RAF Kinloss
Encyclopedia
RAF Kinloss is a Royal Air Force
station near Kinloss
, on the Moray Firth
in the north of Scotland
. It opened on 1 April 1939 and served as an RAF training establishment during the Second World War
. After the war it was handed over to Coastal Command
to watch over Russian ships and submarines in the Norwegian Sea
. Until 2010 it was the main base for the RAF's fleet of Nimrod MR2 maritime patrol aircraft.
It was intended that the MR2 would be replaced by the Nimrod MRA4
, but the MRA4 was cancelled in the Strategic Defence and Security Review
of October 2010. This meant that Kinloss was no longer required by the RAF. Regular flying operations ceased on 31 July 2011.
In November 2011 the Ministry of Defence announced that 930 Service personnel from 39 Engineer Regiment (Air Support) will move from Waterbeach
Barracks, near Cambridge
, to Kinloss in the summer of 2012.
Construction work began in the spring of 1938 to establish RAF Kinloss as a pilot training school. Land was requisitioned from local farms Easter Langcot, Muirton and Kinloss as well as Kinloss House and on 1 April 1939 with 14 Flying Training School (FTS) on camp and 45 Maintenance Unit soon to follow, RAF Kinloss opened.
In 1939, 14 FTS moved south and were replaced by 19 Operational Training Unit (OTU) training bomber crews for the offensive.
The station defences were gradually established and by May 1940, Group Captain
Jarman reported that the defence of Kinloss was in order.
Throughout the majority of the war 19 Operational Training Unit was the primary training unit. Between July 1940 and June 1941 it flew over 22,073 hours almost four times the rate achieved by 14 FTS the previous year.
19 OTU was disbanded and the arrival of 6 Coastal OTU saw the beginning of Kinloss's association with maritime operations, an association that continues to this day.
The wartime Avro Lancaster
was adapted without great upheaval for anti-submarine and search and rescue
duties and RAF Kinloss changed from a bomber training unit, to a Coastal Command base training maritime aircrew. Its personnel now also included National Servicemen
.
19 (C)OTU was split into 236 Operational Conversion Unit
(OCU) and the School of Maritime Reconnaissance in 1947 with 236 remaining at Kinloss. A further change in 1956 saw the units recombine as the Maritime Operational Training Unit (MOTU), which remained at Kinloss until 1965.
In July 1962, the station received one of its highest honours, the Civic Freedom of the Royal and Ancient Burgh
of Forres
, allowing Kinloss personnel the right to march through the burgh with swords drawn. This was the first time any military unit had been so honoured by Forres throughout the burgh's 1400 year history.
During the Cold War
Kinloss squadrons carried out anti-submarine duties, locating and shadowing Russian naval units.
In 1972 and 1976 the new Hawker Siddeley Nimrod demonstrated its capabilities when it flew surveillance sorties over Iceland's disputed fishing limits, providing support for the Royal Navy
and British trawlers in the Cod Wars.
In November 1980 two pilots, Royal Australian Air Force
Flight Lieutenant
Noel Anthony and RAF Flying Officer
Stephen Belcher were killed when their aircraft struck birds
on take off and crashed in woods to the east of Kinloss airfield. The remainder of the crew survived. Anthony was awarded the Air Force Cross
and Belcher the Queen's Commendation for Valuable Service in the Air
.
After the Argentines invaded
the Falkland Islands
in 1982, Nimrod MR2's adapted for air to air refuelling, were deployed to Ascension Island
in the South Atlantic.
as an integral component of the coalition forces to recapture Kuwait
. Furthermore Nimrods have been actively involved in the Adriatic
as part of the United Nations
peace-keeping
force. More recently in 2003, the Nimrod played a pivotal role in Op TELIC
. The station's high level of involvement is operational activities led to RAF Kinloss being awarded the coveted Stainforth Trophy for the best operational performance in 2004.
In April 2005, 206 Squadron
was disbanded as part of a Defence review the previous year. The base was used for the 2005 Edinburgh and South Scotland Wing Air Cadet
Annual Summer Camp.
On 2 September 2006, 12 Nimrod crew members from 120 Squadron
crew 3 and 2 observers were killed when their Nimrod, serial number XV230, exploded over Afghanistan.
No 325 Expeditionary Air Wing
(EAW) was formed at the station on 1 April 2006. The wing encompasses most of the non-formed unit personnel on station. The EAW does not include the flying units at the station.
