RAF Khormaksar


Royal Air Force Khormaksar, or RAF Khormaksar, is a former Royal Air Force station in Aden, Yemen. Its motto was "Into the Remote Places". During the 1960s, it was the base for nine squadrons and became the RAF's busiest-ever station as well as the biggest staging post for the RAF between the United Kingdom and Singapore.
It later became Aden International Airport.

History

Established in 1917, RAF Khormaksar was enlarged in 1945. No. 8 Squadron RAF arrived in 1927, and stayed until 1945, operating the Fairey IIIF, Vickers Vincent, Hawker Demon, Martin Maryland, Fairey Swordfish, and the Lockheed Hudson.
On 10 June 1940, Italy declared war on Britain and France, and Aden quickly became an important British base for the East African Campaign. Khormaksar launched its first combat sorties three days later, when 8 Squadron sent nine Bristol Blenheims to bomb an airfield at Assab in Italian Eritrea, across the Red Sea from Aden on 12 June. Five Vincents attacking the same airfield that night. On 5 August 1940, Italy invaded British Somaliland, and 8 Squadron's Blenheims flew missions against advancing Italian troop columns. The Italians heavily outnumbered the British and Commonwealth defences, and the port of Berbera, immediately south of Aden across the Gulf of Aden, was occupied by the Italians on 19 August.
After December 1941, the station became a stopover and refueling point for the USAAF Air Transport Command.
8 Squadron continued to be based at Khormaksar equipped with Blenheims. The squadron flew Vickers Wellington XIIIs were flown from December 1943 until May 1945.
In 1943 a Communication Squadron, HQ British Forces Aden Communication Squadron, was established here. It changed names twice in 1951 and 1955 before being disbanded in 1956.
In 1958, a state of emergency was declared in Aden as Yemeni forces occupied nearby Jebel Jehaf and RAF squadrons were involved in action in support of the British Army. In the 1960s, during operations around Rhadfan, the station reached a peak of activity, becoming overcrowded and attracting ground attacks by rebels. In 1966, the newly elected Labour government in the United Kingdom announced that all forces would be withdrawn by 1968.
In May 1967, it was expected that planned final force levels at Khormaksar ahead of the January 1968 withdrawal would be:
*The Army element, comprising Tactical Headquarters Aden Brigade, one commando, one battalion, one armoured car troop, one light artillery troop, one engineer troop and elements of the small Joint Headquarters. Total of some 1,150 personnel.

*The RAF element, comprising a squadron of Hunters and a Wessex flight, a visiting aircraft servicing party, the Communications Centre, elements of an ATOC, movements, airfield services and elements of the Joint Headquarters. Total of some 350 personnel.

Khormaksar played a role in the evacuation of British families from Aden in the summer of 1967. The station closed on 29 November 1967.

Units and aircraft

;Inter war years and Second World War
UnitDatesAircraftVariantNotes
No. 8 Squadron RAF27 February 1927 - 1 May 1945Fairey III
Vickers Vincent
Hawker Demon
Bristol Blenheim
Martin Maryland
Fairey Swordfish
Lockheed Hudson
Vickers Wellington		F
.
I
I
I
I
VI
XIII		Disbanded
No. 12 Squadron RAF20 October 1935 - 25 November 1935
23 March 1936 - 18 May 1936
28 July 1936 - 11 August 1936		Hawker HartIMoved to RAF Robat
Moved to RAF Robat
Moved to RAF Andover
No. 41 Squadron RAF20 October 1935 - 18 March 1936Hawker DemonIMoved to RAF Sheikh Othman
No. 94 Squadron RAF26 March 1939 - 2 May 1939Gloster GladiatorI & IIMoved to RAF Sheikh Othman
No. 114 Squadron RAF23 September 1945 - 1 May 1946Douglas Boston
de Havilland Mosquito		V
VI		Reduced to a Cadre
No. 203 Squadron RAF18 May 1940 - 16 April 1941Bristol BlenheimIVMoved to RAF Kabrit
No. 216 Squadron RAF27 November 1942 - 15 July 1945Lockheed Hudson
Douglas Dakota		VI
I		Detached from RAF Cairo West
No. 244 Squadron RAF17 March 1944 - 1 May 1945Vickers WellingtonXIIIDetached from RAF Masirah
No. 259 Squadron RAF14 September 1943 - 1 May 1945Consolidated CatalinaIBDetached from RAF Dar es Salaam
No. 265 Squadron RAF1 April 1943 - 1 May 1945Consolidated CatalinaIBDetached from RAF Diego Suarez
No. 459 Squadron RAAF1 July 1942 - 5 April 1944Lockheed HudsonIIIDetached from LG227 and LG143
No. 621 Squadron RAF5 December 1943 - 12 November 1945Vickers WellingtonXIII & XIVMoved to RAF Mersah Matruh

