Royal Marines Base Chivenor
Encyclopedia
Royal Marines Base Chivenor is a British
military base used primarily by the Royal Marines
. It is situated on the northern shore of the Taw
estuary, adjacent to the South West Coast Path
, on the north coast of Devon
, England
.
Originally a civil airfield opened in the 1930s, the site was taken over by the Royal Air Force
in May 1940 for use as a Coastal Command Station, and was known as RAF Chivenor. After World War II
, the station was largely used for training, particularly weapons training. During the 1960s, one of the RAF's Tactical Weapons Units (TWU) used Hawker Hunter
aircraft for training. In 1974 the station was left on "care and maintenance", though No. 624 Volunteer Gliding Squadron
continued to fly from there. The TWU returned, flying BAE Hawk
s, in 1979 and 1981. In 1994, the TWU left Chivenor, merging with No. 4 Flying Training School at RAF Valley
, and the airfield was handed over to the Royal Marines. The Marines have an existing equipment testing base at Arromanches Camp, in Instow
, located across the Taw
Estuary and approximately two miles from Chivenor.
The RAF still has the "A" flight of 22 Squadron
with two search and rescue Sea King
helicopter
s stationed there, and No. 624 Volunteer Gliding Squadron operating Vigilant T1 motor gliders.
In a spending review that was announced over the summer of 2004, the presence of 22 Squadron at Chivenor was under review. After the flooding at Boscastle
, this threat was rescinded.
constructed an aerodrome on the site of Chivenor farm near a civilian airfield. RAF Chivenor opened on 25 October 1940 within No. 17 Group, Coastal Command. There were two units based there initially, No. 3 (Coastal) Operational Training Unit and No. 252 Squadron, both operating Bristol Beaufighter
s, Bristol Blenheim
s and Bristol Beaufort
s.
, then in 1943 the Chivenor squadron converted the Vickers Wellington
equipped with the ASV radar and Leigh light
s.
In November 1941 the structure of the base changed with three new squadrons 51, 77 and 502 flying a mixture of Whitleys and Wellingtons, and one new flight, 1417, that was used to training crews on the Leigh light and radar Wellingtons. In July 1942 three squadrons of Beaufighter were located at Chivenor to offer long range protection in the Bay of Biscay
. By September 1943 all of the Whitleys had been take out of active service at Chivenor, and four squadrons of Wellingtons, 172, 407, 612 and 304, were located at the base. No 172 was the Wellington Training Squadron, taking over from 1417 Flight. The base had personnel from Canada, Poland and the UK. The Plan for the post war, was for Chivenor to become a full time anti-submarine wing with two squadron's 14 and 36 Squadron.
and 521
Squadrons which flew 10-hour sorties to collect weather information. At the same time the station played host to No 248 Squadron (Mosquitos
), No 254 Squadron (Beaufighters), and the Spitfires and Martinet
s of No 691 Squadron, Army Air Corps. In October 1946, No. 11 Group RAF
Fighter Command
took command of the station with No.203 Advanced Flying School. This lasted until July 1949 when the station was transferred to 5 and 7 Squadrons, Army Air Corps and No 1 Overseas Ferry Unit. This latter unit had the duties to ferry Meteors
, Vampires
and Mosquitoes to the Middle East and the Far East.
s. It was at this time that post-war civilian flying restarted, with Wrafton flying club later changing its name to the Puffin flying club. At this time the RAF was operating as No. 229 Operational Conversion Unit which flew Vampires and Meteors. Then in mid 1955 the first of the Hunter operational conversion courses was started: flying was still mainly on the Vampire FB5 with approximately 20 hrs on the Hunter F1 before pilots were sent to their operational squadrons. During the next 2 years the Vampires were phased out and the course became all Hunter once the Hunter T7, a two-seater trainer version, became available. There were 2 squadrons called simply 1 and 2, each capable of training a student from conversion to operational and weaponry training.
Operational Units:
229 OCU, consisting of 2 squadrons.
Chivenor Station Flight
ran aground on Seven Stones Reef near Lands End, leaking oil. For three days, Hunters from Chivenor and other bases fired training rockets at the ship to hole it below the waterline
, before bombing it with high explosive and napalm in an unsuccessful effort to burn off the oil.
