RAF Celle

Infobox Military Unit
unit_name = Royal Air Force Station Celle


caption = Station crest
dates = ?? 1940s – late 1956
country = Germany
allegiance = UK: British Armed Forces
branch = Royal Air Force
command_structure = RAF Second Tactical Air Force
type = Flying station
role =
size =
current_commander =
garrison = Celle, Lower Saxony, Germany
garrison_label = Based near
ceremonial_chief =
ceremonial_chief_label =
colonel_of_the_regiment =
colonel_of_the_regiment_label =
nickname = "Celle"
motto =
colors =
colors_label = Royal Air Force Ensign
march = Royal Air Force March Past
mascot =
equipment = de Havilland Mosquito
battles =
notable_commanders =
identification_symbol =
identification_symbol_label = Station crest
anniversaries =

Infobox Airport
name = RAF Celle
nativename =
nativename-a =
nativename-r =


image-width =
caption =
IATA = ZCN
ICAO = ETHC
type = Military
owner = formerly: Ministry of Defence, now: Bundeswehr
operator = formerly: Royal Air Force, now: Bundeswehr
city-served =
location = Celle, Lower Saxony, Germany
elevation-f = 129
elevation-m = 39
coordinates =
website =
metric-elev =
metric-rwy =
r1-number = 08/26
r1-length-f = 6,007
r1-length-m = 1,831
r1-surface = Asphalt
r2-number =
r2-length-f =
r2-length-m =
r2-surface =
stat-year =
stat1-header =
stat1-data =
stat2-header =
stat2-data =
footnotes =

The former Royal Air Force Station Celle, more commonly known as RAF Celle, was a Royal Air Force airbase in Germany, situated in the south-western suburbs of Celle, Lower Saxony. RAF Celle was also known as "Wietzenbruch airbase", probably due to its very close proximity to Wietzenbruch

The RAF disestablished the station and it was closed down in the late 1950s. At some time afterwards, the British Army moved in, and called it "Taunton Barracks Celle".

Celle was returned to the German government, and the site is now controlled by the German Bundeswehr (Federal Defence Force). Celle is now the "Celle Air Base", and home to the German Army Aviators Corps "Army Aviators Liaison and Reconnaissance Helicopter Squadron 100" and "Training Centre C (flying instruction)".

Celle squadrons

*No. 4 Squadron RAF; de Havilland Mosquito FB6
*No. 16 Squadron RAF;
*No. 98 Squadron RAF; de Havilland Mosquito B35
*No. 51 Squadron RAF Regiment
*226 Signal Squadron Royal Corps of Signals

RAF units and aircraft

References

* [http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/catalogue/displaycataloguedetails.asp?CATLN=6&CATID=2812985&SearchInit=4&CATREF=AIR55%2F108 Document AIR 55/108: "Operation "Plainfare": a short history of RAF Celle, 1949"] from [http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/ www.nationalarchives.gov.uk]

External links

* [http://aviation.elettra.co.uk/rafmuseum/page.php?aircraft=mosquito 98 Sqn Mosquito TJ138 at RAF Museum, Hendon]
* [http://www.servicepals.com/index.cfm/pcms/site.gallery.view_tag/tag/celle Photo gallery of Celle] from [http://www.servicepals.com/ ServicePals]
* [http://www.rafregiment.net/51%20Sqn%20RAF%20Regt.htm History of 51 Sqn RAF Regiment]

ee also

*Royal Air Force station
*List of aircraft of the RAF
*40th Airlift Squadron
*Berlin Airlift