![RAF Gatow](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/3/38/RAF_Gatow.jpg)
Royal Air Force Gatow, or more commonly RAF Gatow, was a British
Royal Air Force
The Royal Air Force (RAF) is the United Kingdom's air and space force. It was formed towards the end of the First World War on 1 April 1918, becoming the first independent air force in the world, by regrouping the Royal Flying Corps (RFC) an ...
station (
military airbase
An air base (sometimes referred to as a military air base, military airfield, military airport, air station, naval air station, air force station, or air force base) is an aerodrome used as a military base by a military force for the operation ...
) in the district of
Gatow
Gatow (), a district of south-western Berlin is located west of the ''Havelsee'' lake and has forested areas within its boundaries. It is within the borough of Spandau. On 31 December 2002, it had 5,532 inhabitants.
History
Gatow's existence was ...
in south-western
Berlin
Berlin ( , ) is the capital and List of cities in Germany by population, largest city of Germany by both area and population. Its 3.7 million inhabitants make it the European Union's List of cities in the European Union by population within ci ...
, west of the
Havel river, in the borough of
Spandau
Spandau () is the westernmost of the 12 boroughs () of Berlin, situated at the confluence of the Havel and Spree rivers and extending along the western bank of the Havel. It is the smallest borough by population, but the fourth largest by land ...
. It was the home for the only known operational use of
flying boats
A flying boat is a type of fixed-winged seaplane with a hull, allowing it to land on water. It differs from a floatplane in that a flying boat's fuselage is purpose-designed for floatation and contains a hull, while floatplanes rely on fusela ...
in
central Europe
Central Europe is an area of Europe between Western Europe and Eastern Europe, based on a common historical, social and cultural identity. The Thirty Years' War (1618–1648) between Catholicism and Protestantism significantly shaped the a ...
, and was later used for photographic reconnaissance missions by
de Havilland Canada DHC-1 Chipmunks over
East Germany
East Germany, officially the German Democratic Republic (GDR; german: Deutsche Demokratische Republik, , DDR, ), was a country that existed from its creation on 7 October 1949 until its dissolution on 3 October 1990. In these years the state ...
. Part of the former airfield is now called General Steinhoff-Kaserne, and is home to the
Luftwaffenmuseum der Bundeswehr, the
German Air Force Museum.
Also on the site of the former
Royal Air Force
The Royal Air Force (RAF) is the United Kingdom's air and space force. It was formed towards the end of the First World War on 1 April 1918, becoming the first independent air force in the world, by regrouping the Royal Flying Corps (RFC) an ...
station, but not part of ''General Steinhoff-Kaserne'', is a school, the Hans-Carossa-Gymnasium, as well as houses for government employees of the
Federal Republic of Germany
Germany,, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It is the second most populous country in Europe after Russia, and the most populous member state of the European Union. Germany is situated between ...
. This part of the former
airfield
An aerodrome ( Commonwealth English) or airdrome (American English) is a location from which aircraft flight operations take place, regardless of whether they involve air cargo, passengers, or neither, and regardless of whether it is for pub ...
has since 2003 been part of the district of
Berlin-Kladow
Kladow () is the southernmost district of the Borough of Spandau in Berlin, Germany.
Geography
Located approximately 17 Km from central Berlin (Charlottenburg), the district of Kladow is bordered by the District of Gatow to the north, by the Hav ...
.
History
Luftwaffe use, 1934–1945
The airfield was originally constructed in 1934 and 1935 by the
Luftwaffe
The ''Luftwaffe'' () was the aerial-warfare branch of the German ''Wehrmacht'' before and during World War II. Germany's military air arms during World War I, the ''Luftstreitkräfte'' of the Imperial Army and the '' Marine-Fliegerabtei ...
as a staff and technical college, ''Luftkriegsschule 2 Berlin-Gatow'', in imitation of the
Royal Air Force College at
RAF Cranwell
Royal Air Force Cranwell or more simply RAF Cranwell is a Royal Air Force station in Lincolnshire, England, close to the village of Cranwell, near Sleaford. Among other functions, it is home to the Royal Air Force College (RAFC), which tra ...
. The initial personnel came partially from the
Naval Academy Mürwik
A navy, naval force, or maritime force is the branch of a nation's armed forces principally designated for naval and amphibious warfare; namely, lake-borne, riverine, littoral, or ocean-borne combat operations and related functions. It includ ...
. Opened on 1 April 1936, the air force college was renamed ''Luftkriegsschule 2'' on 15 January 1940. Its satellite airfields were
Güterfelde and
Reinsdorf. Airborne flying training ended in October 1944, due to fuel shortages. From 5 March 1945, aircrew officer cadets were retrained as paratroops, for ground operations which had very high casualties.
Clues to the airfield's original use survive in the barrack block accommodation, each block of which was named after a famous German airman of the
First World War
World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fightin ...
, with the airman's bust above the entrance door. The architect was
Ernst Sagebiel
Ernst Sagebiel (2 October 1892 in Braunschweig (Brunswick) – 5 March 1970 in Bavaria) was a German architect.
Life
Sagebiel was a sculptor's son, and after his ''Abitur'' in 1912, he began his studies in architecture at the Braunschweig Univ ...
, an architect who worked full-time for the Luftwaffe and also designed
Tempelhof Airport
Berlin Tempelhof Airport (german: Flughafen Berlin-Tempelhof) was one of the first airports in Berlin, Germany. Situated in the south-central Berlin borough of Tempelhof-Schöneberg, the airport ceased operating in 2008 amid controversy, leav ...
