RAF Wittering | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wittering,Cambridgeshire in England | |||||||
 The main entrance andBAe Harrier GR7Agate guardian | |||||||
 Strength is Freedom[1] | |||||||
| Site information | |||||||
| Type | Air combat support station | ||||||
| Owner | Ministry of Defence | ||||||
| Operator | Royal Air Force | ||||||
| Controlled by | No. 2 Group (Air Combat Support) | ||||||
| Condition | Operational | ||||||
| Website | www | ||||||
| Location | |||||||
  RAF Wittering Shown within Cambridgeshire | |||||||
| Coordinates | 52°36′45″N000°28′35″W / 52.61250°N 0.47639°W /52.61250; -0.47639 | ||||||
| Grid reference | TF045025[2] | ||||||
| Area | 449 hectares | ||||||
| Site history | |||||||
| Built | 5 May 1916 | ||||||
| In use | 1916 – present | ||||||
| Garrison information | |||||||
| Current commander | Wing Commander Joan Ochuodho | ||||||
| Occupants |
| ||||||
| Airfield information | |||||||
| Identifiers | ICAO: EGXT,WMO: 03462 | ||||||
| Elevation | 83.3 metres (273 ft)AMSL | ||||||
| |||||||
| Source: RAF Wittering Defence Aerodrome Manual[3] | |||||||
Royal Air Force Wittering or more simplyRAF Wittering (ICAO:EGXT) is aRoyal Air Force station within theunitary authority area ofPeterborough,Cambridgeshire and the unitary authority area ofNorth Northamptonshire. AlthoughStamford inLincolnshire is the nearest town, the runways of RAF Wittering cross the boundary between Cambridgeshire andNorthamptonshire.
Wittering's use as a military airfield dates back to 5 May 1916 when it began asRFC Stamford. The aerodrome was initially created for A Flight ofNo. 38 (Home Defence) Squadron.[4] In common with other Home Defence squadrons at the time it was used for training during the day and for air defence at night. From the flight's operational declaration in December 1916 until it deployed to France in November 1917, itsBE2cs,RE7s, andFE2bs were involved in anti-Zeppelin patrols.[5]
The station's training role expanded when it became theRoyal Flying Corps's No.1 Training Depot Station in 1917.[6] The neighbouring airfield, RFCEaston on the Hill, also dates back to 1916 and it became No. 5 Training Depot Station in 1917.[6] Following the formation of theRoyal Air Force, Easton on the Hill becameRAF Collyweston on 1 April 1918.[6] Stamford was retitled RAF Wittering on 10 April 1918.[6]
RAF Wittering officially reopened in 1924 following an Air Defence Review in 1923. A significant amount of development took place to re-open the station including four new accommodation blocks for airmen, a corporals and airmen's institute, a Senior Non-Commissioned Officers'Mess, the Officers' Mess,[note 1] and a new guardroom. The station retained two aircraft hangars from 1917 and an aircraft repair shed. TheCentral Flying School was at Wittering from 1926 until 1935 being replaced by No. 11 Flying Training School until 1938.[7]
In April 1938, the station became aFighter Command station withinNo 12 Group. This conversion required another expansion with more land being purchased to the south and east of the station which closed theStamford toOundle road.[note 2] Further airmen's accommodation, airmen's mess, technical accommodation and station headquarters were constructed as was a sector control room to control fighter squadrons and anti-aircraft gun batteries within 12 Group's 'K' Sector. The airfield was enhanced with the construction of three new Type C (1934 variant) hangars.[8][2]
During the Second World War, the station was very active during theBattle of Britain and theBlitz in 1940–41 inNo. 12 Group[9] (controlled fromRAF Watnall inNottingham) as it was the mainfighter station for a lot of the southern East Midlands, and fighters from the station would often patrol as far asBirmingham. During the Battle of Britain many squadrons were rotated through Wittering to spells in the south of England withNo. 11 Group that was bearing the brunt of the battle. With many of the Luftwaffe raids during the Blitz taking part at night, Wittering-based squadrons were instrumental in the development of night combat techniques. These included the use of theTurbinlite aircraft which replaced the nose with a powerful searchlight insulated in the nose ofHavocs and Bostons. In April 1943No. 141 Squadron were moved in, operatingde Havilland Mosquitoes.[10] 1943 also saw the station host 2USAAF squadrons, albeit temporarily:63 Fighter Squadron USAAF with its P47s operated from Wittering between January and March before moving toRAF Horsham St Faith; 55 Fighter Squadron operated its P38s and P51s from Wittering between August and March 1944 before moving to nearbyRAF Kingscliffe.[11]
