RAF Dalton

RAF Dalton
IATA: none – ICAO: none
Summary
Airport type Military
Operator Royal Air Force
Royal Canadian Air Force
Location Dalton
Coordinates 54°10′38″N 001°27′37″W / 54.17722°N 1.46028°W / 54.17722; -1.46028
Map
RAF Dalton

Location in North Yorkshire

Runways
Direction Length Surface
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00/00 0 0 Concrete
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RAF Dalton was an airfield used by RAF Bomber Command during the Second World War. It was a satellite or sub-station of nearby RAF Topcliffe and actually nearer to the village of Topcliffe than the station so named.

History

The village church of the village that gave the station its name

RAF Dalton, Hambleton 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 (HCU) flying 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 (which moved to RAF Wombleton in October 1943). The station also housed no. 1691 Bomber Gunnery Flight (BGF) RCAF and its successor, No. 1695 Bomber Defence Training Flight (BDTF) 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

data from[1][2][3]
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 Bomber 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

The aerodrome facilities are now being used for commercial and industrial uses.

References

Notes

  1. ↑ Jefford 2001, pp. 57, 92–93 and 147.
  2. ↑ Halley 1988, pp. 176, 505, 508 and 510.
  3. ↑ Sturtivant and Hamlin 2007, pp. 97, 99, 129.

Bibliography

  • Halley, James J. The Squadrons of the Royal Air Force & Commonwealth 1918-1988. Tonbridge, Kent, UK: Air Britain (Historians) Ltd., 1988. ISBN 0-85130-164-9.
  • 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 (second edition 2001). ISBN 1-85310-053-6.
  • Moyes, Philip J.R. Bomber Squadrons of the RAF and their Aircraft. London: Macdonald and Jane's (Publishers) Ltd., 2nd edition 1976. ISBN 0-354-01027-1.
  • 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.

External links

Coordinates: 54°10′36″N 1°21′41″W / 54.176553°N 1.36144°W / 54.176553; -1.36144

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