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RAF Leuchars

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Coordinates:56°22′23″N002°52′07″W/ 56.37306°N 2.86861°W/56.37306; -2.86861
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RAF Leuchars
Leuchars,Fifein Scotland
Aerial view looking east over Leuchars.
Aerial view looking east over Leuchars.
RAF Leuchars badge
Attack and Protect
RAF Leuchars is located in Fife
RAF Leuchars
RAF Leuchars
Location within Fife
RAF Leuchars is located in the United Kingdom
RAF Leuchars
RAF Leuchars
RAF Leuchars (the United Kingdom)
Coordinates56°22′23″N002°52′07″W/ 56.37306°N 2.86861°W/56.37306; -2.86861
Grid referenceNO460205[1]
TypeRoyal Air Force station
Area357 hectares[2]
Site information
OwnerMinistry of Defence
OperatorRoyal Air Force
Controlled byRAF Fighter Command
ConditionClosed
Site history
Built1920(1920)
In use1920–2015(2015)
Fate
Airfield information
IdentifiersIATA:ADX,ICAO:EGQL,WMO:03171
Elevation12 metres (39 ft)AMSL
Runways
Direction Length and surface
09/27 2,589 metres (8,494 ft)Asphalt
04/22 747 metres (2,451 ft) Asphalt

Royal Air Force Leucharsor more simplyRAF Leuchars(IATA:ADX,ICAO:EGQL) is a formerRoyal Air Forcestationlocated inLeuchars,Fife, on the east coast ofScotland.Throughout the Cold War and beyond, the station was home to fighter aircraft which policed northern UK airspace. The station ceased to be an RAF station at 12:00 hrs on 31 March 2015 when it becameLeuchars Stationand control of the site was transferred to theBritish Army.The RAF temporarily returned to Leuchars between August and October 2020 to carry outQRA (I)responsibilities while runway works were being carried out atRAF Lossiemouth.

History

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First World War

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Aviation at Leuchars dates back to 1911 with a balloon squadron of theRoyal Engineerssetting up a training camp inTentsmuir Forest.They were soon joined in the skies by the 'string and sealing wax' aircraft of the embryonicRoyal Flying Corps;such aircraft favoured the sands ofSt Andrews,where not the least of the attractions was the availability of fuel from local garages. Like so many RAF stations, the airfield itself owes its existence to the stimulus of war, and work began on levelling the existing site on Reres Farm in 1916. From the beginning, Leuchars was intended as a training unit, being termed a 'Temporary Mobilisation Station' taking aircrew from initial flying training through to fleet co-operation work. Building was still under way when theArmisticewas signed in 1918. Much was made of Leuchars' maritime location when it was designated a Naval Fleet Training School, eventually to undertake the training of 'naval spotting' crews who acted as eyes for theRoyal Navy's capital ships.

Inter-war years

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The unit was formally named 'Royal Air Force Leuchars' on 16 March 1920, but nevertheless retained its strong naval links. As the Navy embraced the value of aviation, theaircraft carrierwas added to its inventory. Many of the flights dedicated to Leuchars were detached to such vessels for months at a time, with light and dark blue uniforms apparently mixing happily together. At St Andrews, the citizens were not unaware of the potential uses of aviation and attempts were made to use aircraft as a means of transport for golfing enthusiasts. More successful were thebarn-stormingdisplays of the flying circuses which were extremely popular in the town. In 1935, Leuchars became home toNo. 1 Flying Training School(1 FTS) and ranges for practice bombing were established inTentsmuir Forest.As the war clouds gathered, its maritime position ensured that Leuchars would come to play a more warlike role. 1 FTS moved toRAF Netheravonand the station came under the control ofRAF Coastal Command.With the arrival ofNo. 224andNo. 233(General Reconnaissance) Squadrons in August 1938, both of which were equipped with Avro Ansons at the time, the station had an operational, rather than training, role for the first time.

Second World War

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Armourers secure 250lb bombs in the bomb-bay of a Lockheed Hudson of No. 224 Squadron at Leuchars.
Armourers secure 250lb bombs in the bomb-bay of aLockheed HudsonofNo. 224 Squadronat Leuchars.

