, nativename-r = Abu Qir , partof = , location = , nearest_town =

Alexandria Alexandria ( or ; ar, ٱلْإِسْكَنْدَرِيَّةُ ; grc-gre, Αλεξάνδρεια, Alexándria) is the second largest city in Egypt, and the largest city on the Mediterranean coast. Founded in by Alexander the Great, Alexandria ...

, country =

Egypt Egypt ( ar, مصر , ), officially the Arab Republic of Egypt, is a transcontinental country spanning the northeast corner of Africa and southwest corner of Asia via a land bridge formed by the Sinai Peninsula. It is bordered by the Mediter ...

, image = Royal Air Force Operations in the Middle East and North Africa, 1939-1943. ME(RAF)3514.jpg , alt = , caption = A Short Sunderland flying over the RAF Aboukir after taking off from Aboukir Bay , type = Royal Air Force base , coordinates = , pushpin_map = Egypt , pushpin_map_caption = Shown within Egypt , pushpin_label = RAF Aboukir , ownership =

Air Ministry The Air Ministry was a department of the Government of the United Kingdom with the responsibility of managing the affairs of the Royal Air Force, that existed from 1918 to 1964. It was under the political authority of the Secretary of State ...

, operator =

Royal Air Force The Royal Air Force (RAF) is the United Kingdom's air and space force. It was formed towards the end of the First World War on 1 April 1918, becoming the first independent air force in the world, by regrouping the Royal Flying Corps (RFC) and ...

, controlledby = , code = LG-34 , built = , used = 1916- , builder = , materials = , height = , fate = , condition = , battles = , events = , current_commander = , past_commanders = Group Captain Tulloch , garrison = , occupants = , open_to_public = , website = , IATA = , ICAO = , FAA = , TC = , LID = , GPS = , WMO = , elevation = , r1-number = 00/00 , r1-length = , r1-surface =

Concrete Concrete is a composite material composed of fine and coarse aggregate bonded together with a fluid cement (cement paste) that hardens (cures) over time. Concrete is the second-most-used substance in the world after water, and is the most wi ...

Royal Air Force Aboukir or more simply RAF Aboukir is a former

base located northwest of

Kafr El-Dawar Kafr may refer to: * A Levantine Arabic term for village * Kafir, an Arabic term for an infidel * Kafr, Iran, a village See also * * Kafir (disambiguation) * Al-Kafr Al-Kafr ( ar, الكفر, also spelled ''al-Kefr'') is a village in as-Suwayd ...

and east of

. Between 1916 and 1947 a number of units and squadrons were based there, including the central depot for

RAF Middle East Middle East Command was a command of the Royal Air Force (RAF) that was active during the Second World War. It had been preceded by RAF Middle East, which was established in 1918 by the redesignation of HQ Royal Flying Corps Middle East that ha ...

until 12 November 1939.

History

The base was used by the following squadrons: *

No. 29 Squadron RAF No. 29 Squadron of the Royal Air Force was first raised as a unit of the Royal Flying Corps in 1915, and is one of the world's oldest fighter squadrons. The second UK, British squadron to receive the Eurofighter Typhoon, it is currently the Oper ...

between 6 August 1936 and 12 September 1936 with

Fairey Gordon The Fairey Gordon was a British light bomber (2-seat day bomber) and utility aircraft of the 1930s. The Gordon was a conventional two-bay fabric-covered metal biplane. It was powered by variants of the Armstrong Siddeley Panther IIa engine. A ...

light bombers. *

No. 56 Squadron RAF Number 56 Squadron, nicknamed ''the Firebirds'' for their ability to always reappear intact regardless of the odds, is one of the oldest and most successful Squadron (aviation), squadrons of the Royal Air Force, with battle honours from many of ...

reformed here on 1 February 1920 with the

Sopwith Snipe The Sopwith 7F.1 Snipe was a British single-seat biplane fighter of the Royal Air Force (RAF). It was designed and built by the Sopwith Aviation Company during the First World War, and came into squadron service a few weeks before the end of th ...

with a detachment at San Stephano until August 1923. However 56 Squadron was disbanded on 23 September 1922. *

No. 64 Squadron RAF No. 64 Squadron was a squadron of the Royal Air Force. It was first formed on 1 August 1916 as a squadron of the Royal Flying Corps. It was disbanded on 31 January 1991 at RAF Leuchars. History 1916 to 1919 No. 64 Squadron Royal Flying Corps w ...

from 1 August 1936 with the

Hawker Demon The Hawker Hart is a British two-seater biplane light bomber aircraft that saw service with the Royal Air Force (RAF). It was designed during the 1920s by Sydney Camm and manufactured by Hawker Aircraft. The Hart was a prominent British aircra ...

until 16 August 1936 when the squadron moved to the

United Kingdom The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom (UK) or Britain, is a country in Europe, off the north-western coast of the continental mainland. It comprises England, Scotland, Wales and North ...

