East of Scotland Aviation Research

DREM

(sometimes also known as Gullane or West Fenton)

1916-1919 Drem started life as a home defence landing ground and at this point in 1916 was called West Fenton.The site was then built into a proper airfield and no. 2 TDS was formed with their machines being Sopwith Pups, Camels and the SE 5a.The TDS later disbanded in 1919 and at this time the airfield was renamed as Gullane.Another group that were based here were the American 41st Aero-Squadron during the 1918 summer later going onto France with its Camels in August 1918.From 1919 the airfield was abandoned and unused until 1933. 1933-1946 During 1933 Hawker Harts from 602 and 603 squadrons used the airfield as a refueling point while they were on a Coastal Defence exercise.The airfield then had no further use until 1939 when no. 13 Flying Training School was formed here with Audax, Harts and Oxfords. Copyright ?????

A MK 2 Spitfire at Drem 1939-1940 When the war started it was thought that the Airfield now known as Drem was well placed to the main Fighter Station for the Scottish Lowlands and could easily protect the shipping in the River Forth.So in October 1939 Drem received its first fighters in the form of Spitfires with 609 squadron from Acklington and was later to be joined by more Spitfires from 72 and 602 squadrons.During this transfer of aircraft no. 13 FTS was disbanded and control of the airfield was officially given to Fighter Command. Copyright Ernie Burton

602 Squadron A Flight at Drem 1940 Ironically the first action to take place from Drem was a tragic case of mistaken identity as two Hampdens from 44 squadron were shot down over the Forth in december and one crew member was killed.The next day 602 squadron found two He 111's on the Eastern side of the Isle of May and proceeded to shot down one of them.Although the station was scrambled nearly every day it was not until late in February 1940 that another He 111 was brought down, this time to crash land at Coldingham.Only a few days after that action 609 squadron put another Heinkel into the sea near Dunbar.

(See newspaper report of the attack from the Luftwaffe on October 16th 1939)

72 squadron returned to Leconfield form where they had came in January and 111 squadron, or Triple One as they became known, arrived from Dyce with Hurricanes in the month previous to 72 squadrons move eventually to move on only a month behind 72 squadron when they moved to Wick. Blenheim nightfighters from 29 squadron arrived here in April from Debden and then left in May. No. 29 squadron was to return to Drem in 1944 while they converted from MK XII Mosquitoes to MK XIII Mosquitoes.

During August 1940 the City of Glasgow Squadron, 602, moved to Westhampnett with 609 squadron having moved to Northolt some months previous. 1940 saw five Hurricane squadrons spend short periods here those being squadron numbers 145, 232, 245, 263 and 605 and also one Defiant squadron, 141 was here for only a week.

Dispersal at Drem 1939.
Note the vehicle in the back ground and the camouflage paint on the wall (possibly a Bellman hangar). Parts of Scotland were deemed to be a place for the rest and recouperation for the war weary pilots and crew who came here from the thick of it all from every area of the south coast.A steady flow of fighter units arrived from the south as did a few squadron due to bad weather or being damaged and unable to make it back to their own base.

No. 600 nightfighter squadron based at Drem with Beaufighters and Blenheims made a good score while engaging enemy aircraft over Clydeside during 1941 with No. 43 squadron with Hurricanes also making good progress on enemy aircraft in the area.No. 410 squadron were based at Drem while they converted from Boulton-Paul Defiants to the Beaufighter but saw no action.

There was a decoy airfield at Whitekirk which was well bombed by the Germans but during 1942 a JU 88 dropped bombs on the real thing hitting Drem with all it had, this is believed to have damaged the control tower and several aircraft but not thought to have killed any personnel. I have been told that the aircraft had its wheels down as if it were going to land and came in on a final approach dropping into position above the runway, well a single enemy aircraft in the sky with its wheels down didnt seem very likely more likely to be one of our own so no action was taken against the aircraft, on coming over the airfield the aircraft then powered up it engines and let all of its bombs loose on the runway.This must have been an act of sheer bravery or stupidity but whatever your thoughts are it was most certainly very lucky and it worked.

