RAF Catterick

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Royal Air Force base in Yorkshire, England

title: "RAF Catterick" type: doc version: 1 created: 2026-02-28 author: "Wikipedia contributors" status: active scope: public tags: ["royal-air-force-stations-in-yorkshire", "history-of-north-yorkshire", "buildings-and-structures-in-north-yorkshire", "royal-flying-corps-airfields", "installations-of-the-british-army", "catterick-garrison", "barracks-in-england", "royal-air-force-stations-of-world-war-ii-in-the-united-kingdom", "catterick,-north-yorkshire", "military-airbases-established-in-1914", "military-airbases-closed-in-1994"] description: "Royal Air Force base in Yorkshire, England" topic_path: "history" source: "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/RAF_Catterick" license: "CC BY-SA 4.0" wikipedia_page_id: 0 wikipedia_revision_id: 0

::summary Royal Air Force base in Yorkshire, England ::

::data[format=table title="Infobox military installation"]

FieldValue
nameRAF Catterick
ensignFile:Ensign of the Royal Air Force.svg
ensign_size90px
partof
locationCatterick, North Yorkshire
countryEngland
image[[File:331Catterick.jpg
captionSpitfires of 331 Squadron at RAF Catterick in spring 1942
image2[[File:RAF Catterick badge.jpg
alt2Station badge
caption2Vigilance and Knowledge
typeRoyal Air Force sector station
coordinates
pushpin_mapNorth Yorkshire#UK
pushpin_map_captionLocation in North Yorkshire
pushpin_labelRAF Catterick
ownershipMinistry of Defence
operatorRoyal Flying Corps (1914–1918)
British Army (1927–1939)
Royal Air Force (1918–1927 and 1939–1994)
controlledbyRAF Fighter Command* No. 13 Group RAF* RAF Regiment
open_to_public
site_other_label
site_other
site_area
codeAK
built
used1914–
builderJohn Laing & Son Ltd
height
length
fateClosed
conditionTransferred to the British Army and became Marne Barracks.
battlesEuropean theatre of World War IICold War
past_commanders
garrison
occupants
footnotes
elevation53 m
r1-number10/28
r1-length1,020 m
r1-surfaceConcrete
h1-length
airfield_other_label
airfield_other
::

| name = RAF Catterick | ensign = File:Ensign of the Royal Air Force.svg | ensign_size = 90px | native_name = | partof = | location = Catterick, North Yorkshire | country = England | image = [[File:331Catterick.jpg|250px]] | alt = | caption = Spitfires of 331 Squadron at RAF Catterick in spring 1942 | image2 = [[File:RAF Catterick badge.jpg|100px]] | alt2 = Station badge | caption2 = Vigilance and Knowledge | type = Royal Air Force sector station | coordinates = | pushpin_map = North Yorkshire#UK | pushpin_map_caption = Location in North Yorkshire | pushpin_label = RAF Catterick | pushpin_label_position = | ownership = Ministry of Defence | operator = Royal Flying Corps (1914–1918) British Army (1927–1939) Royal Air Force (1918–1927 and 1939–1994) | controlledby = RAF Fighter Command* No. 13 Group RAF* RAF Regiment | open_to_public = | site_other_label = | site_other = | site_area = | code = AK | built = | used = 1914– | builder = John Laing & Son Ltd | materials = | height = | length = | fate = Closed | condition = Transferred to the British Army and became Marne Barracks. | battles = European theatre of World War IICold War | events = | past_commanders = | garrison = | occupants = | website = | footnotes = | IATA = | ICAO = | FAA = | TC = | LID = | GPS = | WMO = | elevation = 53 m | r1-number = 10/28 | r1-length = 1,020 m | r1-surface = Concrete | h1-number = | h1-length = | h1-surface = | airfield_other_label = | airfield_other = Royal Air Force Catterick or RAF Catterick is a former Royal Air Force sector station located near Catterick, North Yorkshire in England. It is located alongside the A6055 road on the outskirts of Catterick Village.

Although initially a flying station, RAF Catterick was primarily the depot of the RAF Regiment for nearly 50 years. The station closed in 1994 and was transferred to the British Army to become Marne Barracks. Operationally it falls under the command of Catterick Garrison. It currently houses 5th Regiment Royal Artillery and 32 Engineer Regiment.

History

Catterick airfield or Catterick Airdrome/Aerodrome first opened in 1914 as a Royal Flying Corps aerodrome with the role of training pilots and to assist in the defence of the North East of England. It came under RAF administration in 1918 and housed No. 49 Training Depot Station.

::figure[src="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/4/40/Aerial_travel_for_Business_or_Pleasure_-Thos_Cook&Son-1919-pp_16+(map).jpg" caption=""Map of Air Routes and Landing Places in Great Britain, as temporarily arranged by the Air Ministry for civilian flying", published in 1919, showing Catterick as a "civil station""] ::

In 1927, it temporarily came under the administration of the British Army, under RAF Army Cooperation Command which would supply the army with air support as required. This continued until 1939 when the station was handed back to the RAF.

During the Second World War, the airfield operated a small satellite station, RAF Scorton, near the village of Scorton.

Catterick's runway could not be extended from its existing 3350 ft for the Jet Age due to the perimeter being bounded by the A1 (or Great North Road) and the River Swale. Therefore, Catterick's role changed after the Second World War, becoming the depot of the RAF Regiment from 1946 until 1994.

