RAF Annan

RAF Annan
Annan, Dumfries and Galloway in Scotland
Hurricane Mk. X (AG162 "EH-W") of No. 55 OTU
RAF Annan RAF Annan in Dumfries and Galloway Show map of Dumfries and Galloway RAF Annan RAF Annan (the United Kingdom) Show map of the United Kingdom
Coordinates	55°01′00″N 3°13′45″W / 55.01667°N 3.22917°W / 55.01667; -3.22917
Type	Royal Air Force station
Code	AG[1]
Area	154.10 hectares (380.8 acres)
Site information
Owner	Air Ministry
Operator	Royal Air Force
Controlled by	RAF Fighter Command 1942-44 * No. 9 Group RAF * No. 81 (OTU) Group RAF RAF Maintenance Command 1944-
Site history
Built	1941 (1941)/42
Built by	John Laing & Son Ltd
In use	April 1942–1945 (1945)
Fate	Closed, now Chapelcross nuclear power station
Battles/wars	European theatre of World War II
Airfield information
Elevation	9 metres (30 ft)[1] AMSL
Runways Direction Length and surface 13/31 1,450 metres (4,757 ft) Concrete 04/22 1,400 metres (4,593 ft) Concrete

Royal Air Force Annan, or more simply RAF Annan, is a former Royal Air Force station located about 2 miles (3.2 km) north-east of the town of Annan, Dumfries and Galloway, Scotland, which was operational during the Second World War.

Initially serving as a sub-site of No. 18 Maintenance Unit in 1940–1941, RAF Annan was opened as an air station in April 1942 as the base for No. 55 Operational Training Unit RAF (OTU), to train fighter pilots.^[2] As part of No. 81 Group 55 OTU pilots flew at low level over the Solway Firth training to fly "Rhubarb" missions, crossing the English Channel to attack targets of opportunity in France and the Low Countries. Initially they flew Hawker Hurricanes;^[3] and later, Miles Master trainers and Hawker Typhoon fighter-bombers. In June 1943 55 OTU was transferred to No. 9 Group; and on 26 January 1944 was redesignated No. 4 Tactical Exercise Unit (TEU), then No. 3 TEU on 28 March 1944.^[4][5] No. 3 TEU moved to RAF Aston Down in July 1944,^[6] and Annan then served as a sub-site of No. 14 Maintenance Unit from August 1944 until August 1952.^[2]

The following units were based at RAF Annan:^[2]

• Sub-site, No. 18 Maintenance Unit RAF (1940 – 1941)^[7]
• No. 55 Operational Training Unit RAF (April 1942 – January 1944)^[8]
  • Night Conversion Unit (March – April 1944) (Part of 55 OTU)^[9]
  • No. 4 Tactical Exercise Unit (January – March 1944)^[10]
  • No. 3 Tactical Exercise Unit (March – May 1944)^[10]
• Detachment, No. 10 (Observers) Advanced Flying Unit RAF (April 1942)^[11]
• No. 107 Squadron RAF (August 1942)
• Sub-site, No. 14 Maintenance Unit RAF (August 1944 – August 1952)^[7]
• No. 56 (Maintenance) Wing RAF (July 1944 - May 1946)^[12]

The air station had two concrete runways at right angles, running north-east/south-west (1,476 m (4,843 ft)), and north-west/south-east (1,454 m (4,770 ft)). The main technical area was in the north-eastern sector, and there were at least seven blister hangars around the perimeter.^[13] There was a camp about 600 metres (2,000 ft) north-east of the airfield near the village of Creca which contained various accommodation buildings, huts, and air raid shelters.^[14] Another camp existed about 500 metres (1,600 ft) south of the airfield.^[15]

On 1 July 1955 the site was taken over for the construction of the Chapelcross nuclear power station.^[16]

• List of former Royal Air Force stations

• Falconer, J (2012). RAF Airfields of World War 2. UK: Ian Allan Publishing. ISBN 978-1-85780-349-5.
• Sturtivant, R; Hamlin, J; Halley, J (1997). Royal Air Force flying training and support units. UK: Air-Britain (Historians). ISBN 0-85130-252-1.

• RAF Annan at solwaymilitarytrail.co.uk Retrieved 9 May 2022