On 4 September 1939, aLockheed Hudsonof No. 224 Squadron attacked aDornier Do 18over the North Sea with inconclusive results but became the first British aircraft to engage the enemy in theSecond World War.Leuchars was not to secure the romantic image of aBattle of Britainstation, but rather settled to the routine of hour upon hour of maritime patrol which played a crucial part in Britain's ultimate victory. In February 1940, another No. 224 Squadron Hudson located the German prison ship theAltmarkwhich allowed for its interception byHMSCossackand the liberation of over 200 British prisoners. On 2 December 1943, a pigeon calledWinkiebecame one of the first birds or animals to be awarded theDickin Medalfor helping rescue the crew of a ditched bomber from the station. During the Second World War,British Overseas Airways Corporationformed in November 1939 fromImperial Airways,andBritish Airways Ltdoperated awartime routefrom RAF Leuchars to Stockholm. From 1943 BOAC used civilian-registeredde Havilland Mosquitoaircraft. Noted for the carrying of ball-bearings from Sweden to the UK, the route also returned RAF aircrew who had diverted to or made crash-landings in Swedish airfields during operations over Europe. Other aircraft types were used.

Cold War

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A No. 111 Squadron McDonnell Douglas F-4K Phantom FG.1, an aircraft closely associated with RAF Leuchars.
ANo. 111 SquadronMcDonnell Douglas F-4K Phantom FG.1,an aircraft closely associated with RAF Leuchars.

Leuchars remained an active station to the end of the war, concentrating onanti-submarineand anti-shipping strikes. With the contraction of the RAF in peacetime, life at Leuchars returned to a more gentle pace, hosting a school for general reconnaissance and the St AndrewsUniversity Air Squadroncomplete withde Havilland Tiger Moth.In May 1950 Leuchars entered the jet age as it passed from Coastal toRAF Fighter CommandandGloster MeteorsofNo. 222 Squadronmade the station their new home. 1950 also sawNo. 43 Squadronarrive at Leuchars fromRAF Tangmerewith their Meteors, the start of a long-lasting association between the base and the 'Fighting Cocks'. In July 1954, No. 43 Squadron converted to the newHawker HunterF.1 becoming the first squadron in the entire Royal Air Force to operate the type. No. 43 Squadron upgraded to Hunter FGA.9s in 1960 and were shortly relocated away toCyprusthe following year.No. 23 Squadronarrived in March 1963, equipped with all-weatherGloster JavelinFAW.9s. Leuchars' air-sea rescue services upgraded toWestland Whirlwindhelicopters in 1964. The University Air Squadron was equipped with thede Havilland Chipmunk.

As theCold Warreached its frostiest depths in the 1960s, the development of long-range aircraft allowed theSovietsregular incursion into British air space. Initially this was countered by the use of theEnglish Electric Lightning,withNo. 23 Squadrontaking delivery of Lightning F.3s in 1964 to be used in theinterceptorrole. This was shortly followed byNo. 74 Squadronrelocating to Leuchars fromRAF Coltishallin the same year, also being equipped with Lightning F.3s.No. 11 Squadronbecame the next Lightning squadron to be based at Leuchars when it reformed in April 1967 and replaced No. 74 Squadron who moved toRAF Tengahin Singapore. Leuchars' position made it ideally suited as a base to ensure the integrity of British air space and thus on 1 September 1969, Leuchars' air defence capability was increased with the delivery ofMcDonnell Douglas F-4K Phantom FG.1sto the newly reformed No. 43 Squadron – a squadron that would become synonymous with the base over the next 40 years. From 1972 to 1978 Leuchars also served as the home for892 Naval Air Squadron's Phantom FG.1s when they were disembarked from their carrierHMS Ark Royal.In March 1972, No. 11 Squadron moved south toRAF Binbrook,leaving No. 23 Squadron as the sole Lightning fleet at the base. October 1975 saw the last Lightnings leave Leuchars when No. 23 Squadron converted to Phantom FGR.2s from their Lightning F.6s and moved toRAF Coningsby.A month laterNo. 111 Squadronrelocated north from Coningsby up to Leuchars and were equipped with Phantom FGR.2s. December 1978 saw the withdrawal of HMS Ark Royal which led to her fleet of Phantom FG.1s being distributed to 'Treble One', who in turn saw their Phantom FGR.2 airframes sent elsewhere across the RAF. For over two decades Leuchars' aircraft policed the UK air defence region, demonstrating the ability to intercept unidentified aircraft and provide an effective deterrent.[citation needed] During May 1987,228 OCU(Operational conversion unit) moved from RAF Coningsby to Leuchars.[3]The OCU operated the Phantom FGR2 and had the Shadow identity of64(R) Squadron.