The final Hunter unit based at Chivenor was the Singapore Operational Training Flight. In 1972, 229 OCU was transferred to RAF Brawdy and the station was put into a rebuilding programme. It was in June 1957 that a new chapter in Chivenor's story started with the arrival of 'E' Flight 275 Squadron with their Sycamore HR14s on search and rescue duties. In 1958 'E' Flight changed to 'A' Flight 22 Squadron, which now has 50 years of twenty-four hour search and rescue experience operating from Chivenor.
with Nos 63(R)
and 151(R)
Squadrons training fast jet pilots and navigators. In 1992, the government's options for change defence review resulted in the structure of the station changing with 2 TWU being re-designated as 7 Flying Training School. The squadrons also changed their numbers from 63(R)
and 151(R)
to 19(R) and 92(R)
. 7 Flying Training School operated in conjunction with 4 Flying Training School at RAF Valley. This training course was called the Mirror Image Training Course which lasted for three years until 1995 when the MOD announced that RAF Chivenor would close. For a time the future of the base was not assured but the Royal Marines filled the gap. RAF Chivenor closed on 1 October 1995.
and 24 Commando Regiment Royal Engineers
.
The airfield is still an operational airfield used by the Royal Navy, Royal Marines and RAF. Search and rescue duties are undertaken by a detachment of 22 Squadron RAF
and by 624 Volunteer Gliding Squadron
which operates Vigilant T1 motor gliders, providing flights for the Air Training Corps
and Combined Cadet Force
. The airfield is also used for training by many aircraft types including Merlins, Sea Kings, Pumas, Chinooks, Lynx, Hercules C- 130, C17 Globemasters and Hawks. There are regular flights by Hercules, C17 and many helicopters supporting the Marines' operations.
's role is to ensure the re-supply of ammunition, water, fuel and food, known as "combat supplies" to the ground forces, and provide specialist services to sustain the brigade's operation
is a unit of the British Army's Royal Engineers which supports 3 Commando Brigade Royal Marines. Expeditionary in nature, this elite fighting force is optimised as an Amphibious formation, with the unique ability to rapidly deploy around the World and project force without reliance on ports or airfields.
, with three Sea King HAR3A helicopters for Search and Rescue duties. Part of the RAF Search and Rescue Force
and Air Training Corps
detachments.
3 miles as the crow flies from Chivenor across the River Taw
. Although 11 Amphibious Test and Trials Squadron based at this camp is part of 1 Assault Group Royal Marines
from Poole
it is an administered by the RMB Chivenor Base Support Regiment that provides messing and support facilities from Chivenor.
The name of the camp comes from the name of the town on Gold Beach
of the Normandy landing from the Second World War. The village of Instow
is twinned with Arromanches.
, the seaward (westward) portion of Braunton Burrows
dune system. As he talks to the shepherd boy, the De Havilland Mosquito
that flies over him almost certainly has just taken off from RAF Chivenor, which borders the dune system to the east.
On 23 March 2007, 15 British Royal Navy personnel, from HMS Cornwall (F99)
, were detained by the Navy of the Iranian Revolutionary Guards. The 15 personnel were released on 4 April 2007, then they were take to Chivenor where they reunited with their families and gave press interviews.
On the 21 November 2008 the BBC Top Gear (current format)
series filmed segments near to Chivenor. In the segments the presenter Jeremy Clarkson takes part in a mock battle on the beach at Instow
with around 30 marines from Chivenor and elsewhere.
The Sea King from 22 squadron A-Flight at Chivenor took a starring role in the National Geographic Channel documentary television series Sea Patrol UK, with B-Flight of 22 Squadron at AAC Wattisham along side Royal Navy and Coastguard units.
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
military base used primarily by the Royal Marines
Royal Marines
The Corps of Her Majesty's Royal Marines, commonly just referred to as the Royal Marines , are the marine corps and amphibious infantry of the United Kingdom and, along with the Royal Navy and Royal Fleet Auxiliary, form the Naval Service...
. It is situated on the northern shore of the Taw
River Taw
The River Taw rises at Taw Head, a spring on the central northern flanks of Dartmoor. It reaches the Bristol Channel away on the north coast of Devon at a joint estuary mouth which it shares with the River Torridge.-Watercourse:...
estuary, adjacent to the South West Coast Path
South West Coast Path
The South West Coast Path is Britain's longest waymarked long-distance footpath and a National Trail. It stretches for , running from Minehead in Somerset, along the coasts of Devon and Cornwall, to Poole Harbour in Dorset. Since it rises and falls with every river mouth, it is also one of the more...
, on the north coast of Devon
Devon
Devon is a large county in southwestern England. The county is sometimes referred to as Devonshire, although the term is rarely used inside the county itself as the county has never been officially "shired", it often indicates a traditional or historical context.The county shares borders with...
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
.
Originally a civil airfield opened in the 1930s, the site was taken over by 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...
in May 1940 for use as a Coastal Command Station, and was known as RAF Chivenor. After 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...