. Other surviving features during the entire period of the airfield's use as RAF Gatow (1945–1994) included light bulbs in the main
hangar
A hangar is a building or structure designed to hold aircraft or spacecraft. Hangars are built of metal, wood, or concrete. The word ''hangar'' comes from Middle French ''hanghart'' ("enclosure near a house"), of Germanic origin, from Frankish ...
s, many of which dated from the 1930s.
UK Royal Air Force and Army Air Corps use
1945–1948
Late April 1945, towards the end of the
Second World War
World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposi ...
in
Europe
Europe is a large peninsula conventionally considered a continent in its own right because of its great physical size and the weight of its history and traditions. Europe is also considered a subcontinent of Eurasia and it is located entirel ...
, the airfield was occupied by the advancing
Red Army
The Workers' and Peasants' Red Army ( Russian: Рабо́че-крестья́нская Кра́сная армия),) often shortened to the Red Army, was the army and air force of the Russian Soviet Federative Socialist Republic and, afte ...
. Following the division of Berlin into four sectors,
Soviet
The Soviet Union,. officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics. (USSR),. was a transcontinental country that spanned much of Eurasia from 1922 to 1991. A flagship communist state, it was nominally a federal union of fifteen nation ...
forces relinquished part of the airfield and access roads, the so-called
Seeburger Zipfel The Seeburger Zipfel (Seeburg strip), comprising Weinmeisterhöhe and part of Groß Glienicke, was a Brandenburgian salient into Greater Berlin's city boundary and as such part of a land swap between Britain and the Soviet Union regarding West B ...
to the
British
British may refer to:
Peoples, culture, and language
* British people, nationals or natives of the United Kingdom, British Overseas Territories, and Crown Dependencies.
** Britishness, the British identity and common culture
* British English, ...
after the
Potsdam Conference
The Potsdam Conference (german: Potsdamer Konferenz) was held at Potsdam in the Soviet occupation zone from July 17 to August 2, 1945, to allow the three leading Allies to plan the postwar peace, while avoiding the mistakes of the Paris P ...
in exchange for
West-Staaken on 30 August 1945. Earlier on 25 June 1945, 284 Field Squadron,
RAF Regiment, arrived at Gatow by land via
Magdeburg
Magdeburg (; nds, label=Low Saxon, Meideborg ) is the capital and second-largest city of the German state Saxony-Anhalt. The city is situated at the Elbe river.
Otto I, the first Holy Roman Emperor and founder of the Archdiocese of Magdebu ...
. Their reception by Soviet troops was extremely hostile, the Soviets attempting to confine 284 Field Squadron behind barbed wire fences, as the Squadron was said to have arrived "too early". This set the pattern for relations, with Soviet checkpoints being set up beside the airfield manned by fully armed and unfriendly troops. RAF Regiment officers occasionally surveyed Soviet positions by air from
Avro Anson
The Avro Anson is a British twin-engined, multi-role aircraft built by the aircraft manufacturer Avro. Large numbers of the type served in a variety of roles for the Royal Air Force (RAF), Fleet Air Arm (FAA), Royal Canadian Air Force (RCA ...
s, and the tour of duty of RAF Regiment detachments at Gatow was limited to six months, because of the constant activity occasioned by the Soviet presence and the
Berlin Airlift
The Berlin Blockade (24 June 1948 – 12 May 1949) was one of the first major international crises of the Cold War. During the multinational occupation of post–World War II Germany, the Soviet Union blocked the Western Allies' railway, roa ...
.
The first landing by a
Royal Air Force
The Royal Air Force (RAF) is the United Kingdom's air and space force. It was formed towards the end of the First World War on 1 April 1918, becoming the first independent air force in the world, by regrouping the Royal Flying Corps (RFC) an ...
aircraft was by Avro Anson
serial number ''PW698'' on 2 July 1945 at 11.55 hours. Initially, Gatow was called ''Intermediate Landing Place No. 19'', but on 19 August 1945 was renamed Royal Air Force Gatow, or RAF Gatow for short. The Station was given the
Latin
Latin (, or , ) is a classical language belonging to the Italic branch of the Indo-European languages. Latin was originally a dialect spoken in the lower Tiber area (then known as Latium) around present-day Rome, but through the power of the ...
motto ''Pons Heri Pons Hodie'', which may be translated as ''A bridge yesterday, a bridge today''.
RAF Gatow was also used as a civilian airport for a limited time. In 1946,
British European Airways
British European Airways (BEA), formally British European Airways Corporation, was a British airline which existed from 1946 until 1974.
BEA operated to Europe, North Africa and the Middle East from airports around the United Kingdom. The a ...
(BEA) inaugurated an
RAF Northolt
("Ready to carry or to fight")
, pushpin_map = Greater London
, pushpin_label = RAF Northolt
, pushpin_map_caption = Shown within Greater London
, coordinates =
, type = Royal Air Force station
, code =
, site_area =
, height =
, owner ...
–
Hamburg
(male), (female) en, Hamburger(s),
Hamburgian(s)
, timezone1 = Central (CET)
, utc_offset1 = +1
, timezone1_DST = Central (CEST)
, utc_offset1_DST = +2
, postal ...
