{"id":96,"date":"2026-04-11T14:17:10","date_gmt":"2026-04-11T13:17:10","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/localhost:8080\/?page_id=96"},"modified":"2026-04-11T15:24:15","modified_gmt":"2026-04-11T14:24:15","slug":"raf-dunkeswell","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/southwestairfields.teknicode.uk\/?page_id=96","title":{"rendered":"RAF Dunkeswell"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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Dunkeswell\u00a0Airfield<\/h1>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n
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AIRFIELD HISTORY<\/strong><\/h3>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

Although some 366 miles from the centre of the Bay of Biscay, Dunkeswell airfield owes its origins to the urgent need to tackle the threat created by the German U-boats in the Battle of the Atlantic; a campaign which was the longest in World War II, and one of the most costly.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Battle, although overshadowed  by the Battle of Britain and D Day, pitted U-boats as well as other warships of the Kriegsmarine <\/em>(German navy) and aircraft of the Luftwaffe <\/em>(German Air Force) against the Royal Navy, Royal Airforce,  Royal Canadian Navy, and the United States Army Airforce & Navy over the vital need to protect Allied shipping and ran the entire length of the war and threatened Britain\u2019s very survival.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

When France fell in June 1940, the Germans improved their prospects even more, as they took possession of French naval bases along the Atlantic coast  converting them in to Impenetrable U boat bases  See Map below.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

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Location Dunkeswell \u00a0Nr Honiton, Devon Opened 1943<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In use 1943 to 1945 –\u00a0Now a private commercial Airfield<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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The first French U-boat base was established in July 1940 at Lorient on the Bay of Biscay, and was quickly followed by bases at Brest, St Nazaire and La Palice in Brittany.  Use of these bases not only gave the U-boats direct access to the Atlantic, but also shortened their journey to the operational area by over 1,000 miles.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This also created a serious problem for the RAF\u2019s Coastal Command,  for not only did they lack the Aircraft and weapons capable of attacking Submarines.  They also lacked Airfields in the South West of England from which they could operate to intercept U boats operating from these new bases.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

As a result the Kriegsmarine or German navy began to operate with virtual impunity to the extent by the Autumn of 1941 the U boat or Submarine threat had become so serious to Britain\u2019s survival that it was decided to urgently construct special advanced bases in the South West of England .<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

These bases could then be used \u00a0to attack the U boat\u2019 s based in Western France as well as by patrol Aircraft of Coastal Command . (See Map to the left showing Dunkeswell in relation to The Bay of Biscay)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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U 278 –\u00a0A Type VIIc U boat on Patrol<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n

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Construction<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Following a survey of potential  sites it was  decided that  one of the new  airfields should be constructed at Dunkeswell which was 850 feet above Sea Level, and was  on a  relatively level plateau.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Land was requisitioned from a number of farms under the Emergency Powers (Defence) act of 1939.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Airfield was built to the war time RAF Standard Class \u2018A\u2019  operational airfield design for all contemporary heavy bombers<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Three Runways, 50 yrds wide were built, with main Runway 05\/23 being 200 yrds long and runway\u2019s 18\/36 being 1470 yrds & 09\/27 being 1,270<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Initial construction of the Airfield was started in early 1942.  with the airfield being completed on June 26th 1943, at a cost \u00a31,107,000 and was undertaken by George Wimpey  and Co  with mainly Irish,  Ministry of Works Labour.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Although following the arrival of the US Navy in September 1943  additional construction work was carried out by the US Navy Sea Bees on and around the base, from February 1944  virtually right up until the Airfield was handed back to the RAF in August 1945.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

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Dunkeswell under Construction. This was taken on the 18th September 1942. \u00a0Just 7 months after work commenced. \u00a0Note; There are no hangars or control tower at this stage of construction and that the runways have not yet been sprayed with Tarmac. Runways were normally Tarmacced to reduce visibility from the air.\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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An \u00a0Early 479th B24 \u00a0D \u00a0with A \u201cGreen House\u201d Nose. \u00a0Note how the Fuselage is a simple two tone colour \u00a0The top half being Olive Green with White below Later Aircraft were painted in a Sea search finish<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

