Royal Air Force Drem, or more simply RAF Drem, is a former Royal Air Force station, just north of the village of Drem in East Lothian, Scotland. The motto of the station was Exiit Hinc Lumen which means "Light has departed from this place".

RAF Drem
RNAS Drem (HMS Nighthawk)
West Fenton Aerodrome
Gullane Aerodrome
Drem, East Lothian in Scotland
RAF Drem is located in East Lothian
RAF Drem
RAF Drem
Shown within East Lothian
RAF Drem is located in the United Kingdom
RAF Drem
RAF Drem
RAF Drem (the United Kingdom)
Coordinates56°01′19″N 2°47′38″W / 56.022°N 2.794°W / 56.022; -2.794
TypeRoyal Air Force station
CodeDE[1]
Site information
OwnerAir Ministry
Admiralty
OperatorRoyal Flying Corps
Royal Air Force
Royal Navy
Controlled byRAF Flying Training Command (1939)
RAF Fighter Command (1939 - 1945)
* No. 13 Group RAF[1]
Fleet Air Arm (1942 - 1946)
*lodger unit (1942 - 1945)
Site history
Built1917 (1917)
In use1917 - March 1946 (1946)
Battles/warsFirst World War
European theatre of World War II
Airfield information
Elevation11 metres (36 ft)[1] AMSL
Runways
Direction Length and surface
00/00  Grass
00/00  Grass
00/00  Grass

History

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The foundation of Drem as an airfield, precedes the creation of the Royal Air Force (RAF) as by 1916, an airfield had been established under the name West Fenton Aerodrome. From 1916 to 1917, No. 77 Home Defence Squadron, Royal Flying Corps operated from Drem and in April 1918, No. 2 Training Depot Station opened.

Between April and 14 August 1918, the American 41st Aero Squadron under the command of Lieutenant Warren C. Woodward was temporarily located at Drem together with an aero repair flight company. The Americans called the airfield "Gullane" in its official history. The squadron transferred to St Maixent in France and arrived at its operational airfield of Romorantin on 29 August 1918.

By November 1918, West Fenton had been renamed Gullane Aerodrome and with the post-war demobilisation the airfield was vacated in 1919. From 1933 to 1939, the airfield saw only occasional use by visiting squadrons.

It was at this time, while stationed there in 1934, that Victor Goddard had his paranormal vision of the airfield as it might appear in the then future 1939.[2]

In 1939, the grass airstrip was resurfaced, and the unit was renamed RAF Drem. The station was then home to No. 13 Flying Training School.

Following the outbreak of the Second World War, RAF Drem became an air defence fighter unit for the city of Edinburgh and the shipping area around the Firth of Forth, with Supermarine Spitfire of 602 Squadron posted to Drem.

On 16 October 1939, the Luftwaffe made its first attack on Great Britain. Junkers Ju 88s of 1/KG 30 led by Hauptmann Helmuth Pohle attacked British warships in the Firth of Forth. Spitfires from 603 Squadron (City of Edinburgh Squadron) joined 602 Squadron aircraft in a defensive counter-air sortie. Following the destruction of a Luftwaffe bomber aircraft by a 603 Squadron Spitfire, 602 Squadron pilot Flight Lieutenant George Pinkerton gained the second kill of the Second World War.

In 1940, an airfield lighting system for night landings, the Drem Lighting System, was developed at RAF Drem.

Royal Australian Air Force 453 Squadron was re-established at Drem on 18 June 1942, equipped with Supermarine Spitfire aircraft, and joined the RAF's Fighter Command.[3]

Royal Navy

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In 1942, a request for lodger facilities for the Royal Navy at RAF Drem was granted and Royal Naval Air Section Drem became home to 784 Night Fighter Training Squadron. On 21 April 1945 the airbase was transferred from No. 13 Group, on loan to the Admiralty, known as Royal Naval Air Station Drem (RNAS Drem) and was commissioned as HMS Nighthawk. Its primary role was Naval Night Fighter School and Night Fighter Direction Centre. 770 Fleet Requirements Unit had moved from RNAS Dunino in July 1944 and in May 1945 732 Night Fighter Training School formed at RNAS Drem. A number of Fleet Air Arm squadrons used the airbase when disembarking from aircraft carrier operations between 1943 and 1945. March 1946 saw the airfield transfer back into RAF control,[4] and the unit was returned to the Air Ministry although it was closed and then decommissioned not long after that.