In December 2009, the MOD announced the premature retirement of the Nimrod MR2 by March 2010 and that the introduction of the Nimrod MRA4 would be delayed to 2012. The MRA4 was then cancelled in the Strategic Defence and Security Review of October 2010
Numbers 120 and 201
squadrons, plus 42(R) squadron
(the Operational Conversion Unit
), formerly equipped with the Nimrod MR2, were disbanded on 26 May 2011 following the cancellation of the Nimrod MRA4 programme.
The station is home to No. 325 Expeditionary Air Wing and the RAF Kinloss Mountain Rescue Team. No 663 Volunteer Gliding School
(VGS) operating the Vigilant T1 and the Moray Flying Club are also based at RAF Kinloss.
The Aeronautical Rescue Coordination Centre (ARCC) is responsible for coordinating all rescue efforts within the UK and out into the Atlantic
. This includes the receipt of signals from rescue beacons, and the dispatch and control of fixed-wing aircraft and search and rescue helicopters.
would be
39 Engineer Regiment (Air Support) who will move from Waterbeach
Barracks, near Cambridge
, to Kinloss in the summer of 2012. It is expected that 930 Service personnel and their familiies would move at this time.
The acting station commander, Wing Commander 'Teds' Edwards, said “Our plans will change from drawing down the Station to transitioning and we fully expect a smooth transition” to the Royal Engineers.
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...
station near Kinloss
Kinloss
Kinloss is a village in Moray, Scotland. It is located near the shore of Findhorn Bay, around 3 miles from Findhorn and 2.5 miles from Forres. RAF Kinloss is located northeast of the village, and is transitioning to an Army barracks.The Cistercian Kinloss Abbey was created in 1150 by King David...
, on the Moray Firth
Moray Firth
The Moray Firth is a roughly triangular inlet of the North Sea, north and east of Inverness, which is in the Highland council area of north of Scotland...
in the north of Scotland
Scotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
. It opened on 1 April 1939 and served as an RAF training establishment during the Second World War
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
. After the war it was handed over to Coastal Command
RAF Coastal Command
RAF Coastal Command was a formation within the Royal Air Force . Founded in 1936, it was the RAF's premier maritime arm, after the Royal Navy's secondment of the Fleet Air Arm in 1937. Naval aviation was neglected in the inter-war period, 1919–1939, and as a consequence the service did not receive...
to watch over Russian ships and submarines in the Norwegian Sea
Norwegian Sea
The Norwegian Sea is a marginal sea in the North Atlantic Ocean, northwest of Norway. It is located between the North Sea and the Greenland Sea and adjoins the North Atlantic Ocean to the west and the Barents Sea to the northeast. In the southwest, it is separated from the Atlantic Ocean by a...
. Until 2010 it was the main base for the RAF's fleet of Nimrod MR2 maritime patrol aircraft.
It was intended that the MR2 would be replaced by the Nimrod MRA4
BAE Systems Nimrod MRA4
The BAE Systems Nimrod MRA4 was a maritime patrol and attack aircraft intended to replace the Hawker Siddeley Nimrod MR2. The rebuilt aircraft would have extended the operating life of the Nimrod fleet by several decades and have significantly improved the aircraft by almost doubling the flight...
, but the MRA4 was cancelled in the Strategic Defence and Security Review
Strategic Defence and Security Review
The Strategic Defence and Security Review was announced by the newly formed Conservative-Liberal Democrat coalition government of the United Kingdom in May 2010, and published on 19 October 2010...
of October 2010. This meant that Kinloss was no longer required by the RAF. Regular flying operations ceased on 31 July 2011.
In November 2011 the Ministry of Defence announced that 930 Service personnel from 39 Engineer Regiment (Air Support) will move from Waterbeach
Waterbeach
Waterbeach is a large fen-edge village located 6 miles north of Cambridge in Cambridgeshire in England, and belongs to the administrative district of South Cambridgeshire. The parish covers an area of 23.26 km².- Village :...
Barracks, near Cambridge
Cambridge
The city of Cambridge is a university town and the administrative centre of the county of Cambridgeshire, England. It lies in East Anglia about north of London. Cambridge is at the heart of the high-technology centre known as Silicon Fen – a play on Silicon Valley and the fens surrounding the...
, to Kinloss in the summer of 2012.
Second World War
In 1939, 14 FTS moved south and were replaced by 19 Operational Training Unit (OTU) training bomber crews for the offensive.
