History RAF Brize Norton

1 history

1.1 royal air force
1.2 united states air force
1.3 royal air force control
1.4 programme of future brize redevelopment
1.5 protests

history

an armstrong whitworth whitley glider tug coming in land between airspeed horsa gliders @ raf brize norton, october 1943


royal air force

raf brize norton opened in 1937 training station, no. 2 flying training school (2 fts) transferring raf digby on 7 september 1937. on 10 october 1938, 2 fts joined no. 6 maintenance unit. station named raf carterton, given proximity , relationship town of same name, instead named raf brize norton avoid possible confusion raf cardington in bedfordshire.

one of first operational squadrons use airfield no. 110 squadron raf based @ raf wattisham detachment used brize norton june 1939 bristol blenheim mks , iv. 2 fts renamed no 2 service training school (2 sfts) in september 1939, when re-equipped airspeed oxford. no 16 service training school, equipped north american harvards moved brize norton in june 1940. on 16 august, airfield attacked german bombers, 35 oxfords , 11 hawker hurricanes destroyed. 16 sfts left later year, 2 sfts , 6 mu continued use airfield, no. 1525 beam approach training flight moving there in february 1942.

the 110 squadron detachment left brize norton on 17 march 1942, when squadron left far east. 2 flying training units left on 16 july 1942 make way new user, heavy glider conversion unit, equipped whitley glider tugs , horsa gliders. 296 squadron , 297 squadron both moved in on 14 march 1944 armstrong whitworth albemarles, displacing heavy glider conversion unit (hgcu), moved raf north luffenham. 2 squadrons took part in invasion of france on 6 june 1944 , operation market garden in september 1944, before 296 squadron added handley page halifax v inventory , moved raf earls colne on 29 september 1944 , 297 squadron moved same place day later.

the hgcu (soon renumbered 21 hgcu) returned on 15 october 1944, remaining @ brize norton until 31 december 1945. transport command development unit (tcdu) moved in in 1946, operating variety of equipment until moved out in june 1949. 297 squadron returned after second world war had ended, on 5 september 1946 halifax mks a.7 , a.9 raf tarrant rushton before leaving during summer of 1947 on 21 august moving raf fairford. after tcdu left in june 1949, 2 squadron of central flying school, equipped harvards, moved in, followed no. 204 advanced flying school, equipped de havilland mosquitos, staying @ brize norton until march , june 1950 respectively.

united states air force

by 1950 elements of strategic air command (sac) based @ raf lakenheath, raf marham, , raf sculthorpe. increasing tension of cold war led re-evaluation of these deployments. 1953 sac bombers began move further west, behind raf fighter forces, brize norton, raf greenham common, raf upper heyford, , raf fairford. other stations occupied, sac invested heavily in extending runway (6,000 9,000 ft (1,829 2,743 m)), taxiways , dispersals, constructing accommodation , weapons handling facilities. work completed in april 1951.

the station transferred usafe sac effective 8 december 1952. 30th air depot wing became 3rd air force unit responsible control of personnel @ brize norton, upon receipt of instructions control base functions. station assigned 7th air division , operated 3920th air base group, renamed 3920th combat support group, , 3920th strategic wing in 1964. 3920th ceased operations in 1965.

the first major usaf deployment of 21 convair b-36 peacemaker strategic bombers of 11th bomb wing 8 days in june 1952. boeing b-29 superfortress , kb-29 tanker variant of 301st bombardment wing based @ brize norton on temporary duty december 1952 april 1953.

from september 1953, units equipped boeing b-47e stratojet six-engined bombers began deployed brize norton on 90-day temporary deployments, boom-equipped boeing kc-97g stratofreighters being deployed in support december 1954. brize norton closed runway repairs in 1956. b-47 stratojets returned in july 1957. later deployments included kc-97 , boeing kc-135 stratotanker , first convair b-58 hustler , boeing b-52 stratofortress bombers land in united kingdom.