, the station was largely used for training, particularly weapons training. During the 1960s, one of the RAF's Tactical Weapons Units (TWU) used 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 for training. In 1974 the station was left on "care and maintenance", though No. 624 Volunteer Gliding Squadron
Volunteer Gliding Squadron
Volunteer Gliding Squadrons are Royal Air Force Flying Training Units , operating military Viking TX.1 and Vigilant T.1 gliders to train Air Cadets from the Combined Cadet Force and the Air Training Corps....
continued to fly from there. The TWU returned, flying 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...
s, in 1979 and 1981. In 1994, the TWU left Chivenor, merging with No. 4 Flying Training School at RAF Valley
RAF Valley
RAF Valley is a Royal Air Force station on the island of Anglesey, Wales, and which is also used as Anglesey Airport. It provides fast-jet training using the BAE Hawk and provides training for aircrew working with Search and Rescue. Unofficially the motto for RAF Valley is 'One Valley, Training...
, and the airfield was handed over to the Royal Marines. The Marines have an existing equipment testing base at Arromanches Camp, in Instow
Instow
Instow is a village in north Devon, England. It is on the estuary where the rivers Taw and Torridge meet, between the villages of Westleigh and Yelland and on the opposite bank of Appledore....
, located across the Taw
River Taw
The River Taw rises at Taw Head, a spring on the central northern flanks of Dartmoor. It reaches the Bristol Channel away on the north coast of Devon at a joint estuary mouth which it shares with the River Torridge.-Watercourse:...
Estuary and approximately two miles from Chivenor.
The RAF still has the "A" 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...
with two search and rescue Sea King
Westland Sea King
The Westland WS-61 Sea King is a British licence-built version of the American Sikorsky S-61 helicopter of the same name, built by Westland Helicopters. The aircraft differs considerably from the American version, with Rolls-Royce Gnome engines , British made anti-submarine warfare systems and a...
helicopter
Helicopter
A helicopter is a type of rotorcraft in which lift and thrust are supplied by one or more engine-driven rotors. This allows the helicopter to take off and land vertically, to hover, and to fly forwards, backwards, and laterally...
s stationed there, and No. 624 Volunteer Gliding Squadron operating Vigilant T1 motor gliders.
In a spending review that was announced over the summer of 2004, the presence of 22 Squadron at Chivenor was under review. After the flooding at Boscastle
Boscastle flood of 2004
The Boscastle flood of 2004 occurred on Monday, 16 August 2004 in the two villages of Boscastle and Crackington Haven in Cornwall, England, United Kingdom. The villages suffered extensive damage after flash floods caused by an exceptional amount of rain that fell over eight hours that afternoon...
, this threat was rescinded.
The beginning of RAF Chivenor
In February 1940 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...
constructed an aerodrome on the site of Chivenor farm near a civilian airfield. RAF Chivenor opened on 25 October 1940 within No. 17 Group, Coastal Command. There were two units based there initially, No. 3 (Coastal) Operational Training Unit and No. 252 Squadron, both operating 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, Bristol Blenheim
Bristol Blenheim
The Bristol Blenheim was a British light bomber aircraft designed and built by the Bristol Aeroplane Company that was used extensively in the early days of the Second World War. It was adapted as an interim long-range and night fighter, pending the availability of the Beaufighter...
s and Bristol Beaufort
Bristol Beaufort
The Bristol Beaufort was a British twin-engined torpedo bomber designed by the Bristol Aeroplane Company, and developed from experience gained designing and building the earlier Blenheim light bomber....
s.
1942—1945
From 1942 onward the role of Chivenor was changed from training to anti-submarine patrolling. From 1942 to 1943 the squadron flew the Armstrong Whitworth WhitleyArmstrong Whitworth Whitley
The Armstrong Whitworth A.W.38 Whitley was one of three British twin-engine, front line medium bomber types in service with the Royal Air Force at the outbreak of the Second World War...
, then in 1943 the Chivenor squadron converted the Vickers Wellington
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...
equipped with the ASV radar and Leigh light
Leigh light
The Leigh Light was a British World War II era anti-submarine device used in the Second Battle of the Atlantic.It was a powerful carbon arc searchlight of 24 inches diameter fitted to a number of the British Royal Air Force's Coastal Command patrol bombers to help them spot surfaced...
s.
- Units based at Chivenor during the war.
- November 1941 to September 1943
- 51 SquadronNo. 51 Squadron RAFNo. 51 Squadron of the Royal Air Force most recently operated the Nimrod R1 from RAF Waddington, Lincolnshire until June 2011. Crews from No. 51 Squadron are currently training alongside the US Air Force on the Boeing RC-135, which is planned to enter service with the RAF over the next seven years...
