RAF Dalton
Royal Air Force Dalton or more simply RAF Dalton is a former Royal Air Force satellite station located near to Dalton, North Yorkshire, England.
| RAF Dalton | |||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dalton, North Yorkshire in England | |||||||||||
RAF Dalton Shown within North Yorkshire | |||||||||||
| Coordinates | 54°10′37″N 1°21′35″W / 54.17694°N 1.35972°W | ||||||||||
| Type | Satellite station 1941-43 61 (RCAF) Substation 1943-44 76 Base Substation 1944-[1] | ||||||||||
| Code | DA[1] | ||||||||||
| Site information | |||||||||||
| Owner | Air Ministry | ||||||||||
| Operator | Royal Air Force Royal Canadian Air Force | ||||||||||
| Controlled by | RAF Bomber Command * No. 4 Group RAF * No. 6 Group RCAF[1] | ||||||||||
| Site history | |||||||||||
| Built | 1940/41 | ||||||||||
| In use | November 1941 – December 1945 | ||||||||||
| Battles/wars | European theatre of World War II | ||||||||||
| Airfield information | |||||||||||
| Elevation | 24 metres (79 ft)[1] AMSL | ||||||||||
| |||||||||||
The airfield was by RAF Bomber Command during the Second World War. It was a satellite of nearby RAF Topcliffe.
History edit
RAF Dalton was home to No. 102 Squadron beginning in November 1941. No. 102 Squadron returned to Topcliffe in June 1942 and for a time Dalton hosted No. 1652 Heavy Conversion Unit RAF (HCU) flying Handley Page Halifaxes. The airfield was improved in 1942 and in early 1943 was allocated to No. 6 Group Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF). Canadian squadrons stationed here at one time or another included No. 428 Squadron, No. 424 Squadron, No. 420 Squadron, and No. 1666 Heavy Conversion Unit RAF (which moved to RAF Wombleton in October 1943). The station also housed No. 1691 Bomber Gunnery Flight RCAF and its successor, No. 1695 Bomber Defence Training Flight RCAF, the last RCAF unit to serve at this station.
In November 1944, control passed from No. 6 Group to the new No. 7 (Training) Group. By August 1945 all units at Dalton were disbanded or transferred.
Operational units and aircraft edit
| Unit | From | To | Aircraft | Version |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| No. 102 Squadron RAF | 15 November 1941 | 7 June 1942 | Armstrong Whitworth Whitley Handley Page Halifax | Mk.V Mk.II |
| No. 420 Squadron RCAF | 6 November 1943 | 12 December 1943 | Vickers Wellington | Mk.X |
| No. 424 Squadron RCAF | 3 May 1943 | 15 May 1943 | Vickers Wellington | Mk.X |
| No. 428 Squadron RCAF | 7 November 1942 | 31 May 1943 | Vickers Wellington | Mks.III and X |
| No. 1652 HCU | 13 July 1942 | 22 August 1942 | Handley Page Halifax | Mks.I, II |
| No. 1666 'Mohawk' HCU | 5 June 1943 | 21 October 1943 | Handley Page Halifax | Mks.II, III |
| No. 1691 (Bombing) (Gunnery) Flight | 26 June 1943 | 15 February 1944 | Miles Martinet Airspeed Oxford | Mk.I Mk.II |
| No. 1695 (Bomber) Defence Training Flight | 15 February 1944 | 23 April 1945 | Miles Martinet Hawker Hurricane Supermarine Spitfire | Mk.I MksIIc, IV Mk.I, IIa, Vb, Vc |
Current use edit
The aerodrome facilities are now being used for commercial and industrial uses. A major employer on the estate is Severfield plc.[5][6]
References edit
Citations edit
- ^ a b c d Falconer 2012, p. 75.
- ^ Jefford 2001, pp. 57, 92–93 and 147.
- ^ Halley 1988, pp. 176, 505, 508 and 510.
- ^ Sturtivant & Hamlin 2007, pp. 97, 99, 129.
- ^ "Contact Severfield". Severfield. Retrieved 25 April 2022.
- ^ Stewart, Alastair (20 April 2022). "Orders surge as nuclear market reopens". Research Tree. Retrieved 25 April 2022.
Bibliography edit
- Falconer, J. (2012). RAF Airfields of World War 2. UK: Ian Allan Publishing. ISBN 978-1-85780-349-5.
- Halley, James J. (1988). The Squadrons of the Royal Air Force & Commonwealth 1918-1988. Tonbridge, Kent, UK: Air Britain (Historians) Ltd. ISBN 0-85130-164-9.
- Jefford, C. G. (2001). RAF Squadrons, a Comprehensive record of the Movement and Equipment of all RAF Squadrons and their Antecedents since 1912. Shrewsbury, Shropshire, UK: Airlife Publishing. ISBN 1-85310-053-6.
- Moyes, Philip J. R. (1976). Bomber Squadrons of the RAF and their Aircraft (2nd ed.). London: Macdonald and Jane's (Publishers) Ltd. ISBN 0-354-01027-1.
- Sturtivant, Ray; Hamlin, John (2007). RAF Flying Training And Support Units since 1912. Tonbridge, Kent, UK: Air-Britain (Historians) Ltd. ISBN 978-0-85130-365-9.
{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link)
External links edit
- RAF Dalton, Yorkshire on airfields.fotopic.net
- RAF Dalton on wikimapia (zoom in for best result)