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Dunkeswell Aerodrome

Dunkeswell Aerodrome
Aerial photograph of Dunkeswell airfield,, 22 April 1944
Summary
Airport typePrivate
OperatorAir Westward Co. Ltd.
LocationDunkeswell, Honiton
In use1943-54 (Military)
Elevation AMSL839 ft / 256 m
Coordinates50°51′36″N 003°14′05″W / 50.86000°N 3.23472°W / 50.86000; -3.23472
Websitewww.dunkeswell.co.uk/
Map
EGTU is located in Devon
EGTU
EGTU
Location in Devon
Map
Runways
Direction Length Surface
m ft
04/22 968 3,176 Asphalt
17/35
unlicensed 		644 2,113 Asphalt
Sources: UK AIP at NATS[1]

Dunkeswell Aerodrome (ICAO: EGTU) is an airfield in East Devon, England. It is located approximately 5 mi (8.0 km) north of the town of Honiton and 14 nautical miles (26 km; 16 mi) northeast[1] of Exeter. It is a busy civilian airfield with a mix of light aircraft, microlights and occasionally wing walking. It used to offer skydiving opportunities with Skydive.buzz but they were forced into mandatory administration following the death of two individuals in a tandem skydiving accident where the parachute failed to open correctly.[2]

Nearby (1 NM (1.9 km; 1.2 mi)) to the southwest is North Hill, an airstrip run by the local gliding club.

Dunkeswell Aerodrome has a CAA Ordinary Licence (Number P674) that allows flights for the public transport of passengers or for flying instruction as authorised by the licensee (Air Westward Limited). The aerodrome is not licensed for night use.[3]

Dunkeswell Airfield Heritage Centre, is situated to one side of the large propeller memorial.

History

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Dunkeswell Airfield was built between 1942 & 1943 by George Wimpey and Co,[4] and opened in 1943 during the Second World War, as RAF Dunkeswell. The station was originally planned as a No. 10 Group, RAF Fighter Command, then a No. 19 Group RAF Coastal Command airfield, but was transferred for use by American units.[5]

It was first used by the American United States Army Air Forces Antisubmarine Command, 479th Antisubmarine Group, as a base of operations to fly antisubmarine missions over the Bay of Biscay using specialized Consolidated B-24 Liberator bombers from August until November 1943.[6][7][8]

In November, the United States Army Air Forces turned over the antisubmarine mission to the United States Navy and its Liberators were reassigned to Navy Patrol Bomber Squadron VPB-103, Fleet Air Wing 7, which continued aerial antisubmarine operations from the station, the AAF aircraft being redesignated under the USN/USMC system of the time as PB4Y-1 Liberators. This was the first United States Navy unit to train with the RAF, later followed by VB-105 and VB-110. The Naval antisubmarine squadrons moved to RAF Upottery in November 1944.[5][9][10]

With the departure of the Americans, the RAF used the airfield from August 1945 to April 1946 for ferrying aircraft to the Middle East by No. 16 Ferry Unit RAF, RAF Transport Command. After September 1946, the station was put on care and maintenance status until the end of 1948, when it was sold by the Ministry of Defence.[5]

The following units were here at some point:[11]

Incidents

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On 13 June 2025, a male skydiving instructor and a female participant were killed in a tandem skydiving accident at the airfield.[16]

See also

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References

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Citations

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  1. ^ a b Dunkeswell - EGTU
  2. ^ Morris, Jonathan (25 July 2025). "Fatal Fall Skydive company in Devon ceases operations". BBC News. Retrieved 28 July 2025.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  3. ^ Civil Aviation Authority Aerodrome Ordinary Licences Archived 28 June 2007 at the Wayback Machine
  4. ^ "DUNKESWELL | Spitfires.com". Spitfires.com. Retrieved 28 July 2025.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  5. ^ a b c www.controltowers.co.uk Dunkeswell
  6. ^ Maurer, Maurer (1983). Air Force Combat Units of World War II. Maxwell AFB, Alabama: Office of Air Force History. ISBN 0-89201-092-4
  7. ^ US Air Force Historical Research Agency microfilm 00199740 containing charts and documents describing operations of 479th Antisubmarine Group from UK stations
  8. ^ Wakefield, Ken (1994). Operation Bolero: The Americans in Bristol and the West Country 1942-45. Crecy Books. pp. 61–62. ISBN 0-947554-51-3.
  9. ^ United States Army Air Force Antisubmarine Command History
  10. ^ www.controltowers.co.uk Upottery
  11. ^ "Dunkeswell". Airfields of Britain Conservation Trust. Retrieved 1 October 2022.
  12. ^ Sturtivant, Hamlin & Halley 1997, p. 154.
  13. ^ Sturtivant, Hamlin & Halley 1997, p. 118.
  14. ^ Sturtivant, Hamlin & Halley 1997, p. 40.
  15. ^ a b Sturtivant, Hamlin & Halley 1997, p. 216.
  16. ^ "Man and woman who died while skydiving named". BBC News. Retrieved 16 June 2025.

Bibliography

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  • Sturtivant, R.; Hamlin, J.; Halley, J. (1997). Royal Air Force flying training and support units. UK: Air-Britain (Historians). ISBN 0-85130-252-1.
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