RAF Turnhouse

For the current civilian use of this facility and airport information, see Edinburgh Airport.

RAF Turnhouse
Edinburgh in Scotland
Site information
Type	Sector Station
Code	TS [1]
Owner	Air Ministry
Operator	Royal Air Force
Controlled by	RAF Fighter Command
Location
RAF Turnhouse Shown within Show map of the City of Edinburgh council area RAF Turnhouse RAF Turnhouse (the United Kingdom) Show map of the United Kingdom
Coordinates	55°57′5″N003°20′46″W / 55.95139°N 3.34611°W / 55.95139; -3.34611
Site history
Built	1915 (1915) & 1939
In use	1915-1996 (1996)
Battles/wars	First World War European theatre of World War II Cold War
Airfield information
Elevation	30 metres (98 ft) [1] AMSL
Runways Direction Length and surface 13/31 1,796 metres (5,892 ft) Concrete [2] 08/26 799 metres (2,621 ft) Concrete 00/00  Concrete

Royal Air Force Turnhouse, or more simply RAF Turnhouse, is a former Royal Air Force Sector Station located in Edinburgh, Scotland. It is now part of Edinburgh Airport.

History

A landing ground was first established at Turnhouse in 1915. The airfield was greatly expanded in the 1930s, with three concrete runways being laid in 1939/40. ^[3] RAF Turnhouse closed in 1996 and its remaining facilities were acquired by Edinburgh Airport. The following units were located at Turnhouse at various times: ^[4]

First World War

• No. 26 Reserve Squadron
• No. 26 Training Squadron
• No. 73 Training Squadron
• No. 84 (Canadian) Reserve Squadron
• No. 89 (Canadian) Reserve Squadron

Squadrons

• No. 3 Squadron RAF
• No. 44 Squadron RAF
• No. 63 Squadron RAF
• No. 64 Squadron RAF
• No. 65 Squadron RAF
• No. 77 Squadron RAF
• No. 81 Squadron RAF
• No. 83 Squadron RAF
• No. 104 Squadron RAF
• No. 122 Squadron RAF
• No. 123 Squadron RAF
• No. 141 Squadron RAF
• No. 151 Squadron RAF
• No. 164 Squadron RAF
• No. 165 Squadron RAF
• No. 197 Squadron RAF
• No. 207 Squadron RAF
• No. 232 Squadron RAF
• No. 241 Squadron RAF
• No. 242 Squadron RAF
• No. 243 Squadron RAF
• No. 245 Squadron RAF
• No. 253 Squadron RAF
• No. 263 Squadron RAF
• No. 268 Squadron RAF
• No. 289 Squadron RAF
• No. 290 Squadron RAF
• No. 303 Squadron RAF
• No. 309 Polish Fighter-Reconnaissance Squadron
• No. 312 (Czechoslovak) Squadron RAF
• No. 329 (Free French) Squadron RAF
• No. 340 (Free French) Squadron RAF
• No. 341 (G.C.III/2 'Alsace') Squadron RAF
• No. 598 Squadron RAF
• No. 603 Squadron RAF
• No. 607 Squadron RAF
• No. 666 Squadron RAF
• 801 Naval Air Squadron
• 807 Naval Air Squadron
• 808 Naval Air Squadron
• 848 Naval Air Squadron
• 882 Naval Air Squadron
• 884 Naval Air Squadron
• 886 Naval Air Squadron
• 895 Naval Air Squadron