– Gatow scheduled service at a frequency of six flights a week, using
Douglas DC-3 (''"Pionair"'' in BEA terminology) and
Vickers VC.1 Viking
The Vickers VC.1 Viking is a British twin-engine short-range airliner derived from the Vickers Wellington bomber and built by Vickers-Armstrongs Limited at Brooklands near Weybridge in Surrey. After the Second World War, the Viking was a ...
piston-engined aircraft.
[''Berlin Airport Company - Airline Portrait - British Airways, February 1975 Monthly Timetable Booklet for Berlin Tempelhof and Berlin Tegel Airports'', Berlin Airport Company, West Berlin, 1975]
Berlin Airlift, 1948–1949
The Station was modernised with a long concrete runway, using 794 German workers, in March 1947. Along with the
American airfield of
Tempelhof
Tempelhof () is a locality of Berlin within the borough of Tempelhof-Schöneberg. It is the location of the former Tempelhof Airport, one of the earliest commercial airports in the world. The former airport and surroundings are now a park called ...
and the
French airfield of
Tegel
Tegel () is a locality (''Ortsteil'') in the Berlin borough of Reinickendorf on the shore of Lake Tegel. The Tegel locality, the second largest in area (after Köpenick) of the 96 Berlin districts, also includes the neighbourhood of ''Saatwinkel ...
, RAF Gatow played a key role in the
Berlin airlift
The Berlin Blockade (24 June 1948 – 12 May 1949) was one of the first major international crises of the Cold War. During the multinational occupation of post–World War II Germany, the Soviet Union blocked the Western Allies' railway, roa ...
of 1948. Initially, about 150
Douglas Dakota
The Douglas C-47 Skytrain or Dakota ( RAF, RAAF, RCAF, RNZAF, and SAAF designation) is a military transport aircraft developed from the civilian Douglas DC-3 airliner. It was used extensively by the Allies during World War II and remained in ...
s and 40
Avro Yorks were used to fly supplies into Gatow. By 18 July 1948, the RAF was flying 995 tons of supplies per day into the airfield.
Alongside the
Royal Air Force
The Royal Air Force (RAF) is the United Kingdom's air and space force. It was formed towards the end of the First World War on 1 April 1918, becoming the first independent air force in the world, by regrouping the Royal Flying Corps (RFC) an ...
and various British civil aviation companies, the
United States Air Force
The United States Air Force (USAF) is the Aerial warfare, air military branch, service branch of the United States Armed Forces, and is one of the eight uniformed services of the United States. Originally created on 1 August 1907, as a part ...
, the
Royal Australian Air Force
"Through Adversity to the Stars"
, colours =
, colours_label =
, march =
, mascot =
, anniversaries = RAAF Anniversary Commemoration ...
(RAAF), the
Royal Canadian Air Force
The Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF; french: Aviation royale canadienne, ARC) is the air and space force of Canada. Its role is to "provide the Canadian Forces with relevant, responsive and effective airpower". The RCAF is one of three environm ...
(RCAF), the
Royal New Zealand Air Force (RNZAF) and the
South African Air Force
"Through hardships to the stars"
, colours =
, colours_label =
, march =
, mascot =
, anniversaries =
, equipment ...
all flew supplies into RAF Gatow during the Airlift.
On 20 June 1980, the Royal Australian Air Force presented a
Douglas Dakota
The Douglas C-47 Skytrain or Dakota ( RAF, RAAF, RCAF, RNZAF, and SAAF designation) is a military transport aircraft developed from the civilian Douglas DC-3 airliner. It was used extensively by the Allies during World War II and remained in ...
to RAF Gatow in commemoration of its role. Its aircrew included
Air Marshal David Evans, an Australian airlift veteran. As only British, French and American aircraft were allowed under international law to fly inside the
Allied Air Corridors, the Dakota received the
RAF serial number ZD215. The Dakota is still at Gatow, inside the
German Air Force barracks.
In November 1948, the latest RAF transport aircraft, the
Handley Page Hastings, was added to the squadrons flying into RAF Gatow and some aircrews and aircraft were redeployed to train replacement aircrews. Many of these were based at
RAF Schleswigland, near
Jagel
Jagel ( da, Hjagel) is a municipality in the district of Schleswig-Flensburg, in Schleswig-Holstein, Germany
Germany,, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It is the second most populous country ...
, which is currently used by the German Air Force and the
Marineflieger
The ''Marinefliegerkommando'' (Naval Aviation Command) is the naval air arm of the German Navy.
History
During the First World War, naval aviators were part of the . After the war Germany was no longer allowed to maintain a military aviation ca ...
. A Hastings aircraft, which served on the airlift and was later RAF Gatow's 'gate guardian' until the station's closure, is now preserved in the ''
Alliierten Museum''. By mid-December, the RAF had landed 100,000 tons of supplies. In April 1949, commercial airline companies involved in the airlift were formed into a Civil Airlift Division (co-ordinated by British European Airways) to operate under RAF control. Apart from BEA itself, these included a number of
Britain
Britain most often refers to:
* The United Kingdom, a sovereign state in Europe comprising the island of Great Britain, the north-eastern part of the island of Ireland and many smaller islands
* Great Britain, the largest island in the United King ...
's fledgling independent airlines as well, such as the late
Sir Freddie Laker's
Air Charter
Air charter is the business of renting an entire aircraft (i.e., chartering) as opposed to individual aircraft seats (i.e., purchasing a ticket through a traditional airline).
Regulation
Charter – also called air taxi or ad hoc – flights ...
