RAF Dalton

{{Short description|Royal Air Force base in Yorkshire, England}} {{Use dmy dates|date=November 2022}} {{Use British English|date=May 2013}} {{Infobox military installation | name = RAF Dalton | ensign =[[File:Ensign of the Royal Air Force.svg|90px]] [[File:Air Force ensign of Canada (1941–1968).svg|90px]] | ensign_size = | native_name = | partof =  | location = [[Dalton, Hambleton|Dalton]], [[North Yorkshire]] | nearest_town =  | country = England | image = | alt = | caption = | image2 =  | alt2 = | caption2 = | type = [[List of former Royal Air Force stations|Royal Air Force satellite station]] 1941-43 61 (RCAF) Substation 1943-44 76 Base Substation 1944-{{sfn|Falconer|2012|p=75}} | coordinates = {{Coord|54|10|37|N|1|21|35|W|display=inline,title}} | pushpin_map = North Yorkshire#UK | pushpin_map_caption = Shown within North Yorkshire | pushpin_label = RAF Dalton | pushpin_label_position = | ownership = [[Air Ministry]] | operator = [[Royal Air Force]] [[Royal Canadian Air Force]] | controlledby = [[RAF Bomber Command]] * [[No. 4 Group RAF]] * [[No. 6 Group RCAF]]{{sfn|Falconer|2012|p=75}} | open_to_public =  | site_other_label =  | site_other =  | site_area =  | code = DA{{sfn|Falconer|2012|p=75}} | built = {{Start date|1940}}/41 | used = November 1941 – December 1945 | 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|24|m|0}}{{sfn|Falconer|2012|p=75}} | 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 Dalton''' or more simply '''RAF Dalton''' is a former [[Royal Air Force]] [[List of former Royal Air Force stations|satellite station]] located near to [[Dalton, Hambleton|Dalton]], [[North Yorkshire]], England.

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

==History== [[File:Dalton Church (Dalton, Hambleton).jpg|thumb|left|250px|The village church of the village that gave the station its name]] RAF Dalton was home to [[No. 102 Squadron RAF|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 RAF]] (HCU) flying [[Handley Page Halifax]]es. The airfield was improved in 1942 and in early 1943 was allocated to [[No. 6 Group RCAF|No. 6 Group]] [[Royal Canadian Air Force]] (RCAF). Canadian squadrons stationed here at one time or another included [[No. 428 Squadron RCAF|No. 428 Squadron]], [[424 Transport and Rescue Squadron|No. 424 Squadron]], [[No. 420 Squadron RCAF|No. 420 Squadron]], and [[No. 1666 Heavy Conversion Unit RAF]] (which moved to [[RAF Wombleton]] in October 1943). The station also housed No. 1691 Bomber Gunnery Flight RCAF and its successor, No. 1695 Bomber Defence Training Flight 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== {|class="wikitable" |+data from<ref>{{Harvnb|Jefford|2001|pp=57, 92–93 and 147.}}</ref><ref>{{Harvnb|Halley|1988|pp=176, 505, 508 and 510.}}</ref><ref>{{Harvnb|Sturtivant|Hamlin|2007|pp=97, 99, 129.}}</ref> ! Unit !! From !! To !! Aircraft !! Version |- | [[No. 102 Squadron RAF]] || 15 November 1941 || 7 June 1942 || [[Armstrong Whitworth Whitley]] [[Handley Page Halifax]] || Mk.V Mk.II |- | [[No. 420 Squadron RCAF]] || 6 November 1943 || 12 December 1943 || [[Vickers Wellington]] || Mk.X |- | [[424 Transport and Rescue Squadron|No. 424 Squadron RCAF]] || 3 May 1943 || 15 May 1943 || [[Vickers Wellington]] || Mk.X |- | [[No. 428 Squadron RCAF]] || 7 November 1942 || 31 May 1943 || [[Vickers Wellington]] || Mks.III and X |- | [[No. 1652 Heavy Conversion Unit RAF|No. 1652 HCU]] || 13 July 1942 || 22 August 1942 || [[Handley Page Halifax]] || Mks.I, II |- | [[No. 1666 (Royal Canadian Air Force) Heavy Conversion Unit RAF|No. 1666 'Mohawk' HCU]] || 5 June 1943 || 21 October 1943 || [[Handley Page Halifax]] || Mks.II, III |- | [[No. 1691 Flight RAF|No. 1691 (Bombing) (Gunnery) Flight]] || 26 June 1943 || 15 February 1944 || [[Miles Martinet]] [[Airspeed Oxford]] || Mk.I Mk.II |- | [[No. 1695 Flight RAF|No. 1695 (Bomber) Defence Training Flight]] || 15 February 1944 || 23 April 1945 || [[Miles 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.

