which was jointly developed and manufactured by the United Kingdom, West Germany and Italy...
beginning in 1984. With a height of four Tornado GR1 squadrons at Brüggen, and also at its nearby sister airbase RAF Laarbruch
RAF Laarbruch
The former Royal Air Force Station Laarbruch, more commonly known as RAF Laarbruch ICAO EDUL was a Royal Air Force station, a military airbase, located in Germany on its border with the Netherlands...
, Brüggen and Laarbruch formed the largest Tornado force in NATO. Hardened Aircraft Shelter
Hardened Aircraft Shelter
Hardened Aircraft Shelters , or Protective Aircraft Shelter , are a reinforced structure to house and protect military aircraft from enemy attack...
s were equipped with the U.S. Weapon Storage Security System (WS3), each able to store up to 4 WE.177
WE.177
WE.177 was the last air-delivered tactical nuclear weapon of the British Armed Forces. There were three versions; WE.177A was a boosted fission weapon, while WE.177B and WE.177C were thermonuclear weapons...
tactical nuclear bombs, for delivery by Tornado aircraft.
1984 - Nuclear Incident
On the 4 September 2007, the British militaryBritish Armed Forces
The British Armed Forces are the armed forces of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland.Also known as Her Majesty's Armed Forces and sometimes legally the Armed Forces of the Crown, the British Armed Forces encompasses three professional uniformed services, the Royal Navy, the...
admitted that there had been an accident with a nuclear weapon
Nuclear weapon
A nuclear weapon is an explosive device that derives its destructive force from nuclear reactions, either fission or a combination of fission and fusion. Both reactions release vast quantities of energy from relatively small amounts of matter. The first fission bomb test released the same amount...
at RAF Brüggen on 2 May 1984. The nuclear weapon fell from a transport truck, as the missile wasn't securely attached to the truck. The weapon was 8 times more powerful than the bomb that was dropped on Hiroshima
Hiroshima
is the capital of Hiroshima Prefecture, and the largest city in the Chūgoku region of western Honshu, the largest island of Japan. It became best known as the first city in history to be destroyed by a nuclear weapon when the United States Army Air Forces dropped an atomic bomb on it at 8:15 A.M...
in 1945. The casing was x-ray
X-ray
X-radiation is a form of electromagnetic radiation. X-rays have a wavelength in the range of 0.01 to 10 nanometers, corresponding to frequencies in the range 30 petahertz to 30 exahertz and energies in the range 120 eV to 120 keV. They are shorter in wavelength than UV rays and longer than gamma...
ed after the incident, and found to have been undamaged, a testament to the inherent strength of nuclear weapons casings. The six people/military staff who were responsible for the accident, received a reprimand for their actions in the incident.
1998-2001 - Attack role
Following reunification of Germany, the RAF announced plans to reduce its presence in the country by half. One major part of this was the reduction of Tornado squadrons in Germany from seven to four, No.17, No.IXNo. IX Squadron RAF
No. 9 Squadron of the Royal Air Force was the first in the service to receive the Panavia Tornado, which it currently operates from RAF Marham, Norfolk.-First World War:...
, No.14
No. 14 Squadron RAF
No. 14 Squadron of the Royal Air Force currently operates the Beechcraft Shadow R1 in the ISTAR role from RAF Waddington.-World War I:...
and No.31
No. 31 Squadron RAF
No. 31 Squadron of the Royal Air Force, known as the 'Goldstars', currently operates the Tornado GR4 from RAF Marham, Norfolk.-History:The squadron was formed at Farnborough on October 11, 1915. Its first deployment was to Risulpur, India with its BE2Cs and Farmans, and during this time it took...
squadrons. No.9, No.14 and No.31 squadrons took part in the Gulf War
Gulf War
The Persian Gulf War , commonly referred to as simply the Gulf War, was a war waged by a U.N.-authorized coalition force from 34 nations led by the United States, against Iraq in response to Iraq's invasion and annexation of Kuwait.The war is also known under other names, such as the First Gulf...
and operated from the base during NATO's air operations in the Kosovo War
Kosovo War
The term Kosovo War or Kosovo conflict was two sequential, and at times parallel, armed conflicts in Kosovo province, then part of FR Yugoslav Republic of Serbia; from early 1998 to 1999, there was an armed conflict initiated by the ethnic Albanian "Kosovo Liberation Army" , who sought independence...
