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
Summary
Airport typeMilitary
OwnerAir Ministry
OperatorRoyal Air Force
Royal Canadian Air Force
LocationDalton, North Yorkshire, England
Coordinates54°10′36″N 1°21′41″W
Map
RAF Dalton
Location in North Yorkshire
Runways
Direction Length Surface
ft m
00/00 0 0 Concrete
00/00 0 0 Concrete
00/00 0 0 Concrete

The airfield was by RAF Bomber Command during the Second World War. It was a satellite of nearby RAF Topcliffe.

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 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 (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]
UnitFromToAircraftVersion
No. 102 Squadron RAF15 November 19417 June 1942Armstrong Whitworth Whitley
Handley Page Halifax		Mk.V
Mk.II
No. 420 Squadron RCAF6 November 194312 December 1943Vickers WellingtonMk.X
No. 424 Squadron RCAF3 May 194315 May 1943Vickers WellingtonMk.X
No. 428 Squadron RCAF7 November 194231 May 1943Vickers WellingtonMks.III and X
No. 1652 HCU13 July 194222 August 1942Handley Page HalifaxMks.I, II
No. 1666 'Mohawk' HCU5 June 194321 October 1943Handley Page HalifaxMks.II, III
No. 1691 Bomber Gunnery Flight26 June 194315 February 1944Miles Martinet
Airspeed Oxford		Mk.I
Mk.II
No. 1695 Bomber Defence Training Flight15 February 194423 April 1945Miles 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.

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References

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

Bibliography
  • 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 0-85130-365-X.
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