RAF Colerne
Encyclopedia
RAF Colerne now known as Colerne Airfield
or AEF Colerne is a former World War II
RAF Fighter Command
and Bomber Command
airfield located on the outskirts of the village of Colerne
, Wiltshire
. The airbase is currently home to Number 3 Squadron, Air Experience Flight and Bristol Universities Air Squadron who provide flight experience for RAF recruits and air cadets.
From 1940 to 1955 RAF Fighter Command
units were based here. During the Battle of Britain
the airfield served as a satellite field to RAF Middle Wallop, and squadrons rotated back and forth from there on a daily basis. Later it was a Training station for Night Fighter navigators. Using the latest night fighter procedures, the Squadron was 238 O.C.U. and Bristol Brigand Aircraft was used for this purpose. Also on this Squadron they had Bristol Buckmaster Aircraft for Pilot Training, and a number of Balliol Aircraft which basically was a Pilot Trainer shaped similar to the Spitfire but both the Pilot
and Trainee sat side by side were used as targets for the Brigand aircraft to practice radar interceptions on.
After this it became a Transport Airfield, and Hastings
aircraft were flown from RAF Colerne. After the demise of the Hastings and the new C-130 Hercules
being introduced to the RAF Air Support Command
. The Hercules were based at RAF Lyneham
and for many years Major Servicing of the Hercules was carried out at RAF Colerne by the Air Engineering Squadron until the station closed in 1976. A/c No. XV198 crashed, killing all crew on board here in September 1973. It was also the home of 2 Field Sqdn RAF Regiment from 1962 - 1975. For a number of years up until its closure as an RAF Station it housed one of the RAF's regional collections of historic aircraft including Neville Duke's world record breaking Hawker Hunter and a rare example of the rocket-engined Messerschmitt Me 163 B, Werknummer 191904 (since returned to Germany).
Used by the British Army
as its training facility for the Junior Leaders Regiment of the Royal Corps of Transport
. Young men from the age of 16 were trained in a variety of the skills needed to enable them to become better soldiers in the Army
. Basic driver training was done on simulators, car driver training to licence level and motorcycle training were undertaken here.
The Regiment consisted of:-
30 (Junior Leader) Squadron RCT,
57 (Junior Leader) Squadron RCT and
90 (Junior Leader) Squadron RCT.
Estranged from the regiment
at Driffield in Yorkshire
was 32 Driver Training Squadron RCT. Here young soldiers were sent to the ASMT at Leconfield
to be taught to drive the basic vehicles of the Army (typically a Land Rover
and a 4 Tonne HGV Lorry) and to qualify as Driver Trade B3 before being posted to a full time working regiment where their technical trade training would be continued.
, the 93 (City of Bath) Air Training Corps detached flight and Bristol University Air Squadron
, who operate the Grob Tutor in a flying training role for the RAF
. BUAS recruits from several universities in the South-West
and has been stationed at Colerne, alongside 3 Air Experience Flight
, for many years. They fly the Air Training Corps
cadets using the same aircraft as part of their flying experience they are entitled to during their time in the ATC.
Colerne Airfield
Colerne Airfield , formerly known as RAF Colerne, is located at Colerne, Wiltshire, England.By October 1940 RAF Colerne was still partly in the course of construction being a fighter station for the defence of Bristol. At that date the contractors were still building and the ground was a quagmire...
or AEF Colerne is a former 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...
RAF Fighter Command
RAF Fighter Command
RAF Fighter Command was one of three functional commands of the Royal Air Force. It was formed in 1936 to allow more specialised control of fighter aircraft. It served throughout the Second World War, gaining recognition in the Battle of Britain. The Command continued until 17 November 1943, when...
and Bomber Command
RAF Support Command
-History:It was formed on 31 August 1973 by the renaming of Maintenance Command, with No. 90 Group being added to it. Its responsibilities included all logistical and maintenance support requirements of the RAF...
airfield located on the outskirts of the village of Colerne
Colerne
Colerne is a village and civil parish in the Cotswolds Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, midway between Bath and Chippenham in Wiltshire, England. It has an elevated position above sea level and overlooks the Box Valley to the south...
, Wiltshire
Wiltshire
Wiltshire is a ceremonial county in South West England. It is landlocked and borders the counties of Dorset, Somerset, Hampshire, Gloucestershire, Oxfordshire and Berkshire. It contains the unitary authority of Swindon and covers...
. The airbase is currently home to Number 3 Squadron, Air Experience Flight and Bristol Universities Air Squadron who provide flight experience for RAF recruits and air cadets.
History
Originally there had been a farm called Doncombe and a Vine Yard on the site of the airfield, the name of Doncombe Lane and Doncombe Hill being the last link to the farm. http://www.wiltshire.gov.uk/gallery/map/Colerne_map001.jpg
From 1940 to 1955 RAF Fighter Command
RAF Fighter Command
RAF Fighter Command was one of three functional commands of the Royal Air Force. It was formed in 1936 to allow more specialised control of fighter aircraft. It served throughout the Second World War, gaining recognition in the Battle of Britain. The Command continued until 17 November 1943, when...
units were based here. During the Battle of Britain
Battle of Britain
The Battle of Britain is the name given to the World War II air campaign waged by the German Air Force against the United Kingdom during the summer and autumn of 1940...
the airfield served as a satellite field to RAF Middle Wallop, and squadrons rotated back and forth from there on a daily basis. Later it was a Training station for Night Fighter navigators. Using the latest night fighter procedures, the Squadron was 238 O.C.U. and Bristol Brigand Aircraft was used for this purpose. Also on this Squadron they had Bristol Buckmaster Aircraft for Pilot Training, and a number of Balliol Aircraft which basically was a Pilot Trainer shaped similar to the Spitfire but both the Pilot
Aviation
Aviation is the design, development, production, operation, and use of aircraft, especially heavier-than-air aircraft. Aviation is derived from avis, the Latin word for bird.-History:...
and Trainee sat side by side were used as targets for the Brigand aircraft to practice radar interceptions on.