Emergency landing ground K3 was renamed as Collyweston Landing Ground in 1940 with the construction of some blister hangars, a perimeter track and some dispersals, although the next main fighter station further north wasRAF Coleby Grange.Embry inMission Completed states that in 1940 (the station's official history indicates that this was actually in 1941[12]), while used by 25 squadron, equipped with Beaufighter night fighters, the runway was extended from 1,400 yards to 3 miles long to reduce landing accidents at night and in bad weather.[6]
The Station's innovative role continued and developed throughout the war. It became the home of both fighter and gunnery research and development units working with new equipment and techniques. In addition,No. 1426 (Captured Enemy Aircraft) Flight (colloquially known as the RAFwaffe) was based at Collyweston Landing Ground with its wide range of captured Luftwaffe aircraft both evaluating their performance and touring allied bases. In January 1945, the captured enemy aircraft were removed.[13]
During the war, the airfield was bombed five times, with seventeen people being killed on 14 March 1941. Aircraft from the station downed 151 Luftwaffe aeroplanes and 89V-1 flying bombs.Hugh Jenkins, Baron Jenkins of Putney served at the station, as didAndrew Humphrey (laterChief of the Defence Staff from 1976 to 1977, who flewSupermarine Spitfires with266 Squadron).[14]
Immediately after the war RAF Wittering, once again, transferred back to Fighter Command in 1946 providing a home to a variety of squadrons operating Spitfires, Mosquitos and Hornets. In 1948, the Station transferred back to Training Command for 2 years before Maintenance Command took responsibility to undertake some significant redevelopment between 1950 and 1952 as the Cold War saw RAF Wittering become a vital part of the United Kingdom's strategicnuclear deterrent under the control of Bomber Command in 1953.[15]
The current airfield was created by the merging of RAF Wittering and nearby Collyweston Relief Landing Ground, by the construction of a 1.7-mile runway between them in 1941. Conversion to a Bomber airfield saw the construction of a new concrete runway (slightly to the south of the 1941 runway), taxiways and dispersals (with further H-dispersals and QRA dispersals being added later) that still form the majority of the Station's aircraft operating surfaces. A wide-span Gaydon hangar for theCanberra B2 bombers was constructed along with a new control tower, avionics building and nuclear storage and maintenance facilities.[16]
In its new guise as a bomber station, RAF Wittering initially operatedAvro Lincolns from 1953 although these were replaced byEnglish Electric Canberras later that year.[15] The first British operational atomic bomb, theBlue Danube, was deployed to RAF Wittering in November 1953.[15] The first V-bombers (theVickers Valiant, theHandley Page Victor and theAvro Vulcan) were delivered in July 1955. In 1957–58 tests were carried out on the first British hydrogen bomb. This was fitted into the existing Blue Danube casing, and four Valiant bombers flew out of Wittering to Christmas Island in the Pacific, one of them dropping the first device on 15 May 1957 onOperation Grapple.[17]
