Soesterberg Air Base

During World War I, the Netherlands was a neutral country, and flew border patrol missions from Soesterberg airfield. The Dutch confiscated all foreign aircraft landing inside the borders of their country during the war, and added the operational ones to their inventory to be used for pilot training at Soesterberg.

At the beginning of World War II, the Dutch again declared neutrality, but the German force's blitzkrieg overran the country in five days, and Soesterberg was occupied by the German Luftwaffe on 15 May 1940. A variety of German aircraft was stationed there during the war, flying anti-shipping missions along British convoy routes in the North Sea, bombing missions over England, and fighter defence against Allied bombing missions. Throughout the war, Allied Air Forces caused enormous damage to the airfield, and by September 1944 the Luftwaffe acknowledged Soesterberg airfield to be more or less useless.

In May 1945, Canadian forces liberated the airfield. After the War, an extensive Dutch construction programme was started[3] - to build, new hangars, extending the runways and several locations around the base, used as service areas during the War, were upgraded. On 5 August 1951, the Royal Netherlands Air Force (RNLAF) declared it operational and gave it an air defence role. The RNLAF has maintained flying units at Soesterberg since then.

On the base two monuments were erected. The monument for Fallen Aviators (Monument voor Gevallen Vliegers) is the official Royal Netherlands Air Force Memorial, and located near the main entrance of the base. On Memorial Day, May 4, the Royal Netherlands Air Force holds a ceremony to remember and commemorate the fallen of World War II.

The other monument at the base is for Executed Resistance Fighters. It is the symbol for the sacrifice that 33 resistance fighters gave for freedom. Every year on 19 November, there is a memorial service. During World War II, the German Army (Wehrmacht) secretly executed the 33 resistance fighters in the woods of the base. The resistance fighters were part of several resistance groups and most of them were caught due to betrayal. Although the execution was held in secret, there were rumours about it, and after the War the base was minutely searched. The mass grave, camouflaged by buried trees, was located by Major A. Siedenburg. His son was one of the victims.

North American F-86F-25-NH Sabre, AF Ser. No. 52-5385. This aircraft is now on display at the Nationaal Militair Museum on the former Soesterberg Air Base, Netherlands.

In 1954, the Dutch government agreed to the stationing of a US Air Force fighter squadron to augment air defence. The USAF forces operated from a part of Soesterberg Air Base which was named Camp New Amsterdam, in honour of the first Dutch settlement in America, Nieuw Amsterdam, later renamed New York City.[3]

32d Fighter-Interceptor Squadron

In September 1955, the designation of the 512th was transferred to RAF Shepherds Grove, where it replaced the 78th FIS. Its aircraft, personnel and equipment however stayed in the Netherlands, and made up the newly activated 32d Fighter Day Squadron, which was operated at Soesterberg as a detachment of the 36th Fighter Wing at Bitburg Air Base in the Federal Republic of Germany.[3][4]

North American F-100C-20-NA Super Sabres of the 32d Tactical Fighter Squadron. Identifiable AF Serial Numbers are 54–1904, 54-1905 and 53-1771

Convair F-102A-55-CO Delta Daggers of the 32d Fighter-Interceptor Squadron, AF Serial Numbers 56-1042 and 56–1043. In the 1980s, these aircraft were later modified to the PQM-102B configuration and used as target drones.

McDonnell Douglas F-15C-24-MC Eagles of the 32d Tactical Fighter Group, AF Serial Numbers 79–0015, 0019, 0026 and 0027. When the 32d TFG was inactivated in 1994, these aircraft were sold to the Royal Saudi Air Force.

McDonnell Douglas F-4E-61-MC Phantoms of the 32d Tactical Fighter Squadron, AF Serial Numbers 74-1046 and 74–1053. These aircraft served until the late 1980s in USAFE, TAC and AFRES before being retired to AMARC.

In 1956, the squadron transitioned to the North American F-100 Super Sabre.[3] The 32d sent five instructors pilots to Sidi Slimane AB in Morocco to complete transition training for the F-100. At the same time, the squadron began ferrying the F-86s to Prestwick, Scotland, and Châteauroux-Déols Air Base in France for disposal. On 18 July 1958, USAFE redesignated the unit as the 32d Tactical Fighter Squadron, as part of the 36th Tactical Fighter Wing.[3]

Due to the requirement of a longer runway for landing and take offs, the runway of the base was extended to over 3,000 metres (9,840 ft).[3]

In 1959, the 32d received the signature "Royal", the crown and wreath of the Dutch Royal Family (the House of Orange) were added to the emblem, giving it its unique look. This unique honour was granted in recognition of the unit's contribution to the defence of the Netherlands, and graphically illustrates the 32d's close ties with the Royal Netherlands Air Force. The 32 TFS had the unique distinction of being the only unit in the USAF whose emblem included the royal crest of another nation. This addition was only authorised as long as the 32d TFS remained in the Netherlands.

