RAF Ouston
Encyclopedia
Royal Air Force Station Ouston, more commonly known as RAF Ouston, is a former air station that was located near the village of Heddon-on-the-Wall
on Hadrian's Wall
near Newcastle upon Tyne
. It was built as a Second World War
aerodrome
and is today used by the British Army
.
in distant London
stating that an airfield site was projected at Ouston
. An earlier glance at the map had shown two Oustons — one a few miles southwest of Hexham
and the other a hamlet set in a wild moorland area 12 miles west of Newcastle and north of the Roman Road
to Carlisle. Only two farm houses braved the blast of the elements there to form a pocket-sized parish. The southwesterly Ouston seemed clearly indicated but the chagrin of the officials was tempered with incredulity when it was realized that was, indeed, the wild improbable site that was intended (Map references: Du, NZ2554, [88], 6 miles south of Newcastle, N971). Nevertheless, some of the officials went to the other Ouston first.
Construction work proceeded slowly because of the inaccessibility of the area and some opposition from agricultural interests, although the land at Ouston was hardly of the first quality. The station was built to a fairly regular pattern, having a mixture of prewar-style buildings and the utility types which came later. A "J"-type hangar
dominated the airfield
, the control tower
being located in front of it.
Ouston opened on 10 March 1941 as a Fighter Sector HQ under No. 13 Group
to replace RAF Usworth
, its staff being drawn mainly from that station. Its first squadron was No. 317
, which moved over from Acklington
at the end of April. Equipped with Hurricanes
, this recently formed Polish
unit claimed its first kill on 2 June when a Ju88 was sent into the North Sea
. Relieved by No. 122 Squadron
from RAF Turnhouse on 26 June 1941, No. 317 went to RAF Colerne
.
No. 122 Squadron's
Spitfires
transferred to RAF Catterick
in August 1941, leaving No. 232 Squadron
, which had been there the previous month, and which eventually left for the Middle East
in November. Another squadron, No. 131
, reformed at Ouston on 20 June 1941 with a large proportion of Belgian pilots but soon moved to Catterick.
Another squadron which did not fire its guns in anger whilst at Ouston was No. 81
which moved in from Turnhouse early in 1942. Its Spitfires returned to Edinburgh
five weeks later and a further month was spent at Ouston during the early Summer.
Throughout its first year of existence, the station had also served as a satellite for 55 OTU's Hurricanes from Usworth but was given up when the OTU moved to Annan
at the end of April 1942.
No. 242 Squadron
was here for two weeks in May 1942 with Spitfires, being replaced by the reformed No. 243 Squadron
on 1 June. No. 243 became operational within a fortnight and flew coastal patrols and scrambles in defence of the Northeast until moving to Turnhouse at the beginning of September. No. 72 Squadron
appeared briefly in the Autumn of 1942 to re-equip before overseas posting.
To cover the need for ASR off the East coast, No. 281 Squadron
had been formed at Ouston on March 29, 1942, equipped initially with Defiants
. In February 1943, Supermarine Walrus
amphibians were added and by June, when the squadron moved to Wolsington, the Defiants had been replaced by Ansons
.
Also in 1942, a flight of No. 410 Squadron was detached here for night-fighter patrol. Defiants were used first, but despite some reluctance on the part of the crews, a change was made to Bristol Beaufighter
s. (More information on Beaufighter Squadrons in World War II is here.)
An "Army Co-operation" (AC) squadron, No. 613
, arrived in August 1942 flying Mustang 1s
, and took part in many exercises with local army units before going south again at the beginning of March 1943. It was joined for a short period in August by 226 Squadron's
Douglas Bostons, which had the misfortune to lose three aircraft in crashes on their first day at Ouston. Other unusual lodgers were the Hurricanes of No. 804 Squadron which flew in from RAF Machrihanish
on 3 June 1943 and left for RAF Twatt on 4 February.
Auster
s appeared on January 31, 1943 when No. 657 Squadron
formed at Ouston, flying many Army exercises until leaving for North Africa
in August. No. 198 Squadron
flew its Typhoon
s in from RAF Digby
late in January 1943 but soon transferred to RAF Acklington
to complete its working-in period on the new type.
Ouston's last operational squadron was No. 350, which spent most of June and July 1943 flying monotonous convoy patrols before returning to Acklington. On 21 June 1943, 62 OTU began to move in from Usworth, which had been found increasingly unsuitable for its work. The unit continued to train radar operators for the night-fighter force until disbanding on 6 June 1945. Ansons were used at first, but in the final months Wellingtons
began to replace them.
No. 80 OTU — which specialized in training French pilots on Spitfires — came over from RAF Morpeth in July 1945 and flew from here prior to disbandment on 8 March 1946. The Harvard
s of 22 SFTS were displaced from RAF Calveley
in Cheshire
to Ouston in May 1946, but the school soon disbanded.
Under the Royal Auxiliary Air Force
, No. 607 Squadron
reformed with Spitfires on 10 May 1946, converted to Vampires
in 1951 and operated them up to March 1957 when it disbanded. No. 1965 Flight of No. 664 Squadron
was also based at Ouston from 1 September 1949 until 14 February 1954 with Auster AOP.6
s.
Continuing in its reserve role, the station housed Northumbria
University Air Squadron
, 11 Air Experience Flight
, 641 Gliding School, and was employed as an RLG by the Jet Provosts
of 6 Flying Training School RAF Acklington
. In 1967 it became the North East Regional Airport for five months while Newcastle Airport
s' runway was being lengthened and renovated.
Up to the mid sixties the servicing of piston-powered Percival Provosts and jet-powered Provosts of 6 F.T.S. aircraft based at R.A.F.ACKLINGTON was carried out by a civilian firm under contract to the R.A.F.
, the runway area is used by the police for driver training. It is also reported that C-130 Hercules
have occasionally landed there. Many of the World War II buildings survive.
Since the 1980s Albemarle has often been used as a stop off point for nuclear warheads convoys on route via road between RNAD Coulport and AWE Aldermaston
as part of the UK Trident programme
. There is a secure compound located on one of the former runways to keep convoys overnight when required.
Heddon-on-the-Wall
Heddon-on-the-Wall is a village just outside Throckley, Northumberland, England, located on Hadrian's Wall. Heddon-on-the-Wall is roughly nine miles west of the centre of Newcastle upon Tyne...
on Hadrian's Wall
Hadrian's Wall
Hadrian's Wall was a defensive fortification in Roman Britain. Begun in AD 122, during the rule of emperor Hadrian, it was the first of two fortifications built across Great Britain, the second being the Antonine Wall, lesser known of the two because its physical remains are less evident today.The...
near Newcastle upon Tyne
Newcastle upon Tyne
Newcastle upon Tyne is a city and metropolitan borough of Tyne and Wear, in North East England. Historically a part of Northumberland, it is situated on the north bank of the River Tyne...
. It was built as a Second World War
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...
aerodrome
Aerodrome
An aerodrome, airdrome or airfield is a term for any location from which aircraft flight operations take place, regardless of whether they involve cargo, passengers or neither...
and is today 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...
.
Ouston origins
In late 1938, a small group of civilian officials gathered on a Northumbrian hill as a result of receiving a secret signal sent by the Air MinistryAir Ministry
The Air Ministry was a department of the British Government with the responsibility of managing the affairs of the Royal Air Force, that existed from 1918 to 1964...
in distant London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
stating that an airfield site was projected at Ouston
Ouston, County Durham
Ouston is a village in County Durham, approximately 5 miles to the south-west of the city of Newcastle upon Tyne in the north-east of England...
. An earlier glance at the map had shown two Oustons — one a few miles southwest of Hexham
Hexham
Hexham is a market town and civil parish in Northumberland, England, located south of the River Tyne, and was the administrative centre for the Tynedale district from 1974 to 2009. The three major towns in Tynedale were Hexham, Prudhoe and Haltwhistle, although in terms of population, Prudhoe was...
and the other a hamlet set in a wild moorland area 12 miles west of Newcastle and north of the Roman Road
Roman road
The Roman roads were a vital part of the development of the Roman state, from about 500 BC through the expansion during the Roman Republic and the Roman Empire. Roman roads enabled the Romans to move armies and trade goods and to communicate. The Roman road system spanned more than 400,000 km...
to Carlisle. Only two farm houses braved the blast of the elements there to form a pocket-sized parish. The southwesterly Ouston seemed clearly indicated but the chagrin of the officials was tempered with incredulity when it was realized that was, indeed, the wild improbable site that was intended (Map references: Du, NZ2554, [88], 6 miles south of Newcastle, N971). Nevertheless, some of the officials went to the other Ouston first.
