Dunkeswell Aerodrome (ICAO: EGTU) is an airfield in East Devon, England. It is located approximately 5 mi (8.0 km) north of the town of Honiton and 14 nautical miles (26 km; 16 mi) northeast[1] of Exeter. It is a busy civilian airfield with a mix of light aircraft, microlights and parachuting.
Dunkeswell Aerodrome | |||||||||||||||
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 Aerial photograph of Dunkeswell airfield,, 22 April 1944 | |||||||||||||||
| Summary | |||||||||||||||
| Airport type | Private | ||||||||||||||
| Operator | Air Westward Co. Ltd. | ||||||||||||||
| Location | Dunkeswell, Honiton | ||||||||||||||
| In use | 1943-54 (Military) | ||||||||||||||
| Elevation AMSL | 839 ft / 256 m | ||||||||||||||
| Coordinates | 50°51′36″N 003°14′05″W / 50.86000°N 3.23472°W | ||||||||||||||
| Website | www.dsft.co.uk | ||||||||||||||
| Map | |||||||||||||||
  EGTU Location in Devon | |||||||||||||||
| Runways | |||||||||||||||
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Nearby (1 NM (1.9 km; 1.2 mi)) to the southwest is North Hill, an airstrip run by the local gliding club.
Dunkeswell Aerodrome has a CAA Ordinary Licence (Number P674) that allows flights for the public transport of passengers or for flying instruction as authorised by the licensee (Air Westward Limited). The aerodrome is not licensed for night use.[2]
Dunkeswell Airfield Heritage Centre, is situated to one side of the large propeller memorial.
History edit
The airfield opened in 1943, during the Second World War, as RAF Dunkeswell. The station was originally planned as a No. 10 Group, RAF Fighter Command, then a No. 19 Group RAF Coastal Command airfield, but was transferred for use by American units.[3]
It was first used by the American United States Army Air Forces Antisubmarine Command, 479th Antisubmarine Group, as a base of operations to fly antisubmarine missions over the Bay of Biscay using specialized Consolidated B-24 Liberator bombers from August until November 1943.[4][5][6]
In November, the United States Army Air Forces turned over the antisubmarine mission to the United States Navy and its Liberators were reassigned to Navy Patrol Bomber Squadron VPB-103, Fleet Air Wing 7, which continued aerial antisubmarine operations from the station, the AAF aircraft being redesignated under the USN/USMC system of the time as PB4Y-1 Liberators. This was the first United States Navy unit to train with the RAF, later followed by VB-105 and VB-110. The Naval antisubmarine squadrons moved to RAF Upottery in November 1944.[3][7][8]
With the departure of the Americans, the RAF used the airfield from August 1945 to April 1946 for ferrying aircraft to the Middle East by No. 16 Ferry Unit RAF, RAF Transport Command. After September 1946, the station was put on care and maintenance status until the end of 1948, when it was sold by the Ministry of Defence.[3]
The following units were here at some point:[9]
- Relief Landing Ground for No. 9 Flying Training School RAF (July - December 1954)[10]
- No. 11 Ferry Unit RAF (August 1945) became No. 16 FU[11]
- Relief Landing Ground for No. 208 Advanced Flying School RAF (November 1951 - June 1954)[12]
- No. 265 Maintenance Unit RAF (August 1946 - December 1948)[13]
- Sub site for No. 267 Maintenance unit RAF (November 1946 - December 1948)[13]
- No. 2778 Squadron RAF Regiment
- No. 2854 Squadron RAF Regiment
See also edit
References edit
Citations edit
- ^ a b Dunkeswell - EGTU
- ^ Civil Aviation Authority Aerodrome Ordinary Licences Archived 28 June 2007 at the Wayback Machine
- ^ a b c www.controltowers.co.uk Dunkeswell
- ^ Maurer, Maurer (1983). Air Force Combat Units of World War II. Maxwell AFB, Alabama: Office of Air Force History. ISBN 0-89201-092-4
- ^ US Air Force Historical Research Agency microfilm 00199740 containing charts and documents describing operations of 479th Antisubmarine Group from UK stations
- ^ Wakefield, Ken (1994). Operation Bolero: The Americans in Bristol and the West Country 1942-45. Crecy Books. pp. 61–62. ISBN 0-947554-51-3.
- ^ United States Army Air Force Antisubmarine Command History
- ^ www.controltowers.co.uk Upottery
- ^ "Dunkeswell". Airfields of Britain Conservation Trust. Retrieved 1 October 2022.
- ^ Sturtivant, Hamlin & Halley 1997, p. 154.
- ^ Sturtivant, Hamlin & Halley 1997, p. 118.
- ^ Sturtivant, Hamlin & Halley 1997, p. 40.
- ^ a b Sturtivant, Hamlin & Halley 1997, p. 216.
Bibliography edit
- Sturtivant, R.; Hamlin, J.; Halley, J. (1997). Royal Air Force flying training and support units. UK: Air-Britain (Historians). ISBN 0-85130-252-1.
