RAF Butzweilerhof
Encyclopedia
The former Royal Air Force Station Butzweilerhof, commonly known as RAF Butzweilerhof was a Royal Air Force
airbase
in Germany
situated in the northern suburbs of Cologne
. The station’s motto
was Per Vires Pax, and the station crest depicts the Cologne cathedral rising above the waters.
was the main civil airport for Cologne, but was taken over by the RAF sometime during August 1951. RAF aircraft ceased flying in 1965, and the RAF formally left Butzweilerhof, closing down the station on 27 January 1967. The few civilian employees remaining at the beginning of 1967 were required to leave by the end of the month of January, and on 31 January 1967, Butzweilerhof airfield was officially handed over to the Bundeswehr
.
In 1960 it was the base for 5 Signals Wing, The Band of RAF Germany
and 420 Recovery & Salvage Squadron.
who were stationed at Butzweiler. The remaining land has now been divided up for residential and office re-development. The Butzweilerhof main airport terminal building, opened in 1926 is protected as a listed building and is undergoing renovations.
The terminal building restoration has now (2007) been largely completed. In late December 2007, the bulldozers moved in to tear down most, if not all, of the remaining RAF site buildings. As of December 2008, the portion of the former Kaserne to the right of the main gate was completely cleared of the former military buildings. Most of the vacated property is being redeveloped into a strip mall consisting of a new IKEA store and several other retailers. The Kölner Verkehrsbetriebe (KVB) is also in the process of constructing a new 1,85 km long extension from the current Ossendorf terminus into the Butzweilerhof/Gewerbegebiet Ossendorf area. 3 new stations (Köhlstrasse, Butzweiler/IKEA and the new terminus, Von-Hünefeld-Strasse) will be added to the existing Line 5. This extension is scheduled to open in December 2010.
Royal Air Force
The Royal Air Force is the aerial warfare service branch of the British Armed Forces. Formed on 1 April 1918, it is the oldest independent air force in the world...
airbase
Airbase
An airbase is a military airfield that provides basing and support of military aircraft....
in Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
situated in the northern suburbs of Cologne
Cologne
Cologne is Germany's fourth-largest city , and is the largest city both in the Germany Federal State of North Rhine-Westphalia and within the Rhine-Ruhr Metropolitan Area, one of the major European metropolitan areas with more than ten million inhabitants.Cologne is located on both sides of the...
. The station’s motto
Motto
A motto is a phrase meant to formally summarize the general motivation or intention of a social group or organization. A motto may be in any language, but Latin is the most used. The local language is usual in the mottoes of governments...
was Per Vires Pax, and the station crest depicts the Cologne cathedral rising above the waters.
History and the RAF
From the 1920's ButzweilerhofCologne Butzweilerhof Airport
The Butzweilerhof is the former civil airport of Cologne. It was established as a training airfield in 1912 and saw airline service from 1922 until the 1950s. It was replaced by the Cologne Bonn Airport...
was the main civil airport for Cologne, but was taken over by the RAF sometime during August 1951. RAF aircraft ceased flying in 1965, and the RAF formally left Butzweilerhof, closing down the station on 27 January 1967. The few civilian employees remaining at the beginning of 1967 were required to leave by the end of the month of January, and on 31 January 1967, Butzweilerhof airfield was officially handed over to the Bundeswehr
Bundeswehr
The Bundeswehr consists of the unified armed forces of Germany and their civil administration and procurement authorities...
.
In 1960 it was the base for 5 Signals Wing, The Band of RAF Germany
Royal Air Force Germany
The former Royal Air Force Germany was a command of the Royal Air Force and part of British Forces Germany, consisting of those units located in Germany initially as part of the occupation following World War II, and later as part of the RAF's commitment to the defence of Europe during the Cold...
and 420 Recovery & Salvage Squadron.
Butzweilerhof squadrons & aircraft
- No. 68 Squadron RAFNo. 68 Squadron RAFThe name No. 68 Squadron has been used by the Royal Air Force for two quite different units.No. 2 Squadron, Australian Flying Corps was formed at Heliopolis, Egypt in 1916. For a while it was known to the British military as "No. 68 Squadron RFC" - according to some accounts in order to avoid...
- operating Gloster MeteorGloster MeteorThe Gloster Meteor was the first British jet fighter and the Allies' first operational jet. It first flew in 1943 and commenced operations on 27 July 1944 with 616 Squadron of the Royal Air Force...
NF11 - No. 87 Squadron RAFNo. 87 Squadron RAFNo. 87 Squadron RAF was an aircraft squadron of the Royal Air Force during the First World War and Second World War.-World War I:87 Squadron Royal Flying Corps was first formed on 1 September 1917 at Upavon from elements of the Central Flying School...
- operating Gloster Meteor NF11
Butzweilerhof today
A very small part of the old airfield was used by the Bundeswehr up until December 30, 2007 after which the Butzweilerkaserne was closed and turned into a mixed retail/residential area. The rest of the land was re-developed into film studios (MMC) between 1998 and 1999. On the film studio lot, a renovated hangar still bears the inscription of the Belgian ArmyBelgian Army
The Land Component is organised using the concept of capacities, whereby units are gathered together according to their function and material. Within this framework, there are five capacities: the command capacity, the combat capacity, the support capacity, the services capacity and the training...
who were stationed at Butzweiler. The remaining land has now been divided up for residential and office re-development. The Butzweilerhof main airport terminal building, opened in 1926 is protected as a listed building and is undergoing renovations.
The terminal building restoration has now (2007) been largely completed. In late December 2007, the bulldozers moved in to tear down most, if not all, of the remaining RAF site buildings. As of December 2008, the portion of the former Kaserne to the right of the main gate was completely cleared of the former military buildings. Most of the vacated property is being redeveloped into a strip mall consisting of a new IKEA store and several other retailers. The Kölner Verkehrsbetriebe (KVB) is also in the process of constructing a new 1,85 km long extension from the current Ossendorf terminus into the Butzweilerhof/Gewerbegebiet Ossendorf area. 3 new stations (Köhlstrasse, Butzweiler/IKEA and the new terminus, Von-Hünefeld-Strasse) will be added to the existing Line 5. This extension is scheduled to open in December 2010.
External links
- www.Butzweilerhof.de dedicated to the restoration of the historic airport buildings
- Gallery of RAF Butzweilerhof images from ServicePals.com
- Photos of the remaining RAF buildings in 2007
See also
- Royal Air Force station
- List of aircraft of the RAF