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\u201cWhite \u00a0Savage\u201d \u00a042 40921 M is a 479th \u00a0Anti-submarine Group \u00a0B24 D in Sea Search finish. Radio call Letter M, which is 36 inches high in Yellow. \u00a0This Aircraft has a specially modified Nose<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

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479TH Anti-submarine Group<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Although the Airfield had been allocated and subsequently handed  over to  RAF 19 Group Coastal command under the command of Group Captain EC Kidd, it was the American 479th Anti-Submarine Group that first flew operations from the base beginning on August  7th 1943  and resulted from the Americans being brought in initially on a temporary  basis to support RAF  Coastal  command with their Very long Range( VLR) B24 liberators and Centimetric Radar. The Germans having deployed a Radar detection device called Metox that  could detect British Long wave or metric  radar in the early Autumn of 1942,<\/p>\n\n\n\n

These  Squadrons had been formed  on the 1st  July 1943  from existing US Army Air forces Anti Submarine  units  or the 25th Antisubmarine Wing at Langley field Virginia and been activated under Col Howard Moore on the 8th July 1943, some of whom had been operating from Gander in Newfoundland.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Following their success in driving out  the U boats from the north Atlantic, it had been agreed that these units and others would be formed into  the 4th , 6th 19th & 22nd Squadrons of a new group  be known as 479th Anti-Submarine group. This group would  then be transferred to  the South West of England where they would be under  the operational control  of 19 Group  Coastal Command and could be used to attack U boat\u2019s  based in the  Bay of Biscay.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

So it was this group arrived, firstly at St Eval, in Cornwall in early July 1943 and then to Dunkeswell a month later with the first Squadrons,  the 4th and 19th  arriving at Dunkeswell on Friday 6th August , the  22nd on Friday the 20th August and the  6th on  Saturday the 21st August.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

There the 479th Group had the facility to itself, although at first it was dependent on a good deal of RAF ground support, while the station commander, Group Captain Kidd, exercised a general supervision of the Airfield.  Colonel Moore was largely free to operate as he wished.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In addition  the 87th Service Squadron, the 1813th Ordnance Service and Maintenance Company, the 1177th Military Police Company, and the 444th Quartermaster Platoon  were also assigned to help the squadrons.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

As result Dunkeswell became a mix of both RAF and US Personnel with the RAF supplying administrative and initial maintenance  support .<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Although Dunkeswell had been officially handed over to the RAF it was still incomplete, (See Picture to the Right and above)  particularly with regard to the off-runway facilities, and the tracks that passed for roads were inadequate for heavy equipment, broke up under heavy use, and tended to become quagmires in the damp climate.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Anti\u2013 Submarine Operations Commence<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Within a day  of arriving, Operations began from Dunkeswell, unfortunately this coincided with Admiral D\u00f6nitz head of the Kriegsmarine, changing his tactics from one, where he had instructed his U boats to take on and fight the Anti-submarine patrols, resulting in considerable losses,  to one where U boats were instructed to avoid conflict . As a result the amount of sightings and attacks were reduced co-incided with the groups arrival at Dunkeswell.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Missions<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Most of the groups Missions involved B24,s  flying out into the Bay of Biscay on a prescribed flight plan with the intentions to attack U boats travelling on the Surface to and from their bases.  Contrary to myth propagated by film and media most U boats would travel on the surface using diesel engines and submerging only when they were attacked or in danger.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

A U boat could travel  at around 17 knots on the surface and only about 6 knots submerged on its batteries.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

