RAF Khormaksar

Royal Air Force Khormaksar or more simply RAF Khormaksar was a Royal Air Force station in Aden, Yemen. Its motto was "Into the Remote Places".[1] During the 1960s, it was the base for nine squadrons and became the RAF's busiest-ever station as well as the biggest staging post for the RAF between the United Kingdom and Singapore.

RAF Khormaksar
Aden in Yemen
Motto: Into the Remote Places
RAF Khormaksar Shown within Yemen
Coordinates	12°49′46″N 045°01′45″E
Type	Royal Air Force station
Site information
Owner	Ministry of Defence
Operator	Royal Air Force
Site history
Built	1917
In use	1917 – 29 November 1967
Airfield information
Identifiers	IATA: ADE, ICAO: OYAA
Elevation	1 metre (3 ft 3 in) AMSL
Runways Direction Length and surface 08/26  Asphalt

It later became Aden International Airport.

History

Established in 1917, RAF Khormaksar was enlarged in 1945 as the British spread their influence deeper into the Arabian Peninsula. No. 8 Squadron RAF arrived in 1927, and stayed until 1945, operating the Fairey IIIF, Vickers Vincent, Hawker Demon, Martin Maryland, Fairey Swordfish, and the Lockheed Hudson.

On 10 June 1940, Italy declared war on Britain and France, and Aden quickly became an important British base for the East African Campaign. Khormaksar launched its first combat sorties three days later, when 8 Squadron sent nine Blenheims to bomb an airfield at Assab in Italian-occupied Eritrea, across the Red Sea from Aden on 12 June. Five Vincents attacking the same airfield that night.[2] On 5 August 1940, Italy invaded British Somaliland, and 8 Squadron's Blenheims flew missions against advancing Italian troop columns. The Italians heavily outnumbered the British and Commonwealth defences, and the port of Berbera, immediately south of Aden across the Gulf of Aden, was occupied by the Italians on 19 August.[3][4]

8 Squadron continued to be based at Khormaksar equipped with Bristol Blenheims. The squadron flew Vickers Wellington XIIIs were flown from December 1943 until May 1945.[5]

In 1943 a Communication Squadron, HQ British Forces Aden Communication Squadron, was established here. It changed names twice in 1951 and 1955 before being disbanded in 1956.

In 1958, a state of emergency was declared in Aden as Yemeni forces occupied nearby Jebel Jehaf and RAF squadrons were involved in action in support of the British Army. In the 1960s, during operations around Rhadfan, the station reached a peak of activity, becoming overcrowded and attracting ground attacks by rebels. In 1966, the newly elected Labour government in the United Kingdom announced that all forces would be withdrawn by 1968.[6]

Belvedere HC.1 of 26 Squadron based at Khormaksar c. 1964

In May 1967, it was expected that planned final force levels at Kormaksar ahead of the January 1968 withdrawal would be:[7]

*The Army element, comprising Tactical Headquarters Aden Brigade, one commando, one battalion, one armoured car troop, one light artillery troop, one engineer troop and elements of the small Joint Headquarters. Total of some 1,150 personnel.

*The RAF element, comprising a squadron of Hunters and a Wessex flight (both with servicing support parties), a visiting aircraft servicing party, the Communications Centre, elements of an ATOC, movements, airfield services and elements of the Joint Headquarters. Total of some 350 personnel.

Khormaksar played a role in the evacuation of British families from Aden in the summer of 1967. The station closed on 29 November 1967.

