RAF Grangemouth

RAF Grangemouth is a former Royal Air Force station located 3 mi (4.8 km) north east of Falkirk, Stirlingshire, Scotland.

RAF Grangemouth

Summary
Airport typeMilitary
OwnerAir Ministry
OperatorRoyal Air Force
LocationGrangemouth, Stirlingshire, Scotland
Elevation AMSL16 ft / 5 m
Coordinates56°01′11″N 003°41′30″W
Map
RAF Grangemouth
Location in Falkirk
Runways
Direction Length Surface
ft m
00/00 Concrete
00/00 Concrete

History

It was opened as the Central Scotland Airport in May 1939[1] and operated as a Civilian Air Navigation School (CANS) until early September 1939. After the war it was used as Gliding School until 1946.[2] It was then used by RAF Maintenance Command until its closure in June 1955.

Second World War

From September 1939 - March 1941 it was used by 602 Squadron flying Supermarine Spitfires, 141 Squadron flying Bristol Blenheims and Gloster Gladiators and 263 Squadron flying Westland Whirlwinds. In December 1940 it was used by No. 58 Operational Training Unit (later renamed No. 2 Tactical Exercise Unit RAF).

The air traffic control tower (watch tower) was of a pre-war civilian type. There were 10 Hangars, two were of a civil type and the other eight were of the Blister type.

In an attempt to reduce the number of crashes caused by over-shooting, the east/west runway was extended by about 300 yards in the summer of 1942. This runway intersected with the Inchyra Road runway and extended west to where Candie Crescent now starts off Overton Road. The Charlotte Dundas Shopping Centre was built over part of the remains of this runway in 1960-1961.

Post war

After the war, it was used as a gliding school and by No. 13 Refresher Flying School RAF, then by RAF Maintenance Command until closure in 1955.

Unfortunately at 0200 one Sunday in 1952 a fire started & some of the buildings were destroyed.

Timeline

Operational units and aircraft
UnitFromToAircraftVersionNotes
No. 35 Elementary and Reserve Flying Training School RAF1 May 19393 Sep 1939Hawker Hart
de Havilland Tiger Moth		I
II		[3]
No. 10 Civil Air Navigation School RAFSep 1939Oct 1939Avro AnsonI[4]
No. 10 Air Observers Navigation School RAF1 Nov 19392 Dec 1939Avro AnsonI[5]
No. 602 Squadron RAF7 Oct 193913 Oct 1939Supermarine SpitfireI[6]
No. 141 Squadron RAF19 Oct 193928 June 1940Bristol Blenheim
Gloster Gladiators		IF
I		[7]
No. 263 Squadron RAF28 June 19402 Sep 1940Hawker Hurricane
Westland Whirlwind		I
I		Detachment at RAF Montrose.[8]
No. 614 Squadron RAF8 Jun 19405 Mar 1941Westland LysanderII[9]

Other Units/Wings
No. 52 (Army Co-operation) Wing RAF

1 November 1939 – 14 July 1940.[10] Further History Unknown at this time.

No. 58 Operational Training Unit

No. 58 Operational Training Unit was planned to form at RAF Grangemouth in October 1940 within No. 10 Group to train night fighter crews. This was changed in early December when it actually formed as a day fighter pilot training unit, using Spitfires and Masters. It was transferred to No. 81 Group at the end of December 1940 and disbanded in early October 1943 when it was redesignated No. 2 Combat Training Wing (changed again to No. 2 Tactical Exercise Unit at a later date).

In the event of a German invasion the OTU would have become No. 558 Squadron (and later also as No. 563 Squadron) to operate from RAF Turnhouse.

The unit reformed on 15 March 1945, at RAF Poulton in No. 12 Group, as half an Operational Training Unit equipped with Spitfires from the day fighter element of No. 41 Operational Training Unit until it was disbanded on 20 July 1945.

Codes used: -

  • PQ Dec 1940 - Oct 1943
  • P9 Mar 1945 - Jul 1945[11][12]
No. 4 Aircraft Delivery Flight RAF

Commanding Officer Squadron Leader Eric Valentine Hulbert appointed 16 April 1943.

No. 2 Combat Training Wing RAF

See No. 58 Operational Training Unit Above.

No. 2 Tactical Exercise Unit RAF

See No. 58 Operational Training Unit Above.

No. 14 Maintenance Unit RAF

History unknown at this time. No1 GRSS Burned down moved to Bishopbriggs

Present day

Today the site is now part of Inchyra Park, a light industrial area, the Charlotte Dundas Shopping Centre, and a housing estate. The shorter runway is now Inchyra Road, Grangemouth. Contrary to many reports, the vast majority of the site is NOT now covered by petrochemicals industry. Only a relatively small area east of Inchyra Road has such industry on it and which was only built on during the 1970s and thereafter.

Some of the hangars still remain intact at Latitude, Longitude 56.013348N, 3.707562W.[13]

In 2008, a memorial garden was unveiled, to commemorate those who died, planted on ground granted for the purpose and located on the perimeter of the original airfield. Within the garden, a wall features the names of 71 trainee pilots from 11 countries who died whilst in training. On Thursday 9 May 2013, a full size replica of a Mk1 Spitfire was unveiled in the memorial garden.[14]

The memorial remembers the contribution of hundreds of Polish and other international pilots who developed their skills at the airfield as members of No. 58 Operational Training Unit during the Second World War.

Wartime Deaths

The many British and Polish pilots dying of wounds on return are buried to the south in Grandsable Cemetery.

References

Citations
  1. J., Smith, David (1983). Military airfields of Scotland, the North-East and Northern Ireland. Cambridge, England: Stephens. ISBN 0850595630. OCLC 12926692.
  2. B., Bailey, Geoff (2006). Grangemouth : from central Scotland airport to RAF Grangemouth. Peterborough: GMS Enterprises. ISBN 9781904514312. OCLC 883892700.
  3. Lake 1999, p. 60.
  4. Lake 1999, p. 48.
  5. Lake 1999, p. 20.
  6. Jefford 1988, p. 98.
  7. Jefford 1988, p. 60.
  8. Jefford 1988, p. 80.
  9. Jefford 1988, p. 100.
  10. "Air of Authority: A History of RAF Organisation Website". Archived from the original on 7 July 2010. Retrieved 16 August 2010.
  11. Air of Authority: A History of RAF Organisation Archived 13 June 2012 at the Wayback Machine
  12. History of 58 OTU Website by Wallace Shackleton, Kinross
  13. RCAHMS Archeological Notes & Photos
  14. Willis, Amy (9 May 2013). "Spitfire unveiled as memorial to WWII fighter pilots". Retrieved 26 October 2017.

Bibliography
  • Jefford, C G (1988). RAF Squadrons. A comprehensive record of the movement and equipment of all RAF squadrons and their antecedents since 1912. Shrewsbury: Airlife. ISBN 1-85310-053-6.
  • Lake, A (1999). Flying units of the RAF. Shrewsbury: Airlife. ISBN 1-84037-086-6.
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