RAF Peterhead

RAF Peterhead, Longside Airfield, was a World War II airfield located approximately four miles west of Peterhead.

Peterhead Airfield was built for the RAF in 1941, between Longside and Peterhead, and disbanded in 1945. At its busiest, there was in excess of 2,000 personnel stationed there, typically 1,576 RAF and 289 WAF, with up to five accommodation camps in use, serving a large number of RAF squadrons, and up to four Fleet Air Arm (FAA) squadrons. Amongst the nations represented were Australians, Canadians, New Zealanders. Poles, Czechoslovaks, Belgians, and Americans. Squadrons of particular note would include the RAF 13th Group (Night Fighters) the Royal Canadian Air force (416 Squadron) and the Polish Air Force (309 Squadron). Records suggest the airfield was used as a fighter station operating Hurricane, Spitfire, and Mustang aircraft, and provided protection for eastern convoys.

May-July 1944, 416 Squadron formed at Peterhead on November 18, 1941. In the same month, one person was killed, and three others injured, when a Ju-88 bomber dropped two bombs on the airfield.

Memorial cairn
� Ken Fitlike

Although the hangars no longer remain, much of the airfield remains, including much of the runways, dispersal sites, and remains of the accommodation camps, buildings and huts associated with them. A number of pillboxes (possibly seven originally) remain around the site, which was equipped with a Battle HQ, rifle range, and its own sewage plant. The Operations Block lay to the south east of the junction of the A950 and the Peterhead bypass. Originally a flat roofed building with four associated huts within a fenced enclosure, a house now occupies the site.

The airfield is still in use, and has served as a refuelling point for Bond Helicopters and Bristows, flying on to service oil platforms in the North Sea. The control tower was demolished in 1969.

On a smaller scale, a stretch of runway has also been cleared for use by radio-controlled model aircraft.