RAF Gütersloh

Royal Air Force Station Gütersloh
Active	June 1945 – 1993
Country	Germany
Allegiance	UK: British Armed Forces
Branch	Royal Air Force
Type	Flying station
Role	Fighter attack and defence
Part of	RAF Second Tactical Air Force, then Royal Air Force Germany, finally No. 2 Group RAF
Based near	Gütersloh, North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany
Nickname	"Gütersloh", "Gut", "Gutters" "Sunny Gutters"
Motto	Vallis Vesperis
Royal Air Force Ensign
March	Royal Air Force March Past
Equipment	English Electric Lightning, BAe Harrier, Boeing Chinook, Puma HC1

RAF Gütersloh
IATA: GUT – ICAO: ETUO
Summary
Airport type		Military
Owner		Ministry of Defence
Operator		formerly: Royal Air Force, now: British Army
Location		Gütersloh, North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany
Elevation AMSL		236 ft / 72 m
Runways
Direction	Length		Surface
	ft	m
09/27	7,388	2,252	Asphalt

The former Royal Air Force Station Gütersloh, more commonly known as RAF Gütersloh, was a Royal Air Force Germany military airbase, the nearest Royal Air Force airbase 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 base was captured by the Americans in April 1945 and was handed over to the RAF in June 1945 as Headquarters No. 2 Group RAF.

During its history as an RAF base, 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. 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.

Contents 1 RAF units and aircraft 2 Gütersloh today 3 See also 4 References 5 External links

RAF units and aircraft

Unit	Dates	Aircraft	Variant	Notes
No. 2 Squadron RAF	1952-1953 1961-1970	Gloster Meteor Hawker Hunter	PR.10 FR.10
No. 3 Squadron RAF	1948-1952 1977-1992	de Havilland Vampire Hawker Siddeley Harrier	FB.1, FB.4 GR.3, GR.5, GR.7
No. 4 Squadron RAF	1961-1970 1977-1992	Hawker Hunter Hawker Siddeley Harrier	FR10 GR.3, GR.5, GR.7
No. 14 Squadron RAF	1958–1962	Hawker Hunter	F.4
No. 16 Squadron RAF	1947 1948 1948	Hawker Tempest	F.2
No. 18 Squadron RAF	1965-1968 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 RAF	1965–1976	English Electric Lightning	F.2, F.2A
No. 20 Squadron RAF	1958–1960	Hawker Hunter	F.6
No. 21 Squadron RAF	1945 1946	de Havilland Mosquito	VI	Based three times in 1946
No. 26 Squadron RAF	1947 1948 1958-1960	Hawker Tempest Hawker Tempest Hawker Hunter	F.2 F.2 F.6	Based three times in 1948
No. 33 Squadron RAF	1947 1948 1948	Hawker Tempest	F2
No. 59 Squadron RAF	1956–1957	English Electric Canberra	B.2, B(I).8
No. 67 Squadron RAF	1950–1952	de Havilland Vampire	FB.5
No. 69 Squadron RAF	1954	English Electric Canberra	PR.3
No. 71 Squadron RAF	1950–1952	de Havilland Vampire	FB.5
No. 79 Squadron RAF	1951-1954 1956-1960	Gloster Meteor Supermarine Swift	FR.9 FR.5
No. 80 Squadron RAF	1948	Supermarine Spitfire	F.24	Based twice
No. 92 Squadron RAF	1968–1977	English Electric Lightning	F.2, F.2A
No. 102 Squadron RAF	1954–1956	English Electric Canberra	B.2
No. 103 Squadron RAF	1954–1956	English Electric Canberra	B.2
No. 104 Squadron RAF	1955–1956	English Electric Canberra	B.2
No. 107 Squadron RAF	1945 1946 1946 1947	de Havilland Mosquito	VI	Based three times in 1947
No. 149 Squadron RAF	1954–1956	English Electric Canberra	B.2
No. 230 Squadron RAF	1963-1964 1980-1992	Westland Whirlwind Westland Puma	HC.10 HC.1
No. 541 Squadron RAF	1952 1954	Gloster Meteor Gloster Meteor	PR.10 PR.10

Gütersloh today

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.

• HQ Gütersloh Garrison,^[1]
• HQ 102 Logistics Brigade.
• 1 Regiment AAC consisting of:^[2]
  • No 652 Squadron AAC flying Westland Lynx AH.9 helicopters
  • No 661 Squadron AAC flying Westland Lynx AH.9 helicopters
• 1 LSR Royal Logistics Corps
  • 74 HQ Sqn
  • 2 CS Sqn
  • 12 CS Sqn
  • 23 GS Squadron,
• 2 LSR Royal Logistics Corps
  • 27 HQ Sqn
  • 22 CS Sqn
  • 45 CS Sqn
  • 76 GS Sqn
• 6 Regt Royal Logistics Corps ^[3]
  • 60 HQ Sqn
  • 61 Sqn
  • 62 Sqn
  • 67 Sqn (Based in Dulmen moving to Gutersloh)
  • 68 Sqn (Based in Dulmen moving to Gutersloh)
• 43 CS Sqn (Part of 12 LSR based in Abingdon)
• 30 Sqn (Part of 24 Regiment, Postal & Courier for BFG)
• 5 Regiment Royal Military Police
  • 114 Provost Company
• 262 Sig Sqn Royal Signals

See also

• Royal Air Force station
• List of RAF stations
• List of Royal Air Force aircraft squadrons
• List of aircraft of the RAF
• Advanced Landing Ground

References

 This article incorporates public domain material from websites or documents of the Air Force Historical Research Agency.

External links

• Spotting Group Royal Air Force Gütersloh
• aerial photo of RAF Gütersloh
• Article on Gütersloh Hunters
• British Forces Germany HIVE - Gütersloh
• Gallery of Gütersloh images
• Gutersloh - From ARRSEpedia, The British Military Open Encyclopedia

Royal Air Force Royal Air Force portal Formations and units Commands · Groups · Stations · Wings · Aircraft squadrons · Aircraft flights · Conversion units · Regiment squadrons Branches and components RAF Regiment · RAF Chaplains Branch · RAF Intelligence · RAF Legal Branch · Princess Mary's RAF Nursing Service · RAF Police · Search and Rescue Force · Mountain Rescue Service Reserve forces Royal Auxiliary Air Force · RAF Volunteer Reserve Associated civil organizations Air Training Corps · RAF Association · RAF Centre of Aviation Medicine Equipment List of RAF aircraft · List of RAF missiles Personnel Officer ranks · Other ranks · List of members Symbols and uniform Ensign · Badge · Roundels · Uniform History · Timeline · Future