Royal Air Force Wittering or more simply RAF Wittering is 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) and ...

station within the

unitary authority A unitary authority is a local authority responsible for all local government functions within its area or performing additional functions that elsewhere are usually performed by a higher level of sub-national government or the national governmen ...

area of

Peterborough Peterborough () is a cathedral city in Cambridgeshire, east of England. It is the largest part of the City of Peterborough unitary authority district (which covers a larger area than Peterborough itself). It was part of Northamptonshire until ...

Cambridgeshire Cambridgeshire (abbreviated Cambs.) is a Counties of England, county in the East of England, bordering Lincolnshire to the north, Norfolk to the north-east, Suffolk to the east, Essex and Hertfordshire to the south, and Bedfordshire and North ...

and the unitary authority area of

North Northamptonshire North Northamptonshire is one of two local authority areas in Northamptonshire, England. It is a unitary authority area forming about one half of the ceremonial county of Northamptonshire. It was created in 2021. Its notable towns are Ketterin ...

. Although Stamford in

Lincolnshire Lincolnshire (abbreviated Lincs.) is a county in the East Midlands of England, with a long coastline on the North Sea to the east. It borders Norfolk to the south-east, Cambridgeshire to the south, Rutland to the south-west, Leicestershire ...

is the nearest town, the runways of RAF Wittering cross the boundary between Cambridgeshire and

Northamptonshire Northamptonshire (; abbreviated Northants.) is a county in the East Midlands of England. In 2015, it had a population of 723,000. The county is administered by two unitary authorities: North Northamptonshire and West Northamptonshire. It is ...

History

First World War

Wittering's use as a military airfield dates back to 5 May 1916 when it began as

RFC RFC may refer to: Computing * Request for Comments, a memorandum on Internet standards * Request for change, change management * Remote Function Call, in SAP computer systems * Rhye's and Fall of Civilization, a modification for Sid Meier's Civ ...

Stamford. The aerodrome was initially created for A Flight of No. 38 (Home Defence) Squadron. In common with other Home Defence squadrons at the time it was used for training during the day and for air defence at night. From the flight's operational declaration in December 1916 until it deployed to France in November 1917, its BE2cs, RE7s, and FE2bs were involved in anti-

Zeppelin A Zeppelin is a type of rigid airship named after the German inventor Count Ferdinand von Zeppelin () who pioneered rigid airship development at the beginning of the 20th century. Zeppelin's notions were first formulated in 1874Eckener 1938, pp ...

patrols. The station's training role expanded when it became the

Royal Flying Corps "Through Adversity to the Stars" , colors = , colours_label = , march = , mascot = , anniversaries = , decorations ...

's No.1 Training Depot Station in 1917. The neighbouring airfield, RFC

Easton on the Hill Easton on the Hill is a village and civil parish at the north eastern tip of North Northamptonshire, England. The village had a population at the 2011 census was 1,015. The village, sited on the A43 road, is compact in form, with the older part ...

, also dates back to 1916 and it became No. 5 Training Depot Station in 1917. Following the formation of the

, Easton on the Hill became

RAF Collyweston RAF Collyweston is a former Royal Air Force satellite station located south west of Stamford, Lincolnshire, Stamford, Lincolnshire and north east of Corby, Northamptonshire, England. The airfield was a satellite station of RAF Wittering and ...

on 1 April 1918. Stamford was retitled at RAF Wittering on 10 April 1918.

Interwar period

Flying Training

RAF Wittering officially reopened in 1924 following an Air Defence Review in 1923. A significant amount of development took place to re-open the station including four new accommodation blocks for airmen, a corporals and airmen's institute, a Senior Non-Commissioned Officers'

Mess The mess (also called a mess deck aboard ships) is a designated area where military personnel socialize, eat and (in some cases) live. The term is also used to indicate the groups of military personnel who belong to separate messes, such as the o ...

