RAF South Ruislip
Encyclopedia
RAF South Ruislip was a non-flying Air Force station located in South Ruislip
near London, England.
The station opened in 1949 and was used by the United States Air Force
as an administrative station to coordinate Third Air Force
(USAFE) and 7th Air Division activities in Great Britain with the British Government. Logistical and support functions were located at RAF West Ruislip
, leased by the US Navy from the Ministry of Defence
. All flying support was located at RAF Northolt
that was supported by Detachment 1, 66th Tactical Reconnaissance Wing
and later by Detachment 1, 20th Tactical Fighter Wing
.
A school for the children of American service personnel was established at RAF Eastcote
in the 1950s, later joined by other welfare facilities.
In 1972 the Third Air Force moved operations from the station to RAF Mildenhall
. The buildings that had formed the main part of the base on Victoria Road stood empty until 1995, but were briefly used by the BBC
as a filming location for the final series of the popular television
police
drama
Z Cars in 1977 and 1978.
South Ruislip
South Ruislip is a suburban area in the London Borough of Hillingdon.The population, according to the 2001 UK census, was 10,823. By 2008, this had reached 11,116.-Education:...
near London, England.
The station opened in 1949 and was used by the United States Air Force
United States Air Force
The United States Air Force is the aerial warfare service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the American uniformed services. Initially part of the United States Army, the USAF was formed as a separate branch of the military on September 18, 1947 under the National Security Act of...
as an administrative station to coordinate Third Air Force
Third Air Force
The Third Air Force is a numbered air force of the United States Air Forces in Europe . It is headquartered at Ramstein Air Base, Germany....
(USAFE) and 7th Air Division activities in Great Britain with the British Government. Logistical and support functions were located at RAF West Ruislip
RAF West Ruislip
RAF West Ruislip was a Ministry of Defence site, located in Ickenham within the London Borough of Hillingdon. The base was originally built as a depot for the Royal Air Force , split by what is now the Chiltern Main Line...
, leased by the US Navy from the Ministry of Defence
Ministry of Defence (United Kingdom)
The Ministry of Defence is the United Kingdom government department responsible for implementation of government defence policy and is the headquarters of the British Armed Forces....
. All flying support was located at RAF Northolt
RAF Northolt
RAF Northolt is a Royal Air Force station situated in South Ruislip, east by northeast of Uxbridge in the London Borough of Hillingdon, West London. Approximately north of London Heathrow Airport, the station also handles a large number of private civil flights...
that was supported by Detachment 1, 66th Tactical Reconnaissance Wing
66th Air Base Wing
The 66th Air Base Wing is an inactive United States Air Force unit. It was last assigned to the Air Force Materiel Command Electronic Systems Center, stationed at Hanscom Air Force Base, Massachusetts...
and later by Detachment 1, 20th Tactical Fighter Wing
20th Fighter Wing
The 20th Fighter Wing is a wing of the United States Air Force and the host unit at Shaw Air Force Base South Carolina. The wing is assigned to Air Combat Command's Ninth Air Force.-Mission:...
.
A school for the children of American service personnel was established at RAF Eastcote
RAF Eastcote
RAF Eastcote, also known over time as RAF Lime Grove, HMS Pembroke V and Outstation Eastcote, was a Ministry of Defence site in Eastcote, within the London Borough of Hillingdon....
in the 1950s, later joined by other welfare facilities.
In 1972 the Third Air Force moved operations from the station to RAF Mildenhall
RAF Mildenhall
RAF Mildenhall is a Royal Air Force station located at Mildenhall in Suffolk, England. Despite its status as an RAF station, it primarily supports United States Air Force operations and is currently the home of the 100th Air Refueling Wing...
. The buildings that had formed the main part of the base on Victoria Road stood empty until 1995, but were briefly used by the BBC
BBC
The British Broadcasting Corporation is a British public service broadcaster. Its headquarters is at Broadcasting House in the City of Westminster, London. It is the largest broadcaster in the world, with about 23,000 staff...
as a filming location for the final series of the popular television
Television
Television is a telecommunication medium for transmitting and receiving moving images that can be monochrome or colored, with accompanying sound...
police
Police
The police is a personification of the state designated to put in practice the enforced law, protect property and reduce civil disorder in civilian matters. Their powers include the legitimized use of force...
drama
Drama
Drama is the specific mode of fiction represented in performance. The term comes from a Greek word meaning "action" , which is derived from "to do","to act" . The enactment of drama in theatre, performed by actors on a stage before an audience, presupposes collaborative modes of production and a...
Z Cars in 1977 and 1978.