Royal Air Force Germany
Encyclopedia
The former Royal Air Force Germany (RAFG) was a command
of the Royal Air Force
and part of British Forces Germany
, consisting of those units located in Germany
initially as part of the occupation following World War II
, and later as part of the RAF's commitment to the defence of Europe during the Cold War
.
The command was formed on 1 January 1959 by renaming the RAF's Second Tactical Air Force
(2TAF). RAF Germany was disbanded as a separate command in 1993 as part of the reduction of British military
presence in Europe at the cessation of the Cold War. The remaining RAF forces in Germany ceased to be a separate command, and instead became No 2 Group RAF, part of RAF Strike Command
(now RAF Air Command
).
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Command (military formation)
A command in military terminology is an organisational unit that the individual in Military command has responsibility for. A Commander will normally be specifically appointed into the role in order to provide a legal framework for the authority bestowed...
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...
and part of British Forces Germany
British Forces Germany
British Forces Germany , is the name for British Armed Forces service personnel and civilians based in Germany. It was first established following the Second World War as the British Army of the Rhine ....
, consisting of those units located in Germany
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...
initially as part of the occupation following 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 later as part of the RAF's commitment to the defence of Europe during the Cold War
Cold War
The Cold War was the continuing state from roughly 1946 to 1991 of political conflict, military tension, proxy wars, and economic competition between the Communist World—primarily the Soviet Union and its satellite states and allies—and the powers of the Western world, primarily the United States...
.
The command was formed on 1 January 1959 by renaming the RAF's Second Tactical Air Force
RAF Second Tactical Air Force
The former RAF Second Tactical Air Force was one of three tactical air forces within the Royal Air Force during and after the Second World War...
(2TAF). RAF Germany was disbanded as a separate command in 1993 as part of the reduction of British military
British 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...
presence in Europe at the cessation of the Cold War. The remaining RAF forces in Germany ceased to be a separate command, and instead became No 2 Group RAF, part of RAF Strike Command
RAF Strike Command
The Royal Air Force's Strike Command was the military formation which controlled the majority of the United Kingdom's bomber and fighter aircraft from 1968 until 2007: it was merged with Personnel and Training Command to form the single Air Command. It latterly consisted of two formations - No. 1...
(now RAF Air Command
RAF Air Command
Air Command is the only Command currently active in the Royal Air Force. It was formed by the merger of Royal Air Force Strike and Personnel and Training Commands on 1 April 2007, and has its headquarters at RAF High Wycombe, Buckinghamshire....
).
RAFG Stations & Establishments
- RAF AhlhornRAF AhlhornThe former Royal Air Force Station Ahlhorn, commonly known as RAF Ahlhorn, was a Royal Air Force airbase in Germany situated in the southern suburbs of Ahlhorn, Lower Saxony....
- now German Airfield Ahlhorner heath - RAF Barrel Mountain - now German Army Air Base Barrel Mountain
- RAF Blankensee
- RAF BruggenRAF BruggenThe 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 west of Düsseldorf near the German-Netherlands border. The base was named after...
- now a British ArmyBritish ArmyThe 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...
GarrisonGarrisonGarrison 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....
, called "Elmpt Station, Javelin Barracks" - RAF BückeburgBückeburg Air BaseBückeburg Air Base is located northeast of the city of Bückeburg, Lower Saxony, Germany....
- now Bückeburg Air Base - RAF ButzweilerhofRAF ButzweilerhofThe former Royal Air Force Station Butzweilerhof, commonly known as RAF Butzweilerhof was a Royal Air Force airbase in Germany situated in the northern suburbs of Cologne...
- RAF CelleRAF CelleThe former Royal Air Force Station Celle , more commonly known as RAF Celle , was a Royal Air Force station, a military airbase, in Germany, situated in the south-western suburbs of Celle, Lower Saxony...
- now Celle Air BaseCelle Air BaseCelle Air Base is a military airbase of the German Army. The airfield is situated southwest of the city of Celle, Lower Saxony, Germany. It was opened in 1934 and has been in military use ever since... - RAF FassbergRAF FassbergThe former Royal Air Force Station Fassberg, more commonly known as RAF Fassberg, was a Royal Air Force airbase in Germany situated in the northern suburbs of Fassberg, Lower Saxony...
- now German Army base - RAF Fuhlsbüttel
- RAF GatowRAF GatowKnown for most of its operational life as Royal Air Force Station Gatow, or more commonly RAF Gatow, this former British Royal Air Force military airbase is in the district of Gatow in south-western Berlin, west of the Havel river, in the borough of Spandau...
