Abu Suweir Air Base is an
Egyptian Air Force ( ar, القوات الجوية المصرية, ') base, located approximately west of
Ismaïlia
Ismailia ( ar, الإسماعيلية ', ) is a city in north-eastern Egypt. Situated on the west bank of the Suez Canal, it is the capital of the Ismailia Governorate. The city has a population of 1,406,699 (or approximately 750,000, includi ...
and northeast of
Cairo
Cairo ( ; ar, القاهرة, al-Qāhirah, ) is the Capital city, capital of Egypt and its largest city, home to 10 million people. It is also part of the List of urban agglomerations in Africa, largest urban agglomeration in Africa, List of ...
. It is positioned for strategic defence of the Suez Canal waterway.
Second World War and Suez Crisis
During 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 ...
the airfield, then known as RAF Abu Sueir or Abu Sueir Airfield (LG-205) was used as a military airfield by 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 ...
of the United Kingdom and the American
United States Army Air Forces
The United States Army Air Forces (USAAF or AAF) was the major land-based aerial warfare service component of the United States Army and ''de facto'' aerial warfare service branch of the United States during and immediately after World War II ...
during the
North African Campaign against Axis forces.
USAAF
Ninth Air Force
The Ninth Air Force (Air Forces Central) is a Numbered Air Force of the United States Air Force headquartered at Shaw Air Force Base, South Carolina. It is the Air Force Service Component of United States Central Command (USCENTCOM), a joint De ...
units which used the airfield were:
*
376th Bombardment Group 376th may refer to:
* 376th Air Expeditionary Wing, inactive wing of the United States Air Force, last stationed at the Transit Center at Manas International Airport, Kyrgyz Republic
*376th Air Refueling Squadron, inactive United States Air Force u ...
, 8 November 1942-January 1943,
Consolidated B-24 Liberator
: 512th Bombardment Squadron, 9 November 1942-10 February 1943
: 513th Bombardment Squadron, 8 November 1942-10 February 1943
: 514th Bombardment Squadron, 8 November 1942-10 February 1943
: 515th Bombardment Squadron, 8 November 1942-6 February 1943
Royal Air Force units:
*
No. 6 Squadron RAF,
No. 13 Squadron RAF,
No. 37 Squadron RAF
No. 37 Squadron was a Royal Air Force squadron of the First and Second World Wars.
History First World War
No. 37 Squadron of the Royal Flying Corps was formed at RFC Orfordness, Suffolk, on 15 April 1916 as an experimental squadron, but i ...
,
No. 40 Squadron RAF,
No. 46 Squadron RAF,
No. 70 Squadron RAF,
No. 80 Squadron RAF,
No. 84 Squadron RAF
No. 84 Squadron of the Royal Air Force is at present a Search and Rescue Squadron based at RAF Akrotiri, using the Bell Griffin HAR.2 helicopter. It is currently one of the two operational parts of the RAF Search and Rescue Force left in ser ...
,
No. 89 Squadron RAF
No. 89 Squadron was a Royal Air Force squadron, mainly active in the fighter role during its existence.
History
Formation and World War I
No. 89 squadron was formed on 1 September 1917 as a training unit at Netheravon. The squadron was not used f ...
,
No. 104 Squadron RAF,
No. 114 Squadron RAF,
No. 145 Squadron RAF,
No. 208 Squadron RAF
No 208 (Reserve) Squadron was a reserve unit of the Royal Air Force, most recently based at RAF Valley, Anglesey, Wales. It operated the BAe Hawk aircraft, as a part of No. 4 Flying Training School. Due to obsolescence of its Hawk T.1 aircraft ...
,
No. 213 Squadron RAF
No. 213 Squadron was a squadron of the Royal Air Force. The squadron was formed on 1 April 1918 from No. 13 (Naval) Squadron of the Royal Naval Air Service.Halley 1988, p. 278. This RNAS squadron was itself formed on 15 January 1918 from the Sea ...
,
No. 214 Squadron RAF,
No. 216 Squadron RAF,
No. 223 Squadron RAF,
No. 252 Squadron RAF,
No. 272 Squadron RAF,
No. 450 Squadron RAF,
No. 458 Squadron RAF
In the mid-1950s, the base was the last station to be handed over by the RAF to the Egyptians. This was despite the fact that Abu Sueir and Fanara were the two bases to be retained, to be maintained by civilian contractors.
The main body of 2nd Battalion
Grenadier Guards
"Shamed be whoever thinks ill of it."
, colors =
, colors_label =
, march = Slow: " Scipio"
, mascot =
, equipment =
, equipment ...
, the last British Army fighting unit remaining in
Middle East Land Forces
Middle East Command, later Middle East Land Forces, was a British Army Command established prior to the Second World War in Egypt. Its primary role was to command British land forces and co-ordinate with the relevant naval and air commands to ...
amid the
Suez Crisis, left on 24-25 March 1956 by ship; they had been located at Golf Course Camp in
Port Said. The last remaining rear-guard company of the battalion left by air on 2 April 1956 from Abu Sueir.
Abu Sueir was handed over to Egypt on 14 April 1956.
Twenty-first century
Today, the airfield is an active Egyptian Air Force Base. Its Second World War configuration is still evident in aerial photography. It houses the 60th Tactical Fighter Squadron of the 262nd Tactical Fighter Wing, flying
General Dynamics F-16C/D Block 40s Fighting Falcons.
[Scramble.nl]
See also
*
List of North African airfields during World War II
References
;Bibliography
*
External links
Royal Air Force Airfield Creation for the Western Desert Campaign
World War II airfields in Egypt
Egyptian Air Force bases
{{RAF-stub