From 1959, the 32d was redesignated as the 32d Fighter Interceptor Squadron and received Convair F-102 Delta Daggers. It acquired a 24-hour alert interceptor mission from Soesterberg as part of NATO’s Second Allied Tactical Air Force.[3] The 32 FIS was assigned to the USAFE 86th Air Division (Defense) at Ramstein Air Base West Germany on 1 July 1960. This transfer was made in order that all USAF fighter assets in Europe could be concentrated in one command.

On the Dutch side, the airfield was also used by various fighter units. The last Dutch fighter unit at this airfield was 325 Squadron flying the Hawker Hunter, which was inactivated in August 1968. In September 1968 three flying units came from Ypenburg Royal Netherlands Air Force Base to Soesterberg. These were 334 Squadron flying the venerable Fokker F.27, 298 Squadron flying the SA 316 and the SAR flight flying the SA 316. The SAR flight then transferred in 1977 to Leeuwarden Air Base.

In August 1981 however, the 336 Squadron was reborn at Soesterberg. The task this time: Patrolling the skies over and around the islands of the Netherlands Antilles in the Caribbean. For the job, two new Fokker F.27 Mk.200 Maritime Patrol Aircraft were ordered. In September 1981, the first aircraft was delivered to the Royal Netherlands Air Force, and received the registration M-1. This aircraft departed to Curaçao in early November 1981, and the first pilot was Mayor G.W.G.F. Rijnders. The aircraft arrived on the island on 13 November 1981. The second Maritime registered M-2 arrived in March 1982.

In 1992 334 Squadron moved to Eindhoven Airport. With this departure, 298 Squadron was the only flying unit at the base until 1995, when 300 Squadron joined 298 Squadron. In the same year, the 298 Squadron converted to the CH-47 Chinook, and passed the SA 316 to Gilze-Rijen Air Base, while 300 Squadron received the AS 532 U2 Cougar. Later the SA 316 returned to Soesterberg and joined 300 Squadron.

A former hangar of the air base used as a conference space, 2015

With the end of the Cold War, a major force draw-down occurred in Europe, with the USAF reducing its USAFE fighter force structure. These changes affected the 32nd and, as part of the draw-down, the squadron's F-15 Eagles returned to the United States. The original intent of USAFE was to inactivate the 32d Fighter Group and orders were so issued inactivating the group's subordinate units on 1 July 1994[5] and the group on 1 October.

On 19 April, the group furled its colors in formal ceremonies attended by members of the Royal Family, and the American ambassador. On 1 July, HQ USAFE activated the 632d Air Base Squadron to replace the 32d Fighter Group at Soesterberg to complete closure actions. The same order redesignated the group's 32d Fighter Squadron as the 32d Air Operations Squadron, part of the 32d Air Operations Group. All actions were effective 1 July 1994.

In this way, USAFE was able to preserve the lineage of these two distinguished units. The U.S. part of Soesterberg was returned to the Netherlands government on 27 September 1994. Only one USAF F-15A remains in the Netherlands, and is displayed at the Military Aviation Museum.[6] Soesterberg then became a Royal Netherlands Air Force transport helicopter base with 298th squadron (CH-47 Chinook) and 300th squadron (AS 532 U2 Cougar and SA 316) stationed at the base.

Flying officially ended on 12 November 2008. The last jet ever to take off was a Hellenic AF F-4E Phantom II. The base formally closed on 31 December 2008, with the 298th and 300th Squadrons of the Royal Netherlands Air Force moving to Gilze-Rijen Air Base. However, a part of the base remains in use as a glider field. The former USAFE side remains in use by Dutch military ground units and is called "Camp New Amsterdam". The Air Force museum returned to the base and will use most of the existing hangars.

• The Netherlands in World War II

• Endicott, Judy G. (1999). Active Air Force wings as of 1 October 1995; USAF active flying, space, and missile squadrons as of 1 October 1995 (CD-ROM). Maxwell AFB, Alabama: Office of Air Force History.
• Rogers, Brian (2005). United States Air Force Unit Designations Since 1978. Hinkley, England: Midland Publications. ISBN 1-85780-197-0.
• USAAS-USAAC-USAAF-USAF Aircraft Serial Numbers—1908 to present
• Awards: AFP 900-2 and AFPAM 36-2801

Media related to Soesterberg Air Base at Wikimedia Commons

• The Wolfhounds website
• Soesterberg Wolfhounds