, Harold Bamberg's
Eagle Aviation and
Skyways. By mid-April, the combined airlift of all nations' operations managed to make 1,398 flights in 24 hours, carrying 12,940 tons (13,160 t) of goods, coal and machinery, beating their record of 8,246 (8,385 t) set only days earlier.
RAF Gatow has the unique and unlikely distinction of being the base for the only known operational use of
flying boats
A flying boat is a type of fixed-winged seaplane with a hull, allowing it to land on water. It differs from a floatplane in that a flying boat's fuselage is purpose-designed for floatation and contains a hull, while floatplanes rely on fusela ...
in
central Europe
Central Europe is an area of Europe between Western Europe and Eastern Europe, based on a common historical, social and cultural identity. The Thirty Years' War (1618–1648) between Catholicism and Protestantism significantly shaped the a ...
, during the Berlin Blockade, on the nearby
Wannsee
Wannsee () is a locality in the southwestern Berlin borough of Steglitz-Zehlendorf, Germany. It is the westernmost locality of Berlin. In the quarter there are two lakes, the larger ''Großer Wannsee'' (Greater Wannsee, "See" means lake) and the ...
, a lake in the
Havel river. On 6 July 1948, the RAF began using 10
Short Sunderland
The Short S.25 Sunderland is a British flying boat patrol bomber, developed and constructed by Short Brothers for the Royal Air Force (RAF). The aircraft took its service name from the town (latterly, city) and port of Sunderland in North Ea ...
and 2
Short Hythe flying boats, flying from
Finkenwerder
Finkenwerder (; Low German: ''Finkwarder'', ''Finkenwarder'' or ''- wärder''; German: ''Finkeninsel''; translation: Island of finches) is a quarter of Hamburg, Germany in the borough Hamburg-Mitte. It is the location of a plant of Airbus and its ...
on the
Elbe
The Elbe (; cs, Labe ; nds, Ilv or ''Elv''; Upper and dsb, Łobjo) is one of the major rivers of Central Europe. It rises in the Giant Mountains of the northern Czech Republic before traversing much of Bohemia (western half of the Czech Re ...
near
Hamburg
(male), (female) en, Hamburger(s),
Hamburgian(s)
, timezone1 = Central (CET)
, utc_offset1 = +1
, timezone1_DST = Central (CEST)
, utc_offset1_DST = +2
, postal ...
to
Berlin
Berlin ( , ) is the capital and List of cities in Germany by population, largest city of Germany by both area and population. Its 3.7 million inhabitants make it the European Union's List of cities in the European Union by population within ci ...
. These were supplemented by the flying boat operations of
Aquila Airways
Aquila Airways was a British independentindependent from government-owned corporations airline, formed on 18 May 1948 and based in Southampton, Hampshire.
History
Aquila was founded by Barry Aikman, initially using two converted Royal Air For ...
, an early post-
war
War is an intense armed conflict between states, governments, societies, or paramilitary groups such as mercenaries, insurgents, and militias. It is generally characterized by extreme violence, destruction, and mortality, using regular o ...
British independent airline that became an operating division of
British Aviation Services
British Aviation Services Limited (Britavia) was an early post- World War II airline holding company and air transport operator that could trace its roots back to 1946.''Aircraft (Gone but not forgotten ... SILVER CITY)'', Vol 43, No 3, p. 41, Ia ...
. The flying boats' specialty was transporting bulk salt, which would have been very corrosive to other aircraft, but was not as corrosive to the flying boats because of their
anodised skins.
The novel ''
Air Bridge'' by
Hammond Innes
Ralph Hammond Innes (15 July 1913 – 10 June 1998) was a British novelist who wrote over 30 novels, as well as works for children and travel books.
Biography
Innes was born in Horsham, Sussex, and educated at Feltonfleet School, Cobham, Surrey ...
is partially set in RAF Gatow at the time of the Berlin Airlift, and is notable for its accurate descriptions of the Station, including corridors and rooms within it. Some of the descriptions were still accurate some 40 years after the book's publication.
1949–1994
After the
Berlin Blockade
The Berlin Blockade (24 June 1948 – 12 May 1949) was one of the first major international crises of the Cold War. During the multinational occupation of post–World War II Germany, the Soviet Union blocked the Western Allies' railway, ro ...
, RAF Gatow served as an airfield for the
British Army
The British Army is the principal land warfare force of the United Kingdom, a part of the British Armed Forces along with the Royal Navy and the Royal Air Force. , the British Army comprises 79,380 regular full-time personnel, 4,090 Gurk ...
's
Berlin Infantry Brigade
The Berlin Infantry Brigade was a British Army brigade-sized garrison based in West Berlin during the Cold War. After the end of World War II, under the conditions of the Yalta and Potsdam agreements, the Allied forces occupied West Berlin. T ...
, and was prepared to revert to its role as a supply base, if another Berlin Airlift to
West Berlin
West Berlin (german: Berlin (West) or , ) was a political enclave which comprised the western part of Berlin during the years of the Cold War. Although West Berlin was de jure not part of West Germany, lacked any sovereignty, and was under mi ...
ever became necessary.
BEA moved to
Tempelhof Airport
Berlin Tempelhof Airport (german: Flughafen Berlin-Tempelhof) was one of the first airports in Berlin, Germany. Situated in the south-central Berlin borough of Tempelhof-Schöneberg, the airport ceased operating in 2008 amid controversy, leav ...
in 1951, where most of West Berlin's commercial
air transport operations were concentrated from then on.