Royal Air Force flying units (1914–1946)

The following squadrons have at some points been stationed at RAF Catterick: ;1-99 Squadrons

Royal Air Force Regiment

::figure[src="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/1/10/Pictured_is_a_sniper_from_34_Squadron,_The_Royal_Air_Force_Regiment_MOD_45159225.jpg" caption="RAF Catterick was home to the [[RAF Regiment]] depot between 1946 and 1994"] ::

Catterick served as a regimental depot of the RAF Regiment occupied by operational Squadrons and was the training base for the RAF Regiment from 1946 to 1994 when the Regiment's training facilities moved to RAF Honington. Catterick was also the training centre for the RAF Fire Service as the RAF School of Fire Fighting until the 1990s. As a fire school it had a "rescue set" the mock up of a house to simulate search and rescue scenarios. It also had a burning area where ex service aircraft were covered in fuel and set alight including in 1983 two complete Avro Vulcan bombers. The Vulcans were only able to land after the closure of the A1 and the clearing of the fields on the opposite side of the road. The aircraft had to fly as low to the ground as possible well before crossing the perimeter of the airfield and touched down at the furthest possible extremity, in order to be able to stop safely before running out of runway. There were also a number of retired airframes used for practice rescues and deployments. The Fire Fighting & Rescue squadron moved to RAF Manston in 1989.

During the 1980s, Catterick was home to the largest UK-based fleet of armoured vehicles in the British forces. The fleet consisted of FV101 Scorpion Combat Reconnaissance Vehicles (CVRT) and FV103 Spartan Armoured Personnel Carriers (APC). As well as these infantry assets, the RAF Regiment at Catterick held the Rapier air defence training wing and, after the Falklands War, a number of 35mm twin-barrelled Oerlikon GDF anti-aircraft cannons captured from Argentinian forces. These particular guns were used to great effect in late 1982 to accompany a memorable rendition of the 1812 Overture at the station's official victory parade, on the return of troops from the South Atlantic.

The RAF Regiment was a welcome occupier of the site and was granted the Freedom of Richmond, North Yorkshire in 1971, as a gesture of gratitude and goodwill by the local people. Whilst no longer resident at Catterick, the Regiment holds this honour very dear and mark it each year with the Freedom of Richmond Parade in the town. 2022 saw 34 Squadron mark the 51st anniversary.

The following RAF Regiment units were here at some point:

Marne Barracks

The RAF station closed on 30 June 1994 with the RAF Regiment depot moving to RAF Honington. The site was then transferred to the British Army to become Marne Barracks which is part of the Catterick Garrison complex. A number of establishments exist on the barracks, including a HUB bar, a Londis shop, a PRI shop, a hairdresser, and a gymnasium. The barracks have had upgraded accommodation installed as part of Project SLAM (Single Living Accommodation Modernisation). This has been undertaken by Corus. BAM Construction have also undertaken the conversion of some of the old RAF hangars to maintenance depots for the Land Rovers utilised by the two regiments.

In popular culture

RAF Catterick was used as the fictional 'RAF Halfpenny Field' for the 1945 film The Way to the Stars, and some of the airfield locations remain little changed.

Motorsport

Between 1958 and 1963, the airfield was partly used as a race track, under the name of Catterick Circuit.

References

Citations

Bibliography

References

  1. (1983). "A Dictionary of mottoes". Routledge & K. Paul.
  2. "Catterick Ops".
  3. {{Harvnb. Jefford. 1988
  4. {{Harvnb. Jefford. 1988
  5. {{Harvnb. Jefford. 1988
  6. {{Harvnb. Jefford. 1988
  7. {{Harvnb. Jefford. 1988
  8. {{Harvnb. Jefford. 1988
  9. {{Harvnb. Jefford. 1988
  10. {{Harvnb. Jefford. 1988
  11. {{Harvnb. Jefford. 1988
  12. {{Harvnb. Jefford. 1988
  13. {{Harvnb. Jefford. 1988
  14. {{Harvnb. Jefford. 1988
  15. {{Harvnb. Jefford. 1988
  16. {{Harvnb. Jefford. 1988
  17. {{Harvnb. Jefford. 1988
  18. {{Harvnb. Jefford. 1988
  19. "Catterick". Airfields of Britain Conservation Trust.
  20. "Freedom of Richmond Parade".
  21. March, Peter R.. (1998). "Brace by Wire to Fly by Wire". Royal Air Force Benevolent Fund Enterprises.
  22. "Life In 5th Regiment Royal Artillery". The Royal Artillery Association.
  23. "Marne Barracks case study". Corus.
  24. "Marne Barracks". BAM Construction.
  25. "RAF Catterick airfield - The Way to the Stars".
  26. "Way to the Stars, The".
  27. Swinger, Peter. (2008). "Motor Racing Circuits in England : Then & Now". Ian Allan Publishing.

::callout[type=info title="Wikipedia Source"] This article was imported from Wikipedia and is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 License. Content has been adapted to SurfDoc format. Original contributors can be found on the article history page. ::

royal-air-force-stations-in-yorkshirehistory-of-north-yorkshirebuildings-and-structures-in-north-yorkshireroyal-flying-corps-airfieldsinstallations-of-the-british-armycatterick-garrisonbarracks-in-englandroyal-air-force-stations-of-world-war-ii-in-the-united-kingdomcatterick,-north-yorkshiremilitary-airbases-established-in-1914military-airbases-closed-in-1994