RAF Ouston

United Kingdom / England / Ouston /
 military airbase, Second World War 1939-1945, military, RAF - Royal Air Force, closed / former military

RAF Ouston opened on 10 March 1941 as a Fighter Sector HQ under No. 13 Group to replace RAF Usworth, its staff being drawn mainly from that station. Its first squadron was No. 317, which moved over from Acklington at the end of April. Equipped with Hurricanes, this recently formed Polish unit claimed its first kill on 2 June when a Ju88 was sent into the North Sea. Relieved by No. 122 Squadron from RAF Turnhouse on 26 June 1941, No. 317 went to RAF Colerne.

No. 122 Squadron's Spitfires transferred to RAF Catterick in August 1941, leaving No. 232 Squadron, which had been there the previous month, and which eventually left for the Middle East in November. Another squadron, No. 131, reformed at Ouston on 20 June 1941 with a large proportion of Belgian pilots but soon moved to Catterick.
To cover the need for ASR off the East coast, No. 281 Squadron had been formed at Ouston on March 29, 1942, equipped initially with Defiants. In February 1943, Supermarine Walrus amphibians were added and by June, when the squadron moved to Wolsington, the Defiants had been replaced by Ansons.

Also in 1942, a flight of No. 410 Squadron was detached here for night-fighter patrol. Defiants were used first, but despite some reluctance on the part of the crews, a change was made to Bristol Beaufighters. (More information on Beaufighter Squadrons in World War II is here.)Austers appeared on January 31, 1943 when No. 657 Squadron formed at Ouston, flying many Army exercises until leaving for North Africa in August. No. 198 Squadron flew its Typhoons in from RAF Digby late in January 1943 but soon transferred to RAF Acklington to complete its working-in period on the new type.

Ouston's last operational squadron was No. 350, which spent most of June and July 1943 flying monotonous convoy patrols before returning to Acklington. On 21 June 1943, 62 OTU began to move in from Usworth, which had been found increasingly unsuitable for its work.

Continuing in its reserve role, the station housed Northumbria University Air Squadron, 11 Air Experience Flight, 641 Gliding School, and was employed as an RLG by the Jet Provosts of 6 Flying Training School RAF Acklington. In 1967 it became the North East Regional Airport for five months while Newcastle Airports' runway was being lengthened and renovated. Up to the mid sixties the servicing of piston-powered Percival Provosts and jet-powered Provosts of 6 F.T.S. aircraft based at R.A.F.ACKLINGTON was carried out by a civilian firm under contract to the R.A.F
Nearby cities:
Coordinates:   55°1'29"N   1°52'27"W
This article was last modified 6 years ago