Construction work proceeded slowly because of the inaccessibility of the area and some opposition from agricultural interests, although the land at Ouston was hardly of the first quality. The station was built to a fairly regular pattern, having a mixture of prewar-style buildings and the utility types which came later. A "J"-type hangar
Hangar
A hangar is a closed structure to hold aircraft or spacecraft in protective storage. Most hangars are built of metal, but other materials such as wood and concrete are also sometimes used...
dominated the airfield
Aerodrome
An aerodrome, airdrome or airfield is a term for any location from which aircraft flight operations take place, regardless of whether they involve cargo, passengers or neither...
, the control tower
Control tower
A control tower, or more specifically an Air Traffic Control Tower , is the name of the airport building from which the air traffic control unit controls the movement of aircraft on and around the airport. Control towers are also used to control the traffic for other forms of transportation such...
being located in front of it.
Ouston opened on 10 March 1941 as a Fighter Sector HQ under No. 13 Group
No. 13 Group RAF
No. 13 Group was a group in the Royal Air Force for various periods in the 20th century. It is most famous for having the responsibility for defending the North of Great Britain during the Battle of Britain-World War I:...
to replace RAF Usworth
RAF Usworth
RAF Usworth was a Royal Air Force station near Sunderland. In 1958 the station was closed and the airfield became Sunderland Airport. Following the closure of the airport in 1984, the site has since been redeveloped as a manufacturing facility for Nissan cars.- Early history :In October 1916, the...
, its staff being drawn mainly from that station. Its first squadron was No. 317
No. 317 Polish Fighter Squadron
No. 317 "Wilno" Polish Fighter Squadron was a Polish fighter squadron formed in Great Britain as part of an agreement between the Polish Government in Exile and the United Kingdom in 1941...
, which moved over from Acklington
RAF Acklington
The former Royal Air Force Station Acklington, commonly known as RAF Acklington, was a Royal Air Force airfield airbase situated near Acklington, in Northumberland, England....
at the end of April. Equipped with Hurricanes
Hawker Hurricane
The Hawker Hurricane is a British single-seat fighter aircraft that was designed and predominantly built by Hawker Aircraft Ltd for the Royal Air Force...
, this recently formed Polish
Poland
Poland , officially the Republic of Poland , is a country in Central Europe bordered by Germany to the west; the Czech Republic and Slovakia to the south; Ukraine, Belarus and Lithuania to the east; and the Baltic Sea and Kaliningrad Oblast, a Russian exclave, to the north...
unit claimed its first kill on 2 June when a Ju88 was sent into the North Sea
North Sea
In the southwest, beyond the Straits of Dover, the North Sea becomes the English Channel connecting to the Atlantic Ocean. In the east, it connects to the Baltic Sea via the Skagerrak and Kattegat, narrow straits that separate Denmark from Norway and Sweden respectively...
. Relieved by No. 122 Squadron
No. 122 Squadron RAF
No. 122 Squadron was a Royal Air Force fighter squadron during the first and second world wars.-History:The squadron was formed on 1 January 1918 at Sedgeford as a day bomber unit with the Airco DH.4, the intention was to train the squadron for operations on the de Havilland DH.9 but the squadron...
from RAF Turnhouse on 26 June 1941, No. 317 went to RAF Colerne
RAF Colerne
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...
.
No. 122 Squadron's
No. 122 Squadron RAF
No. 122 Squadron was a Royal Air Force fighter squadron during the first and second world wars.-History:The squadron was formed on 1 January 1918 at Sedgeford as a day bomber unit with the Airco DH.4, the intention was to train the squadron for operations on the de Havilland DH.9 but the squadron...
Spitfires
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...
transferred to RAF Catterick
RAF Catterick
RAF Catterick is a former Royal Air Force airfield located near Catterick, North Yorkshire in England.-History:Catterick airfield first opened in 1914 as a Royal Flying Corps aerodrome with the role of training pilots and to assist in the defence of the North East of England...
in August 1941, leaving No. 232 Squadron
No. 232 Squadron RAF
No. 232 Squadron of the Royal Air Force was active in both World War I and World War II in a variety of roles, having seen action as an anti-submarine patrol, fighter and transport squadron.-In World War I:...
, which had been there the previous month, and which eventually left for the Middle East
Middle East
The Middle East is a region that encompasses Western Asia and Northern Africa. It is often used as a synonym for Near East, in opposition to Far East...
in November. Another squadron, No. 131
No. 131 Squadron RAF
No. 131 Squadron RAF was a Royal Air Force Squadron formed to be a night bomber unit in World War I and reformed as a fighter unit in World War II.-Formation and World War I:No...
, reformed at Ouston on 20 June 1941 with a large proportion of Belgian pilots but soon moved to Catterick.
