RAF Wyton
From Biocrawler, the free encyclopedia.
RAF Wyton is a Royal Air Force station near St. Ives, Cambridgeshire.
In terms of organisation RAF Wyton is now part of the combined station RAF Brampton Wyton Henlow, a merger of Wyton with two previously separate bases, RAF Brampton and RAF Henlow. Wyton is the largest of the three. It is home to Equipment Support (Air) and Corporate Technical Services. The only flying activity is the University Air Squadrons of London and Cambridge, and No 5 Air Experience Flight.
Wyton has been a military airfield since 1916, when it was used for training by the Royal Flying Corps. In 1935 it was upgraded to contemporary standards. During World War II it was used primarily as a bomber base, flying Bristol Blenheim, de Havilland Mosquito and Avro Lancaster aircraft. In 1942 it became the home of the Pathfinder Force under the command of Group Captain Don Bennett.
After the war Wyton became home to the Strategic Reconnaissance Force, adding English Electric Canberra to the aircraft flown. Vickers Valiants, modified for reconnaissance, moved there in 1955 and Handley Page Victors in 1964. Provision was made to store nuclear weapons if necessary.
External links
- Photos and history (http://www.century20war.co.uk/page18.html)
- Official RAF site (http://www.raf.mod.uk/stations/gen_base.html)
