RAF Catterick is a former Royal Air Force airfield located near Catterick, North Yorkshire in England.
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Catterick airfield first opened in 1914 as a Royal Flying Corps aerodrome with the role of training pilots and to assist in the defence of the North East of England. It came under RAF administration in 1918 and housed Number 49 Training Depot.
In 1927, it temporarily came under the administration of the British Army, under the Army Air Co-Operation Command which would supply the army with any air support needs that would be required. This continued until 1939 when the station was handed back to the RAF.
During World War II, the airfield operated a small satellite station called RAF Scorton near the village of Scorton.
Catterick's runway could not be extended from its existing 3,350 ft (1,020 m) for the jet age due to the perimeter being bounded by the Great North Road (A1) and the River Swale. Therefore, Catterick's importance declined after World War II, though it still housed training institutes for many years.
The airfield was used as a location for The Way to the Stars, the 1945 film starring John Mills.
Catterick served as a RAF Regiment depot occupied by operational Squadrons and was the training base for the RAF Regiment from 1946-1994 when the Regiment's training facilities moved to RAF Honington. Catterick was also the training centre for the RAF Fire Service until the 1990s. As a fire school it had a "rescue set" the mock up of a house to simulate search and rescue scenarios. It also had a burning area where real ex service aircraft were covered in fuel and set alight including in 1983 a complete Vulcan Bomber. There were also a number of retired airframes used for practice rescues and deployments. The Fire Fighting & Rescue squadron moved to RAF Manston in 1989.
The base was handed over to the Army in 1994 and now is named Marne Barracks and is part of the huge Catterick Garrison complex. It currently houses 5th Regiment Royal Artillery and the 1st Battalion Mercian Regiment formerly the Cheshires.
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