After this it became a Transport Airfield, and Hastings
Handley Page Hastings
The Handley Page H.P.67 Hastings was a British troop-carrier and freight transport aircraft designed and built by Handley Page Aircraft Company for the Royal Air Force...
aircraft were flown from RAF Colerne. After the demise of the Hastings and the new C-130 Hercules
C-130 Hercules
The Lockheed C-130 Hercules is a four-engine turboprop military transport aircraft designed and built originally by Lockheed, now Lockheed Martin. Capable of using unprepared runways for takeoffs and landings, the C-130 was originally designed as a troop, medical evacuation, and cargo transport...
being introduced to the RAF Air Support Command
RAF Air Support Command
Air Support Command of the Royal Air Force was formed on 1 August 1967 by the redesignation of Transport Command. Its change of name reflected the change of emphasis of the Command from merely transporting materials and men around the world to providing general support to RAF operations around the...
. The Hercules were based at RAF Lyneham
RAF Lyneham
RAF Lyneham is a Royal Air Force station in Wiltshire, England. It was the home of all the Lockheed C-130 Hercules transport aircraft of the Royal Air Force before they were relocated to RAF Brize Norton.The station was also home to No...
and for many years Major Servicing of the Hercules was carried out at RAF Colerne by the Air Engineering Squadron until the station closed in 1976. A/c No. XV198 crashed, killing all crew on board here in September 1973. It was also the home of 2 Field Sqdn RAF Regiment from 1962 - 1975. For a number of years up until its closure as an RAF Station it housed one of the RAF's regional collections of historic aircraft including Neville Duke's world record breaking Hawker Hunter and a rare example of the rocket-engined Messerschmitt Me 163 B, Werknummer 191904 (since returned to Germany).
Used by 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...
as its training facility for the Junior Leaders Regiment of the Royal Corps of Transport
Royal Corps of Transport
The Royal Corps of Transport was a British Army Corps formed in 1965 from the transport elements of the Royal Army Service Corps and the movement control element of the Royal Engineers . The depot was Buller Barracks in Aldershot...
. Young men from the age of 16 were trained in a variety of the skills needed to enable them to become better soldiers in the Army
Army
An army An army An army (from Latin arma "arms, weapons" via Old French armée, "armed" (feminine), in the broadest sense, is the land-based military of a nation or state. It may also include other branches of the military such as the air force via means of aviation corps...
. Basic driver training was done on simulators, car driver training to licence level and motorcycle training were undertaken here.
The Regiment consisted of:-
30 (Junior Leader) Squadron RCT,
57 (Junior Leader) Squadron RCT and
90 (Junior Leader) Squadron RCT.
Estranged from the regiment
Regiment
A regiment is a major tactical military unit, composed of variable numbers of batteries, squadrons or battalions, commanded by a colonel or lieutenant colonel...
at Driffield in Yorkshire
Yorkshire
Yorkshire is a historic county of northern England and the largest in the United Kingdom. Because of its great size in comparison to other English counties, functions have been increasingly undertaken over time by its subdivisions, which have also been subject to periodic reform...
was 32 Driver Training Squadron RCT. Here young soldiers were sent to the ASMT at Leconfield
Leconfield
Leconfield is a village and civil parish in the East Riding of Yorkshire, England. It is situated approximately north west of Beverley town centre and lies on the A614 road....
to be taught to drive the basic vehicles of the Army (typically a Land Rover
Land Rover
Land Rover is a British car manufacturer with its headquarters in Gaydon, Warwickshire, United Kingdom which specialises in four-wheel-drive vehicles. It is owned by the Indian company Tata Motors, forming part of their Jaguar Land Rover group...
and a 4 Tonne HGV Lorry) and to qualify as Driver Trade B3 before being posted to a full time working regiment where their technical trade training would be continued.
Current Use
Colerne Airfield is now home to 21 Signal Regt, Royal SignalsRoyal Corps of Signals
The Royal Corps of Signals is one of the combat support arms of the British Army...
, the 93 (City of Bath) Air Training Corps detached flight and Bristol University Air Squadron
University Air Squadron
University Air Squadrons are training units of the Royal Air Force which primarily provide basic flying training, force development and adventurous training to undergraduate students at British universities...
, who operate the Grob Tutor in a flying training role for the RAF
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...
. BUAS recruits from several universities in the South-West
South West England
South West England is one of the regions of England defined by the Government of the United Kingdom for statistical and other purposes. It is the largest such region in area, covering and comprising Bristol, Gloucestershire, Somerset, Dorset, Wiltshire, Devon, Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly. ...
and has been stationed at Colerne, alongside 3 Air Experience Flight
Air Experience Flight
An Air Experience Flight is a training unit of the Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve whose main purpose is to give introductory flying experience to Air Cadets or the RAF section of the Combined Cadet Force...
, for many years. They fly the Air Training Corps
Air Training Corps
The Air Training Corps , commonly known as the Air Cadets, is a cadet organisation based in the United Kingdom. It is a voluntary youth group which is part of the Air Cadet Organisation and the Royal Air Force . It is supported by the Ministry of Defence, with a regular RAF Officer, currently Air...
cadets using the same aircraft as part of their flying experience they are entitled to during their time in the ATC.
See also
- Battle of Britain airfieldsBattle of Britain airfieldsDuring the Battle of Britain, the defence of the UK's airspace was divided up within RAF Fighter Command into four Groups, each comprising several airfields and squadrons....
- Battle of Britain Squadrons