RAF Colerne
RAF Colerne
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The airfield from above
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| Summary | |||||||||||||||||||
| Airport type | Military | ||||||||||||||||||
| Owner | Ministry of Defence | ||||||||||||||||||
| Operator | Royal Air Force | ||||||||||||||||||
| Location | Colerne, Wiltshire | ||||||||||||||||||
| Built | 1939 | ||||||||||||||||||
| In use | 1940 - 2006 | ||||||||||||||||||
| Elevation AMSL | 581 ft / 177 m | ||||||||||||||||||
| Coordinates | 51°26′28″N 002°16′57″W / 51.44111°N 2.28250°WCoordinates: 51°26′28″N 002°16′57″W / 51.44111°N 2.28250°W | ||||||||||||||||||
| Map | |||||||||||||||||||
 RAF Colerne
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| RAF Colerne | |
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| Active | 1940-Unknown |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Branch |
 Royal Air Force
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| Type | Operational headquarters |
| Part of | No. 10 Group RAF |
| Garrison/HQ | Colerne, Wiltshire, England |
RAF Colerne, now known as Colerne Airfield or AEF Colerne, is a former Second World War RAF Fighter Command and Bomber Command airfield located on the outskirts of the village of Colerne, Wiltshire.
The airbase is currently home to 21 Signal Regt, Royal Signals, the 93 (City of Bath) Air Training Corps detached flight and Bristol University Air Squadron, who operate the Grob Tutor in a flying training role for the RAF. BUAS recruits from several universities in the South-West and has been stationed at Colerne, alongside 3 Air Experience Flight, for many years. They fly the Air Training Corps cadets using the same aircraft as part of their flying experience they are entitled to during their time in the ATC.
Originally there had been a farm called Doncombe and a Vine Yard on the site of the airfield, the name of Doncombe Lane and Doncombe Hill being the last link to the farm.
From 1940 to 1955 RAF Fighter Command units were based here. During the Battle of Britain the airfield served as a satellite field to RAF Middle Wallop, and squadrons rotated back and forth from there on a daily basis.
Later it was a Training station for Night Fighter navigators. Using the latest night fighter procedures, the unit involved was No. 238 Operational Conversion Unit and Bristol Brigand twin engine aircraft was used for this purpose. Also on this unit they operated Bristol Buckmaster Aircraft for Pilot Training, and a number of Boulton Paul Balliol aircraft which basically was an advanced pilot trainer powered by a Rolls Royce Merlin engine. Both the Pilot and Trainee sat side by side in the wide fuselage and the Balliols were used as targets for the Brigand aircraft to practice radar interceptions on.
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Wikipedia