, the Officers' Mess,'The Station's Officers' Mess is one few that predates College Hall Officers' Mess at Cranwell and a new guardroom. The station retained two aircraft hangars from 1917 and an aircraft repair shed. The

Central Flying School The Central Flying School (CFS) is the Royal Air Force's primary institution for the training of military flying instructors. Established in 1912 at the Upavon Aerodrome, it is the longest existing flying training school. The school was based at R ...

was at Wittering from 1926 until 1935 being replaced by No. 11 Flying Training School until 1938.

Preparation for War – Fighter Command

In April 1938, the station became a

Fighter Command RAF Fighter Command was one of the commands of the Royal Air Force. It was formed in 1936 to allow more specialised control of fighter aircraft. It served throughout the Second World War World War II or the Second World War, oft ...

station within No 12 Group. This conversion required another expansion with more land being purchased to the south and east of the station which closed the Stamford to

Oundle Oundle () is a market town on the left bank of the River Nene in North Northamptonshire, England, which had a population of 5,735 at the time of the United Kingdom Census 2011, 2011 census. It is north of London and south-west of Peterborough ...

road.'The road from the southern boundary of the Station to the A47 road is called the 'Old Oundle Road' Further airmen's accommodation, airmen's mess, technical accommodation and station headquarters were constructed as was a sector control room to control fighter squadrons and anti-aircraft gun batteries within 12 Group's 'K' Sector. The airfield was enhanced with the construction of three new Type C (1934 variant) hangars.

Second World War

Royal Air Force Fighter Command, 1939-1945

During the Second World War, the station was very active during the

Battle of Britain The Battle of Britain, also known as the Air Battle for England (german: die Luftschlacht um England), was a military campaign of the Second World War, in which the Royal Air Force (RAF) and the Fleet Air Arm (FAA) of the Royal Navy defende ...

and the

Blitz Blitz, German for "lightning", may refer to: Military uses *Blitzkrieg, blitz campaign, or blitz, a type of military campaign *The Blitz, the German aerial campaign against Britain in the Second World War *, an Imperial German Navy light cruiser b ...

in 1940–41 in No. 12 Group (controlled from

RAF Watnall RAF Watnall was the operational headquarters of No. 12 Group, RAF Fighter Command at Watnall in Nottinghamshire, England. History The station was established during the Second World War in Spring 1940 to act as headquarters for No. 12 Group ...

Nottingham Nottingham ( , East Midlands English, locally ) is a city status in the United Kingdom, city and Unitary authorities of England, unitary authority area in Nottinghamshire, East Midlands, England. It is located north-west of London, south-east ...

) as it was the main fighter station for a lot of the southern East Midlands, and fighters from the station would often patrol as far as

Birmingham Birmingham ( ) is a city and metropolitan borough in the metropolitan county of West Midlands in England. It is the second-largest city in the United Kingdom with a population of 1.145 million in the city proper, 2.92 million in the West ...

. During the Battle of Britain many squadrons were rotated through Wittering to spells in the south of England with No. 11 Group that was bearing the brunt of the battle. With many of the Luftwaffe raids during the Blitz taking part at night, Wittering-based squadrons were instrumental in the development of night combat techniques. These included the use of the

Turbinlite The Helmore/ GEC Turbinlite was a 2,700 million candela (2.7 Gcd) searchlight fitted in the nose of a number of British Douglas Havoc night fighters during the early part of the Second World War and around the time of The Blitz. The ...

aircraft which replaced the nose with a powerful searchlight insulated in the nose of Havocs and Bostons. In April 1943 No. 141 Squadron were moved in, operating

de Havilland Mosquito The de Havilland DH.98 Mosquito is a British twin-engined, shoulder-winged, multirole combat aircraft, introduced during the Second World War. Unusual in that its frame was constructed mostly of wood, it was nicknamed the "Wooden Wonder", or ...

es. 1943 also saw the station host 2

USAAF 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 ...

squadrons, albeit temporarily: 63 Fighter Squadron USAAF with its P47s operated from Wittering between January and March before moving to

RAF Horsham St Faith RAF Horsham St Faith is a former Royal Air Force station near Norwich, Norfolk, England which was operational from 1939 to 1963. It was then developed as Norwich International Airport. RAF Bomber Command use The airfield was first developed ...