The station defences were gradually established and by May 1940, Group Captain
Group Captain
Group captain is a senior commissioned rank in the Royal Air Force and the air forces of many other Commonwealth countries. It ranks above wing commander and immediately below air commodore...
Jarman reported that the defence of Kinloss was in order.
Throughout the majority of the war 19 Operational Training Unit was the primary training unit. Between July 1940 and June 1941 it flew over 22,073 hours almost four times the rate achieved by 14 FTS the previous year.
Cold War
Not long after VE DayVictory in Europe Day
Victory in Europe Day commemorates 8 May 1945 , the date when the World War II Allies formally accepted the unconditional surrender of the armed forces of Nazi Germany and the end of Adolf Hitler's Third Reich. The formal surrender of the occupying German forces in the Channel Islands was not...
19 OTU was disbanded and the arrival of 6 Coastal OTU saw the beginning of Kinloss's association with maritime operations, an association that continues to this day.
The wartime Avro Lancaster
Avro Lancaster
The Avro Lancaster is a British four-engined Second World War heavy bomber made initially by Avro for the Royal Air Force . It first saw active service in 1942, and together with the Handley Page Halifax it was one of the main heavy bombers of the RAF, the RCAF, and squadrons from other...
was adapted without great upheaval for anti-submarine and search and rescue
Search and rescue
Search and rescue is the search for and provision of aid to people who are in distress or imminent danger.The general field of search and rescue includes many specialty sub-fields, mostly based upon terrain considerations...
duties and RAF Kinloss changed from a bomber training unit, to a Coastal Command base training maritime aircrew. Its personnel now also included National Servicemen
Conscription in the United Kingdom
Conscription in the United Kingdom has existed for two periods in modern times. The first was from 1916 to 1919, the second was from 1939 to 1960, with the last conscripted soldiers leaving the service in 1963...
.
19 (C)OTU was split into 236 Operational Conversion Unit
Operational Conversion Unit
An Operational Conversion Unit is a unit within an air force whose role is to support preparation for the operational missions of a specific aircraft type by providing trained personnel. OCUs teach pilots how to fly an aircraft and which tactics best exploit the performance of their aircraft and...
(OCU) and the School of Maritime Reconnaissance in 1947 with 236 remaining at Kinloss. A further change in 1956 saw the units recombine as the Maritime Operational Training Unit (MOTU), which remained at Kinloss until 1965.
In July 1962, the station received one of its highest honours, the Civic Freedom of the Royal and Ancient Burgh
Royal burgh
A royal burgh was a type of Scottish burgh which had been founded by, or subsequently granted, a royal charter. Although abolished in 1975, the term is still used in many of the former burghs....
of Forres
Forres
Forres , is a town and former royal burgh situated in the north of Scotland on the Moray coast, approximately 30 miles east of Inverness. Forres has been a winner of the Scotland in Bloom award on several occasions...
, allowing Kinloss personnel the right to march through the burgh with swords drawn. This was the first time any military unit had been so honoured by Forres throughout the burgh's 1400 year history.
During the Cold War
Cold War
The Cold War was the continuing state from roughly 1946 to 1991 of political conflict, military tension, proxy wars, and economic competition between the Communist World—primarily the Soviet Union and its satellite states and allies—and the powers of the Western world, primarily the United States...
Kinloss squadrons carried out anti-submarine duties, locating and shadowing Russian naval units.
In 1972 and 1976 the new Hawker Siddeley Nimrod demonstrated its capabilities when it flew surveillance sorties over Iceland's disputed fishing limits, providing support for the Royal Navy
Royal Navy
The Royal Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the British Armed Forces. Founded in the 16th century, it is the oldest service branch and is known as the Senior Service...
and British trawlers in the Cod Wars.
In November 1980 two pilots, Royal Australian Air Force
Royal Australian Air Force
The Royal Australian Air Force is the air force branch of the Australian Defence Force. The RAAF was formed in March 1921. It continues the traditions of the Australian Flying Corps , which was formed on 22 October 1912. The RAAF has taken part in many of the 20th century's major conflicts...
Flight Lieutenant
Flight Lieutenant
Flight lieutenant is a junior commissioned rank in the Royal Air Force and the air forces of many Commonwealth countries. It ranks above flying officer and immediately below squadron leader. The name of the rank is the complete phrase; it is never shortened to "lieutenant"...
Noel Anthony and RAF Flying Officer
Flying Officer
Flying officer is a junior commissioned rank in the Royal Air Force and the air forces of many countries which have historical British influence...
