Luftwaffe Air Raids

RAF Ouston was attacked twice by the German Luftwaffe, and these were important events in the history of the airfield. However there is not a great amount of detail in published accounts, so this page should be considered to be an outline of the events, pending further information coming to light.

The badge on the left is that of Stab III of Kampfgeschwader 30, and the right shows the Group badge of KG30.

This unit was active over the North-East and Scotland on the nights of the Ouston raids, but it is not yet confirmed that they were responsible. The KG30 aircraft would have looked like this model, but with different colours for each Stab (squadron). Stab III would be yellow.

1/72 scale Corgi diecast model of a Junkers 88A-5 of Stab 5 / KG30 in 1941 - from 'Planestore.co.uk'

First Air Raid - Wednesday 7th May 1941 - 0015 hours

Commencing at midnight of the 6th/7th May there were some 10 reported incidents of enemy bombs, parachute mines, or incendiaries being dropped in the south-east of Northumberland. Air Raid Reports name Longhorseley; Ashington; Great Ryle - Prestwick; South Hazelrigg Moor - Belford; Whitley Bay; Morpeth; Norham; and Howick. Fourty enemy aircraft passed over Whitley Bay. In addition two enemy bombers returning from Clydeside and Glasgow were shot down by RAF night fighters at Morpeth, and Holy Island. (1)

In amongst all of this activity, a single Junkers 88 bomber attacked RAF Ouston, dropping 12 bombs in a line between the main hangar and the guardroom. Sixteen RAF personnel were slightly injured by splinters and bullets. One 50 kg bomb left a crater outside the Watch Office (Control Tower), others fell between the main hangar and the Institute Building (NAAFI) where a water main was fractured. After dropping its bombs the Ju 88 circled, then came in low and machine gunned the aerodrome. (1)

A Lewis Gun had been mounted on top of the Watch Office (Control Tower) and this gun returned fire at the raider. Meanwhile Ouston based aircraft were attempting to land back on the airfield (1), and it can be assumed that these were Hawker Hurricanes of resident 317 Squadron. They were equipped for night flying, so would have been scrambled as the Luftwaffe raids developed that night.

The most significant damage caused was in the main J-Type hangar where an incendiary bomb started a serious fire which completely destroyed a DH Hornet Moth, also damaging by fire a Hawker Hurricane, and a Westland Lysander, sufficient that both of these aircraft were subsequently declared write-offs (1). In addition it is reported that 317 Squadron Hurricane Mk.1's V6582 and V6602 were damaged (4). Full details for the five aircraft destroyed or damaged are as follows;

W9382 DH.87 Hornet Moth

Pre-war this had been a civil aircraft, registration G-AFDF, and on the outbreak of war it was impressed into RAF service with the military serial W9382. It was initially used by 5 CPF (Coastal Patrol Flight) as were many other ex-civilian aircraft. They were soon replaced by properly equipped military aircraft, and from then on the numerous Hornet Moths were used for radio calibration work, being spacious enough to accommodate bulky radio equipment. W9382 joined 3 RMU (Radio Maintenance Unit) at the still not complete RAF Ouston, operating off the grass areas. 3 RMU was redesignated 3 RSS (Radio Servicing Section) and subsequently became part of 72 Wing, to whom W9392 belonged at the time of its demise to a German incendiary bomb. Its official record card states that it was destroyed on the 6th May, rather than the first hour of the 7th May 1941.

It was soon replaced by another Hornet Moth, also an ex civil aircraft, formerly G-AESE which was impressed and given the RAF serial number W5775. This second aircraft survived the war and has been beautifully restored as G-AESE and remains airworthy at Coventry Airport where this photo was taken.

