RAF Montrose facts for kids

Quick facts for kids RAF Montrose
Montrose, Angus in Scotland
RAF Montrose Show map of Angus RAF Montrose Show map of the United Kingdom Shown within Angus
Coordinates	56°43′44″N 002°27′06″W / 56.72889°N 2.45167°W / 56.72889; -2.45167
Type	Royal Air Force station
Site information
Owner	Air Ministry
Operator	Royal Air Force
Controlled by	RAF Fighter Command RAF Flying Training Command
Site history
Built	1913 (1913)
In use	1913-1952 (1952)
Battles/wars	First World War European theatre of World War II
Airfield information
Identifiers	ICAO: X6MO
Elevation	10 metres (33 ft) AMSL
Runways Direction Length and surface 00/00  Grass 00/00  Grass

RAF Montrose was a special place in Scotland. It was the very first military airfield, or "aerodrome," in the United Kingdom! It opened way back on February 26, 1913, and was a key base for the Royal Air Force.

History of RAF Montrose

How RAF Montrose Started

In 1912, the British government decided to create twelve "Air Stations" for the Royal Flying Corps. Winston Churchill, who was in charge of the Navy at the time, chose Montrose as the first one. This location was perfect because it could help protect important Navy bases nearby.

On February 13, 1913, five planes from No. 2 Squadron of the Royal Flying Corps began a long journey. They flew from RAF Farnborough all the way to Montrose, which was about 450 miles north!

The journey took 13 days, and the planes finally landed at Upper Dysart Farm on February 26. This made Montrose the first military airfield in the UK to be ready for action.

Moving to a Better Spot

Major C J Burke, who led the squadron, didn't think Upper Dysart Farm was the best place for the airfield. He found a new spot at Broomfield Farm, about a mile north of Montrose.

By early 1914, Army Engineers had built three special hangars there. These hangars were strong and helped protect the planes. The squadron then moved to this new, better location.

RAF Montrose in World War I

When World War I started in July 1914, No. 2 Squadron moved to France. One of their pilots, Lieutenant H.D. Harvey-Kelly, was the first to land in France after the war began.

Another pilot from the squadron, 2nd Lt. William Barnard Rhodes-Moorhouse, became the first pilot to receive the Victoria Cross. This was a very brave award, given to him after he passed away in April 1915.

No. 2 Squadron never returned to Montrose, but many other squadrons came to train and serve there as the war continued.

Squadrons and Units at Montrose

Montrose became a very important training base during the war. Pilots from America, Canada, and Britain came here to learn how to fly and fight.

Here are some of the squadrons that were based at Montrose:

• No. 2 Squadron RFC (1913-1914)
• No. 25 Squadron (1915-1916) – They flew planes for fighting and looking around.
• No. 80 Squadron (1917-1918) – They flew the famous Sopwith Camel fighter planes.
• No. 83 Squadron (1917) – They used planes for bombing.
• 41st Aero Squadron (Pursuit) US Army Air Service (1918)
• 138th Aero Squadron (Pursuit) US Army Air Service (1918)

Other important groups also worked at Montrose, like training squadrons that helped new pilots learn the ropes.

Planes Flown in World War I

Many different types of aircraft were flown at Montrose during the First World War. These planes were used for training, fighting, and looking for enemy activity. Some examples include:

• Avro 504
• Bristol F.2 B
• Airco DH.2
• Royal Aircraft Factory B.E.2
• Sopwith Camel
• Sopwith Pup

Between the World Wars

RAF Montrose closed down in 1920. For a few years, the old hangars were used to fix and update Lewis machine guns.

In 1935, the British government decided to make the RAF much bigger because of new threats from Germany. They needed many more trained pilots. So, RAF Montrose was reopened on January 1, 1936, as No. 8 Flying Training School.

About 800 pilots learned to fly and earned their 'wings' at Montrose before the Battle of Britain began. Many famous British fighter pilots from World War II trained here!

RAF Montrose in World War II

During World War II, RAF Montrose was a very busy place. Many fighter squadrons and even the Fleet Air Arm (the Navy's air force) used the base.

Pilots from many different countries, including the Commonwealth, Poland, Czechoslovakia, America, and Free France, trained and served at Montrose.

Protecting the Skies

RAF Montrose also helped defend the city of Edinburgh. Spitfire and Hurricane planes based here were part of the air defense system.

The base also flew missions to Norway. These missions included looking for information, dropping supplies for the Norwegian resistance movement, and helping special agents get in and out of the country.

Attack on Montrose

On October 25, 1940, three German Junkers Ju 88 planes attacked the station. They dropped 24 bombs, which sadly killed five people, injured 18, and destroyed two hangars and the officers' mess hall. The people who died in this attack, and pilots who died in training accidents, are buried in a special plot at the local church.

Famous Pilots at Montrose

Many brave and famous pilots, known as Fighter Aces, trained or served at RAF Montrose during World War II. Some of them include:

• Wing Commander Brendan "Paddy" Finucane
• Flight Lieutenant Richard Hillary
• Flight Lieutenant George "Screwball" or "Buzz" Beurling
• Group Captain Peter Townsend

Planes Flown in World War II

RAF Montrose saw many different types of planes during the Second World War, from trainers to powerful fighters. Some of these were:

• Airspeed Oxford
• Avro Anson
• Hawker Hurricane
• Miles Master
• North American Harvard
• Supermarine Spitfire
• Westland Lysander

After the Wars

After World War II, RAF Montrose was used for maintenance. Planes needing repair were brought in and taken out by road, as there were no paved runways.

Activity at the base was quiet until the Korean War started. Then, the unit became very busy again. However, RAF Montrose finally closed its doors for good on June 4, 1952.

Mountain Rescue Service

Even though Montrose is mostly flat, the area around it has mountains. Plane crashes in these mountains were not rare.

RAF Montrose helped with mountain rescues even before a special team was officially formed. In January 1944, the Royal Air Force Mountain Rescue Service was created. Ten teams were put together, and one of them was based at Montrose.

This team later moved to nearby RAF Edzell and then to other locations. In 1949, a new Mountain Rescue Team was set up at RAF Montrose to cover the central Grampian mountains. This helped improve emergency rescue services across Scotland. The team eventually moved to RAF Leuchars in 1955, where it has stayed.

Accidents at Montrose

In the early days, when Montrose was a pilot training base, it was said that there was "a crash every day and a funeral every week." The graves at the local cemetery, Sleepy Hillock, show how many young pilots lost their lives while learning to fly there.

Ghost Stories

Some people believe that RAF Montrose is one of the most haunted places in Britain!

One famous story is about Lieutenant Desmond Arthur. He died in a flying accident on May 27, 1913. People say his spirit has haunted the officers' mess ever since. There have also been claims of seeing other ghostly pilots and even hearing phantom planes. In 2010, some people even claimed to hear wartime music and voices coming from an old radio that wasn't even plugged in!

Montrose Air Station Heritage Centre

In 1983, a group called the Montrose Air Station Heritage Trust was formed. Today, it's known as the Ian McIntosh Memorial Trust.

In 1992, the trust bought the old Watch Office and some land. They then created the Montrose Air Station Heritage Centre. Since then, they have added more buildings and collected many items from the base's history. You can still see some of the original buildings and hangars, and parts of the old taxi track are still there!