Historic day as flying finishes at Kinloss base

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Its fate was sealed last October when Prime Minister David Cameron announced the cancellation of the long-awaited MRA4 replacement Nimrod.

The action was the third part of a five-phase wind-down of the base which will be completed in 2014 when the first Army units are expected to arrive. Phase one was the planning stage and phase two the disbandment of the remaining squadrons.

Phase four will be when the the base closes as an RAF station and the station commander leaves and phase five will be when the assets are handed over to the recently formed Defence Infrastructure Organisation in 2014.

The station first opened in 1939, before the outbreak of World War II, as a pilot training school.

Land was requisitioned from local farms Easter Langcot, Muirton and Kinloss as well as Kinloss House and on April 1, 1939 with 14 Flying Training School (FTS) on camp and 45 Maintenance Unit soon to follow, RAF Kinloss opened.

The flying school was replaced by 19 Operational Training Unit (OTU) training bomber crews, before the arrival of 6 Coastal OTU which saw the beginning of Kinloss’s association with maritime operations and the Nimrod fleet.

During the darkest days of the cold War, the Nimrods located then shadowed Soviet naval vessels.

In July 1962, the Station received one of its highest honours, the Civic Freedom of the Royal and Ancient Burgh of Forres, allowing Kinloss personnel the right to march through the Burgh with swords drawn. This they did for the final time earlier this year, before the squadrons were formally disbanded as a result of the strategic defence review.

From its earliest days, RAf Kinlos has enjoyed a close relationship with the local community, with many of its personnel choosing to stay in the wider community and remain in the area following their RAF careers.