Gatow's non-military use after 1950 included several official visits by
Queen Elizabeth and other members of the
British Royal Family, which frequently took place over the years. The airport also handled trooping flights operated by British independent airlines such as
British United Airways
British United Airways (BUA) was a private, independentindependent from government-owned corporations British airline formed as a result of the merger of Airwork Services and Hunting-Clan Air Transport in July 1960, making it the largest whol ...
,
Britannia Airways
Britannia Airways was a charter airline based in the UK. It was founded in 1961 as Euravia and became the world's largest holiday airline. Britannia's main bases were at London Gatwick, London Stansted, London Luton, Cardiff, Bristol, East Mi ...
and
Autair/Court Line under contract to the
MoD.
The ''RAF Gatow Station Flight'' used two
de Havilland Canada DHC-1 Chipmunk T.10s, one of which is now owned by the ''Alliiertenmuseum'', to maintain and exercise the British legal right under the
Potsdam Agreement to use the airspace over both
West
West or Occident is one of the four cardinal directions or points of the compass. It is the opposite direction from east and is the direction in which the Sun sets on the Earth.
Etymology
The word "west" is a Germanic word passed into some ...
and
East Berlin, as well as the
air corridor
In the United States, airways or air routes are defined by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) in two ways:
"VOR Federal airways and Low/Medium Frequency (L/MF) (Colored) Federal airways"
These are designated routes which aeroplanes ...
s to and from
West Germany
West Germany is the colloquial term used to indicate the Federal Republic of Germany (FRG; german: Bundesrepublik Deutschland , BRD) between its formation on 23 May 1949 and the German reunification through the accession of East Germany on 3 O ...
to the city.
In the 1950s the base was also an important centre for intelligence gathering by Royal Air Force Linguists monitoring on a 24/7 basis Soviet air traffic broadcasts from its bases all over Eastern Europe.
These aircraft were also used for reconnaissance missions in co-operation with ''The British Commander-in-Chief's Mission to the
Soviet Forces of Occupation in Germany'', commonly known as ''
BRIXMIS
The British Commanders'-in-Chief Mission to the Soviet Forces in Germany (BRIXMIS) was a Military liaison missions, military liaison mission which operated behind the Iron Curtain in East Germany during the Cold War.
BRIXMIS existed from 1946 – ...
''. Known from 1956 as Operation Schooner and then Operation Nylon, they were authorised, at the highest level, on an irregular basis to carry out covert photographic reconnaissance flights. All flights had to be notified to the
Berlin Air Safety Center (BASC), a quadripartite organisation responsible for authorising all flights in the three Air Corridors and the Berlin Control Zone (BCZ). All the Chipmunk Flight Notification Cards in the BASC were stamped by the Soviets "Safety of Flight Not Guaranteed" due to their interpretation of the 1946 Agreement as excluding flights outside West Berlin. Within the BCZ were many Soviet and
East German
East Germany, officially the German Democratic Republic (GDR; german: Deutsche Demokratische Republik, , DDR, ), was a country that existed from its creation on 7 October 1949 until its dissolution on 3 October 1990. In these years the state ...
military airfields and other installations.
After the fall of the Berlin Wall, Chipmunk reconnaissance flights soon ceased and the two Chipmunks were flown to
RAF Laarbruch
Royal Air Force , more commonly known as RAF ICAO EDUL (from 1 January 1995 ETUL) was a Royal Air Force station, a military airfield, located in Germany on its border with the Netherlands. The Station's motto was ().
The site now operates ...
, in Western Germany to await disposal action. Chipmunk WG466 was flown back to Berlin Tempelhof from RAF Laarbruch on 30 July 1994 and was donated to the ''
Alliiertenmuseum'' in Berlin. It is currently on loan to the
Luftwaffenmuseum der Bundeswehr at Gatow, WG486 is still in RAF service with the
Battle of Britain Memorial Flight
The Battle of Britain Memorial Flight (BBMF) is a Royal Air Force flight which provides an aerial display group usually comprising an Avro Lancaster, a Supermarine Spitfire and a Hawker Hurricane. The aircraft are regularly seen at events c ...
.
RAF Gatow was from 1970 also used by the UK's
Army Air Corps Army Air Corps may refer to the following army aviation corps:
* Army Air Corps (United Kingdom), the army aviation element of the British Army
* Philippine Army Air Corps (1935–1941)
* United States Army Air Corps (1926–1942), or its p ...
, ''7 Aviation Flight AAC'', later renamed
No. 7 Flight AAC being based at the station initially flying four Westland Sioux (UK-built
Bell 47
The Bell 47 is a single-rotor single-engine light helicopter manufactured by Bell Helicopter. It was based on the third Bell 30 prototype, which was the company's first helicopter designed by Arthur M. Young. The 47 became the first he ...
) and later three
Westland Gazelle Westland or Westlands may refer to:
Places
*Westlands, an affluent neighbourhood in the city of Nairobi, Kenya
* Westlands, Staffordshire, a suburban area and ward in Newcastle-under-Lyme
*Westland, a peninsula of the Shetland Mainland near Vaila ...
AH.1 helicopters.
