RAF Woodvale Celebrate 75th Anniversary
On the 7th December, RAF Woodvale celebrated it’s 75 years anniversary as an active RAF airfield.
Formed on the 1st December 1941, RAF Woodvale was originally built as an all weather, night fighter airfield for the defence of Liverpool. It has gone through many changes over the years; during the Second World War RAF Squadrons came up from the south of London to rest for short periods. In April 1945 Woodvale briefly became a tender for the Royal Navy’s Fleet Air Airfield at Burscough, known as HMS Ringtail II.
After the war and a period of inactivity, RAF Woodvale reopened in June 1946, with F14 Spitfires from 611 (West Lancashire) Squadron, Royal Auxiliary Air Force. Spitfires and Hurricanes base Tempurature and Humidity Flight operated from the base from 1953 to 1958. In June 1957 the Legendary Spitfire made its last operational flight, in active military marking from RAF Woodvale. On the 1 January 1958 Meteors operated from No 5 Civilian Anti-Aircraft Co-operation Unit until its disbandment in 1971. Since 1971 RAF Woodvale has been an RAF training unit.
To commerate RAF Woodvale’s 75th Anniversary, station personnel and invited guests attended a short Rededication Ceremony in the hangar followed by a reception in the Officers Mess. The Station Commander, Wg Cdr David Hooton said: “Commanding RAF Woodvale on the occasion of its 75th Anniversary is an extremely proud moment for me. The station is not ‘front line’ but quietly and efficiently gets on with the task of supporting Royal Air Force in many ways, as it always has”
To learn more about RAF Woodvale visit http://www.raf.mod.uk/organisation/45squadron.cfm
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