A major employer on the estate is [[Severfield|Severfield plc]].<ref>{{Cite web |title=Contact Severfield |url=https://www.severfield.com/contact |access-date=2022-04-25 |website=Severfield |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Stewart |first=Alastair |date=20 April 2022 |title=Orders surge as nuclear market reopens |url=https://researchtree-production-web.azurewebsites.net/companies/uk/severfield-plc/research/progressive-equity-research/orders-surge-as-nuclear-market-reopens/50dbc6ad-b88c-4a26-8933-36988ba3bf85?partner=lse |access-date=2022-04-25 |website=Research Tree}}</ref> In 2011, Severfield and [[Mace (construction company)|Mace]] test assembled [[the Shard]]'s spire on the airfield before breaking it down again for transport to London and final assembly.<ref name=LESspire>{{cite news |last=Prigg |first=Mark |title=Now comes The Shard part ... |url=https://www.standard.co.uk/hp/front/now-comes-the-shard-part-6368308.html |work=London Evening Standard |date=15 November 2011 |access-date=4 February 2013 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120126091441/http://www.thisislondon.co.uk/standard/article-24010062-now-comes-the-shard-part.do |archive-date=26 January 2012 }}</ref><ref name=top>{{cite web |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-london-17567455 |title=Shard's spire now in place on Europe's tallest building |publisher=BBC News |date=30 March 2012 |access-date=6 July 2012}}</ref>

==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}} * {{cite book |last=Halley |first=James J. |title=The Squadrons of the Royal Air Force & Commonwealth 1918-1988 |year=1988 |location=Tonbridge, Kent, UK |publisher=Air Britain (Historians) Ltd. |isbn=0-85130-164-9}} * {{cite book |last=Jefford |first= C. G. |title=RAF Squadrons, a Comprehensive record of the Movement and Equipment of all RAF Squadrons and their Antecedents since 1912 |year=2001 |location=Shrewsbury, Shropshire, UK |publisher= Airlife Publishing |isbn=1-85310-053-6}} * {{cite book |last=Moyes |first= Philip J. R. |title=Bomber Squadrons of the RAF and their Aircraft |year=1976 |edition=2nd |location=London |publisher=Macdonald and Jane's (Publishers) Ltd. |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 |isbn=978-0-85130-365-9}} {{refend}}

==External links== * [http://archive.wikiwix.com/cache/20100630172632/http://airfields.fotopic.net/c1528140.html RAF Dalton, Yorkshire on airfields.fotopic.net] * [http://wikimapia.org/2249316/Former-RAF-Dalton RAF Dalton on wikimapia (zoom in for best result)]

{{DEFAULTSORT:Dalton}} [[Category:Royal Air Force stations in Yorkshire]] [[Category:Royal Air Force stations of World War II in the United Kingdom]] [[Category:History of North Yorkshire]] [[Category:Military history of Yorkshire]] [[Category:Military history of North Yorkshire]] [[Category:Military airbases established in 1941]] [[Category:Military airbases closed in 1945]]