A Signals Unit (26SU) was also based at RAF Gatow and on the
Teufelsberg
Teufelsberg (; German for ''Devil's Mountain'') is a non-natural hill in Berlin, Germany, in the Grunewald locality of former West Berlin. It rises about above the surrounding Teltow plateau and above the sea level, in the north of Berlin's G ...
in the
Grunewald. 26SU was a specialist
Signals Intelligence unit operated by the RAF on behalf of
GCHQ
Government Communications Headquarters, commonly known as GCHQ, is an intelligence and security organisation responsible for providing signals intelligence (SIGINT) and information assurance (IA) to the government and armed forces of the Uni ...
Cheltenham tasked with monitoring
Warsaw Pact
The Warsaw Pact (WP) or Treaty of Warsaw, formally the Treaty of Friendship, Cooperation and Mutual Assistance, was a collective defense treaty signed in Warsaw, Poland, between the Soviet Union and seven other Eastern Bloc socialist repub ...
military communications over East Germany and Poland.
Escapes to Gatow from East Germany
At least three successful escapes were made from East Germany to RAF Gatow.
On 7 April 1978 two
East German
East Germany, officially the German Democratic Republic (GDR; german: Deutsche Demokratische Republik, , DDR, ), was a country that existed from its creation on 7 October 1949 until its dissolution on 3 October 1990. In these years the state ...
brothers defected by flying a
Zlin Z-42M light aircraft of the ''
Gesellschaft für Sport und Technik
The Gesellschaft für Sport und Technik (GST), lit. “Sport and Technology Association”, was one of the East German “Mass Organizations”. Officially, it was established to structure the free time of young people interested in sport ...
'' (''GST'' – an East German paramilitary training organisation) to RAF Gatow. The escape had been planned over the previous three years. The aircraft was dismantled and returned to East Germany with painted slogans such as "Wish you were here".
On 24 June 1979 an East German glider landed at RAF Gatow, its pilot seeking political asylum. The glider was handed back to East Germany at the
Glienicke Bridge
The Glienicke Bridge (german: Glienicker Brücke, ) is a bridge across the Havel River in Germany, connecting the Wannsee district of Berlin with the Brandenburg capital Potsdam. It is named after nearby Glienicke Palace. The current bridge, the ...
four days later. The flying control surface lock for the rudder bore the message "remove before the next escape".
On 15 July 1987, a young
East German
East Germany, officially the German Democratic Republic (GDR; german: Deutsche Demokratische Republik, , DDR, ), was a country that existed from its creation on 7 October 1949 until its dissolution on 3 October 1990. In these years the state ...
, Thomas Krüger, defected by flying a
Zlin Z-42M light aircraft of the ''
Gesellschaft für Sport und Technik
The Gesellschaft für Sport und Technik (GST), lit. “Sport and Technology Association”, was one of the East German “Mass Organizations”. Officially, it was established to structure the free time of young people interested in sport ...
''. His first words to the
RAF Police
The Royal Air Force Police (RAFP) is the service police branch of the Royal Air Force, headed by the provost marshal of the Royal Air Force. Its headquarters are at RAF Honington and it deploys throughout the world to support RAF and UK defence ...
were a request for
political asylum
The right of asylum (sometimes called right of political asylum; ) is an ancient juridical concept, under which people persecuted by their own rulers might be protected by another sovereign authority, like a second country or another ent ...
. He was handed over to the civil authorities and received
West German
West Germany is the colloquial term used to indicate the Federal Republic of Germany (FRG; german: Bundesrepublik Deutschland , BRD) between its formation on 23 May 1949 and the German reunification through the accession of East Germany on 3 O ...
citizenship
Citizenship is a "relationship between an individual and a state to which the individual owes allegiance and in turn is entitled to its protection".
Each state determines the conditions under which it will recognize persons as its citizens, and ...
. His aircraft, registration DDR-WOH, was dismantled and returned to the East Germans (by road) by RAF station flight personnel, complete with humorous slogans painted on by RAF airmen such as "Wish you were here", "Come back soon". DDR-WOH is still flying today, but since 1991 under registration
D-EWOH.
East German invasion plans
The closest military neighbour to RAF Gatow was a tank unit of the ''
National People's Army
The National People's Army (german: Nationale Volksarmee, ; NVA ) were the armed forces of the German Democratic Republic (GDR) from 1956 to 1990.
The NVA was organized into four branches: the (Ground Forces), the (Navy), the (Air Force) a ...
'' (''NVA'') of
East Germany
East Germany, officially the German Democratic Republic (GDR; german: Deutsche Demokratische Republik, , DDR, ), was a country that existed from its creation on 7 October 1949 until its dissolution on 3 October 1990. In these years the state ...
. This was located immediately opposite the airfield, behind the section of the
Berlin Wall which ran along the western side of the airfield, and was clearly visible from RAF Gatow's control tower. The Berlin Wall section opposite Gatow was not in fact a wall, but a wire fence. East Germany claimed that this was a "military courtesy", but nobody at RAF Gatow believed this, thinking that it was instead intended to make a military invasion easier. This surmise was confirmed after the
reunification of Germany, when the
East German
East Germany, officially the German Democratic Republic (GDR; german: Deutsche Demokratische Republik, , DDR, ), was a country that existed from its creation on 7 October 1949 until its dissolution on 3 October 1990. In these years the state ...
invasion plans for West Berlin, codenamed "Operation CENTRE" were found. ''Grenzregiment 34 "Hanno Günther"'' of the ''
Grenztruppen der DDR
The Border Troops of the German Democratic Republic (german: Grenztruppen der DDR) was the border guard of the German Democratic Republic (GDR) from 1946 to 1990.
