Royal Air Force Crosby-on-Eden, or more simply RAF Crosby-on-Eden, is a former Royal Air Force station located 5.8 miles (9.3 km) north east of Carlisle, Cumbria and 3 miles (4.8 km) west of Brampton, Cumbria. It is nowadays Carlisle Lake District Airport.
RAF Crosby-on-Eden | |||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crosby-on-Eden, Cumbria in England | |||||||||||
  RAF Crosby-on-Eden Shown within Cumbria  RAF Crosby-on-Eden RAF Crosby-on-Eden (the United Kingdom) | |||||||||||
| Coordinates | 54°56′15″N 002°48′33″W / 54.93750°N 2.80917°W | ||||||||||
| Type | Royal Air Force station | ||||||||||
| Code | KX[1] | ||||||||||
| Site information | |||||||||||
| Owner | Air Ministry | ||||||||||
| Operator | Royal Air Force | ||||||||||
| Controlled by | RAF Fighter Command 1941-42 * No. 81 (OTU) Group RAF RAF Coastal Command 1942-44 * No. 17 Group RAF RAF Transport Command 1944-[1] | ||||||||||
| Site history | |||||||||||
| Built | 1940/41 | ||||||||||
| In use | February 1941 - 1947 | ||||||||||
| Battles/wars | European theatre of World War II | ||||||||||
| Airfield information | |||||||||||
| Elevation | 50 metres (164 ft)[1] AMSL | ||||||||||
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History
editCivil use
editIn the early 1930s, Cumberland County Council opened Kingstown Municipal Airport, at the time outside the borough boundaries which later became the RAF Kingstown and is now Kingstown or Kingmoor Industrial estate. With the outbreak of war in 1939, RAF Kingstown's runway was too small for bombers, so the Royal Air Force developed a new airstrip at Crosby-on-Eden.[2] The new facility came into operation in February 1941 for training operations, designating the station RAF Crosby-on-Eden.
Military use
editThe airfield was originally under the command of RAF Fighter Command housing No. 59 Operational Training Unit RAF (OTU) which provided day training for Hawker Hurricane pilots.[3]
- Coastal Command
The station was handed over to RAF Coastal Command, hosting No. 9 (Coastal) OTU during August 1942 for training long-range fighter crews on Bristol Beaufort and Bristol Beaufighter conversion squadrons, as well as air firing and night flying.[4]
- Transport Command
In August 1944 the station came under the command of RAF Transport Command with Douglas Dakotas of No. 109 (Transport) Operational Training Unit RAF.[5] 109 OTU was then renamed No. 1383 (Transport) Conversion Unit RAF, on 1 August 1945 disbanding at Crosby-on-Eden on 6 August 1946.
The following units were also here at some point:[6]
- Sub site for No. 14 Maintenance Unit RAF (April 1952)[7]
- Detachment of No. 105 (Transport) OTU (August 1945)[8]
- No. 2711 Squadron RAF Regiment
Post war
editCrosby-on-Eden had little post war use and was closed in 1947 with the airfield returning to Carlisle City Council to continue as a municipal airport as what is now named Carlisle Lake District Airport with ownership passing to the Stobart Group.
See also
editReferences
editCitations
edit- ^ a b c Falconer 2012, p. 72.
- ^ News & Star Archived 27 September 2007 at the Wayback Machine
- ^ Royal Air Force Milfield
- ^ RAF Carlisle airfield
- ^ History of Dakota KG651 Archived 28 September 2007 at the Wayback Machine and Sturtivant, Ray (2007). RAF Flying Training and Support Units since 1912. Air-Britain. pp. 198–206. ISBN 0-85130 365 X.
- ^ "Crosby-on-Eden (Carlisle)". Airfields of Britain Conservation Trust. Retrieved 11 April 2022.
- ^ Sturtivant, Hamlin & Halley 1997, p. 205.
- ^ Sturtivant, Hamlin & Halley 1997, p. 244.
Bibliography
edit- Falconer, J. (2012). RAF Airfields of World War 2. UK: Ian Allan Publishing. ISBN 978-1-85780-349-5.
- Sturtivant, R.; Hamlin, J.; Halley, J. (1997). Royal Air Force flying training and support units. UK: Air-Britain (Historians). ISBN 0-85130-252-1.