;Cold War
UnitDatesAircraftVariantNotes
No. 8 Squadron RAF1 September 1946 - 14 August 1950de Havilland Mosquito
Hawker Tempest
Bristol Brigand
Avro Anson
Auster		FB.6
F.6
B.1
C.19
AOP.6		Moved to RAF Nicosia
No. 8 Squadron RAF25 September 1950 - 31 May 1951Bristol Brigand
Avro Anson
Auster		B.1
C.19
AOP.6		Moved to RAF Shaibah
No. 8 Squadron RAF8 September 1951 - 23 February 1952Bristol Brigand
Avro Anson
Auster		B.1
C.19
AOP.6		Moved to RAF Nicosia
No. 8 Squadron RAF9 April 1952 - 7 July 1953Bristol Brigand
de Havilland Vampire		B.1
FB.9		Moved to RAF Nicosia
No. 8 Squadron RAF23 November 1953 - 24 July 1956de Havilland Vampire
de Havilland Venom		FB.9
FB.1 & FB.4		Moved to RAF Habbaniyah
No. 8 Squadron RAF20 December 1956 - 30 June 1961de Havilland Venom
Gloster Meteor
Hawker Hunter		FB.1 & FB.4
FR.9
FGA.9 & FR.10		Moved to RAF Bahrain
No. 8 Squadron RAF14 October 1961 - 8 August 1967Hawker HunterFGA.9 & FR.10Moved to RAF Masirah
No. 21 Squadron RAF1 June 1965 – 9 September 1967Scottish Aviation Twin Pioneer
Douglas Dakota
Hawker Siddeley Andover		CC.1
I
CC.2		Disbanded
No. 26 Squadron RAF1 March 1963 – 30 November 1965Bristol BelvedereHC.1Disbanded
No. 37 Squadron RAF21 August 1957 – 7 September 1967Avro ShackletonMR.2Disbanded
No. 43 Squadron RAF1 March 1963 – 7 November 1967Hawker HunterFGA.9Disbanded
No. 73 Squadron RAF30 July - 21 December 1956de Havilland VenomFB.1Moved to RAF Nicosia
No. 78 Squadron RAF15 April 1956 – 13 October 1967Scottish Aviation Pioneer
Scottish Aviation Twin Pioneer
Percival Pembroke
Westland Wessex		CC.1
CC.1
C.1
HC.2		Moved to RAF Sharjah
No. 84 Squadron RAF31 December 1956 – 3 September 1967Vickers Valetta
Bristol Sycamore
Percival Pembroke
Blackburn Beverley
Hawker Siddeley Andover		C.1
HR.14
C.1
C.1
C.1		Moved to RAF Sharjah
No. 105 Squadron RAF15 June 1962 – 6 August 1967Armstrong Whitworth ArgosyC.1Moved to RAF Muharraq
No. 208 Squadron RAF26 March - August 1956
15 November - 30 November 1961
30 November - 9 December 1961
9 December 1961 - 8 June 1964		Gloster Meteor
Hawker Hunter
Hunter
Hunter		FR.9
FGA.9
FGA.9
FGA.9		Sqn at RAF Akrotiri
Moved to RAF Eastleigh
Sqn at RAF Eastleigh
Det at RAF Muharraq
No. 233 Squadron RAF1 September 1960 – 31 January 1964Vickers ValettaC.1Disbanded
No. 683 Squadron RAF18 December 1951 - 10 June 1952Avro Lancaster
Vickers Valetta		PR.1
C.1		Moved to RAF Habbaniyah

;Units
UnitDatesAircraftVariantNotes
No. 1417 Flight RAF1958 – 1960
1 March 1963 – 8 September 1967		Gloster Meteor
Hawker Hunter		FR.9
FR.10 / T.7		Reabsorbed into No. 8 Squadron RAF
Aden Communication Squadron RAF1 December 1951 – 1 September 1955VariousVariousBecame Aden Protectorate Communication and Support Squadron RAF
Aden Protectorate Communication and Support Squadron RAF1 September 1955 – 31 December 1956VariousVariousRedesignated No. 84 Squadron RAF
Headquarters British Forces Aden Communications Flight RAF21 March 1943 – 1 January 1944
January 1946 - 1 December 1951		VariousVariousBecame Aden Communication Squadron
Aden Communication Unit RAF1 January 1944 - January 1946VariousVariousReverted back to the HQ British Forces Aden Communications Flight RAF
No. 131 Maintenance Unit9 March 1942 - 1 November 1945
1 November 1958 - 31 August 1967		Blackburn Beverley
Armstrong Whitworth Argosy
Scottish Aviation aircraft
Bristol Belvedere		VariousAircraft Repair & General Engineering Sections
Search and Rescue Flight RAF, Khormaksar13 June 1958 - 1 July 1967Bristol Sycamore
Westland Whirlwind		HR.14
HAR.2/HAR.4		Disbanded