Another squadron which did not fire its guns in anger whilst at Ouston was No. 81
No. 81 Squadron RAF
No 81 Squadron was a squadron of the Royal Air Force. It flew Fighter aircraft during the Second World War, and reconnaissance aircraft in the Far East after the war, but was disbanded in 1970.-First World War:No...
which moved in from Turnhouse early in 1942. Its Spitfires returned to Edinburgh
Edinburgh
Edinburgh is the capital city of Scotland, the second largest city in Scotland, and the eighth most populous in the United Kingdom. The City of Edinburgh Council governs one of Scotland's 32 local government council areas. The council area includes urban Edinburgh and a rural area...
five weeks later and a further month was spent at Ouston during the early Summer.
Throughout its first year of existence, the station had also served as a satellite for 55 OTU's Hurricanes from Usworth but was given up when the OTU moved to Annan
Annan, Dumfries and Galloway
The royal burgh of Annan is a well-built town, red sandstone being the material mainly used. Each year in July, Annan celebrates the Royal Charter and the boundaries of the Royal Burgh are confirmed when a mounted cavalcade undertakes the Riding of the Marches. Entertainment includes a...
at the end of April 1942.
No. 242 Squadron
No. 242 Squadron RAF
No. 242 Squadron RAF was a Royal Air Force squadron. It flew in many roles during its active service and it is also known for being the first squadron Douglas Bader commanded.-In World War I:No...
was here for two weeks in May 1942 with Spitfires, being replaced by the reformed No. 243 Squadron
No. 243 Squadron RAF
RAF 243 Squadron was a RAF squadron in World War II which was based at Kallang Airport in Singapore, and fought during the Battle of Singapore in 1941-42 with the inadequate Brewster Buffalo fighter....
on 1 June. No. 243 became operational within a fortnight and flew coastal patrols and scrambles in defence of the Northeast until moving to Turnhouse at the beginning of September. No. 72 Squadron
No. 72 Squadron RAF
No. 72 Squadron Royal Air Force started its service life supporting the army during World War I on operations in Middle East and afterwards was quickly disbanded. In its second incarnation the squadron was a real fighter unit, transitioning from Gloster Gladiator biplanes to Gloster Javelin...
appeared briefly in the Autumn of 1942 to re-equip before overseas posting.
To cover the need for ASR off the East coast, No. 281 Squadron
No. 281 Squadron RAF
No. 281 Squadron was a Royal Air Force air-sea rescue squadron during the second world war.-History:No. 281 Squadron was formed at RAF Ouston, England on the 29 March 1942 as an air-sea rescue squadron. The squadron was equipped with the Supermarine Walrus and the Avro Anson...
had been formed at Ouston on March 29, 1942, equipped initially with Defiants
Boulton Paul Defiant
The Boulton Paul Defiant was a British interceptor aircraft that served with the Royal Air Force early in the Second World War. The Defiant was designed and built by Boulton Paul Aircraft as a "turret fighter", without any forward-firing guns. It was a contemporary of the Royal Navy's Blackburn Roc...
. In February 1943, Supermarine Walrus
Supermarine Walrus
The Supermarine Walrus was a British single-engine amphibious biplane reconnaissance aircraft designed by R. J. Mitchell and operated by the Fleet Air Arm . It also served with the Royal Air Force , Royal Australian Air Force , Royal Canadian Air Force , Royal New Zealand Navy and Royal New...
amphibians were added and by June, when the squadron moved to Wolsington, the Defiants had been replaced by Ansons
Avro Anson
The Avro Anson is a British twin-engine, multi-role aircraft that served with the Royal Air Force, Fleet Air Arm and numerous other air forces prior to, during, and after the Second World War. Named for British Admiral George Anson, it was originally designed for maritime reconnaissance, but was...
.
Also in 1942, a flight of No. 410 Squadron was detached here for night-fighter patrol. Defiants were used first, but despite some reluctance on the part of the crews, a change was made to Bristol Beaufighter
Bristol Beaufighter
The Bristol Type 156 Beaufighter, often referred to as simply the Beau, was a British long-range heavy fighter modification of the Bristol Aeroplane Company's earlier Beaufort torpedo bomber design...
s. (More information on Beaufighter Squadrons in World War II is here.)
An "Army Co-operation" (AC) squadron, No. 613
No. 613 Squadron RAF
No. 613 Squadron was an Auxiliary Air Force later Royal Auxiliary Air Force squadron formed on 1 February 1939 at the then new municipal airport at Ringway, nine miles south of Manchester. The squadron served at first in the army cooperation role, and later during World War II became a tactical...