Units and aircraft

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Unit From To Aircraft Version Notes
No. 77 Squadron RFC 1916 1917 Royal Aircraft Factory B.E.2
Royal Aircraft Factory B.E.12
Squadron headquartered in Edinburgh. West Fenton was one of various landing grounds used.
41st Aero Squadron, US Army April 1918 August 1918 SPAD S.VII
Sopwith Camel
RAF No. 2 Training Depot Station 15 April 1918 1919 Sopwith Pup
Sopwith Camel
Royal Aircraft Factory S.E.5
No. 151 Squadron RAF 21 February 1919 10 September 1919 Cadre, no aircraft allocated
No. 152 Squadron RAF 21 February 1919 30 June 1919 Cadre, no aircraft allocated
No. 13 Flying Training School RAF 17 March 1939 3 September 1939 Airspeed Oxford
Hawker Audax
Hawker Hart
No. 13 Service Flying Training School RAF 3 September 1939 27 October 1939 Airspeed Oxford
Hawker Audax
Hawker Hart
No. 602 Squadron RAF 13 October 1939 14 April 1940 Supermarine Spitfire Mk.I
No. 609 Squadron RAF 17 October 1939 5 December 1939 Supermarine Spitfire Mk.I
No. 72 Squadron RAF 1 December 1939 12 January 1940 Supermarine Spitfire Mk.I
No. 111 Squadron RAF 7 December 1939 27 February 1940 Hawker Hurricane Mk.I
No. 609 Squadron RAF 10 January 1940 20 May 1940 Supermarine Spitfire Mk.I
No. 29 Squadron RAF 4 April 1940 10 May 1940 Bristol Blenheim Mk.IF
No. 603 Squadron RAF 14 April 1940 5 May 1940 Supermarine Spitfire Mk.I
No. 245 Squadron RAF 12 May 1940 5 June 1940 Hawker Hurricane Mk.I
No. 605 Squadron RAF 28 May 1940 7 September 1940 Hawker Hurricane Mk.I
No. 145 Squadron RAF 14 August 1940 31 August 1940 Hawker Hurricane Mk.I
No. 263 Squadron RAF 2 September 1940 28 November 1940 Hawker Hurricane
Westland Whirlwind
Mk.I
Mk.I
Converting from Hurricane to Whirlwind
No. 111 Squadron RAF 8 September 1940 12 October 1940 Hawker Hurricane Mk.I
No. 141 Squadron RAF 15 October 1940 22 October 1940 Boulton Paul Defiant Mk.I
No. 232 Squadron RAF 24 October 1940 11 November 1940 Hawker Hurricane Mk.I
No. 607 Squadron RAF 8 November 1940 12 December 1940 Hawker Hurricane Mk.I
No. 258 Squadron RAF 4 December 1940 17 December 1940 Hawker Hurricane Mk.I
No. 43 Squadron RAF 12 December 1940 22 February 1941 Hawker Hurricane Mk.I
No. 603 Squadron RAF 13 December 1940 27 February 1941 Supermarine Spitfire Mk.I
No. 43 Squadron RAF 1 March 1941 4 October 1941 Hawker Hurricane Mk.I, IIA & IIB Converted to Hurricane Mk.IIA & IIB during April 1941.
No. 607 Squadron RAF 2 March 1941 16 April 1941 Hawker Hurricane Mk.I
No. 600 Squadron RAF 14 March 1941 27 April 1941 Bristol Blenheim
Bristol Beaufighter
Mk.IF
Mk.IF
No. 260 Squadron RAF 16 April 1941 19 May 1941 Hawker Hurricane Mk.I
No. 64 Squadron RAF 17 May 1941 7 August 1941 Supermarine Spitfire Mk.IIA
No. 123 Squadron RAF 6 August 1941 22 September 1941 Supermarine Spitfire Mk.I
No. 64 Squadron RAF 4 October 1941 16 November 1941 Supermarine Spitfire Mk.IIA
No. 611 Squadron RAF 12 November 1941 3 June 1942 Supermarine Spitfire Mk.IIA, IIB & VB
No. 340 (Free French) Squadron RAF 20 December 1941 1 January 1942 Supermarine Spitfire Mk.IIA
No. 410 Squadron RCAF 6 August 1941 15 June 1942 Boulton Paul Defiant
Bristol Beaufighter
Mk.I
Mk.IIF
Converted to Beaufighter April–May 1942
No. 242 Squadron RAF 1 June 1942 11 August 1942 Supermarine Spitfire Mk.VB
No. 453 Squadron RAAF 9 June 1942 25 September 1942 Supermarine Spitfire Mk.VB
No. 137 Squadron RAF 2 August 1942 11 August 1942 Westland Whirlwind Mk.I
No. 222 Squadron RAF 10 August 1942
15 August 1942
21 August 1942
22 October 1942
Supermarine Spitfire Mk.VB
No. 65 Squadron RAF 26 September 1942
11 October 1942
2 October 1942
3 January 1943
Supermarine Spitfire Mk.VB
784 Naval Air Squadron 18 October 1942 1 February 1946 Avro Anson
Fairey Fulmar
Fairey Firefly
Grumman Hellcat
North American Harvard
Naval night-fighter school
No. 197 Squadron RAF 25 November 1942 28 March 1943 Hawker Typhoon Mk.IA & IB
No. 124 Squadron RAF 29 December 1942 21 January 1943 Supermarine Spitfire Mk.VI
No. 65 Squadron RAF 10 January 1943 29 March 1943 Supermarine Spitfire Mk.VB
No. 186 Squadron RAF 27 April 1943 3 August 1943 Squadron reforming, no aircraft allocated
No. 340 (Free French) Squadron RAF 30 April 1943 9 November 1943 Supermarine Spitfire Mk.VB
No. 1692 (Radio Development) Flight RAF 5 July 1943 10 December 1943 Boulton Paul Defiant
Bristol Beaufighter
Radar-jamming trials
No. 130 Squadron RAF 30 March 1943 30 April 1943 Supermarine Spitfire Mk.VB
No. 488 Squadron RNZAF 3 August 1943 3 September 1943 Bristol Beaufighter
de Havilland Mosquito
Mk.VIF
Mk.XII
Converting from Beaufighter to Mosquito. Previously a detachment at Drem since September 1942 (Beaufighter IIF & VIF)
No. 96 Squadron RAF 4 September 1943 8 November 1943 Bristol Beaufighter
de Havilland Mosquito
Mk.VIF
Mk.XIII
Converted to Mosquito during October–November 1943
No. 281 Squadron RAF 9 October 1943 22 November 1943 Supermarine Walrus
Avro Anson
Mk.I
Mk.I
Air-sea rescue unit
No. 307 (Polish) Squadron RAF 9 November 1943 2 March 1944 de Havilland Mosquito Mk.II
No. 485 Squadron RNZAF 21 November 1943 28 February 1944 Supermarine Spitfire Mk.VB
No. 486 Squadron RNZAF 28 February 1944 6 March 1944 Hawker Typhoon
Hawker Tempest
Mk.IB
Mk.V
Converting from Typhoon to Tempest
No. 29 Squadron RAF 1 March 1944 1 May 1944 de Havilland Mosquito Mk.XII & XIII Converting from Mk.XII to Mk.XIII
No. 91 Squadron RAF 17 March 1944 23 April 1944 Supermarine Spitfire Mk.XIV
No. 309 (Polish) Squadron RAF 23 April 1944 14 November 1944 Hawker Hurricane
North American Mustang
Mk.IIC
Mk. I & III
Converted to Mustang September–October 1944
770 Naval Air Squadron 16 July 1944 1 October 1945 (various) Fleet Requirements Unit
No. 340 (Free French) Squadron RAF 17 December 1944 30 January 1945 Supermarine Spitfire Mk.IXB
722 Naval Air Squadron 15 May 1945 November 1945 Naval night-fighter school (merged into 784 Squadron November 1945)
No. 81 Squadron RAF

