Royal Air Force Station Nicosia or RAF Nicosia was 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 ...

(RAF) station on the island of

Cyprus Cyprus ; tr, Kıbrıs (), officially the Republic of Cyprus,, , lit: Republic of Cyprus is an island country located south of the Anatolian Peninsula in the eastern Mediterranean Sea. Its continental position is disputed; while it is ge ...

, built in the 1930s. The station served as Headquarters Royal Air Force Cyprus from 8 June to 29 July 1941. The original principal airport for Cyprus,

Nicosia International Airport Nicosia International Airport ( gr, Διεθνές Αεροδρόμιο Λευκωσίας, tr, Lefkoşa Uluslararası Havaalanı) is a largely disused airport located west of the Cypriot capital city of Nicosia in the Lakatamia suburb. It was ...

, was built within the site of the RAF station. Both civil and military aviation on the island operated from the site, although the RAF disestablished the station in 1966. The 1974

Turkish invasion of Cyprus The Turkish invasion of Cyprus began on 20 July 1974 and progressed in two phases over the following month. Taking place upon a background of intercommunal violence between Greek and Turkish Cypriots, and in response to a Greek junta-s ...

led to the cessation of commercial operations from the airport, although the site is still owned by 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, ...

Ministry of Defence, but is controlled by the

United Nations Peacekeeping Force in Cyprus The United Nations Peacekeeping Force in Cyprus (UNFICYP) is a United Nations peacekeeping force that was established under United Nations Security Council Resolution 186 in 1964 to prevent a recurrence of fighting following intercommunal violen ...

and used as a base by

United Nations The United Nations (UN) is an intergovernmental organization whose stated purposes are to maintain international peace and security, develop friendly relations among nations, achieve international cooperation, and be a centre for harmoniz ...

peace-keeping patrol

helicopter A helicopter is a type of rotorcraft in which lift and thrust are supplied by horizontally spinning rotors. This allows the helicopter to take off and land vertically, to hover, and to fly forward, backward and laterally. These attributes ...

Station history

Source: ''Britain's Small Wars'' * No. 6 Squadron RAF first used the airfield on 3 October 1946 with the Supermarine Spitfire LF.9 before re-equipping with the

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 ...

F.6 in December of that year and moving to

RAF Shallufa 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) and ...

on 5 September 1947. The squadron returned on 5 April 1951 with the

de Havilland Vampire The de Havilland Vampire is a British jet fighter which was developed and manufactured by the de Havilland Aircraft Company. It was the second jet fighter to be operated by the RAF, after the Gloster Meteor, and the first to be powered by ...

FB 5 before leaving to

RAF Deversoir 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) and ...

on 22 May 1951 however the unit soon returned on 31 May 1952 with the Vampire FB 9 before leaving on 11 July 1952 moving to

RAF Habbaniya ) , location = Habbaniya , country = Iraq , image = Habbaniya airfield, circa 1941.jpg , alt = A black and white image of some hangars, tentage and hard standings in a desert , ...

. The unit returned on 28 August 1954 with the

de Havilland Venom The de Havilland DH 112 Venom is a British post-war single-engined jet aircraft developed and manufactured by the de Havilland Aircraft Company. Much of its design was derived from the de Havilland Vampire, the firm's first jet-powered comb ...

FB 1 before moving again to Habbaniya on 5 October 1954, on 7 November 1955 the unit returned for the final time with the Venom FB 4. The squadron moved to Habbaniya on 12 December 1955. * No. 8 Squadron RAF – operating

Auster AOP.6 The Auster AOP.6 was a British military air observation aircraft produced by Auster Aircraft Limited to replace the numerous wartime Taylorcraft Auster aircraft then in-service. History The Auster AOP.6 (Auster Model K) was designed as a succe ...

(from Jul. 1950); de Haviland Vampire (from Jul. 1953) *

No. 29 Squadron RAF No. 29 Squadron of the Royal Air Force was first raised as a unit of the Royal Flying Corps in 1915, and is one of the world's oldest fighter squadrons. The second British squadron to receive the Eurofighter Typhoon, it is currently the Operat ...

