RAF Bomber Command use The first flying unit arrived in September 1942 when
No. 207 Squadron RAF arrived with
Lancaster bombers from
RAF Bottesford. 207 Squadron was a major
RAF Bomber Command unit and participated in major raids on occupied Europe. Also, in September 1942,
A.V. Roe Ltd. prepared to use a large hangar complex on the west side of the Langar/
Harby road to carry out major repair and maintenance of Lancasters. The squadron remained until October 1943 when it moved to
RAF Spilsby. In August 1944 Langar was returned to RAF control for operational use.
Post D-Day use In October 1944, RAF Bomber Command returned to Langar moving in with
No. 1669 Heavy Conversion Unit RAF with 32 Lancasters which used the station until March 1945. Although retained by the
Air Ministry. The airfield was used after the war for a short time for prisoners of war and then for displaced persons. Early in 1952 it was taken over by the
Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF) to become a supply station be for their NATO squadrons. The airfield was constructed on the old domestic and technical sites with completely new buildings, to a much higher standard than the Air Ministry was used to, by an English design team led by architect Peter Benton, under the direction of an RCAF officer. For 12 months nearly 1000 men worked constructing the station, which worked around two two-acre warehouses. another was added later and is now in private ownership. The first RCAF personnel arrived autumn 1952. The airfield was used for eleven years (1952–1963) as 30 Air Materiel Base, RCAF Langar. Langar was the RCAF's primary supply station for
No. 1 Air Division RCAF in Europe, a complex of four fighter bases set up in nearby
RAF North Luffenham and in
France and
West Germany by Canada to help meet
NATO's European air defence commitments during the
Cold War. It was the only Canadian airfield in the UK. The RCAF established No. 30 Air Materiel Base (AMB), to handle the transportation of supplies, equipment, aircraft, personnel, and other support essential for the operation of the four NATO air bases and its headquarters. Several units were attached to 30 AMB; No. 137 (Transport) Flight, which was attached to the Movements Unit of 30 AMB, operated several types of aircraft including six
Bristol Freighters, one
Beechcraft Expeditor, and two
Dakotas. No. 312 Supply Depot handled medical supplies and spares for mechanical equipment, including aircraft (e.g. the
F-86 Sabre) and vehicles. No. 314 Technical Services Unit was tasked with inspecting all supplies before they were forwarded to operational bases. This unit also assisted with repair contracts and provided technical advice. ==Current use==