, supported by VC10
Vickers VC10
The Vickers VC10 is a long-range British airliner designed and built by Vickers-Armstrongs Ltd, and first flown in 1962. The airliner was designed to operate on long-distance routes with a high subsonic speed and also be capable of hot and high operations from African airports...
tankers.
The decision to remove all RAF assets from Germany was taken in 1996. As a result of the Strategic Defence Review
Strategic Defence Review
The Strategic Defence Review was a British policy document produced by the Labour Government that came to power in 1997. Then Secretary of State for Defence, George Robertson, set out the initial defence policy of the new government, with a series of key decisions designed to enhance the United...
No. 17 Squadron disbanded on 31 March 1999 and began the gradual drawdown of the base. No. 14 Sqn relocated to RAF Lossiemouth
RAF Lossiemouth
RAF Lossiemouth is a Royal Air Force station to the west of the town of Lossiemouth in Moray, Scotland. It is one of the RAF's biggest bases and is currently Britain's main base for Tornado GR4s. From 2013 the Northern QRA force of Typhoon F2 will relocate to Lossiemouth following the closure of...
in January 2001. A formal ceremony on 15 June officially ended a continuous Royal Air Force presence in Germany since World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
and all of the remaining Tornados had left for RAF Marham
RAF Marham
Royal Air Force Station Marham, more commonly known as RAF Marham, is a Royal Air Force station; a military airbase, near the village of Marham in the English county of Norfolk, East Anglia....
by 4 September 2001.
Brüggen squadrons
- No. 9 Squadron RAF (1 October 1986 - July 2001) - operating Panavia TornadoPanavia TornadoThe Panavia Tornado is a family of twin-engine, variable-sweep wing combat aircraft, which was jointly developed and manufactured by the United Kingdom, West Germany and Italy...
GR.1,GR.4 - No. 14 Squadron RAFNo. 14 Squadron RAFNo. 14 Squadron of the Royal Air Force currently operates the Beechcraft Shadow R1 in the ISTAR role from RAF Waddington.-World War I:...
- operating SEPECAT JaguarSEPECAT JaguarThe SEPECAT Jaguar is an Anglo-French jet ground attack aircraft, originally used by the British Royal Air Force and the French Armée de l'Air in the close air support and nuclear strike role, and still in service with several export customers, notably the Indian Air Force and the Royal Air Force...
GR.1/T.2, Panavia Tornado GR.4 - No. 17 Squadron RAF - operating SEPECAT Jaguar GR.1/T.2, Panavia Tornado GR.1 (85-99)
- No. 20 Squadron RAFNo. 20 Squadron RAFNo. 20 Squadron of the Royal Air Force was until March 2010, the OCU for the BAE Harrier GR9, and T12, operating from RAF Wittering...
- operating SEPECAT Jaguar GR.1/T.2 - [No. 25 Squardron RAF]] - Operating Bloodhound missiles
- No. 31 Squadron RAFNo. 31 Squadron RAFNo. 31 Squadron of the Royal Air Force, known as the 'Goldstars', currently operates the Tornado GR4 from RAF Marham, Norfolk.-History:The squadron was formed at Farnborough on October 11, 1915. Its first deployment was to Risulpur, India with its BE2Cs and Farmans, and during this time it took...