Stephen Belcher were killed when their aircraft struck birds
Bird strike
A bird strike—sometimes called birdstrike, avian ingestion , bird hit, or BASH —is a collision between an airborne animal and a man-made vehicle, especially aircraft...
on take off and crashed in woods to the east of Kinloss airfield. The remainder of the crew survived. Anthony was awarded the Air Force Cross
Air Force Cross (United Kingdom)
The Air Force Cross is a military decoration awarded to personnel of the United Kingdom Armed Forces, and formerly also to officers of the other Commonwealth countries, for "an act or acts of valour, courage or devotion to duty whilst flying, though not in active operations against the enemy"...
and Belcher the Queen's Commendation for Valuable Service in the Air
Queen's Commendation for Valuable Service
The Queen's Commendation for Valuable Service is a British military award that recognises meritorious service during, or in support of, operations...
.
After the Argentines invaded
1982 invasion of the Falkland Islands
On 2 April 1982, Argentine forces mounted amphibious landings of the Falkland Islands . The invasion involved an initial defence force organised by the Falkland Islands' Governor Sir Rex Hunt giving command to Major Mike Norman of the Royal Marines, the landing of Lieutenant-Commander Guillermo...
the Falkland Islands
Falkland Islands
The Falkland Islands are an archipelago in the South Atlantic Ocean, located about from the coast of mainland South America. The archipelago consists of East Falkland, West Falkland and 776 lesser islands. The capital, Stanley, is on East Falkland...
in 1982, Nimrod MR2's adapted for air to air refuelling, were deployed to Ascension Island
Ascension Island
Ascension Island is an isolated volcanic island in the equatorial waters of the South Atlantic Ocean, around from the coast of Africa and from the coast of South America, which is roughly midway between the horn of South America and Africa...
in the South Atlantic.
Post-Cold War
In 1992 Nimrod aircraft deployed to the Persian GulfPersian Gulf
The Persian Gulf, in Southwest Asia, is an extension of the Indian Ocean located between Iran and the Arabian Peninsula.The Persian Gulf was the focus of the 1980–1988 Iran-Iraq War, in which each side attacked the other's oil tankers...
as an integral component of the coalition forces to recapture Kuwait
Kuwait
The State of Kuwait is a sovereign Arab state situated in the north-east of the Arabian Peninsula in Western Asia. It is bordered by Saudi Arabia to the south at Khafji, and Iraq to the north at Basra. It lies on the north-western shore of the Persian Gulf. The name Kuwait is derived from the...
. Furthermore Nimrods have been actively involved in the Adriatic
Adriatic Sea
The Adriatic Sea is a body of water separating the Italian Peninsula from the Balkan peninsula, and the system of the Apennine Mountains from that of the Dinaric Alps and adjacent ranges...
as part of the United Nations
United Nations
The United Nations is an international organization whose stated aims are facilitating cooperation in international law, international security, economic development, social progress, human rights, and achievement of world peace...
peace-keeping
Peacekeeping
Peacekeeping is an activity that aims to create the conditions for lasting peace. It is distinguished from both peacebuilding and peacemaking....
force. More recently in 2003, the Nimrod played a pivotal role in Op TELIC
Operation Telic
Operation TELIC was the codename under which all British military operations in Iraq were conducted between the start of the Invasion of Iraq on 19 March 2003 and the withdrawal of the last remaining British forces on 22 May 2011...
. The station's high level of involvement is operational activities led to RAF Kinloss being awarded the coveted Stainforth Trophy for the best operational performance in 2004.
In April 2005, 206 Squadron
No. 206 Squadron RAF
No. 206 Squadron was a Royal Air Force unit employed, until 2005, in the maritime patrol role with the Nimrod MR.2 at RAF Kinloss, Moray. It was announced in December 2004 that 206 Squadron would disband on 1 April 2005, with half of its crews being redistributed to Nos. 120 and 201 Squadrons, also...
was disbanded as part of a Defence review the previous year. The base was used for the 2005 Edinburgh and South Scotland Wing Air Cadet
Air Cadet Organisation
The Air Cadet Organisation is the collective name for the UK cadet forces sponsored by the Royal Air Force. The organisation is subordinate to No. 22 Group RAF, with a serving RAF officer as Commandant Air Cadets. The current Commandant is Air Commodore Barbara Cooper CBE...
Annual Summer Camp.
