299:
Egg Flip, a detachment of the
Squadron constructed a large earth landing strip at Bomba on the Libyan coast near Derna. Later that year, a small detachment marked out a landing strip in the far south of Libya at Kufra as an emergency diversion for planes unable to land at El Adem. In 1963, a large detachment of the Squadron moved at short notice to the Far East to undertake work at Kuching in Sarawak and at Labuan and Tawau in North Borneo in support of RAF operations following the Indonesian confrontation in Borneo. In September 1963, the Squadron moved to RAF Seletar in Singapore where it remained until the Branch was disbanded.
130:
24:
310:, where it became part of Training Wing and numbered up to 500 personnel. Its detachments undertook a variety of construction tasks in the UK. Between 1958 and 1961, these included projects at RAF Acklington, Abingdon, Booker, Coningsby, Faldingworth, Finningley, Hemswell, Lindholme, Lyneham, Martlesham Heath, Nocton Hall, North Luffenham, Swinderby and Syerston.
199:, the next step was to construct aerodromes. The RAF approached the army and were rebuffed. As a consequence, No. 1 Air Ministry Works Unit was established, its aim being to manage these construction projects, with French and Belgian civil engineering companies carrying out the construction. The unit was evacuated to the UK following the
341:
via
Benbecula. The task required the opening of a quarry out there and the construction of buildings and a road, with a bridge, to the mountain-top radar site. This Building and Civil Engineering task was challenging, because of the unpredictable, adverse nature of weather conditions out there, which
290:
5002 Squadron was disbanded in
October 1955 and in October 1956, it was re-formed at RAF Wellesbourne Mountford to prepare for duty in Egypt in support of British forces following President Nasser's nationalisation of the Suez Canal. The British action in Egypt was halted before the Squadron could be
298:
In 1961, 5001 Squadron, based at RAF Akrotiri in Cyprus, had a large, long term detachment at RAF El Adem south of Tobruk in Libya. In addition to carrying out a variety of construction tasks in Cyprus and at El Adem, the
Squadron undertook work at Tabriz and Babol-Sar in Iran. In 1962, in Exercise
218:
The service had grown to 19 squadrons and was re-titled RAF Airfield
Construction Service in May 1943. The Service was now grouped into Wings, each wing consisting of four squadrons; one plant and three construction. The organisation grew to a point where it employed 30,000 people. It became clear
286:
In
November 1951, 5355 Wing was established at RAF Kasfareet, Suez, with Nos. 1 and 2 Squadrons. In June 1953, the Squadrons were renamed respectively Nos 5001 and 5002 Airfield Maintenance Squadrons. 5001 Squadron was based at Kasfareet, 5002 Squadron at RAF Abu Seir.
333:, an uninhabited rocky outcrop some 60 miles west of the Outer Hebrides. A temporary RAF mainland base was established at Cairnryan and personnel, plant and transport were shipped to the island by Army tank landing craft (LCTs), based in Portsmouth, but sailing from
210:. The latter were withdrawn at the end of 1940, which resulted in the RAF forming Nos. 1 & 2 Works Squadrons. By the end of 1941, this had grown to six squadrons and, in July 1942, these units were officially given the title of the RAF Works Service.
294:
In May 1954, 5001 was renamed 5001 Airfield
Construction (Light) Squadron. In August 1955, it moved to RAF El Adem and in September to RAF Idris at Tripoli. In April 1959, it moved to RAF Akrotiri in Cyprus.
457:
477:
322:
321:
including improvements to the runway at RAF Bruggen. In 1956, the
Squadron returned to the UK to be based at RAF Wellesbourne Mountford. The Squadron formed the major part of
462:
472:
467:
329:
Task Force was formed from 5004 Squadron at RAF Wellesbourne
Mountford early in 1957, to construct, for the Army, a missile-tracking radar station on the island of
219:
that, when a second front opened in
Northern Europe, there would be a need for the services of the ACS to deploy overseas. Acknowledging this, the RAF created
254:, the service was renamed the Airfield Construction Branch. Its Wings were responsible for the construction and maintenance of RAF infrastructure in Germany (
326:
231:
attrition raids. In preparation for the landings, in 1943, the RAF Airfield Construction Service built 23 Advanced Landing Grounds in Southern England.
41:
405:
Group Captain Nigel Walpole OBE BA (2009): BUILT TO ENDURE: The Story Of The RAF Airfield Construction Branch In The Cold War Old Forge Publishing
227:. It was perceived that the Luftwaffe would not be idle following the landings, and the two remaining wings were to be used repairing damage from
206:
The unit was occupied in overseeing runway repairs for the rest of that year, with some assistance in filling-in craters being provided by the
88:
242:
saw the formation of 5020 Squadron in September 1943. An eighth Wing (5358) was created for deployment to the Far East, alongside 5353 Wing.
60:
67:
74:
410:
56:
238:, with 5201 Squadron being formed for that task. Similarly, the requirement to build and maintain an airstrip in the
107:
422:
432:
442:
45:
81:
433:
Memorial to the late Charles Sewell who served through 1941-66 of RAF Airfield Construction Branch experience
365:
The Airfield Construction Branch was disbanded on 1 April 1966. Its responsibilities were transferred to the
318:
223:
HQ at the end of 1943, and allocated five of the seven Wings to this Group, which deployed to Normandy after
258:), until the Wings themselves were disbanded in 1957. The Branch Depot moved three times, starting first at
428:
History subjects are related in the 'joint' website of the RAF Airfield Construction Branch Associations
390:
342:
precluded work being done throughout the Winter months. However, the task was completed by Autumn 1958.