So Coastal Command devised patrol areas called grids  where Aircraft would literally fly a prescribed route that meant that the Aircraft together with others in the area would fly over the same  stretch of water every 20 to 30 minutes to enable them to spot any U boat either travelling or surfacing to re charge its batteries.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Patrols were timed so that the Aircraft was in its patrol area by summer daybreak, crews would wake and be turned out as early as 3 am,  when they would be taken to the mess Hall for breakfast by van or truck in complete darkness.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Once breakfast was over the crews would then collect their personal and aircraft equipment  for the flight.  Including Homing pigeons for use in emergency !<\/p>\n\n\n\n

These were picked up in their cage before each flight and returned following landing. They were useful for two purposes: to relay messages that were not time-critical when complete radio silence was required, but more essentially, to inform Coastal Command when something had gone badly wrong.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A crash landing at sea, particularly if the radio operator had not been able to get off a message informing base of the crew’s situation and location, was the prime opportunity for the homing pigeons to be of service. It assumed, of course, that the pigeons survived the crash landing, when their  fate was not likely to be uppermost in the minds of the crew.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In their less critical use, the pigeons had to be released into the plane’s slipstream, apt to be quite turbulent. Further, the airspeed of the B-24 was unlikely to have been much less than 150 MPH. Thus a special procedure was required to get the pigeon safely away,<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If a message was to be sent back during flight, it would be attached to the bird and then the pigeon was stuffed into the bag, head first, of course. One of the gunners at the waist window would carefully set the package outside. The closed end of the bag would be placed into the wind and in this way it was supposed to prevent the wind from stripping the bird’s feathers off so quickly. As the package slowed down the pigeon was supposed to free himself and take off in the desired direction.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

They would attend a flight briefing at the operations block,. This would consist of the flight pattern for the day, Weather, anticipated U boat and Luftwaffe Movements in their sector and reports on enemy activity in the previous 24 hour period.  Although the source was not known at the time  Coastal command was receiving daily intelligence reports from Bletchley Park called \u201cforms green\u201d advising them of enemy activity for that day. Such was the success of the Code Breaking Operation known as Ultra, that crews naturally believed that this was being obtained by spies or from the resistance.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Once briefed the crew  would then embark on the mission  flying up to 10 hours in length Although with briefings and debriefings this could be extended by  Two to Three hours. Meaning  12  to 13 hours was quite  common before they were finished.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

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Colonel Howard Moore<\/strong>
Commanding officer of the<\/strong>
USAAF 479th Anti -Submarine Group<\/strong>
The first group to fly from Dunkeswell<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Mud \u00a0Glorious Mud ! Here is a picture \u00a0of one of the dispersed living sites. Showing Why the US \u00a0Navy Personnel later referred to the \u00a0base as Mudville Heights<\/strong>\u00a0!!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Rear Admiral Karl D\u00f6nitz<\/strong>
Head of the Kriegsmarine<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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An RAF Officer outlines a typical Patrol Grid<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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53 Squadron RAF handling carriers containing homing pigeons at St Eval, Cornwall.after a patrol over the Bay of Biscay. The 479th also carried Pigeons in their Aircraft<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

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B24 D 42-40748 \u00a0The Zoot Snooter from the 479th\u00a0on runway location <\/strong>
unknown but thought to be St Eval Cornwall<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n

Crews were often on a 3 or 4 day cycle, where they would spend time preparing the Aircraft, and the following day, flying the mission. This would be followed by a day of rest then a day or two undertaking training.   <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Often missions could be literally flying  countless hours without sighting or meeting the enemy, with the biggest enemy being boredom or an attack by JU88\u2019s with their 20mm cannons  who would often attack in multiples of 6-8 Aircraft at any one time !  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

