RAF Gütersloh


Royal Air Force Station Gütersloh, more commonly known as RAF Gütersloh, was a Royal Air Force Germany military airfield, the nearest Royal Air Force airfield to the East/West German border, in the vicinity of the town of Gütersloh. It was constructed by the Germans prior to World War II. The station was captured by the Americans in April 1945 and was handed over to the RAF in June 1945 as Headquarters No. 2 Group RAF.

History

Its early history is largely undetermined. It is known that construction began in 1935, and the station was active in 1944–45 with Ju 88 Nightfighters of 5./NJG 2 as part of the Defense of the Reich defensive aerial campaign fought by the Luftwaffe.
The tower of the Officers' Mess contains a room known as Göring's Room. Legend has it that Hermann Göring used this room to relive his wartime exploits with the new generation of flyers. Reportedly a favourite expression of his was "If I should lie, may the beam above my head crack". In response to this a junior officer arranged that the beam be sawn through and, by a system of pulleys, that the beam should appear to crack in response to the Reichmarschall's challenge. An article appearing in Flight magazine in 1946 has the same story with "an elderly station commander" featuring in the Göring role. From interviews with Luftwaffe personnel of the period, it appears that Göring visited the station before and during the war. A photograph of the Reichmarschall supposedly at Gütersloh is displayed in the Officers' Mess.
The station was captured by the Americans in April 1945 and designated as "Advanced Landing Ground Y-99". The Americans laid down a 4,000-foot SMT hardened runway and the Ninth Air Force operated F-4 Lightning and F-5 Mustang reconnaissance aircraft of the 363d Tactical Reconnaissance Group in late April. Also the P-38 Lightning-equipped 370th Fighter Group operated from Gütersloh until the German capitulation on 8 May 1945. The 370th remained until the airfield was turned over to the RAF as part of the formation of the British Occupation Zone of Germany on 27 June 1945.

RAF Control

The RAF established Headquarters No. 2 Group RAF after the Americans moved south. From 1958 RAF Gütersloh fell under the operational command of 2d ATAF, like all other RAFG stations. The RAF initially built a 1,830 metres/meter long runway, which was later lengthened to 2,252 metres/meters
During its history as an RAF station, it was home to two squadrons of the English Electric Lightning F2/F2A – No. 92 Squadron RAF and No. 19 Squadron RAF from 1968 to 1976. These provided two aircraft for the Quick Response Alert, able to scramble within minutes. It then became home to No. 3 Squadron RAF and No. 4 Squadron RAF which flew successive variants of the BAe Harrier. After the Harriers departed, the RAF continued to operate helicopters, No. 18 Squadron RAF with the Boeing Chinook and No. 230 Squadron RAF with the Puma HC1.
RAF Gütersloh closed and was transferred to the British Army on 30 June 1993.

RAF units and aircraft

UnitDatesAircraftVariantNotes
No. 2 Squadron RAF1952–1953
1961–1970		Gloster Meteor
Hawker Hunter		PR.10
FR.10
No. 3 Squadron RAF1948–1952
1977–1992		de Havilland Vampire
Hawker Siddeley Harrier		FB.1, FB.4
GR.3, GR.5, GR.7
No. 4 Squadron RAF1961–1970
1977–1992		Hawker Hunter
Hawker Siddeley Harrier		FR10
GR.3, GR.5, GR.7
No. 14 Squadron RAF1958–1962Hawker HunterF.4
No. 16 Squadron RAF1947
1948
1948		Hawker TempestF.2
No. 18 Squadron RAF1965–1968
1970–1980
1983–1993		Westland Wessex
Westland Wessex
Boeing Chinook		HC.2
HC.2
HC.1		1992/1993 also with Puma HC.1
No. 19 Squadron RAF1965–1976English Electric LightningF.2, F.2A
No. 20 Squadron RAF1958–1960Hawker HunterF.6
No. 21 Squadron RAF1945
1946		de Havilland MosquitoVIBased three times in 1946
No. 26 Squadron RAF1947
1948
1958–1960		Hawker Tempest
Hawker Tempest
Hawker Hunter		F.2
F.2
F.6		Based three times in 1948
No. 33 Squadron RAF1947
1948
1948		Hawker TempestF2
No. 59 Squadron RAF1956–1957English Electric CanberraB.2, B.8
No. 67 Squadron RAF1950–1952de Havilland VampireFB.5
No. 69 Squadron RAF1954English Electric CanberraPR.3
No. 71 Squadron RAF1950–1952de Havilland VampireFB.5
No. 79 Squadron RAF1951–1954
1956–1960		Gloster Meteor
Supermarine Swift		FR.9
FR.5
No. 80 Squadron RAF1948Supermarine SpitfireF.24Based twice
No. 92 Squadron RAF1968–1977English Electric LightningF.2, F.2A
No. 102 Squadron RAF1954–1956English Electric CanberraB.2
No. 103 Squadron RAF1954–1956English Electric CanberraB.2
No. 104 Squadron RAF1955–1956English Electric CanberraB.2
No. 107 Squadron RAF1945
1946
1946
1947		de Havilland MosquitoVIBased three times in 1947
No. 149 Squadron RAF1954–1956English Electric CanberraB.2
No. 230 Squadron RAF1963–1964
1980–1992		Westland Whirlwind
Westland Puma		HC.10
HC.1
No. 541 Squadron RAF1952
1954		Gloster Meteor
Gloster Meteor		PR.10
PR.10

Gütersloh under the British Army

Following the withdrawal by the Royal Air Force in 1993, the base became a British Army Garrison, called the Princess Royal Barracks, Gütersloh, a base for British Army helicopters, and Royal Logistic Corps Regiments.
In September 2016 the final Soldiers left Princess Royal Barracks for the last time.