This lucky bombing may have been due to a policy brought in after there were many accounts of friendly fire incidents that the RAF started to work on the wheels down attitude for returning friendly aircraft because it was often hard to figure out which aircraft was which when they were so high in the sky.

From June 1942 until February 1943 various Squadrons with varied aircraft were to visit Drem these included a Typhoon Squadron and a Spitfire Squadron. We were to see the Whirlwind to return to our skies once again also.
During 1943 although there were a number of day fighters still at Drem the station had become more associated with night fighter units. A Mosquito of 605 Squadron, using Drem as an advanced base from which to fly a patrol over Denmark, was believed to have claimed a kill in the form of a HE 177.

In August 1943 a squadron arrived this being 488 who were converting from Beaufighters to Mosquitoes but soon left for Bradwell Bay in the September due to no enemy activity. They were replaced by 96 Squadron who also soon moved on due to no enemy activity, they moved onto West Malling in November.A Polish Squadron No. 307 were the next to take the station but only one detachment was to have any success and by March 1944 they also left going to Coleby Grange.

A Royal Navy Squadron was based at Drem from October 1943 which was equipped with Fulmars and Avro Ansons to start with eventually ending up with Fireflies, Hellcats and Harvards. Another smaller unit also operated here around this time this being 1692 Radio Development Flight and had two Beaufighters and five Defiants. In July 1944 a Fleet Requirements Unit was based here and finally disbanded in October 1945 with a night fighter school being reformed here some months before.This was 722 Squadron who were eventually to become part of 784 Squadron in November 1945.

An example of an Avro Anson that would have flown from Drem A number of various Squadron had passed through Drem during a period from 1943 till 1945 and not without dangers as was apparent when a USAAF Fortress crashed shortly after take off, those aboard which consisted of the USAAF crew and a number of RAF passenger did not survive. Another such incident was the crash of a Defiant a short distance away from the airfield but only meters away from houses in the village of Drem, The Pilot was never recovered. No 340 Squadron was the last fighter Squadron to be based here the period from December 1944 to January 1945 with the airfield being taken over by the Royal Navy in April 1945 being commissioned as HMS Nighthawk in June. Copyright Christine Downes

A group of the Royal Navys finest at Drem (HMS Nighthawk 894 Squadron)
(Arthur Warbrighton 2nd left front row)
An Avro Anson dropped food off to lighthouse keepers at St Abbs Head due to being cut off by snow during March 1944.

In May 1945 Spitfires from 603 Squadron Intercepted three JU 52s which were known to have been carrying delegates of the surrendering German army, they were intercepted and escorted to Drem.

The RAF finally regained control of the airfield in 1946 with no records of any further use being recorded.Drem had been a grass landing strip reinforced with steel matting and had three Bellman hangars and some twelve blister hangars. Two of the Bellmans have now been restored and are use by a local haulage contractor.Drem is now mostly an Industrial site with small businesses working from here utilizing the old airfield buildings.

Although flying from Drem is thought to have stopped during 1945 there is still a lot of the flying spirit of old going on around the airfield every Sunday in the form of Macmerry Model Flying Club of which I am a member.The Club meets every Sunday throughout the year and has a few members that really flew from here during or shortly after WWII. Look out for further details of the club including pictures soon. The clubs runway is placed at an old dispersal point from which pilots would have jumped into their Spitfires and off they went, not much different from the flying skills that are demonstrated here now. A building can be seen at the rear of the runway as can a pill box across the field from the flying site and indeed their are a lot of buildings all around the airfield including the Battle Command Building from which all orders during an direct attack on the airfield would have been given.

The Drem site has one other claim to fame and that is the lighting system that was developed here by a Spitfire pilot experimenting with a circle of lamps positioned correctly for an approach of this aircraft.This being The Drem Lighting System to which has become the standard light system and Drem also gave its name to this system.

If you have more information about the Drem Lighting System then I would like to know what you have got so please dont hesitate to contact me at :- ESAR

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