History
Military personnel have had a presence on the islands, once called RAF Benbecula, since the Second World War. At its peak, several thousand troops were stationed at the base and several other sites around the islands.
After World War II, the aircraft were withdrawn. The RAF continued operating from Benbecula, operating several radar types until the Type 92 came into service in the 1980s. The radar site was a manned radar station and a Control and Reporting Post for UK Air Surveillance, until it was converted to remote operation in the late nineties and the RAF pulled out of the main site at Benbecula.
The British Army also had a huge presence at Benbecula, operating an artillery range on South Uist. This role was passed to the Defence Evaluation and Research Agency (eventually to become QinetiQ), who remain at the Benbecula and South Uist sites.
Read more about this topic: RRH Benbecula
Famous quotes containing the word history:
“Like their personal lives, women’s history is fragmented, interrupted; a shadow history of human beings whose existence has been shaped by the efforts and the demands of others.”
—Elizabeth Janeway (b. 1913)
“To a surprising extent the war-lords in shining armour, the apostles of the martial virtues, tend not to die fighting when the time comes. History is full of ignominious getaways by the great and famous.”
—George Orwell (1903–1950)
“Boys forget what their country means by just reading “the land of the free” in history books. Then they get to be men, they forget even more. Liberty’s too precious a thing to be buried in books.”
—Sidney Buchman (1902–1975)