But the Liberators could be a deadly threat to  any unsuspecting  U boat  travelling on the Surface  when without warning the Liberator would spot the u boat on the surface with its  Radar and suddenly swoop in at  between 100 and 250 feet dropping  its lethal depth charges<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The long missions over the bay imposed their own tempo and their own stress on the aircrews. Each crew hut on the field at Dunkeswell held the enlisted personnel of two aircrews, six on each side of the hut. As most of the group’s ASW flights were timed to be in the patrol area by summer daybreak, this meant being turned out as early as 3am, with the aircrew then being “taken to a mess hall for a meal,.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n

After breakfast, the crew also picked up at the mess hall their “picnic lunch” for the long  upcoming flight. Next came the flight briefing, followed by checking out OFF all personal and aircraft equipment essential to the flight.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The plane would normally be airborne for about 10 hours, then back to the base and go through the whole thing in reverse. The whole operation would take about twelve to fifteen hours and the crew would be ready to hit the sack when they had returned.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Hunters become the hunted<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

During the summer and early Autumn of 1943 the Luftwaffe became a lot more active in the bay of Biscay than ever before in an effort to stem the serious losses that Allied Aircraft were taking and began to take a serious toll of the Allied Anti-submarine Aircraft, which were normally caught flying alone by a number of enemy Aircraft flying offensive sweeps<\/p>\n\n\n\n

By the time the 479th had arrived at Dunkeswell the Hunters had indeed become the hunters and as U boat losses were reduced, losses of Anti-Submarine Aircraft increased.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It is not hard to understand why. Just as a U boat made a large and clumsy target for the Anti-Submarine aircraft, so the Liberators made an easy target for the German Long range fighters such at the Ju88c which the Luftwaffe sent over in large numbers, often in packs from 8 to 12 Aircraft at a time.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

As a result the luftwaffe\u2019s campaign became a deadly threat indeed Lt Grider from the 19th Squadron was attacked by 9 Ju88\u2019s on the 7th August escaping without damage and on the 8th   August the second day of operations from Dunkeswell  Lt Rueben Thomas Aircraft, again from the 19th Squadron was lost without any survivors<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

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A Ju88c Medium Bomber<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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This Picture is taken from gun camera film of a JU88 attacking an \u00a0RAF Liberator similar to those flown by the 479th \u00a0in the Bay of Biscay \u00a0and \u00a0by Luftwaffe Squadron V\/KG.40 \u00a0Note This is from just one JU88 \u00a0! Most attacks \u00a0comprised of \u00a0up to 8 Enemy Aircraft \u00a0and sometimes 10 \u00a0to \u00a012 \u00a0Indeed one Attack consisted of\u00a014!<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

479th Leave the Battle<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Then just as they were settling in, the Army Airforce, and in agreement with the US Navy,  handed  over Anti Submarine hunting to the US Navy  in October 1943,  just 2 months after they had arrived,  with  most of the 479ths aircrews being sent into VIII Bomber Command for the purposes of developing a Pathfinder force for the American Strategic Bombers, who then took part in the daylight bombing of Germany.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Interestingly  Aircraft and personnel of the 22nd Squadron went to what would become known as  the famous \u201cCarpet Baggers\u201d at RAF Harrington in Northamptonshire, who delivered supplies and agents to resistance groups in occupied France.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Despite there brief existence and a change in tactics from Admiral D\u00f6nitz the 479th had flown from St Eval and Dunkeswell  a total of 452 patrols  made 12 sightings,  delivered 8 attacks and Shared 3 U boat kills, losing 5 aircraft in the process with 9 damaged. <\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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US Navy<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Background to Handover.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

By early 1941, Great Britain was losing the Battle of the Atlantic and, with the real prospect of the United States being drawn into the conflict, the U.S. Navy began devising a plan to protect the Atlantic sea lanes. Although  it would go through the same learning curve  that Coastal Command had gone through  at the beginning of the War primarily because of the US Navy\u2019s reluctance to accept advice from the British about placing ships in to convoys<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Moreover and like coastal command it would also  suffer from a lack of suitable Aircraft to the extent  that Admiral Ernest King Head of the Navy had been required to reluctantly ask the Army Airforce to help defend the East coast of America when U boats had appeared in January 1942.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

