RAF Wittering

Flying Training

RAF Wittering officially reopened in 1924 following and Air Defence Review in 1923. A significant amount of development took place to reposed the station including 4 new accommodation blocks for airmen, a Corporals and airmen's institute, a Senior Non-Commissioned Officers' Mess, the Officers' Mess,^{[note 1]} and a new guardroom. The station retained 2 aircraft hangars from 1917 and an aircraft repair shed. The Central Flying School was at Wittering from 1926 until 1935 being replaced by No. 11 Flying Training School until 1938.

Preparation for War - Fighter Command

In April 1938, the station became a Fighter Command station within No 12 Group. This conversion required another expansion with more land being purchased to the south and east of the station which closed the Stamford to Oundle road.^{[note 2]} Further airmen's accommodation, airmen's mess, technical accommodation and station headquarters were constructed as was a sector control room to control fighter squadrons and anti-aircraft gun batteries within 12 Group's 'K' Sector. The airfield was enhanced with the construction of 2 new Type C (1934 varient) hangars and a concrete perimeter track that eventually linked 10 dispersal points. In the summer of 1938 an emergency landing ground was construed on a large open area close to the site previously known as RAF Collyweston - this was known as K3, the exact location was slightly closer to RAF Wittering than the original site.

Bomber Command

Immediately after the war RAF Wittering, once again, transferred back to Fighter Command in 1946 providing a home to a variety of squadrons operating Spitfires, Mosquitos and Hornets. In 1948, the Station transferred back to Training Command for 2 years before Maintenance Command took responsibility to undertake some significant redevelopment between 1950 and 1952 as the Cold War saw RAF Wittering become a vital part of the United Kingdom's strategic nuclear deterrent under the control of Bomber Command.

The current airfield was created by the merging of RAF Wittering and nearby Collyweston Relief Landing Ground, by the construction of a 1.7-mile runway between them in 1941. Conversion to a Bomber airfield saw the construction of a new concrete runway (slightly to the south of the 1941 runway), taxiways and dispersals (with further H-dispersals and QRA dispersals being added later) that still form the majority of the Station's aircraft operating surfaces. A wide-span Gaydon hangar for the Canberra B2 bombers was constructed along with a new control tower, avionics building and nuclear storage and maintenance facilities. A new airmen's mess was constructed to replace the one damaged in a WW2 bombing raid along with new barrack blocks. Further land was purchased to the south of the Station into Wittering Village for the construction of new married quarters.

RAF Victor B.2

In its new guise as a bomber station, RAF Wittering initially operated Avro Lincolns from 1953 although these were replaced by English Electric Canberras in 1954.The first British operational atomic bomb, the Blue Danube, was deployed to RAF Wittering in November 1953. The first V-bombers (the Vickers Valiant, the Handley Page Victor and the Avro Vulcan) were delivered in July 1955. In 1957-58 tests were carried out at Wittering of the first British hydrogen bomb. This was fitted into the existing Blue Danube casing, and four Valiant bombers flew out of Wittering to Christmas Island in the Pacific, one of them dropping the first device on 15 May 1957 on Operation Grapple. Until January 1969 two squadrons (100 and 139) of Victor B.2 bombers equipped with Blue Steel stand-off missiles were part of the QRA (Quick Reaction Alert) force of the RAF. Two nuclear armed aircraft were permanently on 15 minutes readiness to take off. They were parked within 100 m (110 yd) of the westerly runway threshold. In times of higher tension, four bombers could be stationed beside the runway on the ORP (Operational Readiness Platform). If the aircraft were manned they could all be airborne within 30 seconds, a feat often demonstrated at V force stations across the country. Since the incoming missile warning from the RAF Fylingdales BMEWS array was only four minutes before impact this ensured if the country came under attack, the bombers would be scrambled and able to retaliate.

In 1968, the base became part of Strike Command. From October 1972 until August 1976, there were two squadrons flying the Hawker Hunter No's 45 initially and then 58 Sqn as well, which then moved to RAF Brawdy after 45 and 58 Squadrons disbanded, in South Wales.

Harriers

A Harrier is seen landing, at RAF Wittering, on a Forward Operating or MEXE Pad. The pad measures 100ft X 100ft and is made from prefabricated surface aluminium interlocking (PSAI) matting. The pads were used by novice pilots and veterans alike to practice the accuracy of their vertical landings.

From 1968 until late 2010 the station was known as the Home of the Harrier, although the first Harriers arrived for No. 1(Fighter) Squadron in August 1969: the first squadron to have a vertical take off aircraft. The squadron left the base in August 2000. No. IV (Reserve) Squadron, formerly 233OCU, was the last Harrier flying squadron based at Wittering, departing upon disbandment in January 2011.

