History RAF Benson

1 history

1.1 years , world war ii
1.2 post-war
1.3 21st century

history
early years , world war ii

fairey battles of no. 12 operational training unit raf in flight

construction of raf benson began in 1937 part of expansion of raf , in response threat of war nazi germany. construction undertaken contractors john laing & son. benson officially opened raf station on saturday 1 april 1939 under command of group captain r t leather afc. station s first aircraft 2 squadrons of fairey battle light bombers, began arrive few days later. no. 103 squadron arrived raf boscombe down , started flying in on 3 april 1939, joined in next few months no. 150 squadron arrived raf abingdon.

the battles replaced in december 1940 vickers wellington medium bombers. @ same time supermarine spitfires of no. 1 photographic reconnaissance unit (pru) , raf coastal command arrived. benson gained considerable fame home of photographic reconnaissance remainder of second world war. in june 1943, no. 1 pru formed no. 106 wing, 5 squadrons (no’s 540 544 inclusive) , no. 12 operational training unit.

the wing elevated status of no. 106 (photo reconnaissance) group in april 1944, 2 de havilland mosquito , 2 supermarine spitfire squadrons (no. 543 squadron having been disbanded when aircraft strength per squadron increased). group assigned coastal command s photo reconnaissance assets whole of northern europe operational area. spitfire , mosquito aircraft flew missions on occupied europe, including provision of battle damage assessment images after operation chastise, attack on german dams no. 617 squadron in may 1943. period of station s history reflected in use of full-scale replica of wartime spitfire pr.mk xi on main gate - having replaced genuine spitfire pr.mk xix has been restored flying status. vera lynn, forces sweetheart , visited raf benson entertain troops, reportedly singing white cliffs of dover @ station.

post-war

benson retained photographic reconnaissance role years after war, avro lancaster, spitfire, mosquito, gloster meteor pr.mk 10 , english electric canberra pr.mk 3 aircraft operating in role.

ferry squadron here between 1956 , 1958.

on 1 june 1962 no. 105 squadron reformed @ station, flying armstrong whitworth aw.660 argosys part of raf transport command fleet. in january 1968, no. 114 squadron , no. 267 squadron flying argosys wing on station.

the king s flight moved benson raf hendon , stay (renamed queen s flight after death of king george vi) until after war, moving raf northolt in 1995.

the future of raf benson in doubt time, while project belvedere looking closing @ least 1 of joint helicopter command s airfields. these included benson, odiham, aldergrove, yeovilton, middle wallop, wattisham , dishforth; support helicopters based @ raf benson being considered move raf lyneham. belvedere has been abandoned on cost grounds, , benson s future believed safe.

21st century

a raf agustawestland merlin hc3a.

the strategic defence , security review 2010 recommended in order replace navy s ageing westland sea king hc4 s, raf s agustawestland aw101 merlin fleet should transferred royal navy s commando helicopter force. gain experience of operating , maintaining merlin, royal navy aircrew , engineers integrated merlin force @ benson during 2012.

the fleet officially handed on navy during ceremony @ benson on 30 september 2014. attended royal highnesses duke of york, commodore-in-chief of fleet air arm, , prince michael of kent, honorary air marshal of raf benson. air chief marshal sir andrew pulford , 1st sea lord , chief of naval staff, admiral sir george zambellas present. ceremony marked disbandment of no. 78 squadron , s replacement 846 naval air squadron (nas).

during july 2015 845 naval air squadron reformed , replaced no. 28 squadron disbanded. last phases of transition began when 846 nas moved rnas yeovilton on 26 march 2015. final merlin (serial number zj131) along 845 nas departed on 16 june 2016, bringing 15 years of merlin operations @ benson close.

in 2015, announced chinook operational conversion flight transfer raf odiham, in hampshire, benson in late autumn .