As a result a bitter inter service rivalry  developed between the  US army Airforce, ( USAAF ) , who having been tasked with dealing with the U boat until the Navy could obtain Aircraft , not only pioneered Anti Submarine Warfare  but also believed that the best way to counter the U boat was to hunt them down with dedicated ASW Squadrons using long range Aircraft Such as the B17 and the New B24 Liberator.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In addition the USAAF  introduced dedicated ordinance such as depth charges and Radar  and drove the U boat back into the north Atlantic.   <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Following this success,  a bitter \u201cturf\u201d dispute  began between Admiral King  and General Hap Arnold head of the Army over who should undertake Anti Submarine War fare (ASW).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The  Navy believing this was a naval task and ultimately the responsibility of the Navy and the Army believing that as they had been tasked with undertaking this, and that as they had been successful,  they should carry on with task and not have to report to the Navy  any more !  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

This dispute rumbled on from early 1942 until June 1943 and formed part of a larger dispute about whether the Army Airforce should be  a separate organisation similar  to the RAF. Something that would not be resolved until after the war.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

However in June 1943 the dispute was resolved when  the Army Agreed that if the Navy handed over it\u2019s  Boeing production facility at Renton in Washington, that  the Navy had lined up for the production of the new XPBB Super Ranger Aircraft. Then USAAF could build the new B29 Super fortress and in return would withdraw from ASW, they would also handover heir modified B24 Aircraft direct to the navy  so the Navy could undertake the task, in return for standard B24\u2019s that could be used for bombing.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

As a result in June 1943  the Army Airforce received orders to begin handing over all ASW activities to  the US Navy  and in Great Britain, to Fleet Airwing 7  Although the Army in contradiction to the original agreement still kept some of their B24\u2019s. resulting in the navy purchasing New B24\u2019s Now be designated PB4Y\u2019-1s .<\/p>\n\n\n\n

 In Addition USAAF  agreed to stay on until the US Navy had become familiarised with Coastal Commands requirements hence the decision for the USAAF still to come to Dunkeswell.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

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Gen. “Hap” Arnold<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Adm \u00a0Ernest \u00a0J King<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

These Pictures below shows U boats being depth \u00a0charged \u00a0and illustrate the method of Attack<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Fleet Airwing 7<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

In March 1941, out of this necessity to conduct proper aerial and surface observation of the waters off the eastern seaboard, the U.S. Navy organized the predecessor to Fleet Air Wing-7, Patrol Wing, Support Force, Atlantic Fleet.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The establishment of the patrol wing would, two years later, give rise to the first Navy B-24 liberator squadrons to serve at Dunkeswell.  The function of the Patrol Wing was to provide antisubmarine, anti-raider, and shipping protection from Cape Hatteras to Newfoundland (patrols were later extended to Iceland and Greenland).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

For the next nine months, U.S. Navy Patrol  Squadron\u2019s (VP) 51,52,53, 55, and 56 (equipped with such aircraft as the Consolidated PB Y-5 Catalina and Martin PBM flying boat) conducted aerial surveillance, and mapping. These squadrons were based at Quonset Point, Rhode Island, Norfolk, Virginia, and Argentia, Newfoundland.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

On 17 May 1941, Fleet Admiral Ernest J. King, Chief of Naval Operations, issued orders  to the commanding officers of the Atlantic and Pacific Fleets, which ordered a reorganization of Patrol Plane Wings, This reorganization split the Support Force into two wings: Patrol Wing 7 and Patrol Wing 8.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In May 1942, Patrol Wing-7s designation changed to Fleet Air Wing 7. Exactly one year later, in 1943,  the Wing’s ASW arsenal would be strengthened by the addition of  the B-24 Liberator and pave  the way for the  Navy to take over the role.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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B14 \u00a0\u201cO \u201c Bu-er No 32288 of squadron \u00a0VPB 110 \u00a0Taxiing out to on the North Western Loop at Dunkeswell with Bill Parrish at the controls<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n

