RAF Inverness

RAF Longman
RAF Inverness
Inverness, Highland in Scotland
RAF Inverness is located in Highland
RAF Inverness
RAF Inverness
Shown within Scotland Highlands
RAF Inverness is located in the United Kingdom
RAF Inverness
RAF Inverness
RAF Inverness (the United Kingdom)
Coordinates57°29′20″N 4°13′07″W / 57.48889°N 4.21861°W / 57.48889; -4.21861
TypeRoyal Air Force station
Site information
OwnerAir Ministry
OperatorRoyal Air Force
Controlled byRAF Fighter Command
ConditionDemolished, now Industrial Estate
Site history
Built1940 (1940)
In use1940-1945 (1945)
Battles/warsEuropean theatre of World War II
Garrison information
GarrisonNo. 13 (Fighter) Group

Royal Air Force Inverness or more simply RAF Inverness is a former Royal Air Force station located by the Moray Firth in Highland, Scotland. It was also known as RAF Longman and previously Longman Airfield.

History

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Longman Airfield was built in 1933 by the local council as a civilian airport for Highland Airways to link Orkney and Wick to Inverness and its major rail links. The airfield was converted to a Royal Air Force base at the Outbreak of World War II, but didn't officially become an RAF base until 1941. The airfield was identified by German reconnaissance units which incorrectly noted it as a seaplane base, which probably saved Inverness from any major bombing by the Luftwaffe.[1]

During the war, Scottish Airways, the successor to Highland Airways, continued to use the airfield for intensive civilian operations supporting the Orkney and Shetland Isles.[2]

Under the command of No. 13 (Fighter) Group, it hosted No. 70 (Signals) Wing Calibration Flight between 17 February 1941 and 25 August 1945.[3]

Operational Squadrons & Aircraft

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Unit From To Aircraft Version Notes
No. 241 Squadron RAF Sep 1940 Apr 1942 Westland Lysander MK. II Formed from 'A' Flight of 614 Squadron.
No. 289 Squadron RAF 1 May 1939 Sep 1939 Avro Anson ?
No. 309 Polish Fighter-Reconnaissance Squadron Supermarine Spitfire Mk. I
No. 526 Squadron RAF June 1943 1 May 1945 Airspeed Oxford MK. I Absorbed into 527 Squadron
No. 527 Squadron RAF 1 May 1945 8 Nov 1945 de Havilland Dominie
No. 598 Squadron RAF 1 Dec 1943 12 Mar 1945 Airspeed Oxford Mk. II
No. 614 Squadron RAF 'A' flight 8 Jun 1940 5 Mar 1941 Westland Lysander Mk. II Became 241 Squadron
782 Naval Air Squadron [4]

Other units

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Longman Aerodrome c.1947, Junkers Ju 52 in mid right

Following the war it was converted to general use under the title Longman Airfield until Inverness Airport at Dalcross became the primary hub in 1947, due to Longman being regarded as too small for safe operations. Prior to its closure, it was served by British European Airways, and its fleet of captured ex-Luftwaffe Junkers Ju 52. It is believed that for some time Hitler's personal Ju 52 (registration D-2600) was stored at Longman after the war.

References

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Citations

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  1. ^ "Forgotten airfields". forgottenairfields.com. Retrieved 4 September 2019.
  2. ^ Lo Bao, Phil; Hutchison, Iain (2002). BEAline to the Islands. Erskine, Scotland: Kea Publishing. p. 99. ISBN 0951895842.
  3. ^ RAFWeb.org (Retrieved 30 September 2009)
  4. ^ "Longman (Inverness)". Airfields of Britain Conservation Trust. Retrieved 27 May 2020.
  5. ^ Sturtivant, Hamlin & Halley 1997, p. 188.
  6. ^ Sturtivant, Hamlin & Halley 1997, p. 136.
  7. ^ Sturtivant, Hamlin & Halley 1997, p. 94.
  8. ^ Sturtivant, Hamlin & Halley 1997, p. 254.
  9. ^ Lake 1999, p. 290.
  10. ^ a b Sturtivant, Hamlin & Halley 1997, p. 182.
  11. ^ Sturtivant, Hamlin & Halley 1997, p. 134.

Bibliography

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  • Lake, A (1999). Flying units of the RAF. Shrewsbury: Airlife. ISBN 1-84037-086-6.
  • Sturtivant, R; Hamlin, J; Halley, J (1997). Royal Air Force flying training and support units. UK: Air-Britain (Historians). ISBN 0-85130-252-1.