Royal Air Force Sydenham or more simply RAF Sydenham is a former Royal Air Force station in Northern Ireland. In the 1970s it was the main servicing base for Blackburn Buccaneer aircraft, employing 650 civilian workers.[1]
| RAF Sydenham RNAS Belfast RNAY Belfast HMS Gadwell HMS Gannet III   | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Belfast, County Antrim in Northern Ireland | |||||||||
  RAF Sydenham Shown within Northern Ireland  RAF Sydenham RAF Sydenham (the United Kingdom) | |||||||||
| Coordinates | 54°36′51″N 005°52′37″W / 54.61417°N 5.87694°W | ||||||||
| Type | Royal Air Force station | ||||||||
| Site information | |||||||||
| Owner | Air Ministry Admiralty | ||||||||
| Operator | Royal Air Force Royal Navy | ||||||||
| Controlled by | RAF Flying Training Command Fleet Air Arm | ||||||||
| Site history | |||||||||
| Built | 1939 | ||||||||
| In use | 1939-1970 | ||||||||
| Battles/wars | European theatre of World War II Cold War | ||||||||
| Airfield information | |||||||||
| Elevation | 1 metre (3 ft 3 in) AMSL | ||||||||
| |||||||||
History
editThe following units were posted here at some point:[2]
- Royal Navy
- 702 Naval Air Squadron
- 706 Naval Air Squadron
- 721 Naval Air Squadron
- 800 Naval Air Squadron
- 804 Naval Air Squadron
- 807 Naval Air Squadron
- 808 Naval Air Squadron
- 811 Naval Air Squadron
- 812 Naval Air Squadron
- 815 Naval Air Squadron
- 818 Naval Air Squadron
- 819 Naval Air Squadron
- 822 Naval Air Squadron
- 825 Naval Air Squadron
- 826 Naval Air Squadron
- 827 Naval Air Squadron
- 836 Naval Air Squadron
- 836M Flight
- 838 Naval Air Squadron
- 842 Naval Air Squadron
- 845 Naval Air Squadron
- 848 Naval Air Squadron
- 849 Naval Air Squadron
- 857 Naval Air Squadron
- 881 Naval Air Squadron
- 882 Naval Air Squadron
- 885 Naval Air Squadron
- 886 Naval Air Squadron
- 887 Naval Air Squadron
- 888 Naval Air Squadron
- 889 Naval Air Squadron
- 891 Naval Air Squadron
- 899 Naval Air Squadron
- 1772 Naval Air Squadron
- 1790 Naval Air Squadron
- 1830 Naval Air Squadron
- 1831 Naval Air Squadron
- 1833 Naval Air Squadron
- 1835 Naval Air Squadron
- 1836 Naval Air Squadron
- 1843 Naval Air Squadron
- 1850 Naval Air Squadron
- 1851 Naval Air Squadron
- 1852 Naval Air Squadron
- 870 Squadron RCN (VF-870)
- Royal Air Force
- Units
- No. 3 Civilian Fighter Control Co-operation Unit RAF (March 1957 – June 1958)[3]
- Detachment of No. 6 Anti-Aircraft Co-operation Unit RAF (1943)[4]
- No. 8 Ferry Pilots Pool ATA (March 1941 – May 1942) became No. 8 Ferry Pool ATA (May 1942 – August 1945)[5]
- No. 13 Air Experience Flight RAF
- No. 23 Elementary and Reserve Flying Training School RAF (September 1939)[6]
- No. 24 Elementary and Reserve Flying Training School RAF (January – September 1939)[6] became No. 24 Elementary Flying Training School RAF (September 1939 – February 1942)[7]
- No. 75 (Bomber) Wing RAF (June 1940 & February – April 1941)[8] became No. 31 Wing RAF (April – June 1941)[9]
- No. 79 Wing Calibration Flight RAF
- No. 203 Gliding School RAF (September 1949 – November 1952)[10]
- Detachment of No. 1480 (Anti-Aircraft Co-operation) Flight RAF (September 1942)[11]
- No. 1494 (Target Towing) Flight RAF (April 1942 – April 1943)[12]
- Belfast University Air Squadron (January – May 1941) became Queens University Air Squadron (May 1941 – December 1945 & March 1947 – January 1992)[13]
- RAF Northern Ireland Communication Flight RAF (October 1940 – October 1942 & December 1945 – December 1946)[14]
Current use
editThe site is now George Best Belfast City Airport.
References
editCitations
edit- ^ Northern Ireland Committee of Irish Congress of Trade Unions, "The Defence Stations in Northern Ireland: The Case for Retention", March 1976
- ^ "Sydenham (Belfast City) (George Best Belfast City)". Airfields of Britain Conservation Trust. Retrieved 15 February 2015.
- ^ Sturtivant, Hamlin & Halley 1997, p. 91.
- ^ Sturtivant, Hamlin & Halley 1997, p. 71.
- ^ Sturtivant, Hamlin & Halley 1997, p. 115.
- ^ a b Sturtivant, Hamlin & Halley 1997, p. 110.
- ^ Sturtivant, Hamlin & Halley 1997, p. 106.
- ^ Sturtivant, Hamlin & Halley 1997, p. 318.
- ^ Sturtivant, Hamlin & Halley 1997, p. 314.
- ^ Sturtivant, Hamlin & Halley 1997, p. 168.
- ^ Sturtivant, Hamlin & Halley 1997, p. 134.
- ^ Sturtivant, Hamlin & Halley 1997, p. 136.
- ^ Sturtivant, Hamlin & Halley 1997, p. 306.
- ^ Sturtivant, Hamlin & Halley 1997, p. 228.
Bibliography
edit- Sturtivant, R; Hamlin, J; Halley, J (1997). Royal Air Force flying training and support units. UK: Air-Britain (Historians). ISBN 0-85130-252-1.
External links
edit- Northern Ireland base closes, Flight International, 15 April 1978, v. 113, no. 3604, p. 1035.