RAF Inverness

{{Short description|Defunct civil and military airfield in Scotland}} {{Use dmy dates|date=February 2023}} {{Use British English|date=May 2013}} {{more citations needed|date=February 2013}} {{Infobox military installation | name = RAF Longman<BR>RAF Inverness | ensign = Ensign of the Royal Air Force.svg | ensign_size = 90px | native_name = | partof =  | location = Inverness, Highland | nearest_town =  | country = Scotland | image = | alt = | caption = | image2 =  | alt2 = | caption2 = | type = Royal Air Force station | coordinates = {{Coord|57|29|20|N|4|13|07|W|display=inline,title}} | pushpin_map = Scotland Highland#UK | pushpin_map_caption = Shown within Scotland Highlands | pushpin_label = RAF Inverness | pushpin_label_position = | pushpin_mark = | pushpin_marksize = | ownership = Air Ministry | operator = Royal Air Force | controlledby = RAF Fighter Command | open_to_public =  | site_other_label =  | site_other =  | site_area =  | code =  | built = {{Start date|1940}} | used = 1940-{{End date|1945}} | builder = | materials = | height =  | length =  | fate =  | condition =Demolished, now Industrial Estate | battles = European theatre of World War II | events = | past_commanders =  | garrison = No. 13 (Fighter) Group | occupants =  | designations = | website = | footnotes =   | IATA = | ICAO = | GPS = | WMO = | elevation =  | r1-number = | r1-length =  | r1-surface = | h1-number = | h1-length =  | h1-surface = | airfield_other_label =  | airfield_other =   }}

'''Royal Air Force Inverness''' or more simply '''RAF Inverness''' is a former Royal Air Force station located by the Moray Firth in Highland, Scotland. It was also known as RAF Longman and previously Longman Airfield.

==History==

Longman Airfield was built in 1933 by the local council as a civilian airport for Highland Airways to link Orkney and Wick to Inverness and its major rail links. The airfield was converted to a Royal Air Force base at the Outbreak of World War II, but didn't officially become an RAF base until 1941. The airfield was identified by German reconnaissance units which incorrectly noted it as a seaplane base, which probably saved Inverness from any major bombing by the Luftwaffe.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://forgottenairfields.com/airfield-longman-904.html|title=Forgotten airfields|website=forgottenairfields.com|access-date=2019-09-04}}</ref>

During the war, Scottish Airways, the successor to Highland Airways, continued to use the airfield for intensive civilian operations supporting the Orkney and Shetland Isles.<ref name="BEAline">{{cite book |last1=Lo Bao |first1=Phil |last2=Hutchison |first2=Iain |title=BEAline to the Islands |date=2002 |publisher=Kea Publishing |location=Erskine, Scotland |isbn=0951895842 |page=99 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=Z5JZ9GBTZwwC}}</ref>

Under the command of No. 13 (Fighter) Group, it hosted No. 70 (Signals) Wing Calibration Flight between 17 February 1941 and 25 August 1945.<ref>[http://www.rafweb.org/Stations/Stations-I.htm RAFWeb.org] ''(Retrieved 30 September 2009)''</ref>

===Operational Squadrons & Aircraft=== {|class="wikitable" ! Unit !! From !! To !! Aircraft !! Version !! Notes |- | No. 241 Squadron RAF || Sep 1940 || Apr 1942 || Westland Lysander || MK. II ||Formed from 'A' Flight of 614 Squadron. |- | No. 289 Squadron RAF || 1 May 1939 || Sep 1939 || Avro Anson || ? || |- | No. 309 Polish Fighter-Reconnaissance Squadron || || || Supermarine Spitfire || Mk. I || |- | No. 526 Squadron RAF || June 1943 || 1 May 1945 || Airspeed Oxford || MK. I || Absorbed into 527 Squadron |- | No. 527 Squadron RAF || 1 May 1945 || 8 Nov 1945 || de Havilland Dominie || || |- | No. 598 Squadron RAF || 1 Dec 1943 || 12 Mar 1945 || Airspeed Oxford || Mk. II || |- | No. 614 Squadron RAF 'A' flight || 8 Jun 1940 || 5 Mar 1941 || Westland Lysander || Mk. II || Became 241 Squadron |- | 782 Naval Air Squadron || || || || || <ref name="ABCT">{{cite web|url=https://www.abct.org.uk/airfields/airfield-finder/longman-inverness/ |title=Longman (Inverness) |publisher=Airfields of Britain Conservation Trust|accessdate=27 May 2020}}</ref> |- |}

===Other units=== * No. 14 Group Target Towing Flight RAF (October – November 1941){{sfn|Sturtivant|Hamlin|Halley|1997|p=188}} became No. 1491 (Target Towing) Flight RAF (December 1941){{sfn|Sturtivant|Hamlin|Halley|1997|p=136}} * No. 1 (Coastal) Engine Control Demonstration Unit RAF (October – November 1943){{sfn|Sturtivant|Hamlin|Halley|1997|p=94}} * No. 1 Radio Servicing Section Calibration Flight RAF (November 1940 – February 1941){{sfn|Sturtivant|Hamlin|Halley|1997|p=254}} became No. 70 Wing Calibration Flight RAF (February 1941 – June 1943){{sfn|Lake|1999|p=290}} * No. 13 Group Communication Flight RAF (July 1943 – December 1945){{sfn|Sturtivant|Hamlin|Halley|1997|p=182}} * No. 14 Group Communication Flight RAF (July 1940 – July 1943){{sfn|Sturtivant|Hamlin|Halley|1997|p=182}} * Detachment of No. 1479 (Anti-Aircraft Cooperation) Flight RAF (August & November 1943){{sfn|Sturtivant|Hamlin|Halley|1997|p=134}}

thumb|Longman Aerodrome c.1947, Junkers Ju 52 in mid right Following the war it was converted to general use under the title ''Longman Airfield'' until Inverness Airport at Dalcross became the primary hub in 1947, due to Longman being regarded as too small for safe operations. Prior to its closure, it was served by British European Airways, and its fleet of captured ex-Luftwaffe Junkers Ju 52. It is believed that for some time Hitler's personal Ju 52 (registration D-2600) was stored at Longman after the war.

==References== ===Citations=== {{Reflist}}

===Bibliography=== *{{cite book |last1=Lake |first1=A |title= Flying units of the RAF |year=1999 |publisher= Airlife |location= Shrewsbury |isbn= 1-84037-086-6 }} *{{cite book |last1=Sturtivant|first1=R|last2=Hamlin|first2=J|last3=Halley|first3=J|title=Royal Air Force flying training and support units |year=1997 |publisher= Air-Britain (Historians)|location= UK|isbn=0-85130-252-1}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Inverness}} Category:Royal Air Force stations in Scotland Category:Military airbases established in 1940 Category:Military airbases closed in 1946