RAF Croft

{{Short description|Royal Air Force base in Yorkshire, England}} {{Use British English|date=January 2020}} {{Use dmy dates|date=January 2020}} {{Infobox military installation | name = RAF Croft | ensign = [[File:Ensign of the Royal Air Force.svg|90px]] [[File:Royal Canadian Air Force Ensign (1941-1968).svg|90px]] | ensign_size = | native_name = | partof =  | location = [[Dalton-on-Tees]], [[North Yorkshire]] | nearest_town =  | country = England | image = [[File:RAF Building , Cockleberry Saw Mill. - geograph.org.uk - 143748.jpg|200px]] | alt = | caption = A building at Cockleberry Saw Mill which was part of RAF Croft during the Second World War | image2 =  | alt2 = | caption2 = | type = [[List of former Royal Air Force stations|Royal Air Force satellite station]] 1941–43<BR>64 (RCAF) Base substation 1943–{{sfn|Falconer|2012|p=72}} | coordinates = {{coord|54|27|09|N|001|33|11|W|region:GB_type:airport|display=inline,title}} | pushpin_map = North Yorkshire#UK | pushpin_map_caption = Shown within North Yorkshire | pushpin_label = RAF Croft | pushpin_label_position = | ownership = [[Air Ministry]] | operator = [[Royal Air Force]] (RAF) <br> [[Royal Canadian Air Force]] (RCAF) | controlledby = [[RAF Bomber Command]]<BR>* [[No. 4 Group RAF]]<BR>* [[No. 6 Group RCAF]]{{sfn|Falconer|2012|p=72}} | open_to_public =  | site_other_label =  | site_other =  | site_area =  | code = CR{{sfn|Falconer|2012|p=72}} | built = {{Start date|1940}}/41 | used = October 1941 – {{End date|1952}} | builder = | materials = | height =  | length =  | fate =  | condition = | battles = [[European theatre of World War II]] | events = | past_commanders =  | garrison =  | occupants =  | designations = | website = | footnotes =   | IATA = | ICAO = | FAA = | TC = | LID = | GPS = | WMO = | elevation = {{Convert|55|m|0}}{{sfn|Falconer|2012|p=72}} | r1-number = 00/00 | r1-length =  | r1-surface = Tarmac | r2-number = 00/00 | r2-length =  | r2-surface = Tarmac | r3-number = 00/00 | r3-length =  | r3-surface = Tarmac | h1-number = | h1-length =  | h1-surface = | airfield_other_label =  | airfield_other =   }} '''Royal Air Force Croft''' or more simply '''RAF Croft''' is a former [[Royal Air Force]] [[List of former Royal Air Force stations|satellite station]] located {{Convert|4.6|mi}} south of [[Darlington]], [[County Durham]], [[England]] and {{Convert|8|mi}} north-east of [[Richmond, North Yorkshire|Richmond]], [[North Yorkshire]]. The site is also known locally as '''Croft Aerodrome''' or '''Neasham'''. Constructed at the same time as many other airfields, it was originally named '''RAF Dalton-on-Tees''' after the nearby village [[Dalton-on-Tees]]. However, it was quickly renamed RAF Croft (after [[Croft-on-Tees]]) after initial confusion with the also newly opened [[RAF Dalton]] near Thirsk, just {{convert|25|mi}} away.

The airfield was opened in 1941 for use by the Royal Air Force (RAF) but by 1942 the aerodrome had been taken over by the [[Royal Canadian Air Force]] (RCAF) for training as part of [[No. 6 Group RCAF]].

The station is now the site of [[Croft Circuit]], a motor racing circuit which hosts various car championships including the [[British Touring Car Championship]].

==History==

The first squadron stationed at Croft was [[No. 78 Squadron RAF]] which arrived on 20 October 1941 flying both the [[Armstrong Whitworth Whitley]] Mk.V and the [[Handley Page Halifax]] Mk. II before leaving on 10 June 1942{{sfn|Jefford|1988|p=78}} when no units were stationed during the summer but on 1 October 1942 [[419 Tactical Fighter Training Squadron|No. 419 Squadron RCAF]] has arrived with their Mk. III [[Vickers Wellington]]s before re-equipping with the Halifax II and leaving on 10 November 1942. During this time on 7 November 1942, [[427 Special Operations Aviation Squadron|427 Squadron RCAF]] was formed at the airfield with a mixture of Mk III's and Mk X's Wellington before leaving on 4 May 1943.{{sfn|Jefford|1988|p=91}}

In 1943, Croft became a sub-station of [[RAF Middleton St George]] which was allocated to No. 6 Group, Royal Canadian Air Force.<ref name="RAFWEB">{{cite web|url=http://www.rafweb.org/Stations/Stations-C.htm#Croft|title=RAF Croft|publisher=Air of Authority – A History of RAF Organisation|access-date=16 June 2012}}</ref>

The airfield also hosted [[No. 1664 (Royal Canadian Air Force) Heavy Conversion Unit RAF]] starting from 10 May 1943 which trained new pilots to fly the new heavy bombers using the Mk II and the Mk IV Halifax before leaving on 7 December 1943.<ref name="RAFWEB"/> When three days later on the tenth [[Snowbirds (aerobatic team)|No. 431 Squadron RCAF]] began using the airfield with the Halifax Mks V and III and the [[Avro Lancaster]] Mk.X before leaving on 7 June 1945 going to [[Canada]].{{sfn|Jefford|1988|p=91}} This squadron was joined by [[434 Operational Test and Evaluation Squadron|434 Squadron RCAF]] which had joined on 11 December 1944 also flying the Halifax and the Lancaster before leaving on 15 June 1945 to also go to Canada.{{sfn|Jefford|1988|p=92}}