; 55 Fighter Squadron operated its P38s and P51s from Wittering between August and March 1944 before moving to nearby RAF Kingscliffe. RAF_Wittering_aerial_photograph_WWII_IWM_HU_91901

RAF_Wittering_aerial_photograph_WWII_IWM_HU_91901

Emergency landing ground K3 was renamed as Collyweston Landing Ground in 1940 with the construction of some blister hangars, a perimeter track and some dispersals, although the next main fighter station further north was

RAF Coleby Grange Royal Air Force Coleby Grange or more simply RAF Coleby Grange was a Royal Air Force satellite station situated alongside the western edge of the A15 on open heathland between the villages of Coleby and Nocton Heath and lying due south of the ...

Embry Embry may refer to: People * Aaron Embry (born 1975), American musician * Ashton F. Embry (born 1946), Canadian research scientist *Basil Embry (1902–1977), British air force commander * C. B. Embry (1941-2022), American politician *Eric Embry ...

in ''Mission Completed'' states that in 1940 (the station's official history indicates that this was actually in 1941), while used by 25 squadron, equipped with Beaufighter night fighters, the runway was extended from 1,400 yards to 3 miles long to reduce landing accidents at night and in bad weather. The Station's innovative role continued and developed throughout the war. It became the home of both fighter and gunnery research and development units working with new equipment and techniques. In addition, No. 1426 (Captured Enemy Aircraft) Flight (colloquially known as the RAFwaffe) was based at Collyweston Landing Ground with its wide range of captured Luftwaffe aircraft both evaluating their performance and touring allied bases. In January 1945, the captured enemy aircraft were removed. During the war, the airfield was bombed five times, with seventeen people being killed on 14 March 1941. Aircraft from the station downed 151 Luftwaffe aeroplanes and 89

V-1 flying bomb The V-1 flying bomb (german: Vergeltungswaffe 1 "Vengeance Weapon 1") was an early cruise missile. Its official Ministry of Aviation (Nazi Germany), Reich Aviation Ministry () designation was Fi 103. It was also known to the Allies as the buz ...

Hugh Jenkins, Baron Jenkins of Putney Hugh Gater Jenkins, Baron Jenkins of Putney, (27 July 1908 – 26 January 2004) was a British Labour politician, campaigner and member of Parliament (MP) and the House of Lords. Jenkins was MP for Putney and served as Arts Minister from 1974 t ...

served at the station, as did

Andrew Humphrey Marshal of the Royal Air Force Sir Andrew Henry Humphrey, (10 January 1921 – 24 January 1977) was a senior officer in the Royal Air Force. He fought in the Second World War as a fighter pilot taking part in the Battle of Britain and also took ...

(later Chief of the Defence Staff from 1976 to 1977, who flew

Supermarine Spitfire The Supermarine Spitfire is a British single-seat fighter aircraft used by the Royal Air Force and other Allied countries before, during, and after World War II. Many variants of the Spitfire were built, from the Mk 1 to the Rolls-Royce Grif ...

s with 266 Squadron).

Post-war use

Bomber Command

Immediately after the war RAF Wittering, once again, transferred back to Fighter Command in 1946 providing a home to a variety of squadrons operating Spitfires, Mosquitos and Hornets. In 1948, the Station transferred back to Training Command for 2 years before Maintenance Command took responsibility to undertake some significant redevelopment between 1950 and 1952 as the Cold War saw RAF Wittering become a vital part of the United Kingdom's strategic

nuclear deterrent Nuclear strategy involves the development of doctrines and strategies for the production and use of nuclear weapons. As a sub-branch of military strategy, nuclear strategy attempts to match nuclear weapons as means to political ends. In additi ...

