Stirling Linesis aBritish ArmygarrisoninCredenhill,Herefordshire;the headquarters of the22 Special Air Service Regiment(22 SAS),Special Reconnaissance Regiment(SRR) and18 (UKSF) Signal Regiment.The site was formerly aRoyal Air Force(RAF) non-flying station for training schools, known asRAF Credenhill.[2][3]
| Stirling Lines | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| NearCredenhill,Herefordshire,inEngland | |||||||
 ADauphin IIofNo. 658 Squadronbased at Stirling Lines | |||||||
  Stirling Lines Location in Herefordshire | |||||||
| Coordinates | 52°05′06″N002°47′42″W/ 52.08500°N 2.79500°W | ||||||
| Grid reference | SO454428 | ||||||
| Type | Army barracks | ||||||
| Area | 392 hectares (970 acres) | ||||||
| Site information | |||||||
| Owner | Ministry of Defence | ||||||
| Operator | British Army | ||||||
| Controlled by | Special Air Service | ||||||
| Condition | Operational | ||||||
| Site history | |||||||
| Built | 1939(asRAF Credenhill) | ||||||
| In use | 1939 – 1994 (RAF) 1999 – present (British Army) | ||||||
| Garrison information | |||||||
| Occupants | |||||||
| Airfield information | |||||||
| Identifiers | ICAO:EGVH | ||||||
| Elevation | 240 metres (787 ft)AMSL | ||||||
| |||||||
| Source:UK Military AIP[1] | |||||||
History
editIn 1958, theSpecial Air Service(SAS) was temporarily based at Merebrook Camp inMalvern,Worcestershire,a former emergency military hospital that had remained largely unused since 1945.[4]In 1960, the SAS moved to a formerRoyal Artilleryboys' training unit,Bradbury LinesinHereford,which was renamed in 1984 to Stirling Lines in honour of the regiment's founder,Lieutenant ColonelDavid Stirling.[2]In 1994, the RAF ceased using RAF Credenhill; the Army then obtaining the site to redevelop as a new base for the SAS; works commenced in 1997.[2]The SAS commenced relocation of staff and equipment to Credenhill from Hereford with the redevelopment of the site. The move was completed in May 1999.[2]On 30 September 2000, the official opening ceremony was held for the new Stirling Lines with the clock tower re-erected on the new parade ground.[2][4]The Hereford site was sold to a property developer in March 2001.[5]
Based units
editThe following units are based at Stirling Lines:[6][7]
- 22 Special Air Service Regiment
- A Squadron
- B Squadron
- D Squadron
- G Squadron
- Special Reconnaissance Regiment
- 18 (UKSF) Signal Regiment
- 264 (SAS) Signal Squadron
- 267 (SSR) Signal Squadron
- 268 (Support Squadron) Signal Squadron
- 63 (Reserves) Signal Squadron
- 658 Squadron AAC–Eurocopter AS365N3 Dauphin II
See also
editReferences
edit- ^No 1 Aeronautical Information Documents Unit."AD 3 EGVH - Hereford"(PDF).United Kingdom Military Aeronautical Information Publication. Royal Air Force.Retrieved3 May2022.
{{cite web}}:CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link) - ^abcdeGoodwin, Nicola (6 May 2010)."SAS: Troopers tell their stories".BBC News.Retrieved23 June2017.
- ^"RAF Hereford (Credenhill) - RAF Stations - H".Air of Authority - A History of RAF Organisation.M B Barrass.Retrieved23 June2017.
- ^abBennett, Richard M. (2003).Elite forces: an encyclopedia of the world's most formidable secret armies.London:Virgin Books.ISBN9781852279745.
- ^"Former SAS site plan set to impact".Hereford Times.9 October 2003.Retrieved24 June2017.
- ^Coughlin, Con (30 January 2013)."The SAS: a very special force".The Telegraph.Retrieved19 November2017.
- ^"Special forces regiment created".BBC News.5 April 2005.Retrieved19 November2017.