RAF Sydenham explained
Royal Air Force Sydenham or more simply RAF Sydenham is a former Royal Air Force station in Northern Ireland. In the 1970s it was the main servicing base for Blackburn Buccaneer aircraft, employing 650 civilian workers.[1]
History
The following units were posted here at some point:[2]
- Royal Air Force
- Units
- No. 3 Civilian Fighter Control Co-operation Unit RAF (March 1957 – June 1958)
- Detachment of No. 6 Anti-Aircraft Co-operation Unit RAF (1943)
- No. 8 Ferry Pilots Pool ATA (March 1941 – May 1942) became No. 8 Ferry Pool ATA (May 1942 – August 1945)
- No. 13 Air Experience Flight RAF
- No. 23 Elementary and Reserve Flying Training School RAF (September 1939)
- No. 24 Elementary and Reserve Flying Training School RAF (January – September 1939) became No. 24 Elementary Flying Training School RAF (September 1939 – February 1942)
- No. 75 (Bomber) Wing RAF (June 1940 & February – April 1941) became No. 31 Wing RAF (April – June 1941)
- No. 79 Wing Calibration Flight RAF
- No. 203 Gliding School RAF (September 1949 – November 1952)
- Detachment of No. 1480 (Anti-Aircraft Co-operation) Flight RAF (September 1942)
- No. 1494 (Target Towing) Flight RAF (April 1942 – April 1943)
- Belfast University Air Squadron (January – May 1941) became Queens University Air Squadron (May 1941 – December 1945 & March 1947 – January 1992)
- RAF Northern Ireland Communication Flight RAF (October 1940 – October 1942 & December 1945 – December 1946)
Current use
The site is now George Best Belfast City Airport.
References
Bibliography
- Book: Sturtivant. R. Hamlin. J. Halley. J. Royal Air Force flying training and support units . 1997 . Air-Britain (Historians). UK. 0-85130-252-1.
External links
Notes and References
- Northern Ireland Committee of Irish Congress of Trade Unions, "The Defence Stations in Northern Ireland: The Case for Retention", March 1976
- Web site: Sydenham (Belfast City) (George Best Belfast City). Airfields of Britain Conservation Trust. 15 February 2015.
