Catterick airfield or
Catterick Airdrome/Aerodrome first opened in 1914 as a
Royal Flying Corps aerodrome with the role of training pilots and to assist in the defence of the
North East of England. It came under RAF administration in 1918 and housed No. 49 Training Depot Station. In 1927, it temporarily came under the administration of the
British Army, under
RAF Army Cooperation Command which would supply the army with air support as required. This continued until 1939 when the station was handed back to the RAF. During the
Second World War, the airfield operated a small satellite station,
RAF Scorton, near the village of
Scorton. Catterick's
runway could not be extended from its existing for the
Jet Age due to the perimeter being bounded by the
A1 (or
Great North Road) and the
River Swale. Therefore, Catterick's role changed after the Second World War, becoming the depot of the RAF Regiment from 1946 until 1994.
Royal Air Force flying units (1914–1946) The following squadrons have at some points been stationed at RAF Catterick: ;1-99 Squadrons •
No. 17 Squadron RAF with the
Hawker Hurricane IIB,
No. 26 (South African) Squadron RAF,
No. 41 Squadron RAF,
No. 44 (Rhodesia) Squadron RAF,
No. 53 Squadron RAF,
No. 54 Squadron RAF,
No. 64 Squadron RAF,
No. 79 (Madras Presidency) Squadron RAF and
No. 89 Squadron RAF. ;100-199 Squadrons •
No. 107 Squadron RAF,
No. 115 Squadron RAF,
No. 118 Squadron RAF,
No. 122 (Bombay) Squadron RAF,
No. 127 Squadron RAF,
No. 130 (Punjab) Squadron RAF,
No. 131 (County of Kent) Squadron RAF,
No. 134 Squadron RAF and
No. 145 Squadron RAF. ;200-299 Squadrons •
No. 219 (Mysore) Squadron RAF,
No. 222 (Natal) Squadron RAF,
No. 256 Squadron RAF and
No. 289 Squadron RAF. ;300-399 Squadrons •
No. 306 Polish Fighter Squadron,
No. 313 (Czechoslovak) Squadron RAF,
No. 331 (Norwegian) Squadron RAF and
No. 332 (Norwegian) Squadron RAF. and
No. 403 Squadron RCAF. ;600-699 Squadrons •
No. 600 (City of London) Squadron AAF and
No. 609 (West Riding) Squadron AAF. ;Other units • No. 6 Reserve Aeroplane Squadron, No. 6 Reserve Squadron, No. 6 Training Squadron, No. 14 Reserve Aeroplane Squadron, No. 14 Reserve Squadron, No. 14 Training Squadron, No. 37 Reserve Squadron, No. 46 Training Squadron, No. 49 Training Depot Station, No. 52 Training Squadron, No. 68 Reserve Squadron, No. 69 Training Squadron, No. 83 (Canadian) Reserve Squadron, No. 88 (Canadian) Reserve Squadron, •
No. 3 Aircraft Delivery Flight RAF (October - November 1943) • Detachment of
No. 7 Anti-Aircraft Co-operation Unit RAF (May 1941) • 8th Wing RFC •
No. 35 Maintenance Unit RAF (May 1947 - August 1949) • 166th Aero Squadron • No. 401 (Fleet Fighter) Flight • No. 449 (Fleet Spotter Reconnaissance) Flight • No. 450 (Fleet Spotter Reconnaissance) Flight •
No. 645 Gliding School RAF (March 1960 - 1984) became
No. 645 Volunteer Gliding School RAF (1984 - •
No. 1472 (Anti-Aircraft Co-operation) Flight RAF (January - November 1943) • Detachment of
No. 1489 (Fighter) Gunnery Flight RAF (July 1943 - ?) • Detachment of
No. 1490 (Fighter) Gunnery Flight RAF (May - July 1943) • Air Crew Allocation Centre • RAF Film Unit (October 1944- ?)
Royal Air Force Regiment depot between 1946 and 1994 Catterick served as a
regimental depot of the
RAF Regiment occupied by operational Squadrons and was the training base for the RAF Regiment from 1946 to 1994 when the Regiment's training facilities moved to
RAF Honington. Catterick was also the training centre for the RAF Fire Service as the
RAF School of Fire Fighting until the 1990s. As a fire school it had a "rescue set" the mock up of a house to simulate search and rescue scenarios. It also had a burning area where ex service aircraft were covered in fuel and set alight including in 1983 two complete
Avro Vulcan bombers. The Vulcans were only able to land after the closure of the A1 and the clearing of the fields on the opposite side of the road. The aircraft had to fly as low to the ground as possible well before crossing the perimeter of the airfield and touched down at the furthest possible extremity, in order to be able to stop safely before running out of runway. There were also a number of retired airframes used for practice rescues and deployments. The Fire Fighting & Rescue squadron moved to
RAF Manston in 1989. During the 1980s, Catterick was home to the largest UK-based fleet of armoured vehicles in the British forces. The fleet consisted of
FV101 Scorpion Combat Reconnaissance Vehicles (CVRT) and
FV103 Spartan Armoured Personnel Carriers (APC). As well as these infantry assets, the RAF Regiment at Catterick held the Rapier air defence training wing and, after the Falklands War, a number of 35mm twin-barrelled
Oerlikon GDF anti-aircraft cannons captured from Argentinian forces. These particular guns were used to great effect in late 1982 to accompany a memorable rendition of the 1812 Overture at the station's official victory parade, on the return of troops from the South Atlantic. The RAF Regiment was a welcome occupier of the site and was granted the Freedom of
Richmond, North Yorkshire in 1971, as a gesture of gratitude and goodwill by the local people. Whilst no longer resident at Catterick, the Regiment holds this honour very dear and mark it each year with the Freedom of Richmond Parade in the town. 2022 saw 34 Squadron mark the 51st anniversary. The following RAF Regiment units were here at some point: •
No. 2 Squadron RAF Regiment •
No. 16 Squadron RAF Regiment •
No. 37 Squadron RAF Regiment •
No. 48 Squadron RAF Regiment •
No. 51 Squadron RAF Regiment •
No. 58 Squadron RAF Regiment •
No. 2701 Squadron RAF Regiment •
No. 2703 Squadron RAF Regiment •
No. 2729 Squadron RAF Regiment •
No. 2736 Squadron RAF Regiment •
No. 2742 Squadron RAF Regiment •
No. 2757 Squadron RAF Regiment •
No. 2773 Squadron RAF Regiment •
No. 2777 Squadron RAF Regiment •
No. 2798 Squadron RAF Regiment •
No. 2800 Squadron RAF Regiment •
No. 2806 Squadron RAF Regiment •
No. 2809 Squadron RAF Regiment ==Marne Barracks==