Wattisham Airfield
Encyclopedia
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
, located next to the small village of Wattisham
Wattisham
Wattisham is a civil parish near to the town of Stowmarket in Suffolk, England.-Wattisham Airfield:The village houses an airbase. Formerly known as RAF Wattisham, it was one of the front-line airbases in the Cold War. The RAF moved out in March 1993 and it is now the largest Army Air Corps airfield...
in Suffolk
Suffolk
Suffolk is a non-metropolitan county of historic origin in East Anglia, England. It has borders with Norfolk to the north, Cambridgeshire to the west and Essex to the south. The North Sea lies to the east...
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
. It is home to 3 Regiment Army Air Corps and 4 Regiment Army Air Corps. They are part of 16 Air Assault Brigade, whose headquarters is at Colchester
Colchester Garrison
Colchester Garrison is located in Colchester in the county of Essex. It has been an important military base since the Roman era. The first permanent military garrison in Colchester was established by Legio XX Valeria Victrix in 43 AD following the Claudian invasion of Britain. Colchester was an...
. They fly one of the most advanced military helicopters in the world, the Westland WAH-64 Apache
Westland WAH-64 Apache
The AgustaWestland Apache is a licence-built version of the Boeing AH-64D Apache Longbow attack helicopter for the British Army's Army Air Corps. The first eight helicopters were built by Boeing; the remaining 59 were assembled by Westland Helicopters at Yeovil, Somerset in England from...
as well as the Westland Lynx
Westland Lynx
The Westland Lynx is a British multi-purpose military helicopter designed and built by Westland Helicopters at its factory in Yeovil. Originally intended as a utility craft for both civil and naval usage, military interest led to the development of both battlefield and naval variants...
.
Also based at Wattisham is 7 Air Assault Battalion REME
Reme
Reme may refer to:*Rəmə, Azerbaijan*Royal Electrical and Mechanical Engineers...
with a helicopter repair facility with worldwide capability, 132 Aviation Supply Unit and the Royal Logistics Corps. The RAF
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...
maintains a presence at the base with B Flight 22 Squadron, flying the Sea King
Sea King helicopter
Sea King helicopter may refer to:* SH-3 Sea King* CH-124 Sea King* Westland Sea King...
, with a 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...
responsibility for the whole of the eastern coast, and Brigade Parachute Squadron RAF. Apart from the military, the police helicopter unit for Suffolk Constabulary
Suffolk Constabulary
Suffolk Constabulary is the territorial police force responsible for policing Suffolk in East Anglia, England.Suffolk Constabulary is responsible for policing an area of , with a population of...
also operates from Wattisham as well as the Anglia Gliding Club (which, in fact, is the oldest serving member of Wattisham, having been there as a RAFGSA club when the RAF occupied). Also resident is 1287 Sqn, Air Training Corps.
The airfield covers a site of 1072 acres (4.3 km²). There are 2,000 troops stationed on site with 600 houses for married personnel between Wattisham
Wattisham
Wattisham is a civil parish near to the town of Stowmarket in Suffolk, England.-Wattisham Airfield:The village houses an airbase. Formerly known as RAF Wattisham, it was one of the front-line airbases in the Cold War. The RAF moved out in March 1993 and it is now the largest Army Air Corps airfield...
, Hadleigh and Ipswich
Ipswich
Ipswich is a large town and a non-metropolitan district. It is the county town of Suffolk, England. Ipswich is located on the estuary of the River Orwell...
. There are 300 HGVs, 200 Land Rovers, over 40 helicopters including 2 Sea King
Sea King
Sea-King , refers to a Viking, pirate chieftain of the early Middle Ages.It may also refer to:-Aviation:* SH-3 Sea King, American, naval helicopter* Westland Sea King, British, licensed version of the SH-3...
helicopters (125 and 126) and the Suffolk Police
Suffolk Constabulary
Suffolk Constabulary is the territorial police force responsible for policing Suffolk in East Anglia, England.Suffolk Constabulary is responsible for policing an area of , with a population of...
Eurocopter as well as casual access for 2 Air Ambulances.
There is a museum on site which tells the history of the airfield and this is open on Sundays during April to October.
Operational units
- Army Air Corps
- 3 Regiment, Army Air Corps
- 653 Squadron
- 662 Squadron
- 663 Squadron
- 4 Regiment, Army Air Corps
- 654 Squadron
- 656 Squadron
- 664 Squadron
- 3 Regiment, Army Air Corps
- Royal Logistics Corps
- 132 Aviation Supply Unit
- Royal Electrical and Mechanical EngineersRoyal Electrical and Mechanical EngineersThe Corps of Royal Electrical and Mechanical Engineers is a corps of the British Army that has responsibility for the maintenance, servicing and inspection of almost every electrical and mechanical piece of equipment within the British Army from Challenger II main battle tanks and WAH64 Apache...
- 7 Air Assault Battalion
- RAF
- 22 SquadronNo. 22 Squadron RAFNo. 22 Squadron of the Royal Air Force operates the Sea King HAR.3 and HAR.3A at three stations in the southern United Kingdom. The squadron was originally formed in 1915 as an aerial reconnaissance unit of the Royal Flying Corps serving on the Western Front during First World War...
- 22 Squadron
History
Wattisham Airfield has had a long and distinguished history. First opening in April 1939 the base was used by the RAF before being lent to the United States Army Air ForcesUnited States Army Air Forces
The United States Army Air Forces was the military aviation arm of the United States of America during and immediately after World War II, and the direct predecessor of the United States Air Force....
in 1942. After 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...
Wattisham became one of the UK's
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
front-line air force fighter bases 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...
with aircraft on Quick Reaction Alert at all times.
For more detailed information about the base from 1939 to 1992, when the Army Air Corps began operating the base, see RAF Wattisham
RAF Wattisham
RAF Wattisham was a Royal Air Force station located in East Anglia just outside the village of Wattisham, south of Stowmarket in Suffolk, England. During the Cold War it was a major front-line air force base...
.