In May 1971, four aircraft from 1(F) Sqn operated from HMS Ark Royal, the first time the Harrier had operated from an aircraft carrier, under Wing Commander (later Sir) Kenneth Hayr, later killed at the Biggin Hill airshow on 2 June 2001^[4] in a de Havilland Vampire).

In 1982, six Harrier GR3 aircraft were taken down to the Falklands on SS Atlantic Conveyor,^[5] and survived the Exocet attack, later to board HMS Hermes in May 1982. In June 1982, 12 GR3 aircraft were flown from Wittering, via RAF Ascension Island and mid-air refuelling with Victor tankers, on an 8,000 mile journey to the Falklands in 17 hours, which set an RAF record. The Harriers were from 1(F) Sqn. On 27 May 1982, Sqn Ldr (later Gp Capt) Bob Iveson was hit by anti-aircraft fire from GADA 601's 35mm cannon, and he ejected seconds before his aircraft exploded in mid-air near Goose Green. He evaded capture for two and a half days before being rescued by helicopter.

In January 1983, Sqn Ldr Brenda Palmer became the Senior Air Traffic Controller at the base, the first woman in the RAF to hold that title.

It was announced in December 2009 that RAF Wittering was to become the sole operational base for the RAF/RN Harriers of Joint Force Harrier after the announcement that RAF Cottesmore was to close. However, as a result of the 2010 Strategic Defence and Security Review, the Harrier fleet was withdrawn in December 2010^[6] with all of Wittering's Harriers being stored at RAF Cottesmore. Towards the end of October 2010 parliament announced that the Harrier would be retired and on 15 December 2010 they were to fly over RAF Wittering amongst other RAF stations, from RAF Cottesmore. Due to the freezing conditions and low-cloud cover, the Wittering flypast could not take place.

Gliding

RAF Wittering is also the birthplace of the Royal Air Force Gliding & Soaring Association's Four Counties Gliding Club, originally set up in March 1955. Following several relocations, the club returned to Wittering in late 2005,the club closed in late 2014. The RAFGSA East-Midlands Gliding Club was also based at Wittering during the late 1970s and early 1980s.

RAF Regiment

From 1970 to 1983 the station was also home to No. 5 Wing RAF Regiment consisting of No.15 and No.51 Squadrons RAF Regiment. On 21 June 1982, the Queen visited the station, as part of celebrations of the RAF Regiment's 40th anniversary.

In October 2001 No.37 Squadron RAF Regiment arrived from RAF Bruggen in the Ground-based Air Defence role but was later disbanded in March 2006.

The station was home to No. 3 Squadron RAF Regiment - a field squadron - who moved to Wittering from RAF Aldergrove in 2006 after a 7-month tour in Iraq. 3 Sqn were part of No 1 Force Protection Wing, also based at Wittering, 1 Force Protection Wing also consisted of No. 504 Squadron Royal Auxiliary Air Force based at nearby RAF Cottesmore before that Squadron relocated to RAF Wittering and was re-subordinated to No 85 (Expeditionary Logistics) Wing in 2015 when both Headquarters No 1 Force Protection Wing and No 3 Squadron RAF Regiment disbanded.

No. 38 Group RAF

• A4 Force
  • Headquarters A4 Force
  • Headquarters and elements of No. 42 (Expeditionary Support) Wing
    • No. 71 (Inspection and Repair) Squadron
    • Elements of No. 93 (Expeditionary Armament) Squadron
    • No. 5001 Squadron
    • No. 5131 (Bomb Disposal) Squadron
  • Headquarters and elements of No. 85 (Expeditionary Logistics) Wing
    • No. 1 Expeditionary Logistics Squadron
    • No. 2 Mechanical Transport Squadron
    • No. 3 Mobile Catering Squadron
    • No. 504 (County of Nottingham) Squadron Royal Auxiliary Air Force
• An element of No. 90 Signals Unit

No. 1 Group RAF

• Low Flying Operations Flight

No. 22 Group

• An element of No. 3 Flying Training School
  • No. 16 Squadron - Grob Tutor T1
• Elements of No. 6 Flying Training School
  • No. 115 Squadron - Grob Tutor T1
  • University of London Air Squadron - Grob Tutor T1
  • Cambridge University Air Squadron - Grob Tutor T1
  • No. 5 Air Experience Flight - Grob Tutor T1
• Air Training Corps
  • Headquarters South East Midlands Wing

Royal Engineers (8 Engineer Brigade)

• Headquarters 12 (Force Support) Engineer Group
• Headquarters and elements of 20 Works Group Royal Engineers (Air Support), 170 (Infrastructure Support) Engineer Group
  • 529 Specialist Team Royal Engineers (Airfields) (STRE)
  • 532 Specialist Team Royal Engineers (Airfields) (STRE)