B24 Liberator<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

With a length of 67 feet, a wingspan of 110 feet, and a gross weight of 60,000 pounds. The Liberator was an imposing monster for the time. Powered by four Pratt and Whitney R-1830-43\/65 engines, it had a top speed of 279 miles per hour, a service ceiling of 31,000 feet and a range of 2,960 miles. For delivering the war to the enemy, it could carry a maximum bomb load of 8,800 pounds and defend itself with ten Browning 50-calibre machine guns. It was a tool of war and was originally built for the Army Air Force, yet the Navy acquired it to fulfil the need for a long-range patrol plane.  This was primarily because other Navy patrol aircraft, such as the Consolidated PB Y-5 Catalina, the Martin Mariner PBM, and the Consolidated PB2Y were too slow and lightly armed and did not have the range required to reach out in to the mid-Atlantic.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The first Navy Liberators varied little from the Army B-24D with the distinctive Plexiglas nose with free-hand machine guns mounted to protect against frontal attacks by enemy fighters. The distinctive Navy version of the Liberator was introduced with the introduction of the ERCO (Engineering and Research Company) bow turret that extended the length of the aircraft by three feet. The Navy designated the B-24 as the PB4Y-1. The squadrons established were designated VB for Navy Bombing until 1 October1944 when the designation was changed to VPB for Navy Patrol Bomber.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The bow turret had twin .50-calibre guns and carried twice the ammunition supply of other turrets-800 versus 400. However, some PB4YIs retained the Consolidated A-6A\/B or Emerson A-15 nose turrets. In addition, because Navy Liberators were to operate a considerable amount of time over water, state-of-the-art electronics and navigational gear were installed such as the APS-15 search radar, which replaced the Sperry belly turret, the AN\/ARC-1 radar intercept receiver, and LORAN. A total of 977 PB4Y-1 Liberators (The majority being D and J models) were received by the Navy before the end of World War 11. Approximately 200 of them found their way to England between August 1943 and May 1945.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Birth of the Dunkeswell Air Group  and US Naval Air Facility<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

With  the  decision made to handover  Anti Submarine hunting to the US Navy. Orders were issued in Mid August 1943 to transfer Naval Squadrons from the Argentia Air Group, based  in Newfoundland  to the South West of England firstly to St Eval for training and then on to Dunkeswell.  3 of these Squadrons,  VB 103, 105 & 110,*   were  then sent  to Dunkeswell together with a Headquarters Squadron ( Hedron 7) to relieve the AAF 479th squadrons,  who would then transfer to the 8th Army Airforce.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

* The V being the Navy designation for fixed wing aircraft, VB would later  become VPB (Navy Patrol Bomber on the 1st October 1944.)  The first Naval Squadron to arrive at Dunkeswell,  was VB 103 on the 30th September 1943,  with VB105 on the 12th October, and VB 110 on the 22nd October.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Following  training,  Squadrons gradually moved over to Dunkeswell from the  established base at St Eval in Cornwall . However as previously mentioned conditions on the base,  left, much to be desired,  During the winter, intermittent drizzle, occasionally whipped into a solid  wall of water by wind, made it almost impossible to stay dry.  The continuous sea of mud at Dunkeswell gave rise to the nickname of \u201cMudville Heights\u201d and because of rain, sleet, snow, low ceiling, and poor visibility, a considerable number of returning flights had to be diverted to other airfields.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

One of the initial problems that had been encountered ,firstly by the USAAF and then the US Navy, was the fact that the initial secondment to Coastal Command had been deemed by the US Government as \u201c temporary \u201c. Until November 1st  1943 and then subsequently the 1st January 1944.  As a result the Americans had accepted the British assurance that maintenance support would be provided by them  and had decided not to bring any support with them. Leaving their own ground echelons back home in the states. They had also obtained  support from the US army 8th Airforce based in Britain and considered that this would suffice due to the anticipated short stay.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