For the majority of the Cold War period from 1954 to the early 1990s,RAF Search and Rescue(SARF) had an enduring presence at Leuchars in the form of a detached flight of helicopters fromNo. 22 Squadron.The flight was initially equipped with theBristol Sycamoreuntil their replacement by theWhirlwindHAR.10 in 1955 which in turn were superseded in 1976 by theWestland WessexHAR.2. Besides assisting Leuchars' ownRoyal Air Force Mountain Rescue Serviceunit, the flight also proved a valuable adjunct to civilian mountain and maritime rescue services. There were also two rescue launches based inTayportfor a time.[citation needed]

During the 1980s, RAF Leuchars was home toNo. 27 Squadron RAF Regimentwhich was aShort Range Air Defence(SHORAD) based squadron, using Field Standard ARapier Missilesystem.

Post-Cold War

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Panavia Tornado F.3 of No. 43 Squadron, seen in 1993.
Panavia Tornado F.3ofNo. 43 Squadron,seen in 1993.

The Phantoms of No. 43 Squadron and No. 111 Squadron were replaced byPanavia Tornado F.3sduring 1989 - 1991,[citation needed]with the last leaving during May 1991.[4]April 2003 saw the Tornado F.3Operational Conversion Unit(OCU),No. 56 (Reserve) Squadron,move to RAF Leuchars.[5]In April 2008, No. 56 (R) Squadron amalgamated with No. 43 Squadron, retaining the identity of the latter until it was disbanded in July 2009.[6] In September 2010,No. 6 Squadronwas the first squadron at RAF Leuchars to be reformed operating theEurofighter Typhoon;Typhoons from the squadron performed aQuick Reaction Alert(QRA) scramble on Sunday 2 January 2011. 6 Squadron took over QRA duties when the last of the Tornado F.3s were retired. The second Typhoon squadron,No. 1 (Fighter) Squadron,was reformed at the 2012 RAF Leuchars Airshow on 15 September 2012.[7] Leuchars had a long history of defending sovereign UK airspace over many decades stretching back to Meteor aircraft and finally with the Typhoon. Aircraft such as the English Electric Lightning and McDonald Douglas Phantom were prevalent over many years. Leuchars was home to the last squadron of Tornado F.3s, No. 111 Squadron. No. 111 Squadron operated the QRA which was set up primarily to combat threats from Soviet attacks during theCold War.The unit was disbanded in March 2011.

A No. 6 Squadron Eurofighter Typhoon T.3 taking off from Leuchars in 2013.
ANo. 6 SquadronEurofighter Typhoon T.3taking off from Leuchars in 2013.

The station was formerly home toNo. 125 Expeditionary Air Wing,but it is still the home of theEast of Scotland Universities Air Squadron(ESUAS) andNo. 12 Air Experience Flight RAF(12 AEF), who both use a fleet of sevenGrob Tutor T.1's. No. 125 Expeditionary Air Wing (EAW) was formed at Leuchars on 1 April 2006. The wing encompasses most of the non-formed unit personnel and doesnotinclude the flying units based at the station. The station commander was dual-hatted as the commander of the wing. Leuchars is also the base forNo. 612 (County of Aberdeen) Squadron,Royal Auxiliary Air Force(an air-transportable surgical squadron), and was formerly a host to anRAF Mountain rescueUnit. Leuchars frequently hosts localAir Training Corpsunits. Until 1 January 2015 it was also the parent station to several remote units in the central Scotland area, includingUniversities of Glasgow and Strathclyde Air Squadron,602 Squadron Royal Auxiliary Air Force, 603 Squadron Royal Auxiliary Air Force and many Air Training Corps squadrons. RAF LossiemouthinMoray,andRAF Coningsbyin Lincolnshire, are now the sole operating bases and custodians for QRA(I) North & South respectively, flying the Typhoon FGR.4. A third Tornado F.3 Squadron, No. 56 (R) Squadron, was disbanded in April 2008 in preparation for the arrival of the Eurofighter Typhoon, in 2010. Members of No. 56 (R) Squadron had temporarily joined No. 43 Squadron until it too was disbanded in July 2009. Following the departure of the two Typhoon Squadrons, No. 6 Squadron in June 2014, and No. 1 (F) Squadron in September 2014, RAF Leuchars merged the traditional Tri-Wing structure of Base, Engineering and Logistics and Operations Wings into a single Wing structure. RAF ownership of the site ceased on 31 March 2015 when it was handed over to theBritish Army,thus ending 95 years of service as a Royal Air Force station.[8]

