RAF Kirkbride,was aSecond World Warera airfield in the village ofKirkbride,Cumbria,England. Opened in June 1939, the base was intended to be an aircraft repair depot, as its location was deemed to be far enough away from the threat of enemy aircraft. After the Second World War, the site remained open as a maintenance unit and a disposal airfield for redundant aircraft. It was closed in 1960.
RAF Kirkbride | |||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kirkbride,Cumbriain England | |||||||||||
 Hangar RAF Kirkbride | |||||||||||
  RAF Kirkbride Location within cumbria | |||||||||||
| Coordinates | 54°52′55″N3°12′14″W/ 54.882°N 3.204°W | ||||||||||
| Grid reference | NY228548 | ||||||||||
| Type | Airfield | ||||||||||
| Site information | |||||||||||
| Owner | Air Ministry | ||||||||||
| Operator | RAF | ||||||||||
| Controlled by | RAF Maintenance Command | ||||||||||
| Open to the public | Yes | ||||||||||
| Site history | |||||||||||
| Built | 1938–1939 | ||||||||||
| In use | 1939–1960 | ||||||||||
| Fate | Disposed of; private ownership | ||||||||||
| Airfield information | |||||||||||
| Identifiers | ICAO:EGZF | ||||||||||
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History
editThe site was acquired in 1937, and intended to be operational by December 1939, however, this was brought forward six months, and the airbase was operating by June 1939. Building work continued post-opening, with the first hangar not being completed until the end of July 1939.[2][3]In the planning stage, the airfield was intended to be an ASU (aircraft storage unit), rather than an ARD (aircraft repair depot), which is what it became with the work ofNo. 12 MU.[4]The first aircraft arrived by rail, as the runway was not ready until the autumn of 1939.[2]The station was provided with 15 hangars at the outset; onetype-C,four type-D hangars, six type-E, and four type-L.[5]Historic Englandstates that at the closure of the base in 1960, the site had expanded to include 38 hangars in total.[6]The runways were not long enough, aLiberatorhad trouble making an effective landing in 1941, and so approval was given to lengthen the runways, but this was not completed until 1943.[7]
Most of the pilots operating out of the base were part of theAir Transport Auxiliary;one of whom described a particularly clever attack a by a Luftwaffe pilot flying a Messerschmitt Bf 110, which looked like a Hampden. The aircraft lowered its landing gear and waggled its wings to mimic the procedures used by ATA pilots when they coming in to land. The bomber then applied thrust and strafed the base dropping at least three bombs on Kirkbride.[8]
No. 12 Maintenance Unit remained at the base for the duration of Kirkbride's RAF existence. 12 MU's motto wasNunquam intermittere cursum(Latin:Never to break flight).[9]By the summer of 1945, when offensive operations by the air forces in Europe were winding down, the nature of the base changed from a servicing unit to that of a storage unit. In July 1945, the number of aircraft stored at Kirkbride was 930, which had risen to 1,206 stored airframes by November of the same year.[7]
An inquiry during a session ofParliamentin 1958, revealed that during the 1955–1956 financial year, over £100,000 (equivalent to £3,152,618 in 2023) was spent on repairing aircraft at the base.[10]
Post closure
editThe RAF abandoned the site in 1960, but it was considered as a possible ground station for the AmericanMIDASsystem, though in the eventuality, it was never used.[11]The plan was that it would remain under RAF control, initially stated to be part ofFighter Command,and furnished with three radomes each about 100 feet (30 m) in diameter, (similar to the initial equipment atRAF Fylingdales).[12]
The site is part of the Solway Military Trail, which details access to parts of the site via existing footpaths.[13]The former officers mess building has been converted into a hotel, and most of the hangars are now used for agricultural purposes.[14]
As an aerodrome, it remains open to light and recreational aviation, with 1280 metres of hard runway available[15]
Units
edit- No. 1 (Coastal) Operational Training Unit RAF- 1940 to 1943. The OTU was based at nearbyRAF Silloth,but routinely used Kirkbride for training flights.[2]
- No. 12 Maintenance Unit (41 Maintenance Command) - 5 June 1939 to 30 June 1960.[2][16]
- No. 16 Ferry Pilots Pool(Air Transport Auxiliary) - July 1941 to September 1945.[17]
Notes
editReferences
edit- ^"Site/Airfield Details | NOTAM Info".notaminfo.com.Retrieved29 August2022.
- ^abcdSmith 1990,p. 108.
- ^Delve 2006,p. 156.
- ^The Royal Air force builds for war: a history of design and construction in the RAF, 1935-1945.London: Stationery Office. 1997 [1956]. p. 68.ISBN0117724696.
- ^Delve 2006,p. 157.
- ^"Kirkbride Airfield".www.heritagegateway.org.uk.Retrieved29 August2022.
- ^abSmith 1990,p. 109.
- ^Schrader, Helena (2006).Sisters in arms.Barnsley: Pen & Sword Aviation. p. 127.ISBN1844153886.
- ^Pine, L G (1983).A dictionary of mottoes.London: Routledge and Kegan Paul. p. 159.ISBN0-7100-9339-X.
- ^"No. 12 Maintenance Unit, Kirkbride (Hansard, 16 July 1958)".api.parliament.uk.Retrieved15 August2022.
- ^Stocker, Jeremy (2004).Britain and ballistic missile defence, 1942-2002.London: Frank Cass. p. 104.ISBN0714656968.
- ^"British Midas Station Will Give Six-Minute Warning".The Times.No. 55138. 20 July 1961. p. 9.ISSN0140-0460.
- ^"RAF Kirkbride".Solway Military Trail.Retrieved15 August2022.
- ^"Forgotten airfields europe".www.forgottenairfields.com.Retrieved15 August2022.
- ^http://kirkbrideairfield.weebly.com/airfield-info.html
- ^Delve 2006,pp. 157–158.
- ^Lake, Alan (1999).Flying units of the RAF: the ancestry, formation and disbandment of all flying units from 1912.Shrewsbury: Airlife. p. 24.ISBN1-84037-086-6.
Sources
edit- Delve, Ken (2006).Northern England: Co. Durham, Cumbria, Isle of Man, Lancashire, Merseyside, Manchester, Northumberland, Tyne & Wear, Yorkshire.Ramsbury: Crowood.ISBN1-86126-809-2.
- Smith, David J. (1990).Action stations. 3, Military airfields of Wales and the North-West(2 ed.). Cambridge: Stephens.ISBN1-85260-375-5.