After the RCAF left in 1945, Croft saw little wartime activity. Later in 1945 the aerodrome became a satellite of [[No. 13 OTU|No. 13 Operational Training Unit RAF]] based at Middleton St. George flying [[de Havilland Mosquito]]es. The station was closed in the summer of 1946.<ref name="RAFWEB"/>  <ref>{{Harvnb|Moyes|1976|pp=240, 246, 249 and 251.}}</ref>

The following units were also here at some point:<ref name="ABCT">{{cite web|url=https://www.abct.org.uk/airfields/airfield-finder/croft-neasham/ |title=Croft (Neasham) |publisher=[[Airfields of Britain Conservation Trust]]|access-date=29 September 2022}}</ref> * Detachment of [[No. 6 Anti-Aircraft Co-operation Unit RAF]] (January 1943){{sfn|Sturtivant|Hamlin|Halley|1997|p=71}} * No. 78 Conversion Flight (January – June 1942){{sfn|Sturtivant|Hamlin|Halley|1997|p=97}} * Relief Landing Ground for [[No. 205 Advanced Flying School RAF]] (2 February 1951 - 1 June 1954){{sfn|Sturtivant|Hamlin|Halley|1997|p=40}} * No. 205 AFS between 12 December 1952 and 1 January 1954 while runways at home base resurfaced{{sfn|Sturtivant|Hamlin|Halley|1997|p=40}} * [[822 Naval Air Squadron]] * [[No. 1516 (Beam Approach Training) Flight RAF]] (September – October 1942){{sfn|Sturtivant|Hamlin|Halley|1997|p=138}}

==Incidents== On 22 March 1945, a Royal Canadian Air Force Lancaster aircraft was taking off from Croft when it was caught in a crosswind and blown off the runway where a punctured tyre led to it crashing and the port engine catching fire. The crew extricated themselves and as the {{convert|4|lb|adj=on}} incendiary bombs were exploding in the fire, the base and local residents were evacuated to shelter in a cutting of the nearby railway line. At 11:27 am, the {{convert|4,000|lb|adj=on}} [[blockbuster bomb]] on board the Lancaster exploded and took the roofs off several buildings in the immediate vicinity.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Lloyd |first1=Chris |title=Turning Point in History |work=Darlington & Stockton Times |issue=30–2019 |date=26 July 2019 |page=54|issn=2516-5348}}</ref>

[[File:Croft Circuit , North Yorkshire - geograph.org.uk - 137696.jpg|thumb|200px|[[Croft Circuit]], [[North Yorkshire]].]]

==Current use== The Croft aerodrome is now [[Croft Circuit]], a venue for the [[British Touring Car Championship]] and [[British Superbike Championship]].

==See also== *[[List of former Royal Air Force stations]]

==References== ===Citations=== {{reflist}}

===Bibliography=== {{refbegin}} *{{cite book |last1=Falconer|first1=J.|title=RAF Airfields of World War 2 |year=2012 |publisher= Ian Allan Publishing|location= UK|isbn=978-1-85780-349-5}} *{{wikicite|ref={{harvid|Halley|1988}}|reference=Halley, James J. ''The Squadrons of the Royal Air Force & Commonwealth, 1981-1988''. Tonbridge, Kent, UK: Air-Britain (Historians) Ltd., 1988. {{ISBN|0-85130-164-9}}.}} *{{cite book |last1=Jefford |first1= C. G. |title= RAF Squadrons. A comprehensive record of the movement and equipment of all RAF squadrons and their antecedents since 1912 |year=1988 |publisher= Airlife |location= [[Shrewsbury]] |isbn= 1-85310-053-6 }} *{{cite book|last=Moyes|first=Philip |title=Bomber Squadrons of the RAF and their Aircraft|location=London |publisher=Macdonald and Jane's |edition=2|year=1976|isbn=0-354-01027-1}} *{{cite book|last1=Sturtivant |first1=Ray|last2=Hamlin |first2=John|title=RAF Flying Training And Support Units since 1912|year=2007|location=Tonbridge, Kent|publisher=Air-Britain |isbn=978-0-85130-365-9}} *{{cite book |last1=Sturtivant|first1=R.|last2=Hamlin|first2=J.|last3=Halley|first3=J.|title=Royal Air Force flying training and support units |year=1997 |publisher= Air-Britain (Historians)|location= UK|isbn=0-85130-252-1}} * Todd, A. A. B. ''Pilgrimages of Grace: a history of Croft aerodrome''. Alan Todd Associates, Durham, UK: 1993. {{ISBN|0-9520177-0-9}}. {{refend}}

==External links== * [http://www.rafweb.org/Stations/Stations-C.htm#Croft RAF Croft on RafWeb]

{{DEFAULTSORT:Croft}} [[Category:Royal Air Force stations of World War II in the United Kingdom]] [[Category:Royal Air Force stations in Yorkshire]] [[Category:Military history of North Yorkshire]] [[Category:Croft-on-Tees]] [[Category:Military airbases established in 1941]] [[Category:Military airbases closed in 1956]]