V7119 Hawker Hurricane Mk.I

This was a relatively new aircraft built in late 1940 under sub-contract by the Gloster Aircraft Company. It had first served with 615 Squadron, defending London, before being transferred to the newly formed 317 (Polish) Squadron at RAF Acklington in February 1941. This squadron soon moved to RAF Ouston in April 1941, becoming the airfield's first operational fighter unit. It is likely that it was inside the hangar at Ouston for maintenance work on the night of 6th/7th May, before being so badly damaged by the nearby Hornet Moth fire that it was declared a write-off. Also, if it was under maintenance, such as being raised on trestles, then it would not have been possible to quickly move it out of harms way. It became 317's first loss to enemy action, and it was not until 2nd June 1941 that 317 got their revenge when they downed a Ju 88 of Tynemouth [see Ouston's only wartime 'kill' on this website]. V7119's official record card states that it was "destroyed air raid Ouston 7/5/41".

In the photo below V7119 is shown in the 'JH' markings of 317 Squadron it carried at the time of its demise. However, it is not known which individual code letter it wore so this has been left off. Note the Polish national insignia painted under the cockpit.

V6582 Hawker Hurricane Mk.1

One of two further 317 Squadron aircraft damaged in the air raid and hangar fire. This Hurricane had previously served with 249, and 46 squadrons, before joining 317 squadron at Acklington and Ouston. Its official record card does not mention the damage caused at Ouston, but it does show that the aircraft was converted to a Hurricane Mk.II, with a new serial number DG639 from May 1941 . This means that the damage was severe enough for the aircraft to be returned to a factory for repair, at which point the opportunity was taken to convert it to a Mk.II. by Rolls Royce. As DG639 it was then shipped to Russia on 9th September 1941 and joined the Red Air Force. There is no further information regarding its service or fate with the Russians.

V6602 Hawker Hurricane Mk.1

This Hurricane had previously served with 32 squadron, before joining 317 Squadron at Acklington and Ouston. It's official record card is then identical to that above, being returned to a Rolls Royce factory in May 1941 (for repair) and converted to a Mk.II, serial number DG638. It was then shipped to Russia on 7th September 1941, and there is no further information from then on.

P1699 Westland Lysander Mk.I

The fact of this aircraft also being in Ouston's hangar is of interest because it belonged to 6 AACU (Anti-Aircraft Co-operation Unit). This large unit was headquartered at RAF Ringway (now Manchester Airport) as part of 110 Wing. They provided target and gunnery calibration aircraft for the whole North West area, with detachments at many airfields. Also headquartered under 110 Wing at Ringway was 7 AACU which served airfields on the East coast, and from April 1941 they formed a detachment at RAF Ouston, equipped with Lysanders. So it is possible that P1699 was in the process of being transferred from 6 AACU to 7 AACU. Or alternatively 6 AACU had been providing Lysander aircraft for use at Ouston, pending the establishment of the new 7 AACU detachment. From the start of the war P1699 had served as an operational army co-operation aircraft with 4 Squadron, and then 241 Squadron, before moving to second-line use with 6 AACU. Its official record card states that it was "Damaged Beyond Repair 6/5/41", and it is other sources that have identified it as being "bombed by incendiary in hangar at Ouston by Ju 88".

The photo below shows how it might have looked at the time it was lost, and none of the AACU aircraft carried code letters at Ouston, they were just identified by their serial number.

The Luftwaffe Unit of the Junkers 88 is not known, and it is likely that a number of different units were operating the Ju 88 and Heinkel III bombers that attacked the North East and Glasgow. The two aircraft shot down that night were a He III near Morpeth, and a Ju 88 on Holy Island, but both had come from the Glasgow raids. (1) (3)

It is of interest that RAF Ouston had been singled out for an accurate attack, so soon after the new airfield had become operational on 10th March 1941. Throughout the war the Luftwaffe carried out very high level photo reconnaissance flights over the British Isles, so they would have been aware that a new airfield was being built to the west of Newcastle. They would then presumably wait until it received its operational aircraft (Hurricanes), to make an attack worthwhile. During this early period of the war, the two other main RAF fighter airfields at RAF Acklington, and RAF Usworth (Sunderland) were also given special attention by the Luftwaffe.