under the control of Bomber Command in 1953. The current airfield was created by the merging of RAF Wittering and nearby Collyweston Relief Landing Ground, by the construction of a 1.7-mile runway between them in 1941. Conversion to a Bomber airfield saw the construction of a new concrete runway (slightly to the south of the 1941 runway), taxiways and dispersals (with further H-dispersals and QRA dispersals being added later) that still form the majority of the Station's aircraft operating surfaces. A wide-span Gaydon hangar for the Canberra B2 bombers was constructed along with a new control tower, avionics building and nuclear storage and maintenance facilities. RAF Victor B

In its new guise as a bomber station, RAF Wittering initially operated

Avro Lincoln The Avro Type 694 Lincoln is a British four-engined heavy bomber, which first flew on 9 June 1944. Developed from the Avro Lancaster, the first Lincoln variants were initially known as the Lancaster IV and V; these were renamed Lincoln I and ...

s from 1953 although these were replaced by

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 ...

s later that year. The first British operational atomic bomb, the Blue Danube, was deployed to RAF Wittering in November 1953. The first V-bombers (the

Vickers Valiant The Vickers Valiant was a British high-altitude jet bomber designed to carry nuclear weapons, and in the 1950s and 1960s was part of the Royal Air Force's "V bomber" strategic deterrent force. It was developed by Vickers-Armstrongs in response ...

, the

Handley Page Victor The Handley Page Victor is a British jet-powered strategic bomber developed and produced by Handley Page during the Cold War. It was the third and final '' V bomber'' to be operated by the Royal Air Force (RAF), the other two being the Avro ...

and the

Avro Vulcan The Avro Vulcan (later Hawker Siddeley Vulcan from July 1963) is a jet-powered, tailless, delta-wing, high-altitude, strategic bomber, which was operated by the Royal Air Force (RAF) from 1956 until 1984. Aircraft manufacturer A.V. Roe and ...

) were delivered in July 1955. In 1957–58 tests were carried out on the first British hydrogen bomb. This was fitted into the existing Blue Danube casing, and four Valiant bombers flew out of Wittering to Christmas Island in the Pacific, one of them dropping the first device on 15 May 1957 on

Operation Grapple Operation Grapple was a set of four series of British nuclear weapons tests of early atomic bombs and hydrogen bombs carried out in 1957 and 1958 at Malden Island and Kiritimati (Christmas Island) in the Gilbert and Ellice Islands in the P ...

. Until January 1969 two squadrons (100 and 139) of Victor B.2 bombers equipped with Blue Steel stand-off missiles were part of the QRA (Quick Reaction Alert) force of the RAF. Two nuclear armed aircraft were permanently on 15 minutes readiness to take off. They were parked within of the westerly runway threshold. In times of higher tension, four bombers could be stationed beside the runway on the ORP (Operational Readiness Platform). If the aircraft were manned they could all be airborne within 30 seconds, a feat often demonstrated at V force stations across the country. Since the incoming missile warning from the

RAF Fylingdales Royal Air Force Fylingdales or more simply RAF Fylingdales is a Royal Air Force station on Snod Hill in the North York Moors, England. Its motto is "Vigilamus" (translates to "We are watching"). It is a radar base and is also part of the Ball ...

BMEWS array was only four minutes before impact this ensured if the country came under attack, the bombers would be scrambled and able to retaliate. In 1968, the base became part of Strike Command. From October 1972 until August 1976, there were two squadrons flying the

Hawker Hunter The Hawker Hunter is a transonic British jet-powered fighter aircraft that was developed by Hawker Aircraft for the Royal Air Force (RAF) during the late 1940s and early 1950s. It was designed to take advantage of the newly developed Rolls-R ...

No. 45 Squadron initially and then 58 Squadron as well.

