Tain Air Weapons Range

Tain Air Weapons Range is a Ministry of Defence air weapons range on the Dornoch Firth near Tain in Scotland. Royal Air Force aircrews from RAF Lossiemouth are trained in air weaponry on the range, along with NATO aircrew.[1]

Tain Air Weapons Range
Near Tain, Highlands in Scotland
Tain Air Weapons Range including the range control tower
Tain AWR is located in Highland
Tain AWR
Tain AWR
Location in the Highlands
Tain AWR is located in the United Kingdom
Tain AWR
Tain AWR
Tain AWR (the United Kingdom)
Coordinates57°48′40″N 003°58′24″W
TypeAir weapons range
Area1,196 hectares (2,960 acres)
Site information
OwnerMinistry of Defence
OperatorDefence Infrastructure Organisation
Open to
the public		Yes (unless red flags flying)
ConditionOperational
Site history
Built1930 (1930)
In use1930 – present
Designations

It was previously known as Royal Air Force Tain and Royal Naval Air Station Tain.

History
Observation tower at RAF Tain

The airfield opened in September 1941 under the command of RAF Fighter Command during the Second World War. It was particularly active in summer 1944 during anti-u-boat operations. It closed in spring 1946.[2] The original airfield is no longer in operation, but still exists within the boundaries of the range.[1] It became a weapons range in 1954 and is now the largest live weapons range in the Defence Training Estates.[1]

On 1 April 2006, as part of a rationalisation of military training facilities in the UK, control of RAF Tain transferred from the RAF to Defence Training Estates and the range became known as Tain Air Weapons Range.[3]

Units stationed at RAF Tain during the Second World War

The following units were posted to the airfield at some point during the Second World War:

First-line squadrons

Meteorological squadrons

Training and development units
  • No. 1 Torpedo Training Unit RAF (November 1945 – December 1946)[25]
  • Target Towing and Support Aircraft of No. 4 (Coastal) Operational Training Unit RAF (December 1944 – August 1946)[26]
  • Relief Landing Ground for No. 8 Air Gunners School RAF (January - April 1944)[27]
  • Relief Landing Ground for No. 19 (Pilots) Advanced Flying Unit RAF (July 1943 - )[28]
  • No. 1491 (Target Towing) Flight RAF (December 1941 – May 1942) became No. 1491 (Fighter) Gunnery Flight RAF (May - November 1942)[29]
  • No. 2831 Squadron RAF Regiment.[30]
  • Coastal Command Development Unit RAF.[30] An element of the CCDU was split to become No. 1 Torpedo Refresher School RAF, formed here on 3 February 1943. The School was disbanded on 28 January 1944.[31]
  • Coastal Command Flying Instructors School RAF[30] became the Coastal Command Instructors School RAF and was disbanded here on 1 April 1946.[32]

References

Citations
  1. "RAF Tain - Range Activity". Royal Air Force. 2011. Retrieved 4 July 2011.
  2. "Tain". Airfields of Britain Conservation Trust. Retrieved 30 November 2021.
  3. "About us". RAF Tain. Royal Air Force. Archived from the original on 9 January 2010. Retrieved 16 February 2022.
  4. Jefford 1988, p. 30.
  5. Jefford 1988, p. 48.
  6. Jefford 1988, p. 51.
  7. Jefford 1988, p. 58.
  8. Jefford 1988, p. 59.
  9. Jefford 1988, p. 61.
  10. Jefford 1988, p. 66.
  11. Jefford 1988, p. 75.
  12. Jefford 1988, p. 83.
  13. Jefford 1988, p. 85.
  14. Jefford 1988, p. 89.
  15. Jefford 1988, p. 90.
  16. Jefford 1988, p. 91.
  17. Jefford 1988, p. 93.
  18. Jefford 1988, p. 97.
  19. Jefford 1988, p. 95.
  20. Sturtivant & Ballance 1994, p. 131.
  21. Sturtivant & Ballance 1994, p. 182.
  22. Sturtivant & Ballance 1994, p. 189.
  23. Sturtivant & Ballance 1994, p. 207.
  24. Sturtivant & Ballance 1994, p. 234.
  25. Sturtivant, Hamlin & Halley 1997, p. 293.
  26. Sturtivant, Hamlin & Halley 1997, p. 234.
  27. Sturtivant, Hamlin & Halley 1997, p. 57.
  28. Sturtivant, Hamlin & Halley 1997, p. 43.
  29. Sturtivant, Hamlin & Halley 1997, p. 136.
  30. "Tain". Airfields of Britain Conservation Trust. Retrieved 18 October 2013.
  31. Lake 1999, p. 282.
  32. Lake 1999, p. 50.

Bibliography
  • Jefford, C.G. (1988). RAF Squadrons. A comprehensive record of the movement and equipment of all RAF squadrons and their antecedents since 1912. Shrewsbury: Airlife. ISBN 1-85310-053-6.
  • Lake, A (1999). Flying units of the RAF. Shrewsbury: Airlife. ISBN 1-84037-086-6.
  • Sturtivant, R; Ballance, T (1994). The Squadrons of The Fleet Air Arm. Tonbridge, Kent, UK: Air-Britain (Historians) Ltd. ISBN 0-85130-223-8.
  • Sturtivant, R; Hamlin, J; Halley, J (1997). Royal Air Force flying training and support units. UK: Air-Britain (Historians). ISBN 0-85130-252-1.
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