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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.
RAF Greatham | |||||||||
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Greatham, County Durham in England | |||||||||
Coordinates | 54°38′58″N 001°12′46″W / 54.64944°N 1.21278°W | ||||||||
Type | Royal Air Force Satellite Station | ||||||||
Site information | |||||||||
Owner | Air Ministry | ||||||||
Operator | Royal Air Force | ||||||||
Controlled by | RAF Flying Training Command | ||||||||
Site history | |||||||||
Built | 1933 | ||||||||
In use | 1933 - 1958 | ||||||||
Battles/wars | European theatre of World War II | ||||||||
Airfield information | |||||||||
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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
editIt was home to four of 403 Squadron's Supermarine Spitfires 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
- No. 6 (Coastal) OTU RAF
- 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
editLittle now remains, as the site was developed after the war by British Steel Corporation.
See also
editReferences
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.