On 2 September 2006, 12 Nimrod crew members from 120 Squadron
No. 120 Squadron RAF
No. 120 Squadron of the Royal Air Force operated the Nimrod MR2, based at RAF Kinloss, Moray, Scotland until the type's withdrawal in March 2010.-Formation in WWI:...
crew 3 and 2 observers were killed when their Nimrod, serial number XV230, exploded over Afghanistan.
No 325 Expeditionary Air Wing
Expeditionary Air Wing
On 1 April 2006 Expeditionary Air Wings were formed at nine of the RAF's Main Operating Bases. Each EAW has its own identity and is led by the Station Commander, supported by his Station management team...
(EAW) was formed at the station on 1 April 2006. The wing encompasses most of the non-formed unit personnel on station. The EAW does not include the flying units at the station.
In December 2009, the MOD announced the premature retirement of the Nimrod MR2 by March 2010 and that the introduction of the Nimrod MRA4 would be delayed to 2012. The MRA4 was then cancelled in the Strategic Defence and Security Review of October 2010
Numbers 120 and 201
No. 201 Squadron RAF
No. 201 Squadron of the Royal Air Force, until March 2010, operated the Nimrod MR2, based at RAF Kinloss, Moray. It is the only squadron affiliated with Guernsey, in the Channel Islands. This affiliation started in 1935 and is commemorated in the museum on Castle Cornet. Its history goes even...
squadrons, plus 42(R) squadron
No. 42 Squadron RAF
No. 42 Squadron of the Royal Air Force has served during World War I as an army co-operation squadron and during World War II in various roles. In recent years, it was the Operational Conversion Unit for the Nimrod MR.2, based at RAF Kinloss, Moray, until the Nimrod MR2's retirement in 2010.-First...
(the Operational Conversion Unit
Operational Conversion Unit
An Operational Conversion Unit is a unit within an air force whose role is to support preparation for the operational missions of a specific aircraft type by providing trained personnel. OCUs teach pilots how to fly an aircraft and which tactics best exploit the performance of their aircraft and...
), formerly equipped with the Nimrod MR2, were disbanded on 26 May 2011 following the cancellation of the Nimrod MRA4 programme.
Present day
The cancellation of the Nimrod MRA4 meant that Kinloss was no longer required by the RAF. Regular flying operations ceased on 31 July 2011.The station is home to No. 325 Expeditionary Air Wing and the RAF Kinloss Mountain Rescue Team. No 663 Volunteer Gliding School
Volunteer Gliding Squadron
Volunteer Gliding Squadrons are Royal Air Force Flying Training Units , operating military Viking TX.1 and Vigilant T.1 gliders to train Air Cadets from the Combined Cadet Force and the Air Training Corps....
(VGS) operating the Vigilant T1 and the Moray Flying Club are also based at RAF Kinloss.
The Aeronautical Rescue Coordination Centre (ARCC) is responsible for coordinating all rescue efforts within the UK and out into the Atlantic
Atlantic Ocean
The Atlantic Ocean is the second-largest of the world's oceanic divisions. With a total area of about , it covers approximately 20% of the Earth's surface and about 26% of its water surface area...
. This includes the receipt of signals from rescue beacons, and the dispatch and control of fixed-wing aircraft and search and rescue helicopters.
Transition to Army Barracks
In November 2011 the Ministry of Defence announced that the first unit from the British ArmyArmy
An army An army An army (from Latin arma "arms, weapons" via Old French armée, "armed" (feminine), in the broadest sense, is the land-based military of a nation or state. It may also include other branches of the military such as the air force via means of aviation corps...
would be
39 Engineer Regiment (Air Support) who will move from Waterbeach
Waterbeach
Waterbeach is a large fen-edge village located 6 miles north of Cambridge in Cambridgeshire in England, and belongs to the administrative district of South Cambridgeshire. The parish covers an area of 23.26 km².- Village :...
Barracks, near Cambridge
Cambridge
The city of Cambridge is a university town and the administrative centre of the county of Cambridgeshire, England. It lies in East Anglia about north of London. Cambridge is at the heart of the high-technology centre known as Silicon Fen – a play on Silicon Valley and the fens surrounding the...
, to Kinloss in the summer of 2012. It is expected that 930 Service personnel and their familiies would move at this time.
The acting station commander, Wing Commander 'Teds' Edwards, said “Our plans will change from drawing down the Station to transitioning and we fully expect a smooth transition” to the Royal Engineers.
Operational units
- 325 Expeditionary Air Wing
- Combat Support 2 Group
- Aeronautical Rescue Coordination Centre
- Royal Air Force Mountain Rescue Service