Ours to Hold. RAF Aldergrove at War 1939 – 1945
by T G Docherty

The aerodrome at Aldergrove opened in 1918 and was used for testing of Handley Page V/1500 bombers built by Harland & Wolff but just over a year later it closed. The airfield was retained for RAF use and re-opened on an annual basis for exercises until 1922 when 2 Sqn arrived with Bristol FE2b’s. The station expanded and in 1925, 502 Sqn formed here with Vickers Vimys. Throughout the interwar period a number of bomber squadron flew from the airfield until a change of role in 1936 saw Aldergrove become an Armament Training Station.

502 Sqn and the Air Observer School continued to operate from Aldergrove following the outbreak of WW2 with 502 flying anti- submarine patrols. In the early part of the war a number of squadrons came and went including 231, 245 and 254 Squadrons. During this period the mix of Blenheims and Hurricanes provided maritime and air defence cover for the coastal waters around Ulster and Belfast city.

Hudsons were also to be seen at Aldergrove as were Whitleys and Hampdens. By 1941 Beaufighters were also visible in numbers, providing both air defence and coastal strike capability. In addition a Meteorological Flight operated a mix of Gladiators, Hampdens, Hudsons and later Hurricanes, Spitfires and Halifaxes throughout the war. The station was also home to 23 Maintenance Unit, which was responsible for the storage, repair and maintenance of a wide variety of aircraft types, a role it carried out until the 1960’s.

In mid-1942 the operational squadron had left Aldergrove to be replaced by a number of training and support units equipped variously with Beauforts, Beaufighters, Hudsons and Gladiators. The training role for Aldergrove was short lived though and by early 1943 operational squadrons had returned in the form of 120 Sqn with Liberators and 220 Sqn with Flying Fortresses. In February 1943 they were joined by another Liberator unit, 86 Sqn. By now the Battle of the Atlantic was in full swing and the Liberator and Fortress squadrons were fully engaged in combat with the U-boats. In May another Liberator squadron, No.59, arrived to continue the U-boat war.

By September 1943 the Liberator and Fortress squadrons had departed from Aldergrove leaving the Met Flt and the Armament practice Camp as the main occupiers. The following month another training unit was formed; 1674 heavy Conversion Unit. This unit operated Liberators, Fortresses and Halifax’s and trained crews for anti-submarine and meteorological reconnaissance units of Coastal Command. In July 1945 following the end of the war in Europe a number of changes occurred at the base with the closure of the HCU and the APC. The Met Flt was absorbed into 518 Sqn and continued to operate from Aldergrove. Alongside a detachment of 280 Sqn for Air-Sea Rescue duties.

With the end of the war 518 Sqn became 202 Sqn and soldiered on for several years. 502 Sqn reformed at its former home in 1948, having given great service in WW2. A number of Coastal Command units were based at Aldergrove post war, including, 202, 224 and 120 Squadrons. The station also saw a return of armament training as well as numerous Fighter Command detachments both for armament training and defence of the province.

By 1957 502 Sqn had disbanded and the fighters and coastal aircraft were slowly replaced by helicopters by the end of the 1960s. By then the role of the unit had changed to support of the army in anti-terrorist operations. This brought 72 Sqn with Wessex and later Pumas and in the 1990s 230 Sqn also with Pumas. The army also had a strong presence on the airfield in the form of Lynx and Gazelle helicopter squadrons and a flight of Islander aircraft. With the peace agreement brokered in the mid-90’s the numbers of helicopters reduced; however the RAF and Army still maintain a strong presence. The airfield is also notable for being split in half with the military presence on one side of the runway, which is shared from the other by the civil airlines and cargo aircraft operating from Belfast International Airport. The presence of aircraft at Aldergrove is assured for many years to come.

About the author

Tom Docherty is originally from Fife in Scotland but now lives in Moray. He joined the RAF in 1978 and served for a number of years in the Air Traffic Control branch before transferring to the Air Loadmaster branch. Tom spent six years on Chinook helicopters in England, Germany and in the Middle East during the 1991 Gulf War. Following this Tom transferred to Wessex and then Puma helicopters in Northern Ireland for nearly 10 years and is still serving at the time of writing.

Available from 20th June 2008

236mm x 170mm

256 pages

118 Black and White Photos & 48 Colour Plates

ISBN: 978-1-906183-03-5

£20 RRP. Free P&P when ordered direct from the publisher

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