: Whitleys - 77 SquadronNo. 77 Squadron RAFNo. 77 Squadron RAF was formed on 1 October 1916 at Edinburgh, and was equipped with B.E.2 and B.E.12 aircraft. The squadron disbanded at RAF Turnhouse on June 13, 1919....
: Whitleys / Wellingtons - 502 SquadronNo. 502 Squadron RAFNo. 502 Squadron was a Royal Auxiliary Air Force squadron that saw service in World War II.-Formation and early years:No. 502 squadron was originally formed on 15 May 1925 as No. 502 Squadron, a Special Reserve squadron at RAF Aldergrove, and it was composed of a mixture of regular and reserve...
: Whitleys / Wellingtons - No 1417 Flight: Wellington Training Unit
- 51 Squadron
- July 1942 to September 1943
- 235 SquadronNo. 235 Squadron RAFNo. 235 Squadron RAF was an anti-submarine squadron of the Royal Air Force in World War I and in World War II served as a squadron in RAF Coastal Command-Formation and World War I:...
: Beaufighters - 236 SquadronNo. 236 Squadron RAFThe squadron was formed on 20 August 1918 from No's 493, 515 & 516 Flights at Mullion, in Cornwall. Equipped with DH6s, it carried out anti-submarine patrols along the coast until the end of the war, disbanding on 15 May 1919....
: Beaufighters - 248 SquadronNo. 248 Squadron RAFNo. 248 Squadron was a squadron of the Royal Air Force, active immediately after World War I, and again during World War II.-Post-World War I:...
: Beaufighters
- 235 Squadron
- September 1943 to the end of the war
- 172 SquadronNo. 172 Squadron RAFNo. 172 Squadron RAF was a Second World War Royal Air Force anti-submarine squadron that operated the Vickers Wellington equipped with the Leigh Light.-History:...
: Wellingtons - 407 Canadian SquadronNo. 407 Squadron RCAF407 Long Range Patrol Squadron is a long range & maritime patrol squadron of the Canadian Forces. It is located at 19 Wing Comox, on Vancouver Island, British Columbia operating the CP-140 Aurora.-History:No...
: Wellingtons - 612 (County of Aberdeen) Squadron: Wellingtons
- 304 Polish SquadronNo. 304 Polish Bomber SquadronNo. 304 Polish Bomber Squadron was a Polish World War II bomber unit. It fought alongside the Royal Air Force under their operational Command and operated from airbases in the United Kingdom, serving as a bomber unit in RAF Bomber Command, as an anti-submarine unit in RAF Coastal Command and as a...
: Wellingtons
- 172 Squadron
- Plan for post war 1945
- 14 SquadronNo. 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:...
- 36 SquadronNo. 36 Squadron RAFNo. 36 Squadron of the Royal Flying Corps was formed at Cramlington on February 1, 1916 and was disbanded for the last time in 1975.-First World War:No...
- 14 Squadron
In November 1941 the structure of the base changed with three new squadrons 51, 77 and 502 flying a mixture of Whitleys and Wellingtons, and one new flight, 1417, that was used to training crews on the Leigh light and radar Wellingtons. In July 1942 three squadrons of Beaufighter were located at Chivenor to offer long range protection in the Bay of Biscay
Bay of Biscay
The Bay of Biscay is a gulf of the northeast Atlantic Ocean located south of the Celtic Sea. It lies along the western coast of France from Brest south to the Spanish border, and the northern coast of Spain west to Cape Ortegal, and is named in English after the province of Biscay, in the Spanish...
. By September 1943 all of the Whitleys had been take out of active service at Chivenor, and four squadrons of Wellingtons, 172, 407, 612 and 304, were located at the base. No 172 was the Wellington Training Squadron, taking over from 1417 Flight. The base had personnel from Canada, Poland and the UK. The Plan for the post war, was for Chivenor to become a full time anti-submarine wing with two squadron's 14 and 36 Squadron.
1946—1949
After the Second World War ended, the future of the station was not certain. In 1946 a group of miscellaneous meteorological and anti-aircraft units moved to Chivenor, including Halifaxes of Nos 517No. 517 Squadron RAF
No. 517 Squadron RAF was a meteorological squadron of the Royal Air Force during the Second World War.-History:No. 517 Squadron was formed on 11 August 1943 at RAF St Eval, Cornwall when 1404 Meteorological Flight was re-numbered. It was equipped with Lockheed Hudsons and Handley Page Hampdens,...
and 521
No. 521 Squadron RAF
No. 521 Squadron of the Royal Air Force was a Second World War meteorological observation unit operating from Norfolk.-First formation:The Squadron began on 4 February 1941 as No. 401 Flight of RAF Bomber Command. When all the meteorological flights were put under RAF Coastal Command it became...
