Dunkeswell Aerodrome
| Dunkeswell Aerodrome | |||||||||||||||
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Aerial photograph of Dunkeswell airfield,, 22 April 1944
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| Summary | |||||||||||||||
| Airport type | Private | ||||||||||||||
| Operator | Air Westward Co. Ltd. | ||||||||||||||
| Location | Honiton | ||||||||||||||
| Elevation AMSL | 839 ft / 256 m | ||||||||||||||
| Coordinates | 50°51′36″N 003°14′05″W / 50.86000°N 3.23472°WCoordinates: 50°51′36″N 003°14′05″W / 50.86000°N 3.23472°W | ||||||||||||||
| Website | www.dsft.co.uk | ||||||||||||||
| Map | |||||||||||||||
 EGTU
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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 of Exeter. It is a busy civilian airfield with a mix of light aircraft, microlights and parachuting.
Nearby (1 NM (1.9 km; 1.2 mi)) 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.
Dunkeswell Airfield Heritage Centre, is situated to one side of the large propellor memorial.
The airfield was opened in 1943, during the Second World War, as RAF Dunkeswell. The station was originally planned as a RAF Fighter Command, then a RAF Coastal Command airfield, but was transferred for use by American units.
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 B-24 Liberator bombers from August until November 1943.
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.
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Wikipedia