, arrived in August 1942 flying Mustang 1s
P-51 Mustang
The North American Aviation P-51 Mustang was an American long-range, single-seat fighter and fighter-bomber used during World War II, the Korean War and in several other conflicts...
, and took part in many exercises with local army units before going south again at the beginning of March 1943. It was joined for a short period in August by 226 Squadron's
No. 226 Squadron RAF
First formed on 1 April 1918 at Pizzone, Italy, by re-designating the Bombing School Pizzone, No. 226 Squadron RAF operated fast bombers and fighter aircraft and formed No. 472, 473 and 474 Flights within it in September 1918...
Douglas Bostons, which had the misfortune to lose three aircraft in crashes on their first day at Ouston. Other unusual lodgers were the Hurricanes of No. 804 Squadron which flew in from RAF Machrihanish
RAF Machrihanish
RAF Machrihanish is a former Royal Air Force station located west of Campbeltown at the tip of Kintyre. It is now known as MoD Machrihanish and also incorporates Campbeltown Airport which has commercial flights to Glasgow, operated by Loganair....
on 3 June 1943 and left for RAF Twatt on 4 February.
Auster
Auster
Auster Aircraft Limited was a British aircraft manufacturer from 1938 to 1961.-History:The company began in 1938 at the Britannia Works, Thurmaston near Leicester, England, as Taylorcraft Aeroplanes Limited, making light observation aircraft designed by the Taylorcraft Aircraft Corporation of...
s appeared on January 31, 1943 when No. 657 Squadron
No. 657 Squadron RAF
No. 657 Squadron RAF was a unit of the Royal Air Force in North Africa, Italy and the Netherlands during the Second World War and afterwards in Germany....
formed at Ouston, flying many Army exercises until leaving for North Africa
North Africa
North Africa or Northern Africa is the northernmost region of the African continent, linked by the Sahara to Sub-Saharan Africa. Geopolitically, the United Nations definition of Northern Africa includes eight countries or territories; Algeria, Egypt, Libya, Morocco, South Sudan, Sudan, Tunisia, and...
in August. No. 198 Squadron
No. 198 Squadron RAF
No. 198 Squadron was a Royal Air Force aircraft squadron that operated during the Second World War particularly in the ground attack role as the allies advanced through continental Europe.-History:...
flew its Typhoon
Hawker Typhoon
The Hawker Typhoon was a British single-seat fighter-bomber, produced by Hawker Aircraft. While the Typhoon was designed to be a medium-high altitude interceptor, and a direct replacement for the Hawker Hurricane, several design problems were encountered, and the Typhoon never completely satisfied...
s in from 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...
late in January 1943 but soon transferred to RAF Acklington
RAF Acklington
The former Royal Air Force Station Acklington, commonly known as RAF Acklington, was a Royal Air Force airfield airbase situated near Acklington, in Northumberland, England....
to complete its working-in period on the new type.
Ouston's last operational squadron was No. 350, which spent most of June and July 1943 flying monotonous convoy patrols before returning to Acklington. On 21 June 1943, 62 OTU began to move in from Usworth, which had been found increasingly unsuitable for its work. The unit continued to train radar operators for the night-fighter force until disbanding on 6 June 1945. Ansons were used at first, but in the final months Wellingtons
Vickers Wellington
The Vickers Wellington was a British twin-engine, long range medium bomber designed in the mid-1930s at Brooklands in Weybridge, Surrey, by Vickers-Armstrongs' Chief Designer, R. K. Pierson. It was widely used as a night bomber in the early years of the Second World War, before being displaced as a...
began to replace them.
No. 80 OTU — which specialized in training French pilots on Spitfires — came over from RAF Morpeth in July 1945 and flew from here prior to disbandment on 8 March 1946. The Harvard
T-6 Texan
The North American Aviation T-6 Texan was a single-engine advanced trainer aircraft used to train pilots of the United States Army Air Forces, United States Navy, Royal Air Force and other air forces of the British Commonwealth during World War II and into the 1950s...
s of 22 SFTS were displaced from RAF Calveley
RAF Calveley
Royal Air Force Calverley was an RAF station located near Nantwich Cheshire.My late father-in-law, an RAAF Flight Lieutenant, was discharged from RAF STN CALVERLY [sic] in December 1945. His service certificate spells the station name as Calverly...
in Cheshire
Cheshire
Cheshire is a ceremonial county in North West England. Cheshire's county town is the city of Chester, although its largest town is Warrington. Other major towns include Widnes, Congleton, Crewe, Ellesmere Port, Runcorn, Macclesfield, Winsford, Northwich, and Wilmslow...
to Ouston in May 1946, but the school soon disbanded.