Squadrons which flew 10-hour sorties to collect weather information. At the same time the station played host to No 248 Squadron (Mosquitos
De Havilland Mosquito
The de Havilland DH.98 Mosquito was a British multi-role combat aircraft that served during the Second World War and the postwar era. It was known affectionately as the "Mossie" to its crews and was also nicknamed "The Wooden Wonder"...
), No 254 Squadron (Beaufighters), and the Spitfires and Martinet
Martinet
The martinet is a punitive device traditionally used in France and other parts of Europe. The word also has other usages . It is also a term for a type of hammer in French, a diminutive of marteau , "hammer".-Object:...
s of No 691 Squadron, Army Air Corps. In October 1946, No. 11 Group RAF
No. 11 Group RAF
No. 11 Group was a group in the Royal Air Force for various periods in the 20th century, finally disbanding in 1996. Its most famous service was during 1940 when it defended London and the south-east against the attacks of the Luftwaffe during the Battle of Britain.-First World War:No. 11 Group was...
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...
took command of the station with No.203 Advanced Flying School. This lasted until July 1949 when the station was transferred to 5 and 7 Squadrons, Army Air Corps and No 1 Overseas Ferry Unit. This latter unit had the duties to ferry Meteors
Gloster Meteor
The Gloster Meteor was the first British jet fighter and the Allies' first operational jet. It first flew in 1943 and commenced operations on 27 July 1944 with 616 Squadron of the Royal Air Force...
, 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...
and Mosquitoes to the Middle East and the Far East.
1950—1957
In February 1950 the Chivenor station flight was formed with Tiger MothTiger moth
Tiger moths are moths of the family Arctiidae.Tiger moth may also refer to:*de Havilland Tiger Moth, an aircraft; an aerobatic and trainer tailwheel biplane*de Havilland DH.71 Tiger Moth, an earlier monoplane produced by de Havilland...
s. It was at this time that post-war civilian flying restarted, with Wrafton flying club later changing its name to the Puffin flying club. At this time the RAF was operating as No. 229 Operational Conversion Unit which flew Vampires and Meteors. Then in mid 1955 the first of the Hunter operational conversion courses was started: flying was still mainly on the Vampire FB5 with approximately 20 hrs on the Hunter F1 before pilots were sent to their operational squadrons. During the next 2 years the Vampires were phased out and the course became all Hunter once the Hunter T7, a two-seater trainer version, became available. There were 2 squadrons called simply 1 and 2, each capable of training a student from conversion to operational and weaponry training.
Operational Units:
229 OCU, consisting of 2 squadrons.
Chivenor Station Flight
1958—1972
In May 1957 the RAF exercise 'Vigilant' changed Chivenor's Squadrons' status. They assumed a wartime reserve role and were renumbered as Nos 145 and 234 Squadrons. The squadrons were now flying the Hunter F4 and T7 until the F4 was replaced by the F6. The two squadrons were numbered and then renumbered until they became 63(Reserve) and 79(Reserve) Squadrons training fighter pilots. In March 1967 the oil tanker Torrey CanyonTorrey Canyon
The Torrey Canyon was a supertanker capable of carrying a cargo of 120,000 tons of crude oil, which was shipwrecked off the western coast of Cornwall, England in March 1967 causing an environmental disaster...
ran aground on Seven Stones Reef near Lands End, leaking oil. For three days, Hunters from Chivenor and other bases fired training rockets at the ship to hole it below the waterline
Waterline
The term "waterline" generally refers to the line where the hull of a ship meets the water surface. It is also the name of a special marking, also known as the national Load Line or Plimsoll Line, to be positioned amidships, that indicates the draft of the ship and the legal limit to which a ship...
, before bombing it with high explosive and napalm in an unsuccessful effort to burn off the oil.
The final Hunter unit based at Chivenor was the Singapore Operational Training Flight. In 1972, 229 OCU was transferred to RAF Brawdy and the station was put into a rebuilding programme. It was in June 1957 that a new chapter in Chivenor's story started with the arrival of 'E' Flight 275 Squadron with their Sycamore HR14s on search and rescue duties. In 1958 'E' Flight changed to 'A' Flight 22 Squadron, which now has 50 years of twenty-four hour search and rescue experience operating from Chivenor.