From the ARP description of the attack , the following illustration shows the likely line of the 12 incendiary bombs. Such bombs were small, and intended to cause destructive fires. They were usually combined with larger high explosive bombs which were intended to (e.g) open up roofs and thus provide entry points for the incendiaries to cause maximum damage. The fact of such a fire in the main hangar at Ouston would either indicate that high explosive was involved, or that one incendiary did go through a side window of the hangar. The ARP report refers to a small crater close to the Watch Office (Control Tower), and also to a water main being fractured, so it would seem that a mix of high explosive and incendiaries was indeed involved. The hangar fire was so severe that two outside civilian fire brigade units were called to assist.

Second Air Raid - Monday 1st September 1941 - 2255 hours

In the late hours of this Monday there was a raid by 12 (or 25) Luftwaffe bombers on Tyneside which killed 72 people. The north bank of the Tyne suffered the worst casualties with 64 killed, and much damage to buildings. Newcastle Central Station and the New Bridge Street LNER Goods Station and railway tracks were badly damaged. A large high explosive bomb fell in Wallsend, cutting the railway, and two large bombs fell in fields at Ovingham. Bombs fell at Dudley; at Sandyford Road; near Dinnington, but failed to explode; the A69 road to Hexham was blocked by debris from two bombs at Nafferton; six bombs dropped at Milfield, cutting GPO lines and blocking a road; bombs fell on RAF Brunton but caused little damage; and four more large bombs fell on Holy Cross, Wallsend. (1)

The action wasn't one-sided, and south of Ashington a Junkers 88 was intercepted and shot down by a Beaufighter night fighter of the Canadian crewed 406 Squadron from RAF Acklington. The Junkers crashed at Bedlington Brickworks, killing all four crew members, and nearby four bombs from the Junkers exploded in a field. (1) (3)

In amongst all of this activity, at 2255 hours one High Explosive bomb fell on a roadway in the centre of the RAF Ouston camp, making a crater 20 feet wide by 6 feet deep. A water main was fractured and panes of glass in the Parachute Section were broken. Fortunately no personnel were injured, or aircraft damaged. (1) (2) The image below shows a roadway location close to the Parachute Section, and this indicates that the intended target was the main hangar.

The Luftwaffe Unit responsible for this second raid on Ouston may have been Stab III of KG30, as it was one of their Junkers 88 aircraft that was shot down at Bedlington Brickworks. This Ju 88 also carried the same code letters i.e. "4D", as the Ju 88 shot down on 7th May at Holy Island (see above). However, a variety of other Lufwaffe units were also involved in raids at this time e.g. KG53 so it can not be said (yet) with certainty which Unit(s) attacked Ouston. (3) There is a good chance that further information will come to light, as many Luftwaffe records have survived and can be researched. (3)

References

(1) Northumberland Aviation Diary - Aviation Incidents from 1790 - 1999, Derek Walton, Norav Publications 1999

(2) Airfields of North-East England in the Second World War, Martyn Chorlton, Countryside Books AVIATION 2005

(3) Luftwaffe Losses over Northumberland & Durham 1939-1945 , Bill Norman, Leo Cooper 2002

(4) North East Land Sea and Air Museum website - history of RAF Ouston

POSTSCRIPT

In 2020 former 641 Gliding School Instructor John English supplied new information and several photos displayed elsewhere on this site. He also reported that his fellow Instructor Stan Purdy can recall seeing bullet/shrapnel holes in the J-hangar West End main door, and also on some inside office doors along the north side that open up into the hangar. These would be from the first Luftwaffe air raid on the 7th May 1941.

In 2025 this photo was discovered of Miles Master II, DL945, 17, of 80 (French) OTU, taken during the Winter of 1945-6. It is outside the main hangar at Ouston, and above the tail of the aircraft can be seen a prominent repair patch, plus other possible areas of damage. These repairs would accord with the description given above.

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