RAF Drem
Mosquito's operating from Drem
55^02’2” N, 2& 79’ 4” W
The Firth of Forth River Estuary is perhaps best known for its scenic iron girdered railway bridge, built in the late 1900’s.
This links Midlothian on the South side with the County of Fife to the North.
Besides this stragegic bridge, at the time of both world wars, a mojor Naval Base lay on the North bank at Rosyth.
The City of Edinburgh, Scotlands Capital , received attention from Zeppelins during WW 1 and Bombers in WW 2.
Drem is a small village in East Lothian, Scotland. It is approximately 20 miles East of Edinburgh, and is close to Haddington, [to the South], North Berwick [North East], Dirleton [North] and Gullane [North West].
It has a railway station on the Edinburgh to North Berwick Line, with hourly services between thes points, and occasional services to Glasgow.
The station is the last before the single track North Berwick line branches off the East Coast Main Line.
RAF Drem as an airfield predates the formation of the RAF and is situated just North of the village of Drem,
The Motto of the Station was “Exiit Hinc Lumen” meaning “Light Has Departed From This Place”.
In 1916 an airfield had been established under the name of West Fenton Aerodrome.
From 1916 to 1917 No 77 Home Defense Squadron, Royal Flying Corps operated from Drem and in April 1918 the No 2 Training Depot Station was opened, using Avro 504K’s, Sopwith Pup’s, and Sopwith Camel biplanes..
Between April and 14th August 1918, the American 41st Aero Squadron under the command of Lieutenant Warren C Woodward was tempororially located at Drem, together with an Aero Repair Flight Company.
The Americans called the airfield ‘Gullane’ in its official history.
This Squadron was posted to France and commenced operations on 29th August 1918.
By November 1918, West Fenton had been renamed Gullane Aerodrome and with the post war demobilization the airfield was vacated in 1919.
From 1933 to 1939 the airfield saw only occasional use by visiting Squadrons.
In 1939 the grass strip was resurfaced, and the Station was renamed RAF Drem.
The station became home to the No 13 Flying Training School, flying Airspeed Oxfords, Hawker Harts, and Audax Aircraft.
Following the outbreak of war, the station became an Air Defense Fighter Station for the defense of the City of Edinburgh and the shipping area around the Firth of Forth.
The first of the defending Squadrons was No 602, flying Supermarine Spitfires, arriving on 13th October 1939 and remaining until 14th April 1940.
No 602 Squadron
On 16th October 1939 the Luftwaffe made its first attack on Great Britain, 12 Junkers Ju 88’s of 1/KG 30 lead by Hauptmann Helmuth Pohle attacked British warships in the Firth of Forth near the Forth Bridge.
Spitfires from No 603 City of Edinburgh Squadron joined No 602 Squadron in a defensive counter air sortie.
No 603 Squadron claimed the first enemy aircraft downed over Britain in the war while Flight Lieutenant George Pinkerton from 602 Squadron claimed the second.
In 1940 the Drem Lighting System was developed for night flying.
It was found that the flare from the exhaust made the pilots view on the final approach to the runway very poor at night.
It was discovered that if dim lights were placed in alignment with the curving approach of a normal landing in a Spitfire it was much simpler for the pilot to stick to the correct approach path and make a successful landing.
This system was such a success that the so called Drem Lighting Syatem became the basis of all RAF aerodrome lighting.
On 28th February King George V1 visited Drem, during this visit he awarded Squadron Leader Farquhar with the DFC [Distinguished Flying Cross]
During the Battle of Britain Drem was used as a rest and recuperate posting for the Squadrons heavily involved in the defence, mostly from No 11 Group.
On 12th August 1942 Drem became the target for a Junkers Ju 88 flying low over the East Lothian countryside.
The intruder roared over the accommodation and hanger areas, dropping a stick of bombs across the grass airfield.
Although the bombs missed the main runway area, the control tower and some Spitfires received fragment damage.
There was only one fatality though, at the perimeter of the airfield, a cow.
RAF Drem came to have a significant connection with night fighters, both protecting the shipyards at Glasgow and doing intruder missions over Europe.
No 1692 [Radio Development] Flight was a secret unit assigned with disrupting German radar and radio transmissions, a form of early Electronic Counter Measure.
Formed at Drem on 5th July 1943, the flight experimented with aircraft mounted radar equipment and jamming devices.
No 485 [NZ] Squadron flying Spitfire 1X B’s were stationed there from 21st November 1943 to 20th February 1944, on a rest and re-equip posting.
They were followed by No 486 [NZ] Squadron, flying Tempest Vs from 28th February to 6th March 1944
In 1942, Royal Navy personnel were posted to RAF Drem and in 1945 the Station was handed over to the Admiralty and renamed HMS Nighthawk.
On 11h May 1945, three Luftwaffe Junkers Ju 52’s tri motor transport aircraft flew from Stavanger in Norway to Drem.
Painted white to show their non aggression, these aircraft carried Wehrmacht Officers responsible for surrendering the German Forces stationed in Norway.
The Ju 52’s were escorted into Drem by Spitfires of No 603 City of Edinburgh Squadron.
After the delegation was driven away to Edinburgh in a grand motorcade of Staff Cars and Motorcycle Outriders, the Ju 52’s left Drem, their fate in unknown.
On 15th March 1946 the Station was handed back to the Air Ministry, shortly before it was decommissioned.
The disused Airfield buildings were used to construct component parts of the Forth Road Bridge.
Today, some of the outbuildings have become used as Studios by local Craftspeople, particularly furniture makers.
A small permant historical collection and exhibition is open to the public, with free admission.
Operated under the auspices of the Arts and Crafts Gallery at Fenton Barns Retail Village, it is located in what was the WAAF [Women’s Auxiliary Air Force] accommodation.
The following are interned at the nearby Dirleton village cemetery, just North of the airfield.
Sub-Lieutenant D P H Boniface, Royal New Zealand Naval Volunteers Reserve.
Aged 23, crashed in Fulmar 083018 [784 NAS] near Whitekirk on 18 January 1944.
Flying Officer J G Dasent, Royal New Zealand Air Force, aged 24, flying a Spitfire on No 485 [NZ] Squadron during an exercise at sea. Killed when the parachute opened late, on 22 December 1943
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