(Closed 1994) - RAF GeilenkirchenRAF GeilenkirchenThe former Royal Air Force Station Geilenkirchen, more commonly known as RAF Geilenkirchen, was a Royal Air Force military air field in the North Rhine-Westphalia region of Germany, built by the British who used the facility mainly as an airfield for RAF fighter squadrons from May 1953 until 21...
- now NATO Air Base GeilenkirchenNATO Air Base GeilenkirchenNATO Air Base Geilenkirchen is located near Geilenkirchen, Germany. It is the Main Operating Base of the NATO E-3A Component, one of two operational elements of the NATO Airborne Early Warning & Control Force.- Location and history :... - RAF Goch
- RAF GüterslohRAF GüterslohThe former Royal Air Force Station Gütersloh, more commonly known as RAF Gütersloh, was a Royal Air Force Germany military airbase, the nearest Royal Air Force airbase to the East/West German border, in the vicinity of the town of Gütersloh. It was constructed by the Germans prior to World War II...
- now a British ArmyBritish ArmyThe 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...
GarrisonGarrisonGarrison 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....
, called "Princess Royal Barracks, Gütersloh", (AAC Gütersloh) - RAF Hambühren
- RAF Hehn
- RAF Hustedt
- RAF Husum - a remote radar station on the coast near Husum, Schleswig-HolsteinSchleswig-HolsteinSchleswig-Holstein is the northernmost of the sixteen states of Germany, comprising most of the historical duchy of Holstein and the southern part of the former Duchy of Schleswig...
- RAF Illusion
- RAF Jever - now Upjever Air Base
- RAF LaarbruchRAF LaarbruchThe 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...
- now a Civilian Airport Airport WeezeAirport WeezeWeeze Airport or Niederrhein Airport is an airport situated southwest of the small municipality of Weeze in the Niederrhein of western Germany. It is northwest of Kevelaer, about southeast of Nijmegen, Netherlands, and northwest of Duisburg... - RAF Lübeck - now Lübeck AirportLübeck AirportLübeck Blankensee Airport , marketed by some airlines as Hamburg Lübeck Airport, is an airport in Germany located south of Lübeck city centre and northeast of Hamburg. The airport serves the Hamburg Metropolitan Area and is second after Hamburg Airport....
- RAF Lüneburg
- RAF NordhornRAF NordhornRoyal Air Force Station Nordhorn, more commonly known as RAF Nordhorn, is a military aviation bombing and gunnery range to the east of nearby Nordhorn, in Lower Saxony, Germany...
- RAF Nörvenich - now German Nörvenich Air Base
- RAF Oldenburg
- RAF Plantlünne
- RAF RheindahlenRAF RheindahlenThe former Royal Air Force Station Rheindahlen, more commonly known as RAF Rheindahlen, was a non-flying Royal Air Force military base, part of the Rheindahlen Military Complex in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany - part of British Forces Germany ....
- now occupied by the British ArmyBritish ArmyThe 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 HQ United Kingdom Support Command (Germany) (HQ UKSC(G)) - RAF Schleswigland - initial RAF designation "B.164 Schleswigland", now German Schleswig Air Base
- RAF Sundern
- RAF Sylt - now Sylt AirportSylt AirportSylt Airport is the airport on the island of Sylt and in the municipality of Sylt, Germany.-Airlines and destinations:- External links :*...
- RAF Uetersen
- RAF Wahn
- RAF Hospital WegbergRAF Hospital WegbergThe former Royal Air Force Hospital Wegberg, commonly abbreviated to RAF Wegberg, was a Royal Air Force military hospital located in Wegberg, near the city of Mönchengladbach, in Germany....
- now occupied by the British ArmyBritish ArmyThe 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 HQ British Forces Germany Health Service (BFGHS) - RAF WildenrathRAF WildenrathThe former Royal Air Force Station Wildenrath, commonly known as RAF Wildenrath, was a Royal Air Force military airbase which opened on 15 January 1952. Wildenrath was the first of four 'Clutch' stations built for the RAF in Germany during the early 1950s...
- RAF Winterberg
- RAF Wunstorf - now Wunstorf Air Base
Commanders
- 1 January 1959 - Air MarshalAir MarshalAir marshal is a three-star air-officer rank which originated in and continues to be used by the Royal Air Force...
SirSirSir is an honorific used as a title , or as a courtesy title to address a man without using his given or family name in many English speaking cultures...
Humphrey Edwardes-JonesHumphrey Edwardes-JonesAir Marshal Sir Humphrey Edwardes-Jones KCB CBE DFC AFC RAF was a senior Royal Air Force commander.-RAF career:... - 7 January 1961 - Air Marshal Sir John GrandyJohn GrandyMarshal of the Royal Air Force Sir John Grandy GCB GCVO KBE DSO KStJ RAF was a senior officer in the Royal Air Force...