– operating

Gloster Javelin The Gloster Javelin is a twin-engined T-tailed delta-wing subsonic night and all-weather interceptor aircraft that served with Britain's Royal Air Force from the mid-1950s until the late 1960s. The last aircraft design to bear the Gloster name ...

(from Mar. 1963) *

No. 32 Squadron RAF Number 32 (The Royal) Squadron (sometimes abbreviated as No. 32 (TR) Squadron) of the Royal Air Force operates in the Very Important Person, VIP and general air transport roles from RAF Northolt in Greater London. Originally formed in 1916 as ...

– operating

English Electric Canberra The English Electric Canberra is a British first-generation, jet-powered medium bomber. It was developed by English Electric during the mid- to late 1940s in response to a 1944 Air Ministry requirement for a successor to the wartime de Havil ...

B2 *

No. 33 Squadron RAF Number 33 Squadron of the Royal Air Force operates the Westland Puma HC.2 from RAF Benson, Oxfordshire. History First World War No. 33 Squadron of the Royal Flying Corps was formed from part of No. 12 Squadron at Filton on 12 January 1916. ...

– operating Gloster Javelin FAW7 * No. 39 Squadron RAF – operating

Gloster Meteor The Gloster Meteor was the first British jet fighter and the Allies of World War II, Allies' only jet aircraft to engage in combat operations during the Second World War. The Meteor's development was heavily reliant on its ground-breaking turb ...

NF13 *

No. 43 Squadron RAF ("Glory is the end") , colors= , colors_label= , march= , mascot= , battles= , anniversaries= , decorations= , battle_honours= *Western Front (1917–1918) *Arras (1917) * Ypres (1917)* * Cambrai (1917) *Somme (1918)* *Lys *Amiens (1918) *Dunk ...

– operating Hawker Hunter FGA 9 (from Jun. 1961) * No. 46 Squadron RAF – operating unknown aircraft. * No. 70 Squadron RAF – operating

Vickers Valetta The Vickers Valetta is a twin-engine military transport aircraft developed and produced by the British manufacturing company Vickers-Armstrongs Ltd. Developed from the Vickers VC.1 Viking compact civil airliner, it was an all-metal mid-wing m ...

C1,

Handley Page Hastings The Handley Page HP.67 Hastings is a retired British troop-carrier and freight transport aircraft designed and manufactured by aviation company Handley Page for the Royal Air Force (RAF). Upon its introduction to service during September 1948, ...

No. 73 Squadron RAF No. 73 Squadron, Royal Air Force was formed on 2 July 1917 during the First World War. It was disbanded in 1969. World War I It was initially a unit of the Royal Flying Corps and was formed out of the Central Flying School, based at Upavon, Wilts ...

– operating de Havilland Venom FB4 *

No. 74 Squadron RAF Number 74 Squadron, also known as "Tiger Squadron" from its tiger-head motif, was a squadron of the Royal Air Force. It operated fighter aircraft from 1917 to the 1990s, and then trainers until its disbandment in 2000. It was the Royal Air Fo ...

– operating Spitfire V, later Mk IX (from Sep. 1943) * No. 80 Squadron RAF – operating

Hawker Hurricane The Hawker Hurricane is a British single-seat fighter aircraft of the 1930s–40s which was designed and predominantly built by Hawker Aircraft Ltd. for service with the Royal Air Force (RAF). It was overshadowed in the public consciousness b ...

MkI (from Jun. 1941) *

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 ...

– operating Vickers Valetta C1 * No. 103 Squadron RAF – operating

Bristol Sycamore The Bristol Type 171 Sycamore was an early helicopter developed and built by the helicopter division of the Bristol Aeroplane Company. The name refers to the seeds of the sycamore tree, ''Acer pseudoplatanus'', which fall with a rotating motio ...