Harriers

Harrier landing on Mexe Pad at RAF Wittering MOD 45147875

From 1968 the station was known as the Home of the Harrier: the first Harriers arrived for No. 1(Fighter) Squadron in August 1969. In May 1971, four aircraft from 1(F) Sqn operated from HMS Ark Royal, the first time the Harrier had operated from an aircraft carrier, under

Wing Commander Wing commander (Wg Cdr in the RAF, the IAF, and the PAF, WGCDR in the RNZAF and RAAF, formerly sometimes W/C in all services) is a senior commissioned rank in the British Royal Air Force and air forces of many countries which have historical ...

(later Sir)

Kenneth Hayr Air Marshal Sir Kenneth William Hayr, (13 April 1935 – 2 June 2001) was a senior Royal Air Force commander who served as Deputy Air Officer Commanding-in-Chief Strike Command and Chief of the Defence Staff (Commitments). Early life and fl ...

, later killed at the Biggin Hill airshow on 2 June 2001. In 1982, six Harrier GR3 aircraft were taken down to the Falklands on

SS Atlantic Conveyor ''Atlantic Conveyor'' was a British merchant navy ship, registered in Liverpool, that was requisitioned during the Falklands War. She was hit on 25 May 1982 by two Argentine air-launched AM39 Exocet missiles, killing 12 sailors. ''Atlantic ...

, and survived the

Exocet The Exocet () is a French-built anti-ship missile whose various versions can be launched from surface vessels, submarines, helicopters and fixed-wing aircraft. Etymology The missile's name was given by M. Guillot, then the technical director ...

attack, later to board HMS Hermes in May 1982. In June 1982, 12 GR3 aircraft were flown from Wittering, via

RAF Ascension Island RAF Ascension Island , also known as Wideawake Airfield or Ascension Island Auxiliary Field, is a military airfield and facility located on Ascension Island in the Atlantic Ocean. The airfield is jointly operated by the Royal Air Force (RAF) and ...

and mid-air refuelling with Victor tankers, on an 8,000-mile journey to the Falklands in 17 hours, which set an RAF record. The Harriers were from 1(F) Sqn. On 27 May 1982, Sqn Ldr (later Gp Capt) Bob Iveson was hit by anti-aircraft fire from

GADA 601 The 601st Anti-Aircraft Artillery Group (GAA 601 or ''Grupo de Artillería Antiaérea 601''), historically known as GADA 601 (''Grupo de Artillería de Defensa Aérea 601'') is the main anti-aircraft artillery unit of the Argentine Army. Its headqu ...

's 35mm cannon, and he ejected seconds before his aircraft exploded in mid-air near

Goose Green Goose Green is a settlement in Lafonia on East Falkland in the Falkland Islands. It lies on Choiseul Sound, on the east side of the island's central isthmus, south-southwest of Darwin. With a population of about 40, it is the third-largest s ...

. He evaded capture for two and a half days before being rescued by helicopter.

The Queen In the English-speaking world, The Queen most commonly refers to: * Elizabeth II (1926–2022), Queen of the United Kingdom and other Commonwealth realms from 1952 until her death The Queen may also refer to: * Camilla, Queen Consort (born 1947), ...

visited the station in June 1982 as part of the RAF Regiment's 40th anniversary celebrations. It was announced in December 2009 that RAF Wittering was to become the sole operational base for the Harriers of Joint Force Harrier after the announcement that RAF Cottesmore was to close. However, as a result of the 2010 Strategic Defence and Security Review, the Harrier fleet was withdrawn in December 2010. In March 2019, the

Ministry of Defence {{unsourced, date=February 2021 A ministry of defence or defense (see spelling differences), also known as a department of defence or defense, is an often-used name for the part of a government responsible for matters of defence, found in states ...

indicated that RAF Wittering, alongside

RAF Waddington Royal Air Force Waddington otherwise known as RAF Waddington is a Royal Air Force (RAF) station located beside the village of Waddington, south of Lincoln, Lincolnshire in England. The station is the RAF's Intelligence Surveillance Target A ...

and

RAF Leeming Royal Air Force Leeming or RAF Leeming is a Royal Air Force (RAF) station located near Leeming, North Yorkshire, England. It was opened in 1940 and was jointly used by the RAF and the Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF). Between 1950 and 1991, it ...

