RAF Milltown
RAF Milltown | |
|---|---|
| Near Elgin, Moray in Scotland | |
 A former hangar at Milltown during 2008. | |
  RAF Milltown Location in Moray | |
| Coordinates | 57°40′12″N 003°14′04″W / 57.67000°N 3.23444°W |
| Type | Royal Air Force station |
| Site information | |
| Owner | Ministry of Defence |
| Operator | Royal Air Force (1941–1946 and 1977–2001) Royal Navy (1946–1977) DCSA (2001–2006) |
| Condition | Closed |
| Site history | |
| Built | 1941 |
| In use | 1941–2006 |
| Fate | Site sold by MOD in 2013, small number of station buildings remaining. |
Royal Air Force Station Milltown or RAF Milltown is a former Royal Air Force station located south of the Moray Firth and 3.6 miles (5.8 km) north east of Elgin, Scotland.
Flying stopped in 1977 but the site is still used by the Ministry of Defence.
History
RAF Milltown, lying to the southeast of Lossiemouth on the Moray Firth, began life as a bombing decoy for nearby RAF Lossiemouth.[1] Between 1941 and 1943, three runways and two hangars were constructed and the airfield became a satellite of RAF Lossiemouth.[1]
In July 1946, along with RAF Lossiemouth, Milltown was officially handed over to the Royal Navy as HMS Fulmar II, a Deck Landing Training School.[2]
Draw-down and closure
Closed for flying in 1977, the site was retained by the RAF as a high frequency signals station, with some 50 masts transmitting on the RAF VOLMET (using a 600W transmitter) and RAF STCICS systems. The signals station closed in December 2003 when the RAF's high frequency communications system was replaced by the Defence High Frequency Communications Service.[3] The site is surplus but will be retained by the MOD for services use.[citation needed]
Units and aircraft
List of flying units permanently based at Milltown.
Source: Unless otherwise indicated details sourced are from: Hughes, Jim. (1999), A Steep Turn to the Stars. Peterborough, GMS Enterprises. ISBN 1 870384 71 7, pp. 79–82
| Service | Unit | Aircraft / Role | From | Date From | Date To | To |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| RAF | No. 20 Operational Training Unit (C Flight) | Vickers Wellington | RAF Lossiemouth | 5 September 1943 | 1 September 1944 | |
| RAF | No. 224 Squadron | Consolidated Liberator | RAF St. Eval | 15 September 1944 | July 1945 | RAF St. Eval |
| RAF | No. 311 Squadron | Consolidated Liberator | RAF Tain | 15 February 1946 | 15 February 1946 | Disbanded |
| RAF | No. 111 Operational Training Unit | Consolidated Liberator, Handley Page Halifax | The Bahamas | July 1945 | 1946 | Disbanded |
| RAF | No. 1674 Heavy Conversion Unit | Consolidated Liberator | July 1945 | 1946 | ||
| FAA | 767 Naval Air Squadron | Fairey Firefly, North American Harvard, Supermarine Seafire | ||||
| FAA | 766 Naval Air Squadron | Supermarine Seafire | ||||
| FAA | Lossiemouth Handling Squadron | Gloster Meteor TT.20 | 1958 | 1962 | ||
| Civil | Fulmar Gliding Club | 1976 | RAF Kinloss | |||
| Civil | Highland Gliding Club | 1971 | October 1975 | Dallachy Airfield[4] | ||
| RAF | No. 663 Volunteer Gliding Squadron | 1973 | February 1977 | RAF Kinloss | ||
| RAF | No. 81 Signals Unit - Detachment (North) | High frequency communications | 1977 | 2003 - 2006 | Role transferred to DHFCS. |
Current use
The majority of the runways and taxiways are intact but a number of the aircraft stands have been removed. The area has been used for a variety of activities, including storage, truck testing and livestock grazing.[5]
2018 - planning for construction of a Solar PV power plant
2017-12-06 the Planning and Regulatory Services Committee of Moray Council agreed to raise no objection to the 50 MW Milltown Airfield Solar PV proposal.[6] The project was approved in May 2018 by the Scottish Government as the first solar project to be approved by the Energy Consents Unit (ECU).[7] The Solar Power plant will have a peak power of 50 MWp and include 200 000 solar panels. Assuming an insolation of 1160 kWh/m2,yr[8] this corresponds to a capacity factor of approximately 13% and an annual production of 58 GWh/yr, or 15 000 homes each with a consumption of 3 900 kWh/yr.
See also
References
Citations
- ^ a b "RAF Milltown" (wiki). Secret Scotland. Retrieved 22 August 2009.
- ^ "RN Air Station Milltown". Military Genealogy. Retrieved 22 August 2009.
- ^ "Defence High Frequency Communications Service" (PDF). High Frequency Industry Association. Babcock International Group. 5 September 2012. Retrieved 1 October 2017.
- ^ "Club History". Highland Gliding Club. Retrieved 6 December 2017.
- ^ Amos, Ilona (29 May 2018). "Massive solar farm in Moray will be Scotland's biggest". The Scotsman. Retrieved 1 June 2018.
- ^ "Moray council raise no objection to Milltown airfield solar farm". Elgin Energy. 7 December 2017. Retrieved 1 June 2018.
- ^ Pratt, David (29 May 2018). "Scotland's largest solar farm approved in first for government". Solar Power Portal. Retrieved 1 June 2018.
- ^ "JRC - European Commission - PVGIS Photovoltaic Geographical Information System". European Commission. Retrieved 1 June 2018.
Bibliography
- Jefford, C.G. RAF Squadrons, a Comprehensive Record of the Movement and Equipment of all RAF Squadrons and their Antecedents since 1912. Shrewsbury, Shropshire, UK: Airlife Publishing, 1988. ISBN 1-84037-141-2.
- Sturtivant, Ray, ISO and John Hamlin. RAF Flying Training And Support Units since 1912. Tonbridge, Kent, UK: Air-Britain (Historians) Ltd., 2007. ISBN 0-85130-365-X.