1. History

2. Units

3. See also

4. References
    Bibliography 

5. External links

Royal Air Force Woolsington, or more simply RAF Woolsington, was a civilian airfield that was taken over by the RAF in 1939. It was returned to civilian use in 1946 and is now Newcastle International Airport.

History

RAF Woolsington opened as a civil airport in July 1935 with a small scale military involvement from the start.^[1] An airfield close to Newcastle had first been proposed by the Air Ministry in 1929 and in 1933 suitable sites were being assessed for a runway with Town Moor also being considered. The whole of the site was requisitioned by the Royal Air Force in 1939 on the outbreak of World War II,^[2] however, 13 Group Communications Flight had been in existence at Woolsington for a month when war was declared.{{sfn|Lake|1999|p=121}} 43 Elementary and Reserve Flying Training School was formed in June 1939 and was disbanded just three months later in September 1939.{{sfn|Lake|1999|p=60}}

The base served at various times as a satellite of both RAF Acklington and RAF Ouston but saw little operational flying.{{sfn|Delve|2006|p=278}} However, on one notable occasion in 1940, a Spitfire of No. 72 Squadron RAF flying out of Woolsington actually shot down a Ju 88 at night. This was one of the few 'kills' at night attributed to Spitfires.^[1]

In 1941, Durham University Air Squadron (DUAS) was formed at Woolsington initially flying Tiger Moth aircraft.{{sfn|Lake|1999|p=37}} The unit stayed behind when all other squadrons and units were transferred out at the end of the Second World War, eventually moving on to RAF Usworth in 1949.^[3]

Woolsington's main wartime role was as the base of No. 83 Maintenance Unit which salvaged crashed aircraft over much of the region.{{sfn|Delve|2006|p=278}} After the war civil flying resumed and the airport is now known as Newcastle International Airport.{{sfn|Delve|2006|p=277}}

Units

The following units or squadrons were based at (or used) RAF Woolsington between 1936 and 1946.^[4]

• No. 13 Group Communications Flight
• No. 27 Elementary Gliding School
• No. 27 Gliding School
• No. 43 Elementary & Reserve Flying Training School
• No. 55 Operational Training Unit
• No. 62 Operational Training Unit
• No. 72 Squadron
• No. 83 Maintenance Unit
• No. 278 Squadron
• No. 281 Squadron
• Durham University Air Squadron

See also

• RAF Coleby Grange
• RAF Coningsby
• RAF Cranwell
• RAF Blyton
• RAF Northolt
• RAF Brize Norton

References

Bibliography

• {{cite book |last=Delve |first=Ken |title=The military airfields of Britain - Northern England |location=Marlborough, Wiltshire, UK |publisher=Crowood Press |year=2006 |ISBN=1-86126-809-2 |ref=harv }}
• {{cite book |last=Lake |first=Alan |title=Flying Units of the RAF |location=Shrewsbury, Shropshire, UK |publisher=Airlife |year=1999 |ISBN=1-84037-086-6|ref=harv }}

External links

• fotopic page
• [https://web.archive.org/web/20081120171428/http://www.newcastle.gov.uk/wwwfileroot/regen/locallist/tyne_and_wear_defence_sites.pdf Report on 20th Century defence sites in Tyne and Wear]

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