Units and aircraft

Unit	Dates	Aircraft	Variant	Notes
No. 8 Squadron RAF	1927–1945; 1946–1967 with some interruptions	Frequent changes of aircraft type (see below)		See below
No. 12 Squadron RAF	1935–1936	Hawker Hart		[8]
No. 21 Squadron RAF	1965–1967	Douglas Dakota Hawker Siddeley Andover	CC.2
No. 26 Squadron RAF	1963–1965	Bristol Belvedere	HC.1
No. 37 Squadron RAF	1957–1967	Avro Shackleton	MR.2
No. 41 Squadron RAF	Oct 1935 – Mar 1936	Hawker Demon	Mk I	To Sheikh Othman Mar-Aug 1936
No. 43 Squadron RAF	1963–1967	Hawker Hunter	FGA.9
No. 73 Squadron RAF	1956	de Havilland Venom	FB.1
No. 78 Squadron RAF	1956–1967	Scottish Aviation Pioneer Scottish Aviation Twin Pioneer Percival Pembroke Westland Wessex	CC.1 C.1 CC.1 HC.2
No. 84 Squadron RAF	1956–1967	Various
No. 94 Squadron RAF	1939	Gloster Gladiator	I and II
No. 105 Squadron RAF	1962–1967	Armstrong Whitworth Argosy	C.1
No. 114 Squadron RAF	1945	de Havilland Mosquito	VI	Originally used the Douglas Boston
No. 203 Squadron RAF	1940	Bristol Blenheim	IV
No. 208 Squadron RAF	1961–1964	Hawker Hunter	FGA.9	also 1956 detached from RAF Akrotiri
No. 216 Squadron RAF	1942	Lockheed Hudson	VI	detached from Cairo West
No. 233 Squadron RAF	1960–1964	Vickers Valetta	C.1
No. 244 Squadron RAF	1944	Vickers Wellington	XIII	detached from Masirah
No. 259 Squadron RAF	1943	Consolidated Catalina	IB	detached from Dar es Salaam
No. 265 Squadron RAF	1943	Consolidated Catalina	IB	detached from Dar es Salaam
No. 413 Squadron RCAF	1942–1945	Consolidated Catalina	IV	detached from Koggala
No. 459 Squadron RAAF	1942	Lockheed Hudson	III	detached from LG227 and LG143
No. 621 Squadron RAF	1943–1945	Vickers Wellington	XIII
No. 683 Squadron RAF	1951	Vickers Valetta	C.1
No. 1417 Flight RAF	1958–1960	Gloster Meteor	FR.9
No. 1417 Flight RAF	1963–1967	Hawker Hunter	FR.10 / T.7
Aden Communication Squadron RAF	1 December 1951 – 31 August 1955[9]
Aden Protectorate Communication and Support Squadron RAF	1955–1956[10]
Headquarters British Forces Aden Communication Squadron RAF	1943–1951, became Aden Communication Squadron			[11]
No. 131 Maintenance Unit	March 1942[12] until 1966	Servicing Blackburn Beverley, Armstrong Whitworth Argosy, Scottish Aviation & Bristol Belvedere aircraft in 1965

No. 8 Squadron RAF was based at Khormaksar on eight occasions:[13]

• 1927–1945 operating the Fairey IIIF, Vickers Vincent, Hawker Demon, Bristol Blenheim, Martin Maryland, Fairey Swordfish, Lockheed Hudson and Vickers Wellington
• 1946–1950 operating the de Havilland Mosquito, Hawker Tempest and Bristol Brigand
• 1950–1951 operating the Bristol Brigand, Avro Anson and Auster AOP6
• 1951–1952 as before
• 1952–1953 operating the Bristol Brigand and de Havilland Vampire
• 1953–1956 operating the de Havilland Vampire and de Havilland Venom
• 1956–1961 operating the de Havilland Venom, Gloster Meteor and Hawker Hunter
• 1960–1967 operating the Hawker Hunter FGA.9 and T.7
• 1960–1963 operating the Hawker Hunter FR.10

No. 84 Squadron RAF were based between 1956 and 1967 and operated the Vickers Valetta, Bristol Sycamore, Percival Pembroke, Blackburn Beverley and Hawker Siddeley Andover.

See also

• British Forces Aden
  • Air Forces Middle East

References

Citations

1. Pine, L.G. (1983). A dictionary of mottoes (1 ed.). London: Routledge & Kegan Paul. p. 115. ISBN 0-7100-9339-X.
2. Shores 1996, p. 18–19.
3. "The Ethiopian Campaign - 1940-1941". 8 Squadron Royal Air Force, 4 September 2006. Retrieved 19 September 2012.
4. Shores 1996, pp. 45–54.
5. Halley, 1988, p. 35
6. Brian Lapping, 'End of Empire,' Guild Publishing, London, 1985.
7. Air Forces Middle East. "(extracts from) Operational Order AFME/S216/Air, dated 23 May, 1967". radfanhunters.co.uk. Retrieved 30 November 2020.
8. Jefford 1988, p. 28.
9. Lake 1999, p. 9.
10. Lake 1999.
11. Lake 1999, p. 128.
12. National Archives – A History of 131 MU: Khormaksar
13. Ashworth, Chris (1989). Encyclopaedia of modern Royal Air Force squadrons. Wellingborough: Stephens. pp. 43–45. ISBN 1-85260-013-6.

Bibliography

• Jefford, C G (1988). RAF Squadrons. A comprehensive record of the movement and equipment of all RAF squadrons and their antecedents since 1912. Shrewsbury: Airlife. ISBN 1-85310-053-6.
• Lake, A (1999). Flying units of the RAF. Shrewsbury: Airlife. ISBN 1-84037-086-6.
• Sturtivant, Ray, ISO and John Hamlin. RAF Flying Training And Support Units since 1912. Tonbridge, Kent, UK: Air-Britain (Historians) Ltd., 2007. ISBN 0-85130-365-X.

External links

• Crest Badge and Information of RAF Khormaksar
• Personal histories and photos from RAF Khormaksar in the 1960s
• Photos from RAF Khormaksar in the mid 1960s
• Aircraft stationed and visiting RAF Khormaksar