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Stirling Lines

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Stirling Lines
Credenhill, Herefordshire, in England
BERJAYA
A Dauphin II of No. 658 Squadron AAC based at Stirling Lines
Site information
TypeBritish Army barracks
OwnerMinistry of Defence (MoD)
OperatorBritish Army
Controlled bySpecial Air Service
Open to the public
no
Conditionoperational
Location
Stirling Lines is located in Herefordshire
Stirling Lines
Stirling Lines
Location in Herefordshire
Coordinates52°05′06″N 002°47′42″W / 52.08500°N 2.79500°W / 52.08500; -2.79500
Grid referenceSO454428
Area392 hectares (970 acres)
Site history
Built1939; 87 years ago (1939) (as RAF Credenhill)
In use1939–1994 (Royal Air Force)
1999–present (British Army)
Garrison information
GarrisonSpecial Air Service
Occupants
Airfield information
IdentifiersICAO: EGVH
Elevation240 metres (787 ft) AMSL
Runways
Direction Length and surface
H.08 / H.26 150 metres (492 ft) asphalt
Source: UK Military AIP[1]

Stirling Lines is a British Army garrison located in Credenhill, Herefordshire; the headquarters of the 22 Special Air Service Regiment (22 SAS), Special Reconnaissance Regiment (SRR), and 18 (UKSF) Signal Regiment (18 SR). The site was formerly a Royal Air Force (RAF) non-flying station for training schools, known as RAF Credenhill (originally known as RAF Hereford).[2][3]

History

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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.[4] In 1960, the SAS moved to a former Royal Artillery boys' training unit, Bradbury Lines, Putson in Hereford, which was subsequently renamed in 1984 to Stirling Lines in honour of the regiment's founder, Lieutenant Colonel David Stirling.[2][5] In 1994, the Royal Air Force (RAF) ceased using RAF Credenhill; the British Army then obtaining the site to redevelop as a new base for the SAS;[3] works commenced in 1997.[2] 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, and Bradbury Lines officially closed.[2] On 30 September 2000; 25 years ago, the official opening ceremony was held for the new Stirling Lines with the clock tower re-erected on the new parade ground.[2][4] The former 50 acres (20 hectares) Hereford site was sold in March 2001 to Wimpey Homes, a property developer.[2][6]

Based units

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The following units are based at Stirling Lines:[7][8]

    • A Squadron
    • B Squadron
    • D Squadron
    • G Squadron
    • 264 (SAS) Signal Squadron
    • 267 (SRR) Signal Squadron
    • 268 (Support Squadron) Signal Squadron
    • 63 (Reserves) Signal Squadron

See also

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References

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  1. ↑ No 1 Aeronautical Information Documents Unit (11 June 2026). "AD 3 EGVH - Hereford" (PDF). AIDU.mod.uk. United Kingdom Military Aeronautical Information Publication. Royal Air Force. Retrieved 20 June 2026.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 6 Goodwin, Nicola (6 May 2010). "BBC Hereford & Worcester – SAS: Troopers tell their stories". news.BBC.co.uk. BBC News, British Broadcasting Corporation. Archived from the original on 19 January 2015. Retrieved 2 July 2026.
  3. 1 2 Barrass, Malcolm B. (n.d.). "RAF Hereford (Credenhill) - RAF Stations - H". RAFweb.org. Air of Authority - A History of RAF Organisation. Retrieved 23 June 2017.
  4. 1 2 Bennett, Richard M. (2003). Elite forces: an encyclopedia of the world's most formidable secret armies. London, England: Virgin Books. ISBN 9781852279745.
  5. ↑ "BBC Hereford & Worcester – The SAS: The Special Air Service". news.BBC.co.uk. BBC News, British Broadcasting Corporation. 6 May 2010. Archived from the original on 7 August 2014. Retrieved 2 July 2026.
  6. ↑ "Former SAS site plan set to impact". HerefordTimes.com. Hereford Times, Newsquest (Midlands South) Ltd. 9 October 2003. Archived from the original on 27 August 2017. Retrieved 2 July 2026.
  7. ↑ Coughlin, Con (30 January 2013). "The SAS: a very special force". The Telegraph, Telegraph Media Group Limited. Retrieved 19 November 2017.
  8. ↑ "Special forces regiment created". news.BBC.co.uk. BBC News, British Broadcasting Corporation. 5 April 2005. Archived from the original on 26 August 2006. Retrieved 2 July 2026.
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