Airfield, North East England, but whats it called?

[TSR2]

http://maps.google.co.uk/maps?ie=UTF8&l ... 1&t=h&z=15

Its due West of Newcastle airport and still has a military (Army?) contingent, probably part of Otterburn, but I'm curious to what it was in RAF days?

[Garry Russell]

Yo Ben

According to Google Earth

RAF Ouston

Garry

[TSR2]

Hi Garry,

Thanks for that, Just have google maps and local.live in the office and couldn't find the name of it. The Nuclear holding pen made it quite interesting!

[Garry Russell]

Certainly one with a history

Garry

[basys]

Hi Folks

The Nuclear holding pen made it quite interesting!

Ben -
Do you mean the fenced-off area ?
I'd thought it was some kind of radio station.
Turns out it was used by Trident nuclear warhead convoys.

RAF Ouston is now Albemarle Barracks and home of 39th Regiment Royal Artillery.

HTH
ATB
Paul

[petermcleland]

Yo Ben

According to Google Earth

Yep...Ouston...Been there many years ago with Venoms...We based there for a few days while doing an air display somewhere else :flying:

[TSR2]

Hi Guys,

Basys - Rgr that, it was (is) a secure pen for the trident missiles while they were en route.

Peter - Was the main runway the full length in those days? It looks as though it was extended at some point. There doesn't seem to be much info on it in RAF post War guise, only since the army have taken over. Anyone know what was based there in the 70's - 80's (if anything)

[Hot_Charlie]

Peter - Was the main runway the full length in those days? It looks as though it was extended at some point. There doesn't seem to be much info on it in RAF post War guise, only since the army have taken over. Anyone know what was based there in the 70's - 80's (if anything)

Certainly looks like a 50's extension with an ORP at the northern end, as seen at other fighter bases around that time, such as Linton, Middleton St George and Church Fenton to name some of many.

This link's interesting: 607 Sqn (County of Durham) RAuxAF were there at the time. Having said that, the mention of 36 Sqn Neptunes from Topcliffe seems more remarkable.
http://www.scramble.nl/mil/show/showrep ... ston56.htm

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/RAF_Ouston

[TSR2]

Cheers HC. That scramble info was a good find!

[petermcleland]

Peter - Was the main runway the full length in those days? It looks as though it was extended at some point. There doesn't seem to be much info on it in RAF post War guise, only since the army have taken over. Anyone know what was based there in the 70's - 80's (if anything)

Hi Ben,
Well, I've just looked it up in my logbook and I flew there on July 27th 1954...That day we flew from Wunstorf (Base) to West Raynham and then to Ouston. The following day, 28th, we flew one sortie "Recce Stobbs Range"...Then the next day, 29th, we flew from Ouston back to Germany (Wunstorf). My flights were all in Venom FB1 WE449. Sadly my logbook gives no further clues as to what we were actually doing there and there seems to be nothing other than that "Recce" :think: Two nightstops seems a bit much for some range recce

Runway lengths?...Well in those days I think they were the usual 2000 yards

EDIT...Off Topic...but I found this one stuck in my logbook a few pages on from Ouston...These are Venom FB1s over Wunstorf (I'm flying the Box position)...Don't think I've shown this one before :flying: