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Remains of World War II Airfield. RAF Banff was built in 1942 by Wimpey Construction and completed in April 1943. By early May 1943 Number 14 (P) AFU (Pilots Advanced Flying Unit) arrived at the airfield. The unit commenced pilot training with Oxford aircraft for the next 14 months. This unit eventually trained over 2000 pilots for the RAF before being disbanded on the 31st August 1944. By August 1944, after D-Day and the liberation of France, the German U-boat fleet withdrew from its bases in France and started operations from Scandinavian waters. At the same time there was also an increase in merchant and naval shipping along the Norwegian coastline, the Skagerrak and the Kattegat. This was to try and keep Germany supplied with materials that it required for its war making capabilities, as well as transporting vital goods such as food, weaponry, ammunition, fuel etc to the German garrisons in occupied Norway. From September 1944 onwards six squadrons, with British, Commonwealth and Norwegian airmen, operated, at different times over nine months, with Beaufighter and Mosquito aircraft from RAF Banff. These operations denied the Germans much needed materials and shipping, vital to the German war effort. The squadrons were: 143 Squadron, 144 Squadron, 235 Squadron, 248 Squadron, 333 Royal Norwegian Air Force, 404 Royal Canadian Air Force. This became known as the famous Banff Strike Wing. Due to the low level nature of the attacks, and the increased anti-aircraft defences found on the coastal channels and ships, many casualties were sustained by the Strike Wing. Approximately 87 air crew died on operations from RAF Banff during the brief nine months that it operated as a strike wing base. On September 28th 1989, at a lay-by next to the airfield, a memorial stone was unveiled to the memory of all those who died flying operations from Banff. The unveiling was performed By Group Captain G.D 'Bill' Sise DSO*, DFC*, who was the Wing Commander of 248 Squadron while they were stationed at Banff. (Information on the history of the airfield supplied by C. Jeffery). The airfield was reopened by Banff Flying Club in 1976, the old tower being renovated and a runway cleared, but development plans were shelved and it is now disused. A number of building footings remain with air raid shelters and bomb blast walls, while auxiliary buildings and camps lie in the surrounding areas. Assessment in 2004 noted that the structure of the watch tower is essentially intact and within the main technical site a crane shed (NJ 6239 6381) and another store building (NJ 62376402) retain parts of their roofs and electricity substations for the airfield are still standing at NJ 6223 6361, NJ 6239 6388 and NJ 6245 6402). In the west part of the airfield small brick built structures - flight huts, pyrotechnics stores and stores for seamarkers remain standing, as does a turf-covered concrete shelter at NJ 61326440 and bulk petrol installations at NJ 61416398. Parts have been used for agricultural purposes and part as a go-cart track. The Control Tower (NJ66SW0078) and Operations Block (NJ66SW0079) are both Listed B. A 7-turbine wind farm was erected on the site in 2005. Defence of Britain Project also records a prisoner of war camp, for German and Italian prisoners, at the airfield. See also , NJ66SW0137 - communal Site No. 3, NJ66SW0138 domestic camps Nos 4 and 5, NJ66SW0134 - domestic site/fuel compound. Site No. 6, NJ66SW0139 - domestic Site No. 7, NJ66SW0140 - domestic Site No. 8, NJ66SW0141 - domestic Site No. 9, NJ66SW0136 - domestic Site No. 10, NJ66SW038 - sick quarters, Site No. 11, NJ66SW0106 - sewage disposal works, Site No. 12.
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Historic Environment Records (HER)