Units

• No. 4 Aircraft Delivery Flight RAF (January 1942 – July 1943 ^[5]
• No. 6 Gliding School RAF (January 1946 – May 1951) ^[6]
• Detachment of No. 7 Anti-Aircraft Co-operation Unit RAF (March – April 1941) ^[7]
• No. 12 Air Experience Flight RAF
• No. 13 Group Anti-Aircraft Cooperation Flight RAF (May – August 1941) ^[8]
• No. 17 Group Communication Flight RAF (January 1942 – September 1945) ^[9]
• No. 18 Group Communication Flight RAF (November 1959 – May 1960 & October 1964) ^[9]
• No. 24 (Edinburgh) Group, Royal Observer Corps
• No. 59 Operational Training Unit RAF (December 1940 – February 1941) ^[10]
• No. 66 Group Communication Flight RAF (September 1946 – October 1952) ^[11]
• No. 66 (Scottish Reserve) Group RAF (August 1946 – August 1950) became No. 66 (Scottish) Group RAF (August 1950 – November 1954) ^[12]
• No. 71 (Signals) Wing Calibration Flight RAF
• No. 72 (Signals) Wing Calibration Flight RAF
• No. 88 Group Communication Squadron RAF (May – June 1945) ^[11]
• No. 129 (RAF) Wing RAF (May 1945) ^[13]
• No. 130 Wing RAF (May – June 1945) ^[13]
• No. 132 (Norwegian) (Fighter) Wing RAF (May – June 1945) ^[14]
• No. 661 Volunteer Gliding School RAF (January 1958 – January 1964) ^[15]
• No. 1353 (Anti-Aircraft Cooperation) Flight RAF (February – June 1946) ^[16]
• No. 1968 Reserve Air Observation Post Flight RAF
• No. 2753 Squadron RAF Regiment ^[4]
• No. 2770 Squadron RAF Regiment ^[4]
• No. 3508 Servicing Unit RAF (December 1943 – March 1945) ^[17]
• Aircraft Flight of Caledonian Sector HQ RAF (October 1951 – November 1957) ^[18]
• Edinburgh University Air Squadron (January 1941 – December 1945 & October 1946 – January 1969) became East Lowlands University Air Squadron (January 1969 – February 1996) ^[19]
• Fighter Flight, Shetlands RAF (December 1939) ^[20]
• Midlothian Sector HQ RAF (1945 – April 1946) ^[21]
• Detachment of Northern Communication Squadron RAF ^[22]
• Scottish Sector HQ RAF (November 1949 – May 1950) ^[23]
• Detachment of S.C.R.584 Training Unit RAF (May 1945) ^[23]

Current use

The site is now used by Edinburgh Airport. ^[4]

References

Citations

1. Falconer 2012, p. 198.
2. Laming, Tim (2000). UK airports and airfields: a spotter's guide. Shrewsbury: Airlife Publications. p. 78. ISBN   1853109789.
3. Smith, David John (1989). Action stations. 7: Military airfields of Scotland, the North-East and Northern Ireland / David John Smith [Bearb.] (2. ed.). Cambridge: Stephens. p. 211. ISBN   1852603097.
4. "Turnhouse (Edinburgh)". Airfields of Britain Conservation Trust . Retrieved 16 September 2022.
5. Sturtivant, Hamlin & Halley 1997, p. 49.
6. Sturtivant, Hamlin & Halley 1997, p. 163.
7. Sturtivant, Hamlin & Halley 1997, p. 71.
8. Sturtivant, Hamlin & Halley 1997, p. 179.
9. Sturtivant, Hamlin & Halley 1997, p. 182.
10. Sturtivant, Hamlin & Halley 1997, p. 242.
11. Sturtivant, Hamlin & Halley 1997, p. 184.
12. Sturtivant, Hamlin & Halley 1997, p. 175.
13. Sturtivant, Hamlin & Halley 1997, p. 322.
14. Sturtivant, Hamlin & Halley 1997, p. 323.
15. Sturtivant, Hamlin & Halley 1997, p. 169.
16. Sturtivant, Hamlin & Halley 1997, p. 129.
17. Sturtivant, Hamlin & Halley 1997, p. 271.
18. Sturtivant, Hamlin & Halley 1997, p. 86.
19. Sturtivant, Hamlin & Halley 1997, p. 307.
20. Sturtivant, Hamlin & Halley 1997, p. 120.
21. Sturtivant, Hamlin & Halley 1997, p. 226.
22. Sturtivant, Hamlin & Halley 1997, p. 228.
23. Sturtivant, Hamlin & Halley 1997, p. 270.

Bibliography

• 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.