Hawks at RAF Chivenor
In 1979 the RAF rebuilding programme ended and the station was reactivated as No. 2 TWU flying BAe HawksBAE 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...
with Nos 63(R)
No. 63 Squadron RAF
-In World War I:No. 63 Squadron was formed on 31 August 1916 at Stirling, Scotland as a squadron of the Royal Flying Corps. The squadron was intended to operate as a day-bomber unit over the Western Front in France, and was therefore equipped with de Havilland DH4 aircraft; however at the last...
and 151(R)
No. 151 Squadron RAF
-World War I:No. 151 squadron was founded at Hainault Farm in Essex on 12 June 1918, and was equipped with Sopwith Camel aircraft.During the five months in which 151 Squadron had taken part in hostilities overseas, the total number of hours flown by night was 1443 hrs 26 mins.Sixteen enemy aircraft...
Squadrons training fast jet pilots and navigators. In 1992, the government's options for change defence review resulted in the structure of the station changing with 2 TWU being re-designated as 7 Flying Training School. The squadrons also changed their numbers from 63(R)
No. 63 Squadron RAF
-In World War I:No. 63 Squadron was formed on 31 August 1916 at Stirling, Scotland as a squadron of the Royal Flying Corps. The squadron was intended to operate as a day-bomber unit over the Western Front in France, and was therefore equipped with de Havilland DH4 aircraft; however at the last...
and 151(R)
No. 151 Squadron RAF
-World War I:No. 151 squadron was founded at Hainault Farm in Essex on 12 June 1918, and was equipped with Sopwith Camel aircraft.During the five months in which 151 Squadron had taken part in hostilities overseas, the total number of hours flown by night was 1443 hrs 26 mins.Sixteen enemy aircraft...
to 19(R) and 92(R)
No. 92 Squadron RAF
No. 92 Squadron, also known as No 92 Squadron, of the Royal Air Force was formed as part of the Royal Flying Corps at London Colney as a fighter squadron on 1 September 1917. It deployed to France in July 1918 and saw action for just four months, until the end of the war. During the conflict it...
. 7 Flying Training School operated in conjunction with 4 Flying Training School at RAF Valley. This training course was called the Mirror Image Training Course which lasted for three years until 1995 when the MOD announced that RAF Chivenor would close. For a time the future of the base was not assured but the Royal Marines filled the gap. RAF Chivenor closed on 1 October 1995.
- Operational Units
- 1979-1992
- 2 TWU
- 63(R) SqnNo. 63 Squadron RAF-In World War I:No. 63 Squadron was formed on 31 August 1916 at Stirling, Scotland as a squadron of the Royal Flying Corps. The squadron was intended to operate as a day-bomber unit over the Western Front in France, and was therefore equipped with de Havilland DH4 aircraft; however at the last...
- 151(R) SqnNo. 151 Squadron RAF-World War I:No. 151 squadron was founded at Hainault Farm in Essex on 12 June 1918, and was equipped with Sopwith Camel aircraft.During the five months in which 151 Squadron had taken part in hostilities overseas, the total number of hours flown by night was 1443 hrs 26 mins.Sixteen enemy aircraft...
- 63(R) Sqn
- 2 TWU
- 1992-1995
- 7 FTS
- 19(R) Sqn
- 92(R) SqnNo. 92 Squadron RAFNo. 92 Squadron, also known as No 92 Squadron, of the Royal Air Force was formed as part of the Royal Flying Corps at London Colney as a fighter squadron on 1 September 1917. It deployed to France in July 1918 and saw action for just four months, until the end of the war. During the conflict it...
- 7 FTS
A new beginning as RMB Chivenor
From the 1st October 1995 onwards, the Royal Marines took control of the base, it being renamed Royal Marines Base Chivenor (RMB Chivenor) and is home to the Commando Logistics Regiment, Royal MarinesCommando Logistic Regiment
The role of the Commando Logistic Regiment , Royal Marines is to provide second line Combat Service Support to Headquarters 3 Commando Brigade and Royal Marines Commandos in peace, war and operations other than war....
and 24 Commando Regiment Royal Engineers
24 Commando Regiment Royal Engineers
24 Commando Engineer Regiment is a unit of the British Army's Royal Engineers which supports 3 Commando Brigade Royal Marines. It was formed in April 2008...
.
The airfield is still an operational airfield used by the Royal Navy, Royal Marines and RAF. Search and rescue duties are undertaken by a detachment of 22 Squadron RAF
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...
and by 624 Volunteer Gliding Squadron
Volunteer Gliding Squadron
Volunteer Gliding Squadrons are Royal Air Force Flying Training Units , operating military Viking TX.1 and Vigilant T.1 gliders to train Air Cadets from the Combined Cadet Force and the Air Training Corps....
which operates Vigilant T1 motor gliders, providing flights for 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...
and Combined Cadet Force
Combined Cadet Force
The Combined Cadet Force is a Ministry of Defence sponsored youth organisation in the United Kingdom. Its aim is to "provide a disciplined organisation in a school so that pupils may develop powers of leadership by means of training to promote the qualities of responsibility, self reliance,...
