RAF Valley
RAF Valley
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| Maes Awyr Môn | |||||||||
| Anglesey in Wales | |||||||||
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 EGOV
Shown within Anglesey
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| Coordinates | 53°14′53″N 004°32′07″W / 53.24806°N 4.53528°WCoordinates: 53°14′53″N 004°32′07″W / 53.24806°N 4.53528°W | ||||||||
| Type | Royal Air Force station | ||||||||
| Site information | |||||||||
| Owner | Ministry of Defence | ||||||||
| Operator | Royal Air Force | ||||||||
| Website | www |
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| Site history | |||||||||
| Built | 1941 | ||||||||
| In use | 1941–present | ||||||||
| Garrison information | |||||||||
| Current commander |
Group Captain Peter Cracroft MA BEng RAF | ||||||||
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| Airfield information | |||||||||
| Identifiers | IATA: VLY, ICAO: EGOV | ||||||||
| Elevation | 11 metres (36 ft) AMSL | ||||||||
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| DAFIF | |||||||||
Royal Air Force Valley or more simply RAF Valley (Welsh: RAF y Fali) (IATA: VLY, ICAO: EGOV) is a Royal Air Force station on the island of Anglesey, Wales, and which is also used as Anglesey Airport. It provides fast-jet training using the BAE Systems Hawk and provides training for aircrew working with search and rescue.
The airfield was constructed in the latter part of 1940 and opened for operations on 1 February 1941 as a Fighter Sector Station under No. 9 Group RAF with the task of providing defence cover for England's industrial north-west and shipping in the Irish Sea. Initial detachments were made by Hawker Hurricanes of 312 and 615 Squadrons. A detachment of Bristol Beaufighters of 219 Squadron provided night fighter cover.
No. 456 Squadron Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) formed at Valley on 30 June 1941 and became operational on 5 September flying Boulton Paul Defiants. By November the squadron had completely re-equipped with Beaufighter IIs, and these provided defensive night patrols over the Irish Sea until March 1943, when the unit moved away.
As a result of many accidents in the Irish Sea, due to the number of training aircraft active in the area, 275 Squadron formed at Valley in October 1941, equipped with Westland Lysanders and Supermarine Walrus amphibians and these performed Air-sea rescue (ASR) missions until the unit moved away in April 1944.
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Wikipedia