(Sources:[5][6])

The following units were here at some point:[7]

Most of the units based at Drem during the Second World War were fighter or night-fighter squadrons, which were often based at Drem for relatively short periods. This was typical of many fighter stations in Scotland and Northern England as although Luftwaffe activity in these areas was relatively limited for most of the war, they still required to be defended. Squadrons would therefore be rotated north to cover "quiet" sectors whilst also resting, absorbing replacement aircrews and/or converting to new aircraft. As the war progressed the Luftwaffe threat to Britain diminished further and surplus fighter stations could be transferred to other uses, such as (in the case of Drem) training of Fleet Air Arm crews.

In addition to the units and dates listed above, Drem also hosted detachments from various other RAF squadrons from time to time. These were mostly fighter and night-fighter units, but detachments from 278 or 281 (Air-Sea Rescue) Squadrons were also present for extended periods during 1942 and 1943.

Current use

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At present, the RAF Drem Museum is housed in what was RAF Drem's mess accommodation.

Various business premises occupy the rest of the accommodation section of the airfield.

Equestrian activities occupy areas of the greater airfield.

A radio controlled model flying club have a strip on the southern edge of the field just off the peritrack.

References

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Citations

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  1. ^ a b c Falconer 2012, p. 83.
  2. ^ Goddard, Victor (1975). Flight Towards Reality. UK: Turnstone. ISBN 9780855000455.
  3. ^ "No. 453 Squadron". Australian War Memorial (AWM).
  4. ^ "R.N.A.S. Drem". Royal Navy Research Archive - Fleet Air Arm Bases 1939 - present day. Retrieved 30 October 2023.
  5. ^ Jefford 1988, p. 159.
  6. ^ Smith 1983, p. 81.
  7. ^ "Drem (Gullane) (West Fenton)". Airfields of Britain Conservation Trust. Retrieved 12 June 2020.
  8. ^ Sturtivant, Hamlin & Halley 1997, p. 253.
  9. ^ Sturtivant, Hamlin & Halley 1997, p. 270.

Bibliography

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  • Falconer, J (2012). RAF Airfields of World War 2. UK: Ian Allan Publishing. ISBN 978-1-85780-349-5.
  • 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.
  • Smith, D J (1983). Action Stations: Vol 7. Military airfields of Scotland, the North-East and Northern Ireland. Cambridge: Patrick Stephens Limited. ISBN 0-85059-563-0.
  • Sturtivant, R; Hamlin, J; Halley, J (1997). Royal Air Force flying training and support units. UK: Air-Britain (Historians). ISBN 0-85130-252-1.
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