RAF Usworth
RAF Usworth
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| Summary | |||||||||||||||||||
| Airport type | Military | ||||||||||||||||||
| Operator | Royal Air Force | ||||||||||||||||||
| Location | Usworth | ||||||||||||||||||
| Elevation AMSL | 121 ft / 37 m | ||||||||||||||||||
| Coordinates | 54°54′54″N 001°28′30″W / 54.91500°N 1.47500°WCoordinates: 54°54′54″N 001°28′30″W / 54.91500°N 1.47500°W | ||||||||||||||||||
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 RAF Usworth
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RAF Usworth was a Royal Air Force station near Sunderland. In 1958 the station was closed and the airfield became Sunderland Airport. Following the closure of the airport in 1984, the site has since been redeveloped as a manufacturing facility for Nissan cars.
In October 1916, the airfield that subsequently became Sunderland Airport started as a Flight Station for 'B' Flight of No. 36 Squadron of the Royal Flying Corps (RFC), and was originally called Hylton (after nearby Hylton Castle), although when being prepared it was known as West Town Moor. Due to an increase in German bombing raids and the heavier commitment of Royal Naval Air Service (RNAS) aircraft in France, the Royal Flying Corps was given the task of Home Defence, setting up a number of squadrons, with flights spread over the length of the British coastline.
The coast in North East England between Whitby and Newcastle was protected by No. 36 (Home Defence) Squadron, equipped with the B.E.2c and B.E.12. On 1 February 1916, the squadron was formed at Cramlington, outside Newcastle, commanded by Captain R. O. Abercromby. In addition to the main aerodrome, flights were detached to Seaton Carew and Ashington as well as Hylton.
An area of land just north of the River Wear between Washington and Sunderland was set aside for the new landing field.
36 squadron was tasked with the defence of the coast between Whitby and Newcastle. On 27 November 1916, a patrol of B.E.2cs flying from Seaton Carew intercepted two groups of Zeppelin airships over the North East coast. Lieutenant I.V. Pyrott destroyed LZ34 that crashed into the mouth of the Tees; the sight of this caused the other airships to turn back. The only other action that the squadron was involved in was the unsuccessful attack on Zeppelin L42 over Hartlepool on New Years Day 1918.
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Wikipedia