RAF Bruggen
| Royal Air Force Station Brüggen | |
|---|---|
| Active | 1953 – 15 June 2001 |
| Country | Germany |
| Allegiance | UK: British Armed Forces |
| Branch | Royal Air Force |
| Type | Flying station |
| Role | Fighter attack and defence |
| Part of |
RAF Second Tactical Air Force, then Royal Air Force Germany, finally No. 2 Group RAF |
| Based near | Elmpt, North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany |
| Nickname(s) | "Brüggen", Bruggers" |
| Motto(s) | To Seek and Strike |
| Royal Air Force Ensign |  |
| March | Royal Air Force March Past |
| Equipment |
English Electric Canberra, F-4 Phantom II, SEPECAT Jaguar, Panavia Tornado GR1 |
| Engagements |
First Gulf War, Kosovo War |
| RAF Brüggen | |||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Summary | |||||||||||
| Airport type | Military | ||||||||||
| Owner | Ministry of Defence | ||||||||||
| Operator | formerly: Royal Air Force, now: British Army | ||||||||||
| Location | Elmpt, North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany | ||||||||||
| Elevation AMSL | 241 ft / 73 m | ||||||||||
| Coordinates | 51°12′00″N 6°7′46″E / 51.20000°N 6.12944°E | ||||||||||
| Runways | |||||||||||
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The former Royal Air Force Station Brüggen, more commonly known as RAF Brüggen, (IATA: BGN, ICAO: ETUR) in Germany was a major station of the Royal Air Force until 15 June 2001. It was situated next to the village of Elmpt, approximately 43 kilometres (27 mi) west of Düsseldorf near the Dutch-German border. The base was named after the village of Brüggen, the nearest rail depot. Construction began in mid-1952, which involved the clearing of dense forest and draining of marshland. The station became active in 1953 during the rapid expansion of NATO forces in Europe. In 2002 was handled over to the British Army and renamed Javelin Barracks.
In 1953, the 317 Supply and Transport Column arrived at RAF Brüggen from Uetersen. This followed the decision to supply all RAF stations in Germany through the port of Antwerp. In 1954 the unit was redesignated as a Mechanical Transport Squadron and was responsible for equipping and supplying all RAF stations in Germany and The Netherlands. The unit remained at Brüggen until 1963, when it was amalgamated into the 431 Maintenance Unit which continued to operate until 1993. The demise of 317 MT Squadron marked the end of an era, as it had been on the continent shortly after D-Day under its previous title of 317 Supply & Transport Column. It had built itself an enviable reputation and following the cessation of hostilities carried out convoys to Prague, Warsaw and Moscow. In the 1950 Review of the Royal Air Force, the unit was described as the Carter Paterson of the autobahns.
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