Station commanders

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Incidents

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On 15 August 1993 a KLM 737 Flight 110, from Tunis to Amsterdam,was hijackedby an Egyptian, 40 year old Khaled Abdel Mounien Gharib, and followed by a Tornado from Leuchars; the Egyptian had been deported from the Netherlands the previous year, for arson; the hijacker was discovered to be unarmed, and had no explosives, but the aircraft was stormed by the GermanGSG 9.[18]

Closure

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RAF drawdown

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On 18 July 2011,Defence SecretaryLiam Foxannounced that RAF Leuchars would close as part of theStrategic Defence and Security Review 2010,with the station being transferred toBritish Armycontrol in 2015 and Leuchars's Typhoons moving toRAF LossiemouthinMorayshire.[19]

In preparation for the closure, RAF Leuchars Mountain Rescue Team disbanded in Nov 2013 whilst No. 58 Squadron of theRAF RegimentandNo. 6 Force Protection Wingdisbanded on 10 May 2014.[20]No. 6 Squadronwas the first Typhoon unit to depart Leuchars, heading for its new home at RAF Lossiemouth in June 2014.[21][22]No. 1 Squadronfollowed on 8 September 2014, at which point responsibility forQuick Reaction Alert(North) was transferred from Leuchars to Lossiemouth.[23]

Transfer to British Army

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Main article:Leuchars Station

Control of Leuchars was transferred to theBritish Armyon 31 March 2015, when it was renamed Leuchars Station.[24]TheRoyal Scots Dragoon Guardsgradually relocated from Germany in the spring and summer of 2015 along with2 Close Support Battalionof theRoyal Electrical and Mechanical Engineersand110 Provost Company, Royal Military Police.[25]

The airfield is maintained as a diversion airfield for aircraft based at RAF Lossiemouth and other aircraft.[26]The station continues to be home to several RAF units, includingNo. 612 (County of Aberdeen) Squadron RAuxAF,theEast of Scotland Universities Air SquadronincorporatingNo. 12 Air Experience Flight,and the headquarters of Scotland and Northern Ireland Region and South East Scotland Wing of theAir Training Corps.

Flying at Leuchars Station

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In September 2018, it was announced that due to the refurbishment of RAF Lossiemouth's runway, QRA North responsibilities would be moved to Leuchars for up to six weeks in the summer of 2019.[27]However, these works did not occur until 2020 with Typhoon FGR4s arriving back at Leuchars on 10 August 2020 where they remained for the next two months before returning to Lossiemouth.[28][29]

In late October 2020, it was confirmed by theMinistry of Defencethat they were looking into increasing both civilian and military usage of the airfield at Leuchars with the reinstallation ofF34 fuelfacilities; however, there would be no aircraft based permanently.[30]

International Airshow

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Supermarine Spitfire FR Mk.XVIIIe SM845 RAF Leuchars Airshow, 2008

RAF Leuchars was home to the annual Leuchars Airshow which originated many decades before. This usually took place on a Saturday in September. The 2007 Leuchars Airshow was cancelled due to resurfacing of the runway.[31]Approximately 45,000 people attended the 2010 show to see displays including theRed Arrows,EurofighterTyphoon, andBattle of BritainMemorial Flight.Air forces from manyNATOcountries provided additional static and flight displays.[32]The final airshow was held on 8 September 2013 and circa 45,000 people were on site.[33]

