RAF Dishforth, Yorkshire

RAF Dishforth, Yorkshire

Details

RAF Dishforth is situated just south of where the A168 joins the A1 north of Boroughbridge, Yorkshire.

 

Air photo.

 

RAF Dishforth, Yorkshire

Details

RAF Dishforth, Yorkshire

Details

Airfield plan.
The red circle is the original perimeter track, yellow lines the later bomb storage area, green the early dispersals based on an aerial photo of 1943. Also I have overlaid the hangars with the original 1943 photo hangars. Some dispersed sites are now married quarters.

The original layout can be seen with a circular perimeter track, the hangars layout conforming to the perimeter. A grass airfield surface and now by 1942 three runways laid out within the circle and one, N/S about to be doubled in length, Aircraft dispersals being added and a new bomber store placed in the N/E side of the airfield.

 

 

 

RAF Dishforth, Yorkshire

Details

Control Tower
The red circle is the original perimeter track, yellow lines the later bomb storage area, green the early dispersals based on an aerial photo of 1943. Also I have overlaid the hangars with the original 1943 photo hangars. Some dispersed sites are now married quarters.

RAF Dishforth, Yorkshire

Details

Original tower.
Thank you Terry for the Flight Sim Image.

RAF Dishforth, Yorkshire

Details

Fire Station
History : January 1937 and the first squadron arrived, No.10 Sqn with Heyfords. 8th September 1939 Dishforth sent its first mission out with No.10 Sqn dropping leaflets over Germany .

Heyford

Heyford

RAF Dishforth, Yorkshire

Details

History : later in the war No.6 Group RCAF was formed and Dishforth came under its wing like all the airfields around this part of Yorkshire. First to be formed here was No.426 Sqn with Wellington's. 1943 saw the laying of hard runways and it disrupted flying for a while. This brought it up to a class A bomber airfield. There were 32 frying pan dispersals laid out around the enlarged perimeter track.

 

 

 

RAF Dishforth, Yorkshire

Details

NE/SW runway.
History : November 1943 brought No.1664 Heavy Conversion Unit with Halifax’s. No.425 Sqn returned and reformed with Halifax and departed to RAF Tholthorpe. RAF Dishforth continued to be a training airfield for the rest of the war but would have sent many bombers on bombing missions. By the end of the war Transport Command took over and an OTU & HCU was stationed here. 1961 saw the end of RAF flying and in 1988 the Army Air Corps took over. Blue to Brown.

Plan.

RCAF Halifax.

Halifax in a 'C' type hangar.

RAF Dishforth, Yorkshire

Details

Five 'C' Type Sheds
RAF Expansion Scheme airfields, built in the rush to re-arm against the looming German threat which became unavoidable in the early 1930s, were well constructed and built to a standard design. In spite of the urgency the Royal Fine Arts Commission was consulted as to the aesthetics of the proposed building designs and layout. This included a standard airfield and domestic site layout including neoclassical red-brick residential blocks, standard mess.

'C' Type Sheds.

'C' Type Sheds.

'C' Type Shed at RAF Upavon.

RAF Dishforth, Yorkshire

Details

Starting from LtoR, shed one

Door frame design with outer and an inner skin of sheet steel and filled with small stones (shingle) to help its armoured ability.

Hangars in early RAF parlance were SHEDS.

RAF Dishforth, Yorkshire

Details

Shed two
Airplane Sheds Type 'C' 1934 Home Station. 12 bay 300ft long, 150ft wide. The door height 35ft 5inches, six sliding doors, with flight squadron offices, crew rooms, repair rooms, flying cloths lockers, etc. The side windows were designed to, if a bomb exploded inside, the blast would force out the reinforced glass. Thus saving the walls. The armoured doors were filled with gravel to increase there armoured strength. One man could open them with a small winding handle. [Action Stations 6 M Bowyer].

Gauntlet.

Hawker Demon.

Hawker Hind.

RAF Dishforth, Yorkshire

Details

Shed three
Squadron offices down the side of the shed.

Inside an empty 'C' Shed.

Hagar layout to a standard design

RAF Dishforth, Yorkshire

Details

Fourth & fifth shed doors have been replaced, engine exhaust pipes sticking out the side.

 

RAF Dishforth, Yorkshire

Details

Main runway
Halifax on a training mission.

Plan

Army Air Corps the owners at the time of the visit.

Lynx

RAF Dishforth, Yorkshire

Details

Officers Mess

This is RAF Hemswell Officers Mess and gives an idea of what its like.

 

Inside the main doors.

RAF Dishforth, Yorkshire

Details

Halifax bombers using the aircraft sheds (Hangars).

 

 

 

RAF Dishforth, Yorkshire

Details

© 2013 Richard Drew