- operating F-4 Phantom IIF-4 Phantom IIThe McDonnell Douglas F-4 Phantom II is a tandem two-seat, twin-engined, all-weather, long-range supersonic jet interceptor fighter/fighter-bomber originally developed for the United States Navy by McDonnell Aircraft. It first entered service in 1960 with the U.S. Navy. Proving highly adaptable,...
FGR.2, SEPECAT Jaguar GR.1/T.2, Panavia Tornado GR.1,Panavia Tornado GR.4 - No. 80 Squadron RAFNo. 80 Squadron RAFNo. 80 Squadron RAF was a Royal Flying Corps and Royal Air Force squadron active from 1917 until 1969. It was operative during both World War I and World War II.-Establishment and early service:...
- operating English Electric CanberraEnglish Electric CanberraThe English Electric Canberra is a first-generation jet-powered light bomber manufactured in large numbers through the 1950s. The Canberra could fly at a higher altitude than any other bomber through the 1950s and set a world altitude record of 70,310 ft in 1957...
PR.7(up to 1969) - No. 213 Squadron RAFNo. 213 Squadron RAFNo. 213 Squadron was a squadron of the Royal Air Force. The squadron was formed on 1 April 1918 from No. 13 Squadron of the Royal Naval Air Service...
- operating English Electric Canberra B(I).6 (57-69) - No. 37 Squadron RAF RegimentRAF RegimentThe Royal Air Force Regiment is a specialist airfield defence corps founded by Royal Warrant in 1942. After a 32 week trainee gunner course, its members are trained and equipped to prevent a successful enemy attack in the first instance; minimise the damage caused by a successful attack; and...
- operating RapierRapier missileRapier is a British surface-to-air missile developed for the British Army and Royal Air Force. Entering service in 1971, it eventually replaced all other anti-aircraft weapons in Army service; guns for low-altitude targets, and the English Electric Thunderbird, used against longer-range and...
431 MU - 431 Maintenance Unit
RAF Brüggen today
With the Royal Air Force having no use for site of the former RAF Brüggen, the base was handed over to 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...
on 28 February 2002 to become a Garrison
Garrison
Garrison is the collective term for a body of troops stationed in a particular location, originally to guard it, but now often simply using it as a home base....
, and is now known as Elmpt Station, Javelin Barracks.
Current Army units
- 1st Signal Brigade, Royal Corps of SignalsRoyal Corps of SignalsThe Royal Corps of Signals is one of the combat support arms of the British Army...
- 7th Signal Regiment
- HQ Squadron
- 229 Signal Squadron
- 231 Signal Squadron (Disbanded 31 Oct 2011)
- 232 Signal Squadron
- 16th Signal Regiment
- HQ Squadron
- Support Squadron
- 230 Signal Squadron
- 252 Signal Squadron
- 255 Signal Squadron
- 628 Signal Troop
- 7th Signal Regiment
- 12 Flight AAC, operating 4 Gazelle AH.1 helicopters left the base in early 2009.
- Echo Troop, 921 EOD Squadron, 11 EOD Regiment Royal Logistic Corps
See also
- Royal Air Force station
- List of RAF stations
- List of Royal Air Force aircraft squadrons
- List of aircraft of the RAF
- AircraftAircraftAn aircraft is a vehicle that is able to fly by gaining support from the air, or, in general, the atmosphere of a planet. An aircraft counters the force of gravity by using either static lift or by using the dynamic lift of an airfoil, or in a few cases the downward thrust from jet engines.Although...
- Advanced Landing Ground
External links
- BBC News - RAF ends 56 years in Germany
- Last days at Bruggen from AirSceneUK.org.uk
- RAF Brüggen at GlobalSecurity.orgGlobalSecurity.orgGlobalSecurity.org, launched in 2000, is a public policy organization focusing on the fields of defense, space exploration, intelligence, weapons of mass destruction and homeland security...
- Elmpt Station
- 1 Signal Brigade
- RAF Brüggen, British Army Of the Rhine - Locations
- 317 MT Sqn history