- 25 June 1963 - Air Marshal Sir Ronald LeesRonald LeesAir Marshal Sir Ronald Beresford Lees KCB CBE DFC & Bar RAF was a senior Royal Air Force commander.-RAF career:...
- 6 December 1965 - Air Marshal Sir Denis SpotswoodDenis SpotswoodMarshal of the Royal Air Force Sir Denis Frank Spotswood GCB, CBE, DSO, DFC, RAF was a senior commander in the Royal Air Force.-RAF career:...
- 16 July 1968 - Air Marshal Sir Christopher Foxley-NorrisChristopher Foxley-NorrisAir Chief Marshal Sir Christopher Neil Foxley-Norris GCB, DSO, OBE, FRSA was a squadron commander during World War II and, later, the RAF's commander-in-chief in Germany.-Early life:...
- 10 November 1970 - Air Marshal Sir Harold MartinHarold Brownlow MartinAir Marshal Sir Harold Brownlow Morgan "Micky" Martin, KCB, DSO & Bar, DFC & Two Bars, AFC was an Australian pilot in the Royal Air Force....
- 4 April 1973 - Air Marshal Sir Nigel MaynardNigel MaynardAir Chief Marshal Sir Nigel Martin Maynard KCB, CBE, DFC, AFC, RAF was a senior Royal Air Force commander.-RAF career:...
- 19 January 1976 - Air Marshal Sir Michael BeethamMichael BeethamMarshal of the Royal Air Force Sir Michael James Beetham GCB, CBE, DFC, AFC, DL is a former World War II bomber pilot and a high-ranking commander in the Royal Air Force from the 1960s to the 1980s....
- 25 July 1977 - Air Marshal Sir John StaceyJohn StaceyAir Chief Marshal Sir John Stacey KCB, CBE, FRAeS, RAF, was a senior commander in the Royal Air Force in the 1970s and until his sudden death in 1981.-RAF career:...
- 30 April 1979 - Air Marshal Sir Peter TerryPeter TerryAir Chief Marshal Sir Peter David George Terry GCB is a retired senior Royal Air Force commander.-Royal Air Force career:...
- 2 February 1981 - Air Marshal Sir Thomas KennedyThomas Kennedy (RAF officer)Air Chief Marshal Sir Thomas Lawrie Kennedy GCB AFC DL is a former Royal Air Force officer who became Deputy Commander of RAF Strike Command.-RAF career:...
- 9 April 1983 - Air Marshal Sir Patrick HinePatrick HineAir Chief Marshal Sir Patrick "Paddy" Bardon Hine GCB, GBE is a former senior Royal Air Force commander. Most notably, he was joint commander of all British forces during the first Gulf War.-RAF career:...
- 1 July 1985 - Air Marshal Sir David Parry-EvansDavid Parry-EvansAir Marshal Sir David George Parry-Evans GCB CBE RAF is a former senior Royal Air Force commander.-RAF career:Educated at Berkhamsted School, Parry-Evans joined the Royal Air Force in 1956. He became Officer Commanding No. 214 Squadron in 1974 and Station Commander at RAF Marham in 1975...
- 13 April 1987 - Air Marshal Sir Anthony SkingsleyAnthony SkingsleyAir Chief Marshal Sir Anthony Gerald Skingsley GBE KCB RAF is a former senior Royal Air Force commander.-RAF career:Educated at St Bartholomew's School in Newbury and the University of Cambridge, Skingsley joined the Royal Air Force in 1955...
- 14 April 1989 - Air Marshal Sir Roger PalinRoger PalinAir Chief Marshal Sir Roger Hewlett Palin KCB OBE RAF is a former senior Royal Air Force commander.-RAF career:Educated at Canford School and St John's College, Cambridge, Palin was commissioned into the King's Royal Rifle Corps in 1958. He later transferred to the Royal Air Force and became...
- 22 April 1991 - Air Marshal Sir Andrew WilsonAndrew Wilson (RAF officer)Air Chief Marshal Sir Ronald Andrew Fellowes Wilson KCB AFC FRAes RAF often known as Sir Andrew Wilson and sometimes known informally as Sir Sandy Wilson is a retired senior Royal Air Force officer.-RAF career:...
See also
- Royal Air ForceRoyal Air ForceThe 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...
- List of Royal Air Force commands
- Royal Air Force station
- 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...
External links
- Official web page listing current RAF stations
- Current functions of RAF stations
- gallery of images of Germany, from
- ServicePals.com
- RAF Winterberg website
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