See also

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References

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Citations

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  1. ^Birtles 2012,p. 37.
  2. ^"Defence Estates Development Plan (DEDP) 2009 – Annex A"(PDF).Government of the United Kingdom. 3 July 2009. p. 2.Retrieved19 November2017.
  3. ^March 1988,p. 74.
  4. ^March 1992,p. 75.
  5. ^"Quick Reaction Alert".RAF 2004(PDF)(Report). Royal Air Force. 2004. pp. 38–43.Retrieved3 August2015.
  6. ^"No 43 (Fighter) Squadron Disbanded".raf.mod.uk.13 July 2009. Archived fromthe originalon 15 October 2012.Retrieved9 September2014.
  7. ^"Typhoon Force Grows as Historic Squadron Reforms at Leuchars".raf.mod.uk.15 September 2012.Retrieved9 September2014.
  8. ^Maureen Ferrier Email (31 March 2015)."Army now in charge at Leuchars".Fife Today.Retrieved25 June2017.
  9. ^St Andrew's CitizenSaturday 27 May 1967, page 6
  10. ^The ScotsmanWednesday 19 August 1970, page 5
  11. ^Dundee CourierSaturday 21 November 1987, page 9
  12. ^Dundee CourierSaturday 2 December 1989, page 11
  13. ^Dundee CourierFriday 20 December 1991, page 7
  14. ^The ScotsmanFriday 14 January 1994, page 12
  15. ^Northampton ChronicleFriday 14 April 1989, page 14
  16. ^Dundee CourierThursday 28 December 1995, page 11
  17. ^Dundee CourierFriday 2 February 1996, page 7
  18. ^Dundee CourierMonday 15 November 1993, page 10
  19. ^"RAF to pull out of Leuchars as RAF Lossiemouth stays".BBC News.18 July 2011.Retrieved18 July2011.
  20. ^"Disbandment Parade of 6 RAF Force Protection Wing and 58 Sqn RAF Regiment".rafregt.org.uk.10 May 2014. Archived fromthe originalon 10 September 2014.Retrieved9 September2014.
  21. ^"First Typhoons land at Lossiemouth".Press and Journal.12 June 2014.Retrieved9 September2014.
  22. ^Air Forces Monthly.Stamford,Lincolnshire, England:Key PublishingLtd. April 2013. p. 8.
  23. ^"Typhoon aircraft relocate to RAF Lossiemouth".Government of the United Kingdom. 20 June 2014.Retrieved16 September2015.
  24. ^Maureen Ferrier Email (31 March 2015)."Army now in charge at Leuchars".Fife Today.Retrieved25 June2017.
  25. ^"Leuchars residents welcome rebasing news".British Forces News (British Forces Broadcasting Service). Archived fromthe originalon 17 March 2013.Retrieved6 March2013.
  26. ^"Leuchars Station – HL4058".Hansard.13 December 2016.Retrieved22 December2016.
  27. ^"Typhoons to make brief return to former RAF Leuchars base".The Courier.13 September 2018.Retrieved4 October2018.
  28. ^"RAF Lossiemouth crews in temporary move back to Fife".BBC News.29 July 2020.Retrieved29 October2020.
  29. ^"Milestone For Runway Works At RAF Lossiemouth As Aircraft Return".Royal Air Force. 12 October 2020.Retrieved29 October2020.
  30. ^Alexander, Michael (29 October 2020)."'Appetite' to increase use of Leuchars airfield – but no permanent return of RAF jets, confirms Ministry of Defence ".The Courier.Retrieved29 October2020.
  31. ^Dickie, Andrew (13 September 2008)."RAF Leuchars Airshow 2008 Review".UK Airshow Review.Retrieved9 September2014.
  32. ^"Airshow 2006".The Courier.DC Thomson.11 September 2006. Archived fromthe originalon 27 May 2007.
  33. ^"Last RAF Leuchars Airshow takes to skies".BBC News.7 September 2013.Retrieved9 September2014.

Bibliography

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  • Birtles, Philip (2012).UK Airfields of the Cold War.Midland Publishing.ISBN978-1-85780-346-4.
  • March, Peter R. (1988).Royal Air Force Yearbook 1988.Fairford,UK: Royal Air Force Benevolent Fund.
  • March, Peter R. (1992).Royal Air Force Yearbook 1992.Fairford,UK: Royal Air Force Benevolent Fund.
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