HC1 * No. 114 Squadron RAF – operating Vickers Valetta C1, de Havilland Chipmunk T10 * No. 127 Squadron RAF – operating unknown aircraft. *

No. 162 Squadron RAF No. 162 Squadron RAF was a Royal Air Force Squadron that was a radio jamming/calibration and light bomber unit in World War II. History Formation and World War I No. 162 Squadron Royal Flying Corps was formed on 1 June 1918 but it was not equi ...

– operating unknown aircraft. * No. 185 Squadron RAF – operating ??? * No. 202 Squadron RAF – operating Hawker Hunter F6 * No. 203 Squadron RAF – operating unknown aircraft. *

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 ...

– operating Spitfire FR XVIII *

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 ...

– operating Tempest VI * No. 230 Squadron RAF – operating

Scottish Aviation Pioneer The Scottish Aviation Pioneer was an STOL aircraft manufactured by Scottish Aviation in Scotland. It was used for casualty evacuation and communications and could accommodate a pilot and up to four passengers. Design and development The Pion ...

CC1 *

No. 234 Squadron RAF No. 234 Squadron RAF had a long career within the RAF, being operational on flying boats in World War I and on fighter aircraft in World War II. After the war it remained a fighter unit till 1957. In its last incarnation the squadron was in turn ...

– operating ??? * No. 243 Squadron RAF – operating unknown aircraft. *

No. 249 Squadron RAF No. 249 (Gold Coast) Squadron RAF was a Royal Air Force squadron, active in the sea-patrol, fighter and bomber roles during its existence. It was one of the top scoring fighter squadrons of the RAF in World War II. History First formation No. ...

– operating de Havilland Venom FB1 * No. 250 Squadron RAF – operating unknown aircraft. *

No. 256 Squadron RAF No. 256 Squadron RAF was a flying squadron of the Royal Air Force which operated during the First and Second World Wars. Initially equipped with Dh6 and Kangaroo aircraft, it operated Defiant Mk IIs, Beaufighters, and Mosquitoes in the Second W ...

– operating ??? * No. 261 Squadron RAF – operating unknown aircraft. * No. 272 Squadron RAF – operating unknown aircraft. *

No. 284 Squadron RAF No. 284 Squadron was a Royal Air Force squadron. History No. 284 Squadron was formed at RAF Gravesend, England on 7 May 1943Jefford 2001, p. 85. from detachments of other air-sea rescue (ASR) squadrons as an air-sea rescue squadron. The squadron ...

– operating Bristol Sycamore HR14 * No. 294 Squadron RAF – operating unknown aircraft. * No. 451 Squadron RAAF – operating unknown aircraft. * No. 459 Squadron RAAF – operating unknown aircraft. * No. 603 Squadron RAF – operating ??? * No. 680 Squadron RAF – operating unknown aircraft. * No. 14 Squadron RNZAF – operating de Haviland Vampire (1952–55)

RAF Regiments

No. 2 Squadron RAF Regiment The II Squadron RAF Regiment is a parachute-trained Field Squadron of RAF Regiment based at RAF Brize Norton. Early history The unit was formed as Number 2 Armoured Car Company RAF at Heliopolis, Egypt on 7 April 1922 and placed under the com ...

* No. 21 Squadron RAF Regiment * No. 26 Squadron RAF Regiment *

No. 27 Squadron RAF Regiment No. 27 Squadron RAF Regiment was a CBRN squadron of the RAF Regiment in the Royal Air Force with the ''Defensores Defendo'' (I defend the defenders). It disbanded in October 2021. History No. 27 Squadron RAF Regiment was formed on 3 Septem ...

* No. 29 Squadron RAF Regiment * No. 34 Squadron RAF Regiment * No. 37 Squadron RAF Regiment

Current use

The site is now the currently largely disused

References

Citations

Bibliography

External links

The murder of Corporal Patrick J. Hale at RAF Nicosia

RAF Nicosia
{{DEFAULTSORT:Nicosia Royal Air Force stations in Cyprus Royal Air Force stations of World War II in Europe Royal Air Force stations of World War II in the Middle East World War II airfields in Cyprus