Community hub
Recent from talks
Knowledge base stats:
Talk channels stats:
Members stats:
Soesterberg Air Base
Soesterberg Air Base (IATA: UTC, ICAO: EHSB) was a Royal Netherlands Air Force (RNLAF) military air base located in Soesterberg, 14 kilometres (8.7 mi) east-northeast of Utrecht. It was first established as an airfield in 1911, and in 1913, the Dutch Army bought the field and established the Army Aviation Division.
For almost 40 years, United States Air Force facilities at Soesterberg, named Camp New Amsterdam, were a major front line USAFE air base during the Cold War. The base was closed on 31 December 2008, due to budget cuts in the Dutch armed forces. The air base ceased flying operations on 12 November 2008, when the command was transferred from the RNLAF to the Ministry of Defence which will maintain the base until it will be given back to nature. The last fighter ever to depart, delayed due bad weather at Aviano AB, was a Greek F-4E Phantom II. The former USAFE facilities remained in military hands, and will now officially be called Camp New Amsterdam.
During World War I, the Netherlands was a neutral country, and flew border patrol missions from Soesterberg airfield. The Dutch confiscated all foreign aircraft landing inside the borders of their country during the war, and added the operational ones to their inventory to be used for pilot training at Soesterberg.
At the beginning of World War II, the Dutch again declared neutrality, but German forces invaded in May 1940 and overran the country in five days, Soesterberg was occupied by the German Luftwaffe on 15 May 1940. A variety of German aircraft were stationed there during the war, flying anti-ship missions along British convoy routes in the North Sea, bombing missions over England, and fighter defence against Allied bombing missions. Throughout the war, allied air forces caused enormous damage to the airfield, and by September 1944 the Luftwaffe acknowledged Soesterberg airfield to be more or less useless.
In May 1945, Canadian forces liberated the airfield. After the war, an extensive Dutch construction program was started to build new hangars and extend the runways. Several locations around the base, used as service areas during the war, were upgraded. On 5 August 1951, the Royal Netherlands Air Force (RNLAF) declared it operational and gave it an air defence role. The RNLAF has maintained flying units at Soesterberg since then.
Two monuments were erected on the base; the Monument for Fallen Aviators (Monument voor Gevallen Vliegers) is the official RNLAF memorial, and located near the main entrance of the base. On Remembrance of the Dead, May 4, the RNLAF holds a ceremony to remember and commemorate the fallen of World War II.
The other monument at the base is for executed resistance fighters. It is the symbol for the sacrifice that 33 resistance fighters gave for freedom. Every year on 19 November, there is a memorial service. During World War II, the German Army (Wehrmacht) secretly executed the 33 resistance fighters in the woods of the base. The resistance fighters were part of several resistance groups and most of them were caught due to betrayal. Although the execution was held in secret, there were rumors about it, and after the war the base was minutely searched. The mass grave, camouflaged by buried trees, was located by Major A. Siedenburg. His son was one of the victims.
In 1954, the Dutch government agreed to the stationing of a US Air Force fighter squadron to augment air defence. The USAF forces operated from a part of Soesterberg Air Base which was named Camp New Amsterdam, in honour of the first Dutch settlement in America, Nieuw Amsterdam, later renamed New York City.
Hub AI
Soesterberg Air Base AI simulator
(@Soesterberg Air Base_simulator)
Soesterberg Air Base
Soesterberg Air Base (IATA: UTC, ICAO: EHSB) was a Royal Netherlands Air Force (RNLAF) military air base located in Soesterberg, 14 kilometres (8.7 mi) east-northeast of Utrecht. It was first established as an airfield in 1911, and in 1913, the Dutch Army bought the field and established the Army Aviation Division.
For almost 40 years, United States Air Force facilities at Soesterberg, named Camp New Amsterdam, were a major front line USAFE air base during the Cold War. The base was closed on 31 December 2008, due to budget cuts in the Dutch armed forces. The air base ceased flying operations on 12 November 2008, when the command was transferred from the RNLAF to the Ministry of Defence which will maintain the base until it will be given back to nature. The last fighter ever to depart, delayed due bad weather at Aviano AB, was a Greek F-4E Phantom II. The former USAFE facilities remained in military hands, and will now officially be called Camp New Amsterdam.
During World War I, the Netherlands was a neutral country, and flew border patrol missions from Soesterberg airfield. The Dutch confiscated all foreign aircraft landing inside the borders of their country during the war, and added the operational ones to their inventory to be used for pilot training at Soesterberg.
At the beginning of World War II, the Dutch again declared neutrality, but German forces invaded in May 1940 and overran the country in five days, Soesterberg was occupied by the German Luftwaffe on 15 May 1940. A variety of German aircraft were stationed there during the war, flying anti-ship missions along British convoy routes in the North Sea, bombing missions over England, and fighter defence against Allied bombing missions. Throughout the war, allied air forces caused enormous damage to the airfield, and by September 1944 the Luftwaffe acknowledged Soesterberg airfield to be more or less useless.
In May 1945, Canadian forces liberated the airfield. After the war, an extensive Dutch construction program was started to build new hangars and extend the runways. Several locations around the base, used as service areas during the war, were upgraded. On 5 August 1951, the Royal Netherlands Air Force (RNLAF) declared it operational and gave it an air defence role. The RNLAF has maintained flying units at Soesterberg since then.
Two monuments were erected on the base; the Monument for Fallen Aviators (Monument voor Gevallen Vliegers) is the official RNLAF memorial, and located near the main entrance of the base. On Remembrance of the Dead, May 4, the RNLAF holds a ceremony to remember and commemorate the fallen of World War II.
The other monument at the base is for executed resistance fighters. It is the symbol for the sacrifice that 33 resistance fighters gave for freedom. Every year on 19 November, there is a memorial service. During World War II, the German Army (Wehrmacht) secretly executed the 33 resistance fighters in the woods of the base. The resistance fighters were part of several resistance groups and most of them were caught due to betrayal. Although the execution was held in secret, there were rumors about it, and after the war the base was minutely searched. The mass grave, camouflaged by buried trees, was located by Major A. Siedenburg. His son was one of the victims.
In 1954, the Dutch government agreed to the stationing of a US Air Force fighter squadron to augment air defence. The USAF forces operated from a part of Soesterberg Air Base which was named Camp New Amsterdam, in honour of the first Dutch settlement in America, Nieuw Amsterdam, later renamed New York City.