307:
267:
183:) constructed and repaired runways, hard-standings, buildings and other facilities as required by the
195:
Having gained consent from the French authorities, in 1939, to establish Flying Training Schools in
34:
8:
207:
129:
443:
Bill Carter - "Land of Hope and Glory" - 5153 Squadron at Shaibah and in the Middle East
330:
259:
437:
406:
263:
278:. The Squadrons were to support RAF operations in overseas deployments until 1966.
220:
366:
184:
354:
346:
275:
251:
200:
156:
451:
303:
314:
338:
334:
271:
228:
458:
Military units and formations of the Royal Air Force in World War II
23:
255:
235:
239:
196:
353:. It returned to the UK in December 1964 and was disbanded at
224:
427:
350:
281:
438:
Article on Airfield Construction Wings by Alan Philson
478:
Engineering units and formations of the United Kingdom
166:
Civil engineering and airfield construction / repair
463:
Units and formations of the Royal Air Force by type
274:before it moved finally with the plant training to
48:. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed.
234:The first overseas deployment was in May 1942, in
473:Military units and formations established in 1948
468:Military units and formations established in 1943
449:
213:
317:in Germany. It undertook a variety of tasks in
302:In September 1953, 5003 Squadron was formed at
245:
313:In November 1953, 5004 Squadron was formed at
306:but, in November 1957, it completed a move to
291:deployed and it was disbanded again in 1958.
190:
108:Learn how and when to remove this message
270:, using the sand and gravel quarries at
282:Airfield Construction Squadrons 1951-66
450:
345:In April 1959, 5004 Squadron moved to
423:Unofficial Facebook page for RAF ACB
187:in the United Kingdom and overseas.
46:adding citations to reliable sources
17:
13:
57:"Airfield Construction Branch RAF"
14:
489:
416:
181:RAF Airfield Construction Service
177:RAF Airfield Construction Branch
128:
22:
399:
33:needs additional citations for
384:
360:
325:on St Kilda in 1957 and 1958.
1:
372:
323:Operation Hardrock Task Force
319:RAF Second Tactical Air Force
214:Airfield Construction Service
377:
246:Airfield Construction Branch
123:Airfield Construction Branch
7:
10:
494:
391:RAF Wellesbourne Mountford
308:RAF Wellesbourne Mountford
268:RAF Wellesbourne Mountford
162:
152:
144:
136:
127:
122:
191:Predecessor Organisation
262:with plant training at
179:(previously called the
42:improve this article
266:. It then moved to
250:At the time of the
221:No. 85 (Base) Group
208:Royal Pioneer Corps
140:1939 - 1 April 1966
327:Operation Hardrock
260:RAF Church Lawford
411:978-1-906183-06-6
264:Ryton-on-Dunsmore
170:
169:
118:
117:
110:
92:
485:
393:
388:
132:
120:
119:
113:
106:
102:
99:
93:
91:
50:
26:
18:
493:
492:
488:
487:
486:
484:
483:
482:
448:
447:
419:
402:
397:
396:
389:
385:
380:
375:
367:Royal Engineers
363:
284:
248:
216:
193:
185:Royal Air Force
173:
114:
103:
97:
94:
51:
49:
39:
27:
12:
11:
5:
491:
481:
480:
475:
470:
465:
460:
446:
445:
440:
435:
430:
425:
418:
417:External links
415:
414:
413:
401:
398:
395:
394:
382:
381:
379:
376:
374:
371:
362:
359:
355:RAF Waterbeach
347:RAF Khormaksar
283:
280:
276:RAF Waterbeach
252:Berlin Airlift
247:
244:
215:
212:
203:in June 1940.
201:Fall of France
192:
189:
171:
168:
167:
164:
160:
159:
157:United Kingdom
154:
150:
149:
146:
142:
141:
138:
134:
133:
125:
124:
116:
115:
30:
28:
21:
9:
6:
4:
3:
2:
490:
479:
476:
474:
471:
469:
466:
464:
461:
459:
456:
455:
453:
444:
441:
439:
436:
434:
431:
429:
426:
424:
421:
420:
412:
408:
404:
403:
392:
387:
383:
370:
368:
358:
357:in May 1965.
356:
352:
348:
343:
340:
336:
332:
328:
324:
320:
316:
311:
309:
305:
304:RAF Lichfield
300:
296:
292:
288:
279:
277:
273:
269:
265:
261:
257:
253:
243:
241:
237:
232:
230:
226:
222:
211:
209:
204:
202:
198:
188:
186:
182:
178:
172:Military unit
165:
161:
158:
155:
151:
147:
143:
139:
135:
131:
126:
121:
112:
109:
101:
90:
87:
83:
80:
76:
73:
69:
66:
62:
59: –
58:
54:
53:Find sources:
47:
43:
37:
36:
31:This article
29:
25:
20:
19:
16:
400:Bibliography
386:
364:
344:
312:
301:
297:
293:
289:
285:
249:
233:
217:
205:
194:
180:
176:
174:
148:1 April 1966
104:
95:
85:
78:
71:
64:
52:
40:Please help
35:verification
32:
15:
361:Disbandment
315:RAF Bruggen
98:August 2024
452:Categories
373:References
68:newspapers
378:Citations
339:Stranraer
335:Cairnryan
331:St. Kilda
272:Claverdon
229:Luftwaffe
145:Disbanded
337:, near
256:2nd TAF
236:Iceland
153:Country
82:scholar
409:
240:Azores
197:France
137:Active
84:
77:
70:
63:
55:
225:D-Day
89:JSTOR
75:books
407:ISBN
351:Aden
175:The
163:Role
61:news
349:in
44:by
454::
369:.
111:)
105:(
100:)
96:(
86:·
79:·
72:·
65:·
38:.
Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License. Additional terms may apply.