The were the primary force guarding the Berlin Wall and the Inner German border, ...
'' was allocated the task of attacking and occupying RAF Gatow. The invasion plans were continually updated, even in 1990 when it was clear that East Germany would soon cease to exist.
Closure
Following the
reunification of Germany, the British
ceded
The act of cession is the assignment of property to another entity. In international law it commonly refers to land transferred by treaty. Ballentine's Law Dictionary defines cession as "a surrender; a giving up; a relinquishment of jurisdictio ...
control of the station on 18 June 1994. The Station Flight and its two Chipmunk T.10s was disbanded on 30 June 1994. The station was handed back to the
German Air Force on 7 September 1994.
The airfield was kept operational for a very short time, and then closed to air traffic in 1995. The western end of the two runways was later removed to make way for housing, leaving only the eastern portions, cut mid-field on a diagonal line. The remaining portions are used for the outdoor aircraft display.
The history of RAF Gatow and of western forces in Berlin from 1945 to 1994 is told in the
Allied Museum
The Allied Museum (german: AlliiertenMuseum) is a museum in Berlin. It documents the political history and the military commitments and roles of the Western Allies ( US, France and Britain) in Germany – particularly Berlin – between 1945 a ...
.
1989 RAF Garrison
Below is the RAF's garrison of the station in 1989:
* RAF Gatow Headquarters
* Gatow Station Service Squadron
* RAF Gatow Station Flight
* Air Traffic Control
* Catering Squadron
* Security Squadron
*
No. 26 Signals Unit RAF
* Berlin Detachment
RAF Provost & Security Services (Germany)
Current use by the German Air Force and the Hans-Carossa-Gymnasium
The airfield is now called General-Steinhoff Kaserne. Units now based there are ''Bw Fachschule Berlin-Gatow'', ''Fernmeldeaufklärungsabschnitt 921'', ''Luftwaffenunterstützungskompanie Gatow'', ''Kommando 3 Luftwaffendivision'', ''Luftwaffenmusikkorps 4'' and ''Truppenambulanz Berlin-Gatow''.
Also on the site of the former RAF station, but not part of ''General-Steinhoff Kaserne'', is a school, the Hans-Carossa-Gymnasium, and houses for government employees of the
Federal Republic of Germany
Germany,, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It is the second most populous country in Europe after Russia, and the most populous member state of the European Union. Germany is situated between ...
. Since 2003, this has been part of the district of
Berlin-Kladow
Kladow () is the southernmost district of the Borough of Spandau in Berlin, Germany.
Geography
Located approximately 17 Km from central Berlin (Charlottenburg), the district of Kladow is bordered by the District of Gatow to the north, by the Hav ...
.
The ''General-Steinhoff Kaserne'' is also home to the
Luftwaffenmuseum der Bundeswehr, the museum of the Air Force which has many displays (including historic aircraft) and much information on German military aviation and the history of the airfield. Admission to the museum is free. The museum, which is run by the German Air Force, is under the technical and administrative chain of command of the
''Militärgeschichtliches Forschungsamt'' or ''MGFA'' (Military History Research Institute).
Accidents and incidents
*On 18 March 1947, a
Hawker Tempest
The Hawker Tempest is a British fighter aircraft that was primarily used by the Royal Air Force (RAF) in the Second World War. The Tempest, originally known as the ''Typhoon II'', was an improved derivative of the Hawker Typhoon, intended to a ...
II (PR853) belonging to
No. 16 Squadron RAF (piloted by W/O Angus Mackay) crash landed at
Berlin-Kladow
Kladow () is the southernmost district of the Borough of Spandau in Berlin, Germany.
Geography
Located approximately 17 Km from central Berlin (Charlottenburg), the district of Kladow is bordered by the District of Gatow to the north, by the Hav ...
less than a mile away from RAF Gatow. The pilot survived.
* On 5 April 1948, a
BEA Vickers 610 Viking 1B (registration: G-AIVP) operating that day's scheduled flight from Northolt via Hamburg to Berlin collided during its approach to RAF Gatow head-on with a
Soviet Air Force
The Soviet Air Forces ( rus, Военно-воздушные силы, r=Voyenno-vozdushnyye sily, VVS; literally "Military Air Forces") were one of the air forces of the Soviet Union. The other was the Soviet Air Defence Forces. The Air Forces ...
Yakovlev 3
fighter, which was performing
aerobatics
Aerobatics is the practice of flying maneuvers involving aircraft attitudes that are not used in conventional passenger-carrying flights. The term is a portmanteau of "aerial" and "acrobatics". Aerobatics are performed in aeroplanes and glide ...
in the area at that time. As a result of the collision, the Viking spiralled out of control and crashed 1.9 miles from the airport on East German territory with the loss of all 14 lives (four crew, ten passengers) on board the aircraft. The Soviet fighter
pilot
An aircraft pilot or aviator is a person who controls the flight of an aircraft by operating its directional flight controls. Some other aircrew members, such as navigators or flight engineers, are also considered aviators, because they a ...
was killed in the accident as well. The subsequent investigation established the Soviet fighter pilot's action, which contravened all accepted rules of flying and the quadripartite flying rules to which Soviet authorities were parties, as the cause of the accident.