, was being considered as the future home of the RAF Aerobatic Team the Red Arrows. In May 2020 however it was confirmed that the team would move to Waddington.

Role and operations

In 2016 the Ministry of Defence confirmed that the Station would be one of the RAF's 'well found centres of specialisation for' 'Support Enablers' along with

Command

The station is part of No 2 Group. The station commander of RAF Wittering is currently

Jeremy Case who assumed command from

Group Captain Group captain is a senior commissioned rank in the Royal Air Force, where it originated, as well as the air forces of many countries that have historical British influence. It is sometimes used as the English translation of an equivalent rank i ...

Jo Lincoln on 10 June 2021. The station's honorary air commodore is Her Royal Highness the

Countess of Wessex Earl of Wessex is a title that has been created twice in British history – once in the pre-Conquest Anglo-Saxon nobility of England, and once in the Peerage of the United Kingdom. In the 6th century AD the region of Wessex (the lands of the W ...

Royal Air Force Engineering and Logistics Support Enablers

The station is the home of the 'A4 Force' (the Royal Air Force's engineering and logistic Air Combat Service Support Units (ACSSUs)).

Flying Training

Previously the home of No 1 Training Depot Station (at Stamford aerodrome) and No 5 Training Depot Station (at Easton on the Hill aerodrome) of the

Royal Flying Corps "Through Adversity to the Stars" , colors = , colours_label = , march = , mascot = , anniversaries = , decorations ...

during World War 1 and then the

and No. 11 Flying Training School between the World Wars. RAF Wittering's return to flying training was marked on 4 February 2015 with the arrival of

Cambridge University Air Squadron Cambridge University Air Squadron, abbreviated CUAS, formed in 1925, is the training unit of the Royal Air Force at the University of Cambridge and forms part of the Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve. It is the oldest of 15 University Air Squadr ...

and the

University of London Air Squadron A university () is an institution of higher (or tertiary) education and research which awards academic degrees in several academic disciplines. Universities typically offer both undergraduate and postgraduate programs. In the United States, the ...

. RAF Wittering is also the birthplace of the

Royal Air Force Gliding & Soaring Association The Royal Air Force Gliding & Soaring Association is a British organisation which provides recreational flying in gliders to RAF personnel. Purpose The Royal Air Force Gliding & Soaring Association (RAFGSA) is a voluntary organisation which ex ...

's Four Counties Gliding Club.

Royal Engineers

In November 2011 the Ministry of Defence announced that 44 Service personnel from HQ 12 (Air Support) Engineer Group, part of the

Royal Engineers The Corps of Royal Engineers, usually called the Royal Engineers (RE), and commonly known as the ''Sappers'', is a corps of the British Army. It provides military engineering and other technical support to the British Armed Forces and is heade ...

, would move from

Waterbeach Waterbeach is an expanding village north of Cambridge on the edge of The Fens, in the South Cambridgeshire district of Cambridgeshire, England. It was designated a "new town" in 2018. History Early periods Waterbeach is on the Car Dyke, a Ro ...

Barracks to RAF Wittering in 2012–13.

Current units

Current flying and notable non-flying units based at RAF Wittering.

Royal Air Force

No. 2 Group RAF No. 2 Group is a group of the Royal Air Force which was first activated in 1918, served from 1918–20, from 1936 through the Second World War to 1947, from 1948 to 1958, from 1993 to 1996, was reactivated in 2000, and is today part of Air Comm ...

* A4 Force ** Headquarters A4 Force ** Headquarters and elements of No. 42 (Expeditionary Support) Wing *** No. 71 (Inspection and Repair) Squadron *** Elements of No. 93 (Expeditionary Armament) Squadron *** No. 5001 Squadron ** Headquarters and elements of No. 85 (Expeditionary Logistics) Wing *** No. 1 Expeditionary Logistics Squadron *** No. 2 Mechanical Transport Squadron *** No. 3 Mobile Catering Squadron ** An element of the Reserve Logistics Support Wing *** No. 504 (County of Nottingham) Squadron Royal Auxiliary Air Force

No. 22 Group No. 22 Group is one of five groups currently active in the Royal Air Force, falling under the responsibility of Deputy Commander-in-Chief (Personnel) in Air Command. Its previous title up until 2018 was No. 22 (Training) Group. It is responsible ...

