RAF Greatham explained

RAF Greatham
Type:	Royal Air Force satellite station
Operator:	Royal Air Force
Location:	Greatham
Coordinates:	54.6494°N -1.2128°W
Pushpin Map:	County Durham
Pushpin Label:	RAF Greatham
Pushpin Map Caption:	Location in County Durham
R1-Number:	00/00
R1-Length-F:	0
R1-Length-M:	0
R1-Surface:	Grass
R2-Number:	00/00
R2-Length-F:	0
R2-Length-M:	0
R2-Surface:	Grass

Royal Air Force Greatham or more simply RAF Greatham is a former Royal Air Force satellite station located in Greatham, County Durham, England.

It was also known as RAF West Hartlepool and was located at Hartlepool and was little more than a grass airstrip, a satellite station of RAF Thornaby.

History

It was home to four of 403 Squadron's Supermarine Spitfires from 19 June 1942 to 22 January 1943; operating forward from RAF Catterick.

The airfield was once home to No. 645 Volunteer Gliding School,^[1] who operate Grob Vigilant Motor Gliders for the Air Training Corps. They are now located at RAF Topcliffe in Yorkshire.

The following units were also here at some point:^[2]

• 'N' Flight of No. 1 Anti-Aircraft Co-operation Unit RAF
• No. 6 (Coastal) OTU RAF
• No. 26 Gliding School RAF
• No. 32 Elementary and Reserve Flying Training School RAF
• No. 243 Squadron RAF
• No. 1613 (Anti-Aircraft Co-operation) Flight RAF
• No. 2782 Squadron RAF Regiment
• No. 4054 Anti-Aircraft Flight RAF Regiment

Current use

Little now remains, as the site was developed after the war by British Steel Corporation.

See also

• List of former Royal Air Force stations

Notes and References

1. Web site: 645 Volunteer Gliding Squadron . 645 Volunteer Gliding Squadron. 9 April 2012.
2. Web site: West Hartlepool (Greatham) . Airfields of Britain Conservation Trust. 1 October 2021.