RAF Castel Benito

RAF Castel Benito

RAF Idris
IATA: noneICAO: none
Summary
Owner/Operator Desert Air Force (DAF)
Location Near: Tripoli, Libya
Built 1938
Coordinates 32°40′10″N 013°09′24″E / 32.66944°N 13.15667°E / 32.66944; 13.15667
Map
 

Location of RAF Castel Benito

Castel Benito airport under attack in 1943

Castel Benito (called originally in Italian "Tripoli-Castel Benito Airport") was an airport of Tripoli created by the Italians in Italian Libya. Originally, it was a small military airport, but it was enlarged in the late 1930s and was later used by the British RAF after 1943. It was called RAF Castel Benito by the Allies.

RAF Castel Benito (later RAF Idris) was a Royal Air Force station near Tripoli in Libya between 1943 and 1966.

History

Units and aircraft

Unit Dates Aircraft Variant Notes
No. 6 Squadron RAF 1943 Hawker Hurricane IID Only stayed for six days
No. 73 Squadron RAF 1951 de Havilland Vampire FB9
No. 73 Squadron RAF 1952 de Havilland Vampire FB9 (RAF Idris)
No. 89 Squadron RAF 1943 Bristol Beaufighter VIF
No. 92 Squadron RAF 1943 Supermarine Spitfire VB and VC
No. 108 Squadron RAF 1943-1944 Bristol Beaufighter VIF Detached aircraft from RAF Luqa
No. 112 Squadron RAF 1943 Curtiss Kittyhawk III
No. 117 Squadron RAF 1943 Lockheed Hudson and Douglas Dakota
No. 145 Squadron RAF 1943 Supermarine Spitfire VB Detached from Wadi Suri later based
No. 185 Squadron RAF 1952 de Havilland Vampire FB5 (RAF Idris)
No. 208 Squadron RAF 1951 Gloster Meteor FR9 Detached aircraft from Abu Sueir
No. 250 Squadron RAF 1943 Curtiss Kittyhawk III
No. 260 Squadron RAF 1943 Curtiss Kittyhawk III
No. 283 Squadron RAF 1944-1946 Vickers Warwick I Detached aircraft from Hal Far
No. 294 Squadron RAF 1943-1944 Vickers Wellington IC
No. 318 Squadron RAF 1944 Supermarine Spitfire VC
No. 417 Squadron RCAF 1943 Supermarine Spitfire VC
No. 450 Squadron RAAF 1943 Curtiss Kittyhawk III
No. 601 Squadron RAF 1943 Supermarine Spitfire VC
No. 651 Squadron RAF 1943 Auster I
No. 651 Squadron RAF 1948-1950 Auster Based but later detached from Ismailia
No. 680 Squadron RAF 1943 Various (Electra/Spitfire/Hurricane) Detached aircraft from LG219 (Photo Reconnaissance Unit)

Bibliography

Thompson, Jonathan W. (1963). Italian Civil and Military aircraft 1930-1945 Aero Publishers Inc. New York, 1963 ISBN 0-8168-6500-0.

See also

References

Citations

  1. Fowler 2010, p. 61.
  2. Rosselli, Alberto. "The air links between Italy and Eastern Africa". Section: The debut of the Transatlantic SM83
  3. See the international aviation safety database here

Bibliography

  • Fowler, William (2010). The Secret War in Italy: Operation Herring and No 1 Italian SAS. Hersham, Surrey: Ian Allan Publishing. ISBN 9780711035287. 
  • Jefford, Wing Commander C.G., MBE,BA,RAF (Retd). RAF Squadrons, a Comprehensive Record of the Movement and Equipment of all RAF Squadrons and their Antecedents since 1912. Shrewsbury, Shropshire, UK: Airlife Publishing, 1988. ISBN 1-84037-141-2.
  • Sturtivant, Ray, ISO and John Hamlin. RAF Flying Training And Support Units since 1912. Tonbridge, Kent, UK: Air-Britain (Historians) Ltd., 2007. ISBN 0-85130-365-X.
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