RAF Greatham
 | This article needs additional citations for verification. (April 2012) |
RAF Greatham | |||||||||
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| Near Greatham, County Durham in England | |||||||||
| Site information | |||||||||
| Type | Royal Air Force satellite station | ||||||||
| Owner | Air Ministry | ||||||||
| Operator | Royal Air Force | ||||||||
| Controlled by | RAF Flying Training Command | ||||||||
| Location | |||||||||
  RAF Greatham Shown within County Durham  RAF Greatham RAF Greatham (the United Kingdom) | |||||||||
| Coordinates | 54°38′58″N 001°12′46″W / 54.64944°N 1.21278°W | ||||||||
| Site history | |||||||||
| Built | 1933 | ||||||||
| In use | 1933 - 1958 | ||||||||
| Battles/wars | European theatre of World War II | ||||||||
| Airfield information | |||||||||
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Royal Air Force Greatham or more simply RAF Greatham is a former Royal Air Force satellite station located in Greatham, County Durham, England.
It was also known as RAF West Hartlepool and was located at Hartlepool and was little more than a grass airstrip, a satellite station of RAF Thornaby.
History
[edit]It was home to four Supermarine Spitfires of No. 403 Squadron RCAF from 19 June 1942 to 22 January 1943; operating forward from RAF Catterick.
The airfield was once home to No. 645 Volunteer Gliding School,[1] who operate Grob Vigilant Motor Gliders for the Air Training Corps. They are now located at RAF Topcliffe in Yorkshire.
The following units were also here at some point:[2]
- 'N' Flight of No. 1 Anti-Aircraft Co-operation Unit RAF
- Satellite for No. 6 (Coastal) OTU RAF from 8 September 1941[3]
- No. 26 Gliding School RAF
- No. 32 Elementary and Reserve Flying Training School RAF
- No. 243 Squadron RAF
- No. 1613 (Anti-Aircraft Co-operation) Flight RAF
- No. 2782 Squadron RAF Regiment
- No. 4054 Anti-Aircraft Flight RAF Regiment
Current use
[edit]Little now remains, as the site was developed after the war by British Steel Corporation.
See also
[edit]References
[edit]- ^ "645 Volunteer Gliding Squadron". 645 Volunteer Gliding Squadron. Retrieved 9 April 2012.
- ^ "West Hartlepool (Greatham)". Airfields of Britain Conservation Trust. Retrieved 1 October 2021.
- ^ Sturtivant & Hamlin 2007, p. 200.
- Sturtivant, Ray; Hamlin, John (2007). Royal Air Force flying training and support units since 1912. Tonbridge, UK: Air-Britain (Historians). ISBN 978-0851-3036-59.
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- Organisations based in the Borough of Hartlepool
- Buildings and structures in the Borough of Hartlepool
- Royal Air Force stations in County Durham
- History of the Borough of Hartlepool
- Military airbases established in 1933
- Military airbases closed in 1958
- County Durham building and structure stubs
- Royal Air Force stubs