* An element of No. 3 Flying Training School ** No. 16 Squadron – Grob Tutor T1 * Headquarters and elements of South Wing, No. 6 Flying Training School ** No. 115 Squadron – Grob Tutor T1 **

– Grob Tutor T1 **

– Grob Tutor T1 ** No. 5 Air Experience Flight – Grob Tutor T1 *

Air Training Corps The Air Training Corps (ATC) is a British volunteer-military youth organisation. They are sponsored by the Ministry of Defence and the Royal Air Force. The majority of staff are volunteers, and some are paid for full-time work – including C ...

** Headquarters South & East Midlands Wing

British Army

Royal Engineers The Corps of Royal Engineers, usually called the Royal Engineers (RE), and commonly known as the ''Sappers'', is a corps of the British Army. It provides military engineering and other technical support to the British Armed Forces and is heade ...
( 8 Engineer Brigade)

* Headquarters 12 (Force Support) Engineer Group * Headquarters and elements of 20 Works Group Royal Engineers (Air Support), 170 (Infrastructure Support) Engineer Group ** 529 Specialist Team Royal Engineers (Airfields) (STRE) ** 532 Specialist Team Royal Engineers (Airfields) (STRE)

RAF A4 Force

The Station Commander RAF Wittering is also the commander of RAF's A4 Force Elements. These combine the majority the RAF's specialist and deployable engineering and logistics units'The RAF's

Tactical Supply Wing The Tactical Supply Wing (TSW) is a helicopter support unit of the Royal Air Force, based at MOD Stafford (also known as Beacon Barracks) in Staffordshire. The wing specialises in the refuelling of helicopters in the field. History The Tact ...

is not included within the RAF A4 Force as it forms part of the

Joint Helicopter Command Joint Helicopter Command (JHC) is a tri-service organisation uniting battlefield military helicopters of the British Armed Forces for command and coordination purposes. History Background Over the years, the grouping of all battlefield suppo ...

under the control of Army Headquarters within a single organisation as follows (''A4 Force Elements not located at RAF Wittering are included in italics for completeness'')

Units

Station commanders

The station commanders have been: Air Traffic Control Tower - geograph

Dudley Radford 1948 * Group Captain John Woodroffe 1955-57 * Group Captain Sir Alan Boxer 1958-9 * Group Captain Leonard Trent 1959–62 * Group Captain John Lawrence 1962-4 * Group Captain Paul Mallorie 1964-9 * Group Captain Peter Williamson 1969–70 * Group Captain Alan Merriman 1970-2 * Group Captain IH Kepple 1972– * Group Captain

Laurence Jones Sir Laurence Alfred Jones, (18 January 1933 – 27 September 1995) was a senior Royal Air Force commander. RAF career Educated at Trinity School, Jones joined the Royal Air Force in 1951. He was made Officer Commanding No. 8 Squadron in 196 ...

1975-6 * Group Captain David Brook 1976-8 * Group Captain AG Bridges 1978–1981 * Group Captain P King 1981–1983 * Group Captain

Peter Dodworth Air Vice Marshal Peter Dodworth (born 12 September 1940) is a former Royal Air Force officer who served as Head of the British Defence Staff in Washington, D.C. from 1991 to 1994. RAF career Educated at King George V Grammar School and the U ...

March 1983– February 1985 * Group Captain Peter Millar February 1985– 1986 * Group Captain John Feesey 1986-8 * Group Captain JH Thompson 1988–1990 * Group Captain BS Morris 1990–1992 * Group Captain PW Day AFC 1992–1995 * Group Captain J Connolly 1995-7 * Group Captain

Chris Moran Air Chief Marshal Sir Christopher Hugh Moran, (28 April 1956 – 26 May 2010) was a fast jet pilot and later a senior commander in the Royal Air Force. He was Commander-in-Chief of Air Command at the time of his unexpected death. Early and fa ...