. The airfield is also used for training by many aircraft types including Merlins, Sea Kings, Pumas, Chinooks, Lynx, Hercules C- 130, C17 Globemasters and Hawks. There are regular flights by Hercules, C17 and many helicopters supporting the Marines' operations.
Operational units
- Commando Logistic RegimentCommando Logistic RegimentThe role of the Commando Logistic Regiment , Royal Marines is to provide second line Combat Service Support to Headquarters 3 Commando Brigade and Royal Marines Commandos in peace, war and operations other than war....
- HQ Squadron
- Equipment Support Squadron
- Logistic Support Squadron
- Medical Squadron
- Landing Force Support Party
- Logistic Task Group RM
- 24 Commando Regiment Royal Engineers24 Commando Regiment Royal Engineers24 Commando Engineer Regiment is a unit of the British Army's Royal Engineers which supports 3 Commando Brigade Royal Marines. It was formed in April 2008...
- 54 HQ Squadron
- 59 Field Squadron
- 56 Field Squadron
- 24 REME Workshop
Lodger Units
- 22 SquadronNo. 22 Squadron RAFNo. 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...
(A Flight)
- DSG (Chivenor)Defence Support GroupThe Defence Support Group is an executive agency and wholly owned trading fund of the Ministry of Defence. It was established on 1 April 2008 by the merger of Defence Aviation Repair Agency and the Army Base Repair Organisation. It was created under The Defence Support Group Trading Fund Order...
- 624 (VG) Squadron
- 722 Squadron ATC
Parented Units
- 11 (Amphibious Trials and Training) Squadron1 Assault Group Royal Marines1 Assault Group Royal Marines provides the Royal Marines expertise and training in small boat operations both amphibious and riverine. In addition it trains and parents the Assault Squadrons of the Royal Marines and their Landing Craft detachments...
at Arromanches Camp in InstowInstowInstow is a village in north Devon, England. It is on the estuary where the rivers Taw and Torridge meet, between the villages of Westleigh and Yelland and on the opposite bank of Appledore.... - Braunton Burrows Training AreaBraunton BurrowsBraunton Burrows is a sand dune system on the North Devon coast. Braunton Burrows is a prime British sand dune site, the largest sand dune system in England. It is particularly important ecologically because it includes the complete successional range of dune plant communities, with over 400...
Commando Logistic Regiment
The Commando Logistic RegimentCommando Logistic Regiment
The role of the Commando Logistic Regiment , Royal Marines is to provide second line Combat Service Support to Headquarters 3 Commando Brigade and Royal Marines Commandos in peace, war and operations other than war....
's role is to ensure the re-supply of ammunition, water, fuel and food, known as "combat supplies" to the ground forces, and provide specialist services to sustain the brigade's operation
24 Commando Regiment Royal Engineers
Formed in April 2008, 24 Commando Engineer Regiment24 Commando Regiment Royal Engineers
24 Commando Engineer Regiment is a unit of the British Army's Royal Engineers which supports 3 Commando Brigade Royal Marines. It was formed in April 2008...
is a unit of the British Army's Royal Engineers which supports 3 Commando Brigade Royal Marines. Expeditionary in nature, this elite fighting force is optimised as an Amphibious formation, with the unique ability to rapidly deploy around the World and project force without reliance on ports or airfields.
22 Squadron
"A" Flight of 22 SquadronNo. 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...
, with three Sea King HAR3A helicopters for Search and Rescue duties. Part of the RAF Search and Rescue Force
RAF Search and Rescue Force
The RAF Search and Rescue Force is the Royal Air Force organisation which provides around-the-clock aeronautical search and rescue cover in the United Kingdom, Cyprus and the Falkland Islands.-History:...
