Stirling Lines
Stirling Lines is a British Army garrison in Credenhill, Herefordshire, the headquarters of the 22 Special Air Service Regiment (22 SAS) with the site formerly a Royal Air Force non-flying station for training schools, RAF Credenhill.[1][2]
Stirling Lines | |||||||
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Near Credenhill, Herefordshire, in England | |||||||
![]() The Aerial Field at the old Stirling Lines in Hereford | |||||||
![]() ![]() Stirling Lines Location in Herefordshire | |||||||
Coordinates | 52°05′06″N 002°47′42″W | ||||||
Site information | |||||||
Owner | Ministry of Defence | ||||||
Operator | ![]() | ||||||
Site history | |||||||
In use | Hereford 1984-1999 Credenhill 1999-present | ||||||
Garrison information | |||||||
Occupants | 22 SAS 658 Sqn AAC SRR 264 Sig Sqn (SAS) 267 Sig Sqn (SRR) | ||||||
Airfield information | |||||||
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History
In 1958, the Special Air Service (SAS) was temporarily based at Merebrook Camp in Malvern, Worcestershire, a former emergency military hospital that had remained largely unused since 1945.[3] In 1960, the SAS moved to a former Royal Artillery boys' training unit, Bradbury Lines in Hereford, which was renamed in 1984 to Stirling Lines in honour of the regiment's founder, Colonel David Stirling.[1] In 1994, the RAF ceased using RAF Credenhill, the Army then obtaining the site to redevelop as a new base for the SAS; works commenced in 1997.[4][1] The SAS commenced relocation of staff and equipment to Credenhill from Hereford with the redevelopment of the site. The move was completed in May 1999.[4][1] On 30 September 2000, the official opening ceremony was held for the new Stirling Lines with the clock tower re-erected on the new parade ground.[1][3] The Hereford site was sold to a property developer in March 2001.[5]
Based units
The following units are based at Stirling Lines:[6][7]
- 22 Special Air Service Regiment
- A Squadron
- B Squadron
- D Squadron
- G Squadron
- Special Reconnaissance Regiment
- 18 Signal Regiment
- 264 (SAS) Signal Squadron
- 67 (SRR) Signal Squadron
- Joint Special Forces Aviation Wing
References
- Goodwin, Nicola (6 May 2010). "SAS: Troopers tell their stories". BBC. Retrieved 23 June 2017.
- "RAF Hereford (Credenhill) - RAF Stations - H". Air of Authority - A History of RAF Organisation. M B Barrass. Retrieved 23 June 2017.
- Bennett, Richard M. (2003). Elite forces : an encyclopedia of the world's most formidable secret armies. London: Virgin. ISBN 9781852279745.
- "Unit History: RAF Credenhill". Forces War Records. Retrieved 23 June 2017.
- "Former SAS site plan set to impact". Hereford Times. 9 October 2003. Retrieved 24 June 2017.
- Coughlin, Con (30 January 2013). "The SAS: a very special force". The Telegraph. Retrieved 19 November 2017.
- "Special forces regiment created". BBC News. 5 April 2005. Retrieved 19 November 2017.