Also known as Scottow Aerodrome · MoD Coltishall
The story of RAF Coltishall
After the war it hosted Mosquitos, Javelins and, from 1963, the Historic Aircraft Flight, now the Battle of Britain Memorial Flight. In June 1960 No. 74 Squadron received the RAF's first Lightning F.1s here. Jaguars arrived in August 1974 with No. 54 Squadron, followed by Nos. 6 and 41. The Jaguar squadrons served in the Gulf in 1991 and over Iraq and the Balkans in the 1990s. Sea King and Wessex rescue helicopters also flew from the station.
The Typhoon went elsewhere, and the last Jaguars left on 1 April 2006. The station closed on 30 November 2006. Coltishall was the last operational Battle of Britain fighter airfield apart from Northolt. Norfolk County Council bought the site, and part of it is now HM Prison Bure.
Flying units
| Unit | Years | Aircraft |
|---|---|---|
| No. 242 Squadron | 1940–1940 | Hawker Hurricane |
| No. 74 Squadron | 1959–1964 | English Electric Lightning F.1 |
| No. 226 Operational Conversion Unit | 1964 | English Electric Lightning |
| No. 54 Squadron | 1974–2005 | SEPECAT Jaguar |
| No. 6 Squadron | 1974–2006 | SEPECAT Jaguar |
| No. 41 Squadron | 1976–2006 | SEPECAT Jaguar |
What survives
- A Second World War aircraft revetment and 1950s blast walls, now a scheduled monument
- Runways, hangars and technical site within the Scottow Enterprise Park
- The site is a designated conservation area
The museum on the airfield
| Museum | Adult entry | Airframes | Headline exhibit |
|---|---|---|---|
| RAF Coltishall Heritage CentreNorwich, Norfolk | Free | 5 | RAF Coltishall's guardroom museum, curated by veterans of the base — the Jaguar force's spiritual home, free to enter on open days, with… |