Until January 1969 two squadrons (100 and 139) of Victor B.2 bombers equipped withBlue Steel stand-off missiles were part of the QRA (Quick Reaction Alert) force of the RAF. Two nuclear armed aircraft were permanently on 15 minutes readiness to take off. They were parked within 100 m (110 yd) of the westerly runway threshold. In times of higher tension, four bombers could be stationed beside the runway on the ORP (Operational Readiness Platform). If the aircraft were manned they could all be airborne within 30 seconds, a feat often demonstrated at V force stations across the country. Since the incoming missile warning from theRAF FylingdalesBMEWS array was only four minutes before impact this ensured if the country came under attack, the bombers would be scrambled and able to retaliate.[18]
In 1968, the base became part ofStrike Command. From October 1972 until August 1976, there were two squadrons flying theHawker Hunter No. 45 Squadron[19] initially and then 58 Squadron as well.[19]
From 1968 the station was known as theHome of the Harrier: the firstHarriers arrived forNo. 1(Fighter) Squadron in August 1969.[20]
In May 1971, four aircraft from 1(F) Sqn operated fromHMS Ark Royal, the first time the Harrier had operated from an aircraft carrier, underWing Commander (later Sir)Kenneth Hayr, later killed at the Biggin Hill airshow on 2 June 2001.[21]
In 1982, six Harrier GR3 aircraft were taken down to theFalklands onSS Atlantic Conveyor,[22] and survived theExocet attack, later to boardHMS Hermes in May 1982. In June 1982, 12 GR3 aircraft were flown from Wittering, viaRAF Ascension Island and mid-air refuelling with Victor tankers, on an 8,000-mile journey to the Falklands in 17 hours, which set an RAF record. The Harriers were from 1(F) Sqn. On 27 May 1982, Sqn Ldr (later Gp Capt) Bob Iveson was hit by anti-aircraft fire fromGADA 601's35mm cannon, and he ejected seconds before his aircraft exploded in mid-air nearGoose Green. He evaded capture for two and a half days before being rescued by helicopter.[23]
The Queen visited the station in June 1982 as part of theRAF Regiment's 40th anniversary celebrations.[24]
During January 1992, a new station museum opened in the original station church, which was built in 1944.[25]
It was announced in December 2009 that RAF Wittering was to become the sole operational base for the Harriers of Joint Force Harrier after the announcement that RAF Cottesmore was to close. However, as a result of the 2010Strategic Defence and Security Review, the Harrier fleet was withdrawn in December 2010.[26]
In March 2019, theMinistry of Defence indicated that RAF Wittering, alongsideRAF Waddington andRAF Leeming, was being considered as the future home of theRAF Aerobatic Team the Red Arrows.[27] In May 2020 however it was confirmed that the team would move to Waddington.[28]
In 2016 the Ministry of Defence confirmed that the Station would be one of the RAF's 'well found centres of specialisation for' 'Support Enablers' along withRAF Leeming.[29]
The station is part ofNo 2 Group.[30] The station commander of RAF Wittering is currentlyWing Commander Jeremy Case who assumed command fromGroup Captain Jo Lincoln on 10 June 2021.[31] The station's honorary air commodore is Her Royal Highness theDuchess of Edinburgh.[32][33]
The station is the home of the RAF Support Force (the Royal Air Force's engineering and logistic Air Combat Service Support Units (ACSSUs)).[34]
Previously the home of No 1 Training Depot Station (at Stamford aerodrome) and No 5 Training Depot Station (at Easton on the Hill aerodrome) of theRoyal Flying Corps during World War 1 and then theRoyal Air Force'sCentral Flying School and No. 11 Flying Training School between the World Wars. RAF Wittering's return to flying training was marked on 4 February 2015 with the arrival ofCambridge University Air Squadron and theUniversity of London Air Squadron.[35] RAF Wittering is also the birthplace of theRoyal Air Force Gliding & Soaring Association's Four Counties Gliding Club.[36]
In November 2011 the Ministry of Defence announced that 44 Service personnel from HQ 12 (Air Support) Engineer Group, part of theRoyal Engineers, would move fromWaterbeach Barracks to RAF Wittering in 2012–13.[37]
Flying and notable non-flying units based at RAF Wittering.[38][39][40]
Royal Air Force[edit]No. 2 Group (Air Combat Support) RAF
| British Army[edit]
|
The station commanders have been:
RAF Wittering has received theFreedom of several locations throughout its history; these include:
1983:Peterborough.[42]