from 1958, b-47 deployments changed 90-day temporary deployments 30-day reflex alerts, in aircraft did little flying, held @ high degree of readiness (armed nuclear bombs) on special aprons on south side of airbase. in september 1964, usaf announced reflex operations cease , brize norton handed raf. while base formally returned raf on 1 april 1965, last sac aircraft, b-47e of 380th bombardment wing left base on 3 april, while usaf personnel left on 31 may.

back royal air force control

raf, raaf , usaf c-17s , flight crews @ raf brize norton in june 2007

in 1965 raf returned brize norton , both 10 squadron, equipped vickers vc10 c.1 jet transport , 53 squadron equipped short belfast c1 heavy lift turboprop freighter moved raf fairford in may 1967. facilities @ brize norton still unfinished, used raf lyneham passenger terminal until october 1968.

in 1970 2 squadrons 99 squadron , 511 squadron operating bristol britannia moved raf lyneham. both squadrons disbanded in 1976, along 53 squadron, operating short belfast c1 heavy lift turboprop freighter. in same year, 115 squadron moved raf cottesmore operating hawker siddeley andover in radar calibration role. squadron moved raf benson in 1983.

a vickers vc10 of no. 101 squadron

101 squadron reformed @ brize norton on 1 may 1984, 101 squadron flew converted civil vc10s, heavily modified , updated british aerospace military service aerial refuelling tankers between 1983 , 1993. of 39 airline aircraft acquired raf, 13 converted, while remainders used spare parts. these converted vc10s 3-point tankers; capable of refuelling 1 aircraft (typically large aircraft) using main hose or 2 smaller aircraft using underwing pods. variants known k.2, k.3 , k.4.

following falklands war, raf found lacking in strategic transport capabilities required sustain expanded military presence there. result, 216 squadron reformed @ brize norton in november 1984, flying 6 ex-british airways tristars, followed 3 more pan-am.

10 squadron s vc10 c.1s later modified underwing aar refuelling pods, , redesignated on 14 october 2005, 10 squadron disbanded, aircrew , aircraft merged 101 squadron.

on 23 may 2001 raf s first c-17 arrived @ brize norton, 1 of 6 delivered 99 squadron.

with closure of raf lyneham taking place in late 2011, repatriation of british personnel relocated brize norton on 8 september 2011. accommodate repatriation services, purpose-built centre has been constructed, , exit gate has been refurbished, formally named britannia gate.

programme of future brize redevelopment

lockheed tristar @ raf brize norton, operating air bridge flight raf ascension island

brize norton major airbase raf s transport fleet. however, end of flying raf lyneham in september 2011 signal brize norton becoming sole air point of embarkation , main operating base raf air transport , in-air refuelling aircraft, , home 15% of raf uniformed manpower. raf s fixed wing transport assets consolidated @ brize norton, transfer of entire hercules force, entry service of airbus a400m , voyager.

to accommodate expansion (with number of aircraft stationed @ brize norton increasing 28 67), major infrastructure redevelopment, programme future brize established in 2009. project involves overhaul of virtually every element of airfield s infrastructure, including it, engineering, housing , personnel.

by march 2011, 70 buildings had been refurbished on station. part of work prepare introduction of voyager aircraft active service, new hangar , office complex opened in same month.

the hercules fleet @ raf lyneham officially moved brize norton on 1 july 2011. final 4 aircraft flew station, conducting flypast on wiltshire. group captain john gladstone, station commander of raf lyneham, flew lead hercules, carried standards of hercules squadrons. these presented station commander of raf brize norton, group captain dom stamp in welcoming ceremony.

protests

like many uk military bases (e.g. raf fairford, faslane naval base, raf lakenheath, , menwith hill) raf brize norton has been subject limited protests peace demonstrators.

during 2003 iraq war 4 anti-war protesters managed access main runway in attempt prevent aircraft taking off.

a peace camp held @ station 21 25 april 2005, along demonstration in nearby carterton.

on 12 august 2006, campaigners restricted access @ main entrance several hours in protest against british policy in middle east.