0777 RAF Leuchars air base outside of St.Andrew's

RAF Leuchars

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RAF Leuchars is the most northerly air defence station in the United Kingdom.It is located in Leuchars,Fife,on the east coast of Scotland,near to the university town of St Andrews.

 

Operations

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RAF Leuchars is commanded an Air Commodore instead of a Group Captain who would usually be given command of a station.This is because the base commander here also undertake the role of Air Officer Scotland.The base commander is Air Commodore Clive A. Bairsto

 

RAF Leuchars was home to the last squadron of Panavia Tornado F3s RAF No.111 Squadron.RAF No.111 Squadron operated the Quick Reaction Alert which was set up primarily to combat threats from Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (USSR) (Soviet Union) attacks during the Cold War.The unit was disbanded.

 

RAF Leuchars is also the base for RAF No.612 (County of Aberdeen)Squadron,Royal Auxiliary Air Force (an air transportable surgical squadron),an RAF Mountain Recsue Unit,and is the airfield of use for local Air Training Corps units.It is also parent station to several remote units in the central Scotland area,mainly the University of Glasgow and University of Strathclyde Air Station,but also RAF No. 661 Volunteer Gliding Squadron and RAF No.662 Volunteer Gliding Squadron.

 

The other operational United Kingdom air defence base is RAF Conigsbay in Lincolnshirne,England,which operates the Eurofighter Typhoon FGR 4.

 

Current Structure

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A third Panavia Tornado F3 Squadron,RAF No.56 (Reserve) Squadron,was disbanded in preparation for the arrival of the Eurofighter Typhoon FGR 4.Members of RAF No.56 Squadron had temporaily joined RAF No.43 Squadron unit it too was disbanded.RAF No.6 Squadron was reformed at RAF Leuchars equipped with the Eurofighter Typhoon FGR 4.

 

History

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First World War

 

Aviation a RAF Leuchars dates back to 1911 with a balloon squadron of the Royal Engineers setting up a training camp in Tentsmuir Forest.They were soon joined in the skies by the 'string and sealing wax' aircraft of the embryonic Royal Flying Corps;such aircraft favoured the sands of St Andrews,where not the least of the attractions was availability of fuel from local garages.

 

Like so many RAF stations,the airfield itself owes its existance to the stimulus of war,and began on leveling the existing site on Reres Farm in 1916.From the beginning,Leuchars was intended as a training unit,being termed a Temporary Mobilistation taking aircrews from initial flying training through to fleet co-operation work.Building was still when the Armistice was signed in 1918.Most was made of Leuchars' maritime location when it was designated a Naval Fleet Training School,eventually to undertake the traning of naval spotting crews who acted as the eyes for the Royal Navy's capital ships.

 

Inter-wars years

 

The unit was formally named 'RAF Royal Air Force Leuchars' in March 1920,but neverless retained its strong naval links.

 

As the Navy embraced the value of aviation,the aircraft carrier was added to its inventory.Many of the flights 'dedicated' to Leuchars was deteched to such vessels for months at a time,with light blue uniforms and dark blue uniforms apparently mixing happily together.As St Andrews,the citizens were not unware of the potential use of aviation and attempts were made to use aircraft as a means of transport for golfing enthusiasts.More successful were the barn-storming desplays of the flying circusees which were extremely popular in the town.

 

In 1935 RAF Leuchars became home to RAF Number 1 Flying Training School (RAF No.1 FTS) and ranges for practice bombing were established in Tentsuir Forest.As the war clouds gathered over Europe it maritime position ensured that RAF Leuchars would come to enjoy a more warlike role.RAF No.Flying Training School (RAF No.FTS) move to Netheravon,England and the station came under the control of RAF Coastal Command.With the arrival of RAF No. 224 Squadron and RAF No.233 Squadron in August 1938 the Station enjoyed an operation rather than training role for the first time.

 

Second World War

 

On September 4,1939,a Lockheaed Hudson MK I of RAF No.224 Squadron attacked a German Lutwaffe Dornier Do 18D over the North Sea with inconclusive results but became the first British aircraft to engage the enemy in the Second Worl War.

RAF Leuchars was not secure the romantic image of the Battle of Britain station but rather settled to the routing of hour upon of maritime patrol.The contribution such unglamorous work

to the war effort should not understimed,and such patrolling played a crucial part in Britain's ultimate victory.In February 16,1940,application and endurance secured their just award when another RAF No 224 Squadron Lockheed Hudson MK I located the German prison ship Tanker Altmark which allowed for its interception by HMS Cossack and the liberation of over 200 British Prisoners.On December 2,1943,a pigeon called Winkie became one of the first birds or animales to be awarded the Dickin Medal for helping rescue the crew of a ditched Consolidated Liberator II bomber from the station.

