RAF Colerne - History

History

Originally there had been a farm called Doncombe and a Vine Yard on the site of the airfield, the name of Doncombe Lane and Doncombe Hill being the last link to the farm.

From 1940 to 1955 RAF Fighter Command units were based here. During the Battle of Britain the airfield served as a satellite field to RAF Middle Wallop, and squadrons rotated back and forth from there on a daily basis. Later it was a Training station for Night Fighter navigators. Using the latest night fighter procedures, the Squadron was 238 O.C.U. and Bristol Brigand Aircraft was used for this purpose. Also on this Squadron they had Bristol Buckmaster Aircraft for Pilot Training, and a number of Balliol Aircraft which basically was a Pilot Trainer shaped similar to the Spitfire but both the Pilot and Trainee sat side by side were used as targets for the Brigand aircraft to practice radar interceptions on.

Between 4 May 1948 and 1 March 1962 No. 49 Maintenance Unit RAF was based at the airfield.

After this it became a Transport Airfield, and Hastings aircraft were flown from RAF Colerne. After the demise of the Hastings and the new C-130 Hercules being introduced to the RAF Air Support Command. The Hercules were based at RAF Lyneham and for many years Major Servicing of the Hercules was carried out at RAF Colerne by the Air Engineering Squadron until the station closed in 1976. A/c No. XV198 crashed, killing all crew on board here in September 1973. It was also the home of 2 Field Sqdn RAF Regiment from 1962 - 1975. For a number of years up until its closure as an RAF Station it housed one of the RAF's regional collections of historic aircraft including Neville Duke's world record breaking Hawker Hunter and a rare example of the rocket-engined Messerschmitt Me 163 B, Werknummer 191904 (since returned to Germany).