Mechanical Transport and Armoury Facilities
At RMB Chivenor new state-of-the-art Mechanical Transport and Armoury facilities have been built. This facility is a joint unit with Royal Navy and Royal Marine technicians working along side Babcock Marine technicians. The facility's main job is to support the Royal Marine fleet of vehicles like the Jackal and the Viking. Another task that the facility is used for is the testing of the Jackal, the Jackal is built in Devonport before being taken to Chivenor to be tested on nearby ranges. Finally the facility acts as a recovery centre. When vehicles are damaged in areas like Afghanistan they are loaded onto transport aircraft straight to Chivenor for repair in the Mechanical Transport and Armoury Facility.624 VGS Squadron
624 Squadron's role is as a Volunteer Gliding Squadron operating military Vigilant T.1 motor gliders. They train Air Cadets from local Combined Cadet ForceCombined Cadet Force
The Combined Cadet Force is a Ministry of Defence sponsored youth organisation in the United Kingdom. Its aim is to "provide a disciplined organisation in a school so that pupils may develop powers of leadership by means of training to promote the qualities of responsibility, self reliance,...
and 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...
detachments.
Arromanches Camp
Arromanches Camp is located at InstowInstow
Instow is a village in north Devon, England. It is on the estuary where the rivers Taw and Torridge meet, between the villages of Westleigh and Yelland and on the opposite bank of Appledore....
3 miles as the crow flies from Chivenor across the River Taw
River Taw
The River Taw rises at Taw Head, a spring on the central northern flanks of Dartmoor. It reaches the Bristol Channel away on the north coast of Devon at a joint estuary mouth which it shares with the River Torridge.-Watercourse:...
. Although 11 Amphibious Test and Trials Squadron based at this camp is part of 1 Assault Group Royal Marines
1 Assault Group Royal Marines
1 Assault Group Royal Marines provides the Royal Marines expertise and training in small boat operations both amphibious and riverine. In addition it trains and parents the Assault Squadrons of the Royal Marines and their Landing Craft detachments...
from Poole
Royal Marines Poole
Royal Marines Poole is a British naval base in Poole, England and is the centre for the Royal Marines and Royal Navy amphibious and riverine activities.-History:...
it is an administered by the RMB Chivenor Base Support Regiment that provides messing and support facilities from Chivenor.
The name of the camp comes from the name of the town on Gold Beach
Gold Beach
Gold Beach was the code name of one of the D-Day landing beaches that Allied forces used to invade German-occupied France on 6 June 1944, during World War II....
of the Normandy landing from the Second World War. The village of Instow
Instow
Instow is a village in north Devon, England. It is on the estuary where the rivers Taw and Torridge meet, between the villages of Westleigh and Yelland and on the opposite bank of Appledore....
is twinned with Arromanches.
Trivia
When Peter Carter is washed ashore in A Matter of Life and Death, the filming location was Saunton SandsSaunton Sands
Saunton Sands on a wet and windy day|right|thumbSaunton Sands is a beach in the English village of Saunton on the North Devon coast near Braunton, popular as a longboard surfing location. Its southern end, 'Crow Point', lies at mouth of the River Taw estuary...
, the seaward (westward) portion of Braunton Burrows
Braunton Burrows
Braunton Burrows is a sand dune system on the North Devon coast. Braunton Burrows is a prime British sand dune site, the largest sand dune system in England. It is particularly important ecologically because it includes the complete successional range of dune plant communities, with over 400...
dune system. As he talks to the shepherd boy, the De Havilland Mosquito
De Havilland Mosquito
The de Havilland DH.98 Mosquito was a British multi-role combat aircraft that served during the Second World War and the postwar era. It was known affectionately as the "Mossie" to its crews and was also nicknamed "The Wooden Wonder"...
that flies over him almost certainly has just taken off from RAF Chivenor, which borders the dune system to the east.
On 23 March 2007, 15 British Royal Navy personnel, from HMS Cornwall (F99)
HMS Cornwall (F99)
The sixth HMS Cornwall was a Batch 3 Type 22 frigate of the British Royal Navy. She was the first Batch 3 to be built, and the last to decommission...
, were detained by the Navy of the Iranian Revolutionary Guards. The 15 personnel were released on 4 April 2007, then they were take to Chivenor where they reunited with their families and gave press interviews.
On the 21 November 2008 the BBC Top Gear (current format)
Top Gear (current format)
Top Gear is a British television series about motor vehicles, primarily cars. It began in 1977 as a conventional motoring magazine show. Over time, and especially since a relaunch in 2002, it has developed a quirky, humorous style...
series filmed segments near to Chivenor. In the segments the presenter Jeremy Clarkson takes part in a mock battle on the beach at Instow
Instow
Instow is a village in north Devon, England. It is on the estuary where the rivers Taw and Torridge meet, between the villages of Westleigh and Yelland and on the opposite bank of Appledore....
with around 30 marines from Chivenor and elsewhere.
The Sea King from 22 squadron A-Flight at Chivenor took a starring role in the National Geographic Channel documentary television series Sea Patrol UK, with B-Flight of 22 Squadron at AAC Wattisham along side Royal Navy and Coastguard units.