1997-9 * Group Captain D Haward 1998Group Captain Haward was named as the new station commander at RAF Wittering in December 1998. A week later, on 18 December 1998, his Harrier aircraft crashed near to Barnard Castle in County Durham. Gp Capt Haward died at the scene. * Group Captain AFP Dezonie 1999–2001 * Group Captain A Kirkpatrick 2001-3 486 Squadron RNZAF Wittering 1942

* Group Captain M Jenkins 2003-5 * Group Captain

Ashley Stevenson Air Commodore Ashley David Stevenson, (born 30 September 1958) is a retired senior Royal Air Force (RAF) officer and a former Commandant of Royal Air Force College Cranwell. Military career Stevenson was commissioned into the Flying Branch as ...

2005 – November 2006 * Group Captain Ro Atherton November 2006 – June 2008 * Group Captain Paul Higgins June 2008 – December 2009 * Group Captain

Richard Knighton Air Marshal Sir Richard John Knighton, (born 1969) is a senior Royal Air Force officer and engineer. Since May 2022, he has served as Deputy Commander Capability at Air Command. Previously, he served as Assistant Chief of the Air Staff (2015 ...

December 2009 – June 2011 * Group Captain Richard Hill June 2011 – June 2013 * Group Captain Damian Alexander June 2013 – June 2015 * Group Captain Richard Pratley June 2015 – June 2017 * Group Captain Tony Keeling June 2017 – August 2019 * Group Captain Jo Lincoln August 2019 – 2021 * Wing Commander Jeremy Case 2021–

Freedoms

RAF Wittering has received the

Freedom Freedom is understood as either having the ability to act or change without constraint or to possess the power and resources to fulfill one's purposes unhindered. Freedom is often associated with liberty and autonomy in the sense of "giving on ...

of several locations throughout its history; these include: * 1983:

Notes

References

Sources

* * * * *

External links

*
UK Military Aeronautical Information Publication – Wittering (EGXT)

Wittering View
– station magazine {{DEFAULTSORT:Wittering, RAF Royal Air Force stations in Cambridgeshire Royal Air Force stations of World War II in the United Kingdom Buildings and structures in Peterborough Military units and formations established in 1924 1924 establishments in England 1924 establishments in the United Kingdom Peterborough North Northamptonshire

History

First World War

Interwar period

Flying Training

Preparation for War – Fighter Command

Second World War

Post-war use

Bomber Command

Harriers

Role and operations

Command

Royal Air Force Engineering and Logistics Support Enablers

Flying Training

Royal Engineers

Current units

Royal Air Force

No. 2 Group RAF No. 2 Group is a group of the Royal Air Force which was first activated in 1918, served from 1918–20, from 1936 through the Second World War to 1947, from 1948 to 1958, from 1993 to 1996, was reactivated in 2000, and is today part of Air Comm ...

No. 22 Group No. 22 Group is one of five groups currently active in the Royal Air Force, falling under the responsibility of Deputy Commander-in-Chief (Personnel) in Air Command. Its previous title up until 2018 was No. 22 (Training) Group. It is responsible ...

British Army

Royal Engineers The Corps of Royal Engineers, usually called the Royal Engineers (RE), and commonly known as the ''Sappers'', is a corps of the British Army. It provides military engineering and other technical support to the British Armed Forces and is heade ... ( 8 Engineer Brigade)

RAF A4 Force

Units

Station commanders

Freedoms

See also

Notes

References

Sources

External links

Royal Engineers The Corps of Royal Engineers, usually called the Royal Engineers (RE), and commonly known as the ''Sappers'', is a corps of the British Army. It provides military engineering and other technical support to the British Armed Forces and is heade ...
( 8 Engineer Brigade)