. *

No. 80 Squadron RAF No. 80 Squadron RAF was a Royal Flying Corps and Royal Air Force squadron active from 1917 until 1969. It was operative during both World War I and World War II. Establishment and early service Founded on 1 August 1917 at RAF Montrose, equipped ...

between 10 June 1919 and 1 February 1920 when the squadron disbanded, the squadron flew the Snipe. *

No. 94 Squadron RAF No. 94 Squadron RAF was a unit of the Royal Air Force that served during World War I & World War II. The squadron has been formed a total of four times. World War I The squadron was formed at Harling Road on 1 August 1917 as a training unit ...

between August and October 1944 as a detachment with the

Supermarine Spitfire The Supermarine Spitfire is a British single-seat fighter aircraft used by the Royal Air Force and other Allied countries before, during, and after World War II. Many variants of the Spitfire were built, from the Mk 1 to the Rolls-Royce Grif ...

VB. * No. 112 Squadron RAF from 22 April 1941 and 31 May 1941 as a detachment with

Hawker Hurricane The Hawker Hurricane is a British single-seat fighter aircraft of the 1930s–40s which was designed and predominantly built by Hawker Aircraft Ltd. for service with the Royal Air Force (RAF). It was overshadowed in the public consciousness by ...

I. *

No. 123 Squadron RAF No. 123 Squadron of the Royal Air Force was a British aircraft squadron in the First and Second World Wars.Jefford 2001, p. 58Orbis 1985, p. 3898 It was disbanded for the last time on 20 June 1945. History First World War The squadron was form ...

between 19 June 1942 and 19 July 1942 with the Spitfire VB. *

No. 142 Squadron RAF No. 142 Squadron was a flying squadron of the Royal Air Force (RAF). History No. 142 Squadron of the Royal Flying Corps (RFC) was formed at RFC Ismailia, Egypt in 1918, flying a mixed bag of reconnaissance and bomber aircraft. On the formatio ...

from 13 October 1935 and 26 October 1935 with the

Hawker Hart The Hawker Hart is a British two-seater biplane light bomber aircraft that saw service with the Royal Air Force (RAF). It was designed during the 1920s by Sydney Camm and manufactured by Hawker Aircraft. The Hart was a prominent British aircraf ...

. * No. 145 Squadron RAF was formed here on 15 May 1918 before moving to Abu Sueir on 1 June 1918. *

No. 208 Squadron RAF No 208 (Reserve) Squadron was a reserve unit of the Royal Air Force, most recently based at RAF Valley, Anglesey, Wales. It operated the BAe Hawk aircraft, as a part of No. 4 Flying Training School. Due to obsolescence of its Hawk T.1 aircraft ...

as a detachment between 18 April 1936 and 28 September 1938 with the

. *

No. 237 Squadron RAF No. 237 Squadron was a Royal Air Force aircraft squadron. During the Second World War the unit was formed from No. 1 Squadron Southern Rhodesian Air Force for operations in North Africa. History No. 237 Squadron was formed at RAF Cattewater in A ...

as a detachment between 25 February 1944 and 19 April 1944 with the Spitfire VC & IX. *

No. 252 Squadron RAF No. 252 Squadron RAF was a Royal Air Force (RAF) squadron that formed as a bomber unit in World War I and as part of RAF Coastal Command in World War II. History Formation and World War I No. 252 Squadron was formed at Tynemouth on 1 May 1918 ...

between 6 February 1945 and 10 February 1945 with the

Bristol Beaufighter The Bristol Type 156 Beaufighter (often called the Beau) is a British multi-role aircraft developed during the Second World War by the Bristol Aeroplane Company. It was originally conceived as a heavy fighter variant of the Bristol Beaufort ...

X. *

No. 294 Squadron RAF No. 294 Squadron was a Royal Air Force air search and rescue (ASR) squadron active under RAF Middle East Command. During the second world war the unit operated rescue missions for Allied aircraft and aircrew over the eastern Mediterranean and l ...

as a detachment between 29 March 1944 and 6 June 1945 with

Vickers Wellington The Vickers Wellington was a British twin-engined, long-range medium bomber. It was designed during the mid-1930s at Brooklands in Weybridge, Surrey. Led by Vickers-Armstrongs' chief designer Rex Pierson; a key feature of the aircraft is its g ...

IC. *

No. 451 Squadron RAF No. 451 Squadron was a Royal Australian Air Force army cooperation and fighter squadron of World War II. It was formed at Bankstown, New South Wales, on 12 February 1941 and began flying operations on 1 July as part of the North African Campai ...

between 12 May 1941 and 1 July 1941 with the Hurricane I. * No. 603 Squadron RAF between 21 December 1942 and 25 January 1943 with no aircraft. *

No. 651 Squadron RAF The numero sign or numero symbol, №, (also represented as Nº, No, No. or no.), is a typographic abbreviation of the word ''number''(''s'') indicating ordinal numeration, especially in names and titles. For example, using the numero sign, t ...

between 9 and 10 November 1945 with the

Taylorcraft Auster The Taylorcraft Auster was a British military liaison and observation aircraft produced by the Taylorcraft Aeroplanes (England) Limited company during the Second World War. Design and development The Auster was a twice-removed development of ...

V . The base was also used by a number of different units during its lifetime: * Headquarters 20th (Reserve) Wing between 25 July 1916 and 31 May 1917. * RAF Depot, Middle East between 7 October and 12 November 1939. * No. 103 Maintenance Unit RAF between 12 November 1939 and 30 October 1946.

Current use

The site is un-recognizable and is used for farming.

References

Citations

Bibliography

External links

Photo of Aboukir base
{{DEFAULTSORT:Aboukir Royal Air Force stations in Egypt Royal Air Force stations of World War II in Egypt World War II airfields in Egypt