However this  immediately caused a number of problems, firstly the RAF had its own supply problems and operated quite differently to the US forces,  In addition the RAF lacked the equipment for undertaking major overhauls of the Aircraft and also the skilled personnel to under take them.  Standards of sanitation and housing  and messing were also considered to be poorer than the US Navy Standards by their Medical officers So  this meant that the Navy had to draw more and more from the Army Airforce both in Britain and from the States.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

As time progressed it also became clear that the \u201ctemporary\u201d assignment would be more long term and in December 1943 the Us Navy decided to set up its own Naval Air facility at Dunkeswell  and became the only US Navy Facility outside of the United States.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This decision led to a major investment  in the base and  a major building programme  with upgrades to the messing facilties, accommodation, roads and infrastructure. To bring the base up to US standards  most  of which was carried out by the US  97th and 69th Sea bees.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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An \u00a0aircraft is prepared for a mission<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n

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Above and right \u00a0Sea Bees working at Dunkeswell<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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U 34047 21 one of the 4 \u00a0Aircraft \u00a0based at Dunkeswell from squadron VPB 63<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n

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Calvert & Coke on Patrol VPB 103<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n

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End \u00a0of \u00a0the \u00a0Line !! \u00a0\u00a0No \u00a0longer required or useful PB4Y-1\u2019s \u00a0that were \u00a0considered obsolete \u00a0or unable to fly \u00a0were \u00a0broken up \u00a0after VE Day by the Seabees on the Airfield<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n

Summary<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

The US Navy flew its first mission from Dunkeswell on 30th September 1943 and its last on the 28th May 1945 when orders to cease operations was given by Coastal Command.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

During this period it  found  and attacked 65 U boats, sinking 7 and damaging another 11.  They also  took  the Surrender of another 5  at a cost of  23 Aircraft & 178 men.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The last PB4Y-1 Liberator of FAW-7 departed Dunkeswell on 26 July 1945, with many   being sent to the Naval Air Station in Clinton, Oklahoma where they were later scrapped although approximately 60 were scrapped at Dunkeswell.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

P<\/strong>ost War<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Following the departure of the Navy the airfield was subsequently used as a short term base within 46 Group Transport Command for No. 16 Ferry Unit (RAF).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This unit was engaged in preparing and despatching a wide variety of British military aircraft to units in the Middle East and also to the newly reformed French Air Force. Also in August 1945 No. 11 Ferry Unit arrived from Talbenny in Pembrokeshire when this airfield closed. This activity continued until 26th April 1946, whereupon military flying ceased for a while with the airfield used as an RAF storage site.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

This activity continued until December 1948 when the Technical Site was taken over by the Home Office as a Buffer Depot storing among other equipment. Green Goddess fire engines !!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

On 19th November 1951 No. 208 Advanced Flying School was formed at Merryfield with Vampire T.ll and Meteor T.7s, and Dunkeswell was used as a satellite airfield from 1952 until 1955.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

During the 1960s an RAF Radar Tracking unit was based here and used the Control Tower as accommodation. In March 1966 Captain J N A Goldsworthy, Royal Marines founded the Royal Marines Parachute Club, which in later years became known  as RN&RM Sport Parachuting Association. Using the Control Tower as a Clubhouse from 1966.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Today the Airfield is active Private Airfield operated by Air Westward Ltd Devon & Somerset Flying School<\/a> ( Link)  Skydive Buzz(<\/a> Link)  both of whom kindly support our organisation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Tours of this Airfield are available through SWAHT See Airfield Tours & Talks Link<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Further information on Dunkeswell and the activities that took place there during WW2 can be obtained from the following links<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

– Dunkeswell War Stories<