Under the Royal Auxiliary Air Force
Royal Auxiliary Air Force
The Royal Auxiliary Air Force , originally the Auxiliary Air Force , is the voluntary active duty reserve element of the Royal Air Force, providing a primary reinforcement capability for the regular service...
, No. 607 Squadron
No. 607 Squadron RAF
No. 607 Squadron was a squadron of the Royal Air Force. It was formed in 1930 as a bomber unit in the Auxiliary Air Force and changed in 1936 to the fighter role. It fought in that role during World War II on the European front and in Asia...
reformed with Spitfires on 10 May 1946, converted to Vampires
De Havilland Vampire
The de Havilland DH.100 Vampire was a British jet-engine fighter commissioned by the Royal Air Force during the Second World War. Following the Gloster Meteor, it was the second jet fighter to enter service with the RAF. Although it arrived too late to see combat during the war, the Vampire served...
in 1951 and operated them up to March 1957 when it disbanded. No. 1965 Flight of No. 664 Squadron
No. 664 Squadron RAF
No. 664 Squadron was a Royal Air Force Air Observation Post squadron associated with the Canadian 1st Army and later part of the Royal Auxiliary Air Force. Numbers 651 to 663 Squadrons of the RAF were Air Observation Post units working closely with Army units in artillery spotting and liaison. A...
was also based at Ouston from 1 September 1949 until 14 February 1954 with Auster AOP.6
Auster AOP.6
-Bibliography:*Halley, J.J., The Squadrons of the Royal Air Force & Commonwealth 1918-1988, Air-Britain, Tonbridge, ISBN 0-85130-164-9....
s.
Continuing in its reserve role, the station housed Northumbria
Northumbria
Northumbria was a medieval kingdom of the Angles, in what is now Northern England and South-East Scotland, becoming subsequently an earldom in a united Anglo-Saxon kingdom of England. The name reflects the approximate southern limit to the kingdom's territory, the Humber Estuary.Northumbria was...
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...
, 11 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...
, 641 Gliding School, and was employed as an RLG by the Jet Provosts
BAC Jet Provost
The BAC Jet Provost was a British jet-powered trainer aircraft used by the Royal Air Force from 1955 to 1993. The Jet Provost was also successfully exported, serving in many air forces worldwide....
of 6 Flying Training School RAF Acklington
RAF Acklington
The former Royal Air Force Station Acklington, commonly known as RAF Acklington, was a Royal Air Force airfield airbase situated near Acklington, in Northumberland, England....
. In 1967 it became the North East Regional Airport for five months while Newcastle Airport
Newcastle Airport
Newcastle International Airport is located in Woolsington in the City of Newcastle upon Tyne, England, north-west of the city centre. In 2010 it was the 11th busiest airport in the United Kingdom....
s' runway was being lengthened and renovated.
Up to the mid sixties the servicing of piston-powered Percival Provosts and jet-powered Provosts of 6 F.T.S. aircraft based at R.A.F.ACKLINGTON was carried out by a civilian firm under contract to the R.A.F.
Ouston today
RAF Ouston is now Albemarle Barracks and home of 39th Regiment Royal Artillery39th Regiment Royal Artillery
39 Regiment Royal Artillery is part of the Royal Artillery. Its name is pronounced "three nine", The Regiment is one of the Depth fire units of 1st Artillery Brigade, part of the British Army...
, the runway area is used by the police for driver training. It is also reported that 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...
have occasionally landed there. Many of the World War II buildings survive.
Since the 1980s Albemarle has often been used as a stop off point for nuclear warheads convoys on route via road between RNAD Coulport and AWE Aldermaston
Atomic Weapons Establishment
The Atomic Weapons Establishment is responsible for the design, manufacture and support of warheads for the United Kingdom's nuclear deterrent. AWE plc is responsible for the day-to-day operations of AWE...
as part of the UK Trident programme
UK Trident programme
The UK Trident programme is the United Kingdom's Trident missile-based nuclear weapons programme. Under the programme, the Royal Navy operates 58 nuclear-armed Trident II D-5 submarine-launched ballistic missiles and around 200 nuclear warheads on 4 Vanguard-class ballistic missile submarines from...
. There is a secure compound located on one of the former runways to keep convoys overnight when required.