* On 15 March 1949, a
Skyways Avro 685 York I freighter (registration: G-AHFI) crashed on approach to RAF Gatow, as a result of losing its
port wing
Port Wing (also Portwing) is an unincorporated census-designated place in the town of Port Wing, Bayfield County, Wisconsin, United States. The community is along Wisconsin Highway 13 and Bayfield County Highway A. It is west of Bayfield. The F ...
. This caused the aircraft to dive into the ground, killing all three crew members.
ASN Aircraft accident description Avro 685 York I G-AHFI — RAF Gatow, Berlin, Germany
/ref>
See also
* West Berlin
West Berlin (german: Berlin (West) or , ) was a political enclave which comprised the western part of Berlin during the years of the Cold War. Although West Berlin was de jure not part of West Germany, lacked any sovereignty, and was under mi ...
* Berlin Airlift
The Berlin Blockade (24 June 1948 – 12 May 1949) was one of the first major international crises of the Cold War. During the multinational occupation of post–World War II Germany, the Soviet Union blocked the Western Allies' railway, roa ...
* Berlin Wall
* Ernst Sagebiel
Ernst Sagebiel (2 October 1892 in Braunschweig (Brunswick) – 5 March 1970 in Bavaria) was a German architect.
Life
Sagebiel was a sculptor's son, and after his ''Abitur'' in 1912, he began his studies in architecture at the Braunschweig Univ ...
References
Bibliography
*
* Kevin Wright and Peter Jefferies "Looking down the corridors-Allied aerial espionage over East Germany and Berlin 1945–1990",2015, .
Further reading
* Barker, Dudley, ''Berlin Airlift'' (HMSO, London, 1949)
* HQ Berlin Infantry Brigade, ''Berlin Bulletin'' Volume 45 Issue 36 (Berlin, 16 September 1994)
* Best, Peter B. & Gerlof, Andreas, ''Flugplatz Gatow'' (English edition ''Gatow Airfield'') (Kai Homilius Verlag, Berlin, 1998)
* Corbett, Major-General Sir Robert, ''Berlin and the British Ally, 1945-1990'', (Privately published by Sir Robert in Oerlinghausen, 1991)
* Geraghty, Tony, ''BRIXMIS'' (London 1996)
* Gibson, Steve, ''The Last Mission: Behind the Iron Curtain'', (Sutton Publishing, 1997)
* Hall, Alan W., ''Berlin Airlift'', article in ''Scale Aircraft Modelling'', August 1998
* Innes, Hammond, ''Air Bridge'', (London, 1951)
* Jeschonnek, Friedrich, Riedel, Dieter and Durie, William ''Alliierte in Berlin 1945–1994. Ein Handbuch zur Geschichte der militärischen Präsenz der Westmächte'', (BWV, Berlin 2007)
* Marsden, Roy, ''Operation 'Schooner/Nylon': RAF flying in the Berlin control zone'', Intelligence and National Security volume 13, no. 4 (Winter 1998), pp 178–193.
* Meek, Colonel AD, ''Operation CENTRE'', article in ''British Army Review'', August 1994
* Miller, RE, ''A Bridge Yesterday – The Story of Royal Air Force Gatow'' (Undated, in ''3. Luftwaffendivision'' Archives)
* Wilson, Squadron Leader GD (edited by S/Ldr. PC Whitfield), ''History of Gatow'' (RAF Gatow, March 1971)
* Pearcy, ''Berlin Airlift'' (Airlife, Shrewsbury* Pearcy, ''Berlin Airlift'', 1997)
External links
History and photos (in German) of the airfield from 1934 to 1945
Website dead...RIP
British Berlin Airlift Association
RAF Gatow Old Boys Association
Their website was reported dark on 21 April 2014. RIP.
The BRIXMIS Association
BRIXMIS in the 1980s: The Cold War's 'Great Game', by Major General Peter Williams CMG OBE
* ttp://www.knox.army.mil/armormag/backissues/1990s/1994/nd94/6berlin94.pdf Article on East German plans for the invasion and occupation of West Berlin
Planeboys Spotters' page on Gatow
Alliierten Museum (The Allied Museum) - museum of the history of western forces in Berlin and Germany from 1945 to 1994 (in German, English and French)
* ttp://www.western-allies-berlin.com Western Allies Berlin: History of the US Army Berlin Brigade, British Berlin Infantry Brigade and Forces Françaises à Berlin
West Alliierte in Berlin e.V. website run by former RAF Gatow civilian employees and others
The Aviation Safety Foundation's list of aviation accidents at RAF Gatow
The Luftwaffe's official website
Luftwaffenmuseum der Bundeswehr - The Luftwaffe Museum's official website in English
The Hans-Carossa-Gymnasium (in German)
* ttp://www.airliners.net/search/photo.search?regsearch=D-EWOH&distinct_entry=true 2003 photo of the Zlin Z-42M flown to RAF Gatow by an escaper from the GDR in 1987, now registered as D-EWOH
RAF Schleswigland and RAF Gatow during the Berlin Airlift
{{DEFAULTSORT:Raf Gatow
Berlin-Gatow
British Army deployments
Buildings and structures in Spandau
20th century in Berlin
Military units and formations disestablished in 1994
Nazi architecture
Berlin-Gatow
Gatow
Gatow (), a district of south-western Berlin is located west of the ''Havelsee'' lake and has forested areas within its boundaries. It is within the borough of Spandau. On 31 December 2002, it had 5,532 inhabitants.
History
Gatow's existence was ...
Installations of the German Air Force
Berlin-Gatow
Training establishments of the Luftwaffe