RAF Greatham
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Royal Air Force Greatham or more simply RAF Greatham is a former Royal Air Force satellite station located in Greatham, County Durham, England.
RAF Greatham | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Greatham, County Durham in England | |||||||||
| Site information | |||||||||
| Type | Royal Air Force Satellite Station | ||||||||
| Owner | Air Ministry | ||||||||
| Operator | Royal Air Force | ||||||||
| Controlled by | RAF Flying Training Command | ||||||||
| Location | |||||||||
  RAF Greatham Shown within County Durham  RAF Greatham RAF Greatham (the United Kingdom) | |||||||||
| Coordinates | 54°38′58″N 001°12′46″W | ||||||||
| Site history | |||||||||
| Built | 1933 | ||||||||
| In use | 1933 - 1958 | ||||||||
| Battles/wars | European theatre of World War II | ||||||||
| Airfield information | |||||||||
| |||||||||
It was also known as RAF West Hartlepool and was located at Hartlepool and was little more than a grass airstrip, a satellite station of RAF Thornaby.
History
It was home to four of 403 Squadron's Supermarine Spitfires from 19 June 1942 to 22 January 1943; operating forward from RAF Catterick.
The airfield was once home to No. 645 Volunteer Gliding School,[1] who operate Grob Vigilant Motor Gliders for the Air Training Corps. They are now located at RAF Topcliffe in Yorkshire.
The following units were also here at some point:[2]
- 'N' Flight of No. 1 Anti-Aircraft Co-operation Unit RAF
- No. 6 (Coastal) OTU RAF
- No. 26 Gliding School RAF
- No. 32 Elementary and Reserve Flying Training School RAF
- No. 243 Squadron RAF
- No. 1613 (Anti-Aircraft Co-operation) Flight RAF
- No. 2782 Squadron RAF Regiment
- No. 4054 Anti-Aircraft Flight RAF Regiment
Current use
Little now remains, as the site was developed after the war by British Steel Corporation.
