RM Condor

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Royal Marines base in Angus, Scotland

title: "RM Condor" type: doc version: 1 created: 2026-02-28 author: "Wikipedia contributors" status: active scope: public tags: ["royal-marines-bases", "royal-navy-bases-in-scotland", "military-installations-established-in-1971"] description: "Royal Marines base in Angus, Scotland" topic_path: "geography/united-kingdom" source: "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/RM_Condor" license: "CC BY-SA 4.0" wikipedia_page_id: 0 wikipedia_revision_id: 0

::summary Royal Marines base in Angus, Scotland ::

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

FieldValue
nameRM Condor
ensignRoyalMarineBadge.svg
ensign_size90px
nearest_townArbroath, Angus
countryScotland
imageThe new entrance to RM Condor - geograph.org.uk - 65650.jpg
image_size300px
captionThe entrance to RM Condor
pushpin_mapScotland Angus#UK
pushpin_labelRM Condor
pushpin_map_captionShown within Angus
pushpin_relief1
coordinates
typeRoyal Marines base
site_area201 hectares
ownershipMinistry of Defence
operator
controlledby
conditionOperational
built
used1938 – 1971 (Fleet Air Arm)
1971 – present (Royal Marines)
current_commanderLieutenant Colonel Innes Catton
past_commanders
garrisonUK Commando Force
occupants45 Commando Group
elevation49 m
h1-number00
h1-length50x50m
h1-surfaceConcrete
websiteRM Condor - Royal Navy
::

| name = RM Condor | ensign = RoyalMarineBadge.svg | ensign_size = 90px | native_name = | partof = | location = | nearest_town = Arbroath, Angus | country = Scotland | image = The new entrance to RM Condor - geograph.org.uk - 65650.jpg | image_size = 300px | caption = The entrance to RM Condor | pushpin_map = Scotland Angus#UK | pushpin_label = RM Condor | pushpin_map_caption = Shown within Angus | pushpin_relief = 1 | coordinates = | type = Royal Marines base | code = | site_area = 201 hectares | height = | ownership = Ministry of Defence | operator = | controlledby = | open_to_public = | condition = Operational | built = | built_for = | builder = | used = 1938 – 1971 (Fleet Air Arm) 1971 – present (Royal Marines) | materials = | fate = | battles = | events = | current_commander = Lieutenant Colonel Innes Catton | past_commanders = | garrison = UK Commando Force | occupants = 45 Commando Group

RM Condor is a large Royal Marines base located near Arbroath in East Angus, Scotland. The base also houses 7 (Sphinx) Battery Royal Artillery, part of 29 Commando Regiment Royal Artillery.

History

The base was first constructed as a naval air station for the Royal Navys Fleet Air Arm in 1938, when it was known as Royal Naval Air Station Arbroath (RNAS Arbroath; or '*HMS Condor'''). It was opened on 19 June 1940. From the outset it was a training base, primarily involved in the training of naval aviators. A purpose-built 'aircraft carrier' sized landing area was constructed on the airfield and it, along with another similar facility at nearby East Haven, Angus, HMS Peewit was used to train aircrew in deck landing operations. In October, 1940, the base was attacked by *Luftwaffe'' Heinkel He 111 bombers, operating from Norway, which resulted in minor damage (then valued at £6,000) being sustained to some Squadron buildings. Throughout the war years the base was additionally used as a rest area. Operational Squadrons from Royal Navy fleet and escort aircraft carriers would take it in turn to spend rest periods whilst their ships were undergoing maintenance at Scottish Naval ship repair facilities.

Flying stopped in 1954 and the base became the home of the Royal Navy Aircraft Engineering Training School which had transferred from HMS Daedalus at Lee-on-Solent, Hampshire. It continued in this role until 1 April 1971 when the base became the home to 45 Commando Royal Marines, a part of 3 Commando Brigade.

The base was thereafter known as RM Condor or Condor Barracks and remains an operational base to this day.

A Better Defence Estate, published in November 2016, indicated that the Ministry of Defence would dispose of the airfield section of RM Condor by 2024. In 2019, this decision was dropped, and the site will remain in use.

Units

The following units have been based here:

Based units

Units based at RM Condor.

Cadets

The establishment is also home to the Royal Marines Cadets of Arbroath Division Royal Marines Volunteer Cadet Corps.

Built heritage

The redundant airfield control tower is a category C listed building. The three storey building is one of two surviving examples of this particular type of control tower, which features an ambulance and crash tender garage. The tower, which was listed in May 2006, is noted by Historic Environment Scotland as being important in terms of naval and Second World War history, as well as for its local significance.

The Captain's House, formerly known as 'Woodlands', dates from the early 19th century. The two-storey and basement Regency mansion was listed as category B in June 1971.

References

Citations

Bibliography

References

  1. (3 July 2009). "Defence Estates Development Plan (DEDP) 2009 - Annex A". Ministry of Defence.
  2. "Condor".
  3. "Arbroath". Forgotten Airfields.
  4. (19 July 2011). "Plans for Arbroath's RM Condor marine base described as 'best of a bad deal'". The Courier.
  5. "RM Condor". Gazetteer for Scotland.
  6. (7 November 2016). "A Better Defence Estate". Ministry of Defence.
  7. "Ministry of Defence urged to stop planned Scottish base closures".
  8. "Arbroath". [[Airfields of Britain Conservation Trust]].
  9. "Condor".
  10. "Arbroath". Volunteer Cadet Corps.
  11. "Anugs, Arbroath, RM Condor, Control Tower (LB50470)".
  12. "Captain's House, (Formerly Woodlands), Royal Naval Air Station.".

::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-marines-basesroyal-navy-bases-in-scotlandmilitary-installations-established-in-1971