| RAF Long Kesh | |
| Location: | Maze, Lisburn |
| Country: | Northern Ireland |
| Type: | Royal Air Force station |
| Coordinates: | 54.4894°N -6.1044°W |
| Pushpin Map: | Northern Ireland#UK |
| Pushpin Map Caption: | Shown within Northern Ireland |
| Pushpin Label: | RAF Long Kesh |
| Ownership: | Air Ministry Admiralty |
| Operator: | Royal Air Force Royal Navy |
| Controlledby: | RAF Coastal Command Fleet Air Arm |
| Built: | -41 |
| Used: | 1941- |
| Battles: | European theatre of World War II |
| Elevation: | 35m (115feet) |
| R1-Number: | 07/25 |
| R1-Length: | 4670 feet |
| R1-Surface: | Concrete |
| R2-Number: | 15/33 |
| R2-Length: | 3625 feet |
| R2-Surface: | Concrete |
| R3-Number: | 01/19 |
| R3-Length: | 3375 feet |
| R3-Surface: | Concrete |
Royal Air Force Long Kesh, or more simply RAF Long Kesh, is a former Royal Air Force station at Maze, Lisburn, Northern Ireland.
Various aircraft operated from the airfield during the Second World War, including the Supermarine Seafire and Spitfire.
In 1940–1941, during Second World War, RAF Long Kesh was a primary attack target in "Operation Green", a planned second front to accompany "Operation Sea Lion" for the conquest of the British Isles by Nazi Germany. RAF Long Kesh was to be attacked and wrecked by German airborne forces, whilst Aldergrove, Nutts Corner and Langford Lodge were to be captured.
Hangars were constructed at the airfield by the Ministry of Aircraft Production for the use of Short Brothers to assemble the Short Stirling bomber.[1] Some Stirlings were also built at the site, before their assembly line moved to RAF Maghaberry, the aircraft production facilities at RAF Long Kesh then concentrated on aircraft wing manufacturing. One of the RAF Long Kesh hangars was later used by Miles Aircraft for final assembly and test flying work of the Miles Messenger, which was made at its factory in a linen mill at Banbridge. The hangars are now the home of the Ulster Aviation Society and their collection of military, civil and general aviation aircraft. [2]
See main article: HM Prison Maze. From August 1971, during The Troubles, the then disused airfield and facilities of RAF Long Kesh became the Long Kesh Detention Centre, where Irish paramilitary suspects were detained by the British government without trial (under the Special Powers Act of 1922) during the Operation Demetrius phase of Operation Banner. In May 1974 Long Kesh housed 747 internees.[4] On 15 October 1974 internees burned 21 of the compounds used to house the internees thereby destroying much of the camp.[5] From 1976 the makeshift structures housing the detainees were replaced by newly constructed "H-Blocks", and the facility was re-designated HM Prison Maze.