 

During the Second World War,British Overseas Airways Corporation formed in November 1939 from Imperial Airways and British Airways Limited operated a wartime route from RAF Leuchars,Scotland Stockholm,Sweden.From 1943 British Overseas Airways Corporation used civilian registered de Havilland Mosquito aircraft.Noted for the carrying of ball-bearings from Sweden to the United Kingdom,the route also returned RAF aircrews that had diverted to or made crash landing in Swedish airfields during operations over Europe.Other aircraft type were used.

 

Cold War

 

RAF Leuchars remaied a active Station to the end of the War,concentrating on anti-submaine and anti-shipping strikes.With the contrating of the Air Force in peacetime,life,at RAF Leuchars returned to a more gentle pace,hosting a school for general reconnaissance and the St Andrews Universitly Air Squadron complete with de Havilland DH 82 Tiger Moth.In May 1950 RAF Leuchars entered the jet age as it passed from RAF Coastal Command to RAF Fighter Command and Gloster Meteor F.8 of RAF No.222 Squadron made the Station their new home.

 

In 1954 the fix wing aircraft had been joined by flight of Bristol Sycamore 4R14 helcopters for Search and Rescue duties.From the beginning,the Flight proved a valuable adjunct to the civilian mountain and maritime rescue service,a role which continues to this day.There were also two rescue launches based in Tayport,Scotland.

 

The next generation of jet to be stationed at RAF Leuchars were the Hawker Hunter F.6 and the Gloster Javelin FAW 7,with air-sea rescue services provided by Westland Whirland HAR 2 heliopters.The St Andrews University Air Squadron was equipped with de Havilland Chipmunk T.10

 

As the Cold War reached its frostiest depth in the 1960s the development of long range aircraft allowed the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (USSR) (Soviet Union) regular incursion into British air space.Initially this was the use of English Electric Lightning F.6 and from 1969 McDonnell Douglas F-4k Phantom II FGR 1 aircraft.Again RAF Leuchars position made it ideally suited as a base to ensure the integrity of British air space.RAF Leuchars was also the home in the 1970s for a Royal Navy Fleet Air Arm Squadron (RN No.892 Naval Air Squadron) when disembarked from their carrier HMS Ark Royal,also operated McDonnell Douglas F-4K Phantom II FG1s.For over two decades RAF Leuchars' aircraft have policed the United Kingdom air defence region,demonstrating the ability to intercepunidentified aircraft and thereby providing an effective deterrent.

 

Post Cold War

 

The McDonnell Douglas F-4K Phantom II FG 1 of RAF No.43 Squadron and RAF No. 111 Squadron were replaced by Panavia Tornado ADV F-3 during 1989-1990s.The Panavia Tornado ADV F-3 Operational Conersion Unit (OCU),RAF No.56 (Reserve) Squadron,moved to RAF Leuchars.RAF No.56 (Reserve) Squadron amalgamated with RAF 43 Squadron,retaining the indentitly of the latter unit was disbanded.

 

RAF No.6 Squadron was the first squadron at RAF Leuchars to be reformed operating the Eurofighter DA-2 Typhoon,Eurofighter DA-2 Typhoon from the squadron perfomed a Quick Reactio Alert (QRA) scramble.RAF No.6 Squadron took over Quick Reaction Alert (QRA) duties when the last of the Panavia Tornado ADV F-3s were retired.The second Eurofighter DA-2 Typhoon squadron at RAF Leuchars is RAF No.1 Squadron.

 

Annual Airshow

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RAF Leuchars is home to the annual RAF Leuchars Airshow.This usually takes place on Saturday in September.

 

Approximately 45,000 people attended the show to see displays included the RAF Red Arrows,Eurofighter DA-2 Tyohoon,and Battle of Britain memorial flight.Air Force from many North Atlantic Treatly Organization (NATO) countries provide additional static and flight display.

 

Closure

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Very little information of a closure timeline is known.Several lodger units on the station will be required to find new homes if the British Army are unable to accomodate them.These include RAF No.58 Squadron of the RAF Regiment,6 force Protection Wing,No 612 (County of Aberdeen) Squadron Royal Auxiliary Air Force,the East of Scotland Universities Air Squadron incorpating 12 Air Experience Flight (who have 5 aircraft base at RAF Leuchars),and the headquarters of Scotland and Northern Ireland Region and South East Scotland Wing of the Air Training Corps

 

 

Done