| Royal Air Force Station Middleton St. George
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|---|---|
| Located Near Darlington, County Durham, England | |
 Shown within County Durham
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| Coordinates | 54°30′33″N 001°25′46″W / 54.50917°N 1.42944°W |
| In use | 1941–1964 |
| Current condition |
Closed |
| Battles/wars | Second World War |
RAF Middleton St. George was a Royal Air Force (RAF) Bomber Command station during World War II. It was located in County Durham, five miles east of Darlington, England.
The airfield began its life as Royal Air Force Station Goosepool, and in 1941 became RAF Middleton St. George. The aerodrome opened as a Bomber Command station in 1941. In 1943 it was allocated to No. 6 Group, Royal Canadian Air Force. A sub-station was located at RAF Croft, Yorkshire. Squadrons based here include: 76 Squadron, which flew Halifaxes, 78 Squadron, which flew Whitleys, 419 Squadron RCAF, which flew Wellingtons, Halifaxes, and Lancasters, 420 Squadron RCAF, which flew Wellingtons, and 428 Squadron RCAF, which flew Wellingtons, Halifaxes, and Lancasters.
After the war, the aerodrome served various squadrons and units including No. 13 Operational Training Unit (OTU), No. 2 Air Navigation School, No. 4 Flight Training School, and squadrons that used Meteors, Hunters, Javelins and Lightnings.
The RAF left the station in 1964, but the aerodrome was reopened in 1966 as a civil airport. The airfield was named Teesside International Airport in the 1960s, and was renamed Durham Tees Valley Airport in 2004.
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Contents
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Units and aircraft
| Unit | Dates | Aircraft | Variant | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| No. 33 Squadron RAF | 1958–1962 | Gloster Javelin | FAW.7 and FAW.9 from 1960 | Twin-engined jet fighter/interceptor |
| No. 76 Squadron RAF | 1941–1942 | Handley Page Halifax | Mks.I and II | Four-engined piston heavy bomber |
| No. 78 Squadron RAF | 1941 | Armstrong Whitworth Whitley | Mk.V | Twin-engined medium bomber |
| 1942 | Handley Page Halifax | Mk.II | Four-engined piston heavy bomber | |
| No. 92 Squadron RAF | 1957 1958-1960 |
Hawker Hunter | F.6 | Single-engined jet fighter/fighter-bomber |
| No. 264 Squadron RAF | 1957 | Gloster Meteor | NF.14 | Twin-engined jet night-fighter |
| No. 419 Squadron RCAF | 1942–1944 | Handley Page Halifax | Mk.II | Four-engined piston heavy bomber |
| 1944–1945 | Avro Lancaster | Mk.X | Four-engined piston heavy bomber | |
| No. 420 Squadron RCAF | 1942–1943 | Vickers Wellington | Mks.III and later X before move to North Africa | Twin-engined medium bomber |
| No. 428 Squadron RCAF | 1943–1944 | Handley Page Halifax | Mks.V and II | Four-engined piston heavy bomber |
| 1944–1945 | Avro Lancaster | Mk.X | Four-engined piston heavy bomber |
1947- 1948 13 OTU Mosquito Mk.T3 & Mk 6
1951 - 1953 205 AFS Meteor Mk7 & Mk 8
References
Notes
- ^ Jefford 2001, p. 160.
Bibliography
- Halley, James J. (1988). The Squadrons of the Royal Air Force & Commonwealth, 1918-1988. Tonbridge, Kent, UK: Air-Britain (Historians) Ltd.. ISBN 0-85130-164-9.
- Jefford, Wing Commander C.G. (2001). RAF Squadrons, a Comprehensive record of the Movement and Equipment of all RAF Squadrons and their Antecedents since 1912. Shrewsbury, Shropshire, UK: Airlife Publishing Ltd.. ISBN 1-85310-053-6.
- Moyes, Philip J.R. (1976). Bomber Squadrons of the RAF and their Aircraft. London: Macdonald and Jane's (Publishers) Ltd.. ISBN 0-354-01027-1.
External links
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