RAF Banff, Boyndie Airfield.

[ZombieSazza]

Went here on Saturday 23rd January with Wurzel and Nugget44444, feel free to add your pictures guys.

RAF Banff

RAF Banff, Boyndie Airfield, opened during World War II in 1943 as a Flying Training Command Field, and closed in 1946. Operational control was No 18 Group (1944). Also served RAF Banff Strike Wing of Coastal Command.
The airfield was constructed with the standard triangular three runway pattern, all with asphalt surface, and about 46 metres in width:

18/36 1,280 metres
06/24 1,280 metres
12/30 1,828 metres

With the arrival of 143 Squadron (Mosquito) in October 1944, training command was transferred away from Banff, and the station was built up by the arrival of a number of other squadrons. Many squadrons posted to Banff were quickly transferred to Dallachy Airfield, but would later return in 1945 to convert to Mosquitos.

The base became RAF Banff Strike Wing, Coastal Command, and its main function became the execution of missions to attack German shipping in Norwegian waters, and to attack German ground positions in Norway. Its prime function was the interdiction of vital German iron ore convoys travelling via northern Norway to Germany, and latterly the more important task of attacking the last remaining German U-Boats which were forced to traverse the Kattegat and Skaggerak areas as well as the North Sea.

Operations block tally wall
One of the most remarkable survivors of the strike wing was a wall which had been covered with a listing of all the operational successes for the year 1945, including dates and targets hit.
This wall was copied by Strike Wing Trustee Les Taylor in 1987, and then replicated on the wall of Boyndie Day centre.
Sadly, since becoming more widely known, the original wall within the operation block has been vandalised to the extent that none of the text remains. The remains of the wall can be seen labelled "Operations room".
Banff Flying Club
Following the closure of RAF Banff in 1946, the airfield became home to a flying club, and the name can still be seen at the top the control tower.

The flying club was inaugurated in 1976 by Sir Max Aitken, former Commanding Oficer of the station when the strike wing was in residence. The ceremony was attended by a large fly-in of private aircraft, and the star of the show was the silver-painted Strathallan Collection Mosquito, flown by world aerobatic champion Neil Williams.

The flying club was unable to survive the fuel crisis of the 1979s when combined with the soaring costs of running such a venture, and the abandoned site became a target for vandals.

Site remains

The site is reported to have largely reverted to agricultural use, although there is a karting track on the southern part, occupying the end of the north-south runway. A small industrial estate has been developed on the western part of the site, and The Boyndie Wind Farm occupies another part of the former airfield.
A number of buildings are reported to survive, including the control tower, part of the main store, several waist-high emergency air raid shelters, and numerous bases relating the camps and other buildings, with at least 28 hardstandings in the dispersal area. The airfield had 13 blister hangers and three T2 hangars, all of which has since been removed. Seven dispersed accommodation camps once existed, two of which housed WAAF personnel, while five pillboxes were sited around the airfield.
A covered display has been located within a car park at the beginning of a network of local walk around the surrounding area, and provides information about RAF Banff and the personnel who served at the airfield during World War II.

More Here

Control Tower.











Other buildings (I'm not sure what they all are).









































Standby generator house.



(More to come, noticed a limit of 30 images...)

[ZombieSazza]

Operations Room.





































*Edit, forgot the Firing range butt wall, I hate these pictures as I had my camera in the wrong mode but to complete my report here they are.

Firing range butt wall.

[judderman62]

looks pretty good does that . Nice pics

[wolfism]

Remember seeing the signwritten boards in Zimbob's photos from Boyndie – nicely shot. Are there still go karts whizzing around up there?

[boxfrenzy]

There looks to be a fair amount of stuff to see here, good work

[superkev]

Very nice, looks like theres loads scattered about the site!

We used to have an outside toilet........... But not that OUTSIDE!!!!

[zimbob]

Nice one

The Ops room is great, and your internals there have come out nicely

I'm guessing you didn't park up at the Windfarm bitty?

[nugget44444]

Canna believe in all the time we spent in the ops room i missed the wall with the callsigns on it

[ZombieSazza]

Lol, you missed them, Nugget? Well, good Sir, I guess your internet nickname serves you well here. :P

Yes, Wolf, the go-karts are still there, could hear them

Hahaha, I'll bet your toilet was cleaner too, SuperKev. :P

Zimbob, Wurzel parked his car just up from the control tower on the tarmac (So I guess not?)

[SilentHill]

That's an interesting little site in what seems to be a beautiful setting.

Like this lots Nice one