Royal Air Force Germany

The former Royal Air Force Germany (RAFG) was a command of the Royal Air Force and part of British Forces Germany. It consisted of units located in Germany, initially as part of the occupation following the Second World War, and later as part of the RAF's commitment to the defence of Europe during the Cold War. The commander of RAFG doubled as commander of NATO's Second Allied Tactical Air Force.

Royal Air Force Germany
Active1 January 1959 - 1993
CountryGermany
Allegiance United Kingdom
Branch Royal Air Force
Part ofBritish Armed Forces,
UK Ministry of Defence
Nickname(s)RAFG
Motto(s)Keepers of the Peace[1]
MarchRoyal Air Force March Past

History
Hawker Hunter F.6 in No. 4 Squadron RAF colours at Luftwaffe Museum, Gatow-Berlin
A Phantom FGR Mk 2 of No. 92 Squadron landing at RAF Wildenrath in the mid-1980s
Royal Air Force Germany airfields with flying units in 1989 (all located in North Rhine-Westphalia)
Tornado GR.1 Harrier GR.5 Phantom FGR.2

From 1954 Canberra bombers equipped 69 (briefly), 102, 103, 104, 149 Squadrons, and later 59 Squadron at RAF Gütersloh. This force was under Bomber Command control from Britain and had been moved to Germany because of overcrowding of suitable airfields in the UK. With the establishment of the British nuclear bomber forces in the context of NATO's strategy of massive retaliation the Canberra bomber squadrons were again withdrawn from Germany.

After 1955, the majority of the airfields were handed over to the newly established German Air Force and RAF Bückeburg to the army of the German Armed Forces. The number of RAF squadrons were reduced. This was both because of the nuclear strategy of NATO and for financial reasons after the fiasco of the Suez crisis. From 1 January 1959 the command was officially called Royal Air Force Germany, the RAF Second Tactical Air Force (2TAF) renamed. At this time the focus was the flying units already on just six main use airfields RAF Bruggen, RAF Geilenkirchen, RAF Gutersloh, RAF Jever (No. 2 Squadron, Swifts), RAF Laarbruch and RAF Wildenrath. Important aircraft types at this time were the Canberra as night fighting-suited fighter bombers to three and the Hunter as a day fighter stationed at two airports. From 1960 around the clock there were two on alert Canberra loaded with tactical nuclear weapons who were ready within 15 minutes. In addition there were two seasons that the Swift used them as scouts and four squadrons of Gloster Javelin all-weather interceptors. Two English Electric Lightning squadrons - No. 92 Squadron RAF and No. 19 Squadron RAF - arrived in Germany from 1965.

RAF Jever was transferred in 1961 and RAF Geilenkirchen in 1968, reducing the command to four flying airfields. When Geilenkirchen closed, it appears there were two flying squadrons at the station. No. 3 Squadron RAF moved to RAF Laarbruch and No. 92 Squadron RAF moved to RAF Gutersloh.

RAF Germany was disbanded as a separate command in 1993 as part of the reduction of British Armed Forces presence in Europe at the cessation of the Cold War. The remaining RAF forces in Germany ceased to be a separate command, and instead became No 2 Group RAF, part of RAF Strike Command. No 2 Group was then disbanded on 1 April 1996 by being absorbed into No 1 Group RAF.

Flying units in 1989

Note 1: Unit with nuclear strike role with 18x WE.177 tactical nuclear weapons.

RAFG Stations & Establishments
NameYears activeCurrent use/Notes
RAF Ahlhorn1945-1958now German Airfield Ahlhorner heath
RAF Bad Kolgrub
RAF Barrel MountainArmy Air Base Barrel Mountain
RAF Blankensee
RAF Bruggen1958-2002(UK) Elmpt Station, Javelin Barracks
RAF Bückeburg1946-1960Bückeburg Air Base
RAF ButzweilerhofAugust 1951 - 31 January 1967Residential/Retail Area
RAF Celle11 April 1945 – 29 November 1957Celle Air Base
RAF FassbergApril 1945 - 1 January 1957Faßberg Air Base
RAF Fuhlsbüttel
RAF Gatow19 August 1945 – 7 September 1994General-Steinhoff Kaserne and Bundeswehr Museum of Military History - Berlin-Gatow Airfield
RAF GeilenkirchenMay 1953 - March 1968NATO Air Base Geilenkirchen
RAF Gütersloh27 June 1945 – 1993Princess Royal Barracks, Gütersloh
RAF Hambühren
RAF Hehn11 Signals Unit main communications centre for RAFG and BAOR land line communications
RAF Hustedt
RAF Husuma remote radar station on the coast near Husum, Schleswig-Holstein
RAF JeverApril 1945 - 1961Jever Air Base
RAF LaarbruchMarch 1945 - 1999Weeze Airport
RAF Lübeck1945 - 1997Lübeck Airport
RAF Lüneburg
RAF Nordhorn1945 - March 2001air weapons range
RAF Nörvenich-mid-1950sNörvenich Air Base
RAF Oldenburg-October 1957German Air Force
RAF Plantlünne
RAF RheindahlenOctober 1945 - December 2013
RAF Schleswigland1945 - October 1959Schleswig Air Base
RAF Sundern
RAF Sylt1945 - 16 October 1961Sylt Airport
RAF Uetersen- November 1955From November 1948 to March 1950 HQ No. 85 Group RAF, RAF presence until end of November 1955.
RAF WahnCologne Bonn Airport
RAF Hospital Wegberg1953 - 1 April 1996HQ British Forces Germany Health Service (BFGHS)
RAF Wildenrath15 January 1952 – 1 April 1992
RAF Winterberg
RAF Wunstorf7 April 1945 - 1957Wunstorf Air Base

See also

References
  1. Pine, L G (1983). A Dictionary of mottoes. London: Routledge & Kegan Paul. p. 122. ISBN 0-7100-9339-X.

Further reading
  • British Garrison Berlin 1945 -1994, "No where to go", W. Durie ISBN 978-3-86408-068-5
Preceded by
Second Tactical Air Force (2TAF)		 RAF Germany
1959–1993		 Succeeded by
No. 2 Group RAF
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