- RAF Colerne
Infobox Military Unit
unit_name = Royal Air Force Colerne
caption = Station Crest
dates =
country =United Kingdom
branch = air force|United Kingdom
command_structure =No. 10 Group RAF
type = Operational Head Quarters
role =
size =
current_commander =
garrison =Colerne ,Wiltshire ,England
garrison_label =
ceremonial_chief =
ceremonial_chief_label =
colonel_of_the_regiment =
colonel_of_the_regiment_label =
nickname =
motto =
colors =
colors_label =
march =
mascot =
equipment =
battles =
notable_commanders =Air Chief Marshal SirQuintin Brand
identification_symbol =
identification_symbol_label = Station crest
anniversaries =RAF Colerne now known as
Colerne Airfield is a former World War IIFighter Command and Bomber Command airfield.History
From 1940 to 1955
Fighter Command was based here, It was a Training Squadron for Navigation Using the latestNavigation procedures, the Squadron was 238 O.C.U. and Bristol Brigand Aircraft was used for this purpose, and also on this Squadron they had Bristol Buckmaster Aircraft for Pilot Training, and also a number of Balliol Aircraft which basically was a Pilot Trainer shaped similar to the Spitfire but both the Pilot andTrainee sat side by side. After this it became a Transport Airfield, and Hastings Aircraft was flown from RAF Colerne. After the demise of the Hastings and the newC-130 Hercules being introduced to theRAF Air Support Command . The Hercules were based atRAF Lyneham and for many years Major Servicing of the Hercules was carried out at RAF Colerne by the Air Engineering Squadron until the station closed in 1976. A/c No. XV198 crashed, killing all crew on board here in September 1973.Used by the
British Army as its training facility for the Junior Leaders Regiment of theRoyal Corps of Transport . Young men from the age of 16 were trained in a variety of the skills needed to enable them to become better soldiers in theArmy . Basic driver training was done on simulators, car driver training to licence level and motorcycle training were undertaken here.The Regiment consisted of:-30 (Junior Leader) Squadron RCT,57 (Junior Leader) Squadron RCT and90 (Junior Leader) Squadron RCT.
Estranged from the
regiment at Driffield inYorkshire was 32 Driver Training Squadron RCT. Here young soldiers were sent to the ASMT atLeconfield to be taught to drive the basic vehicles of the Army (typically aLand Rover and a 4 Tonne HGV Lorry) and to qualify as Driver Trade B3 before being posted to a full time working regiment where their technical trade training would be continued.Current Use
Colerne Airfield is now home to 21 Signal Regt, Royal Signals, and Bristol University Air Squadron, who operate the
Grob Tutor in a flying training role for the RAF. BUAS recruits from several universities in the South-West and has been stationed at Colerne, alongside 3 Air Experience Flight, for many years. They fly theAir Training Corps cadets using the same aircraft as part of their flying experience they are entitled to during their time in the ATC.References
Notes
ee also
*
Battle of Britain
*Battle of Britain Airfields
* Battle of Britain SquadronsExternal links
* [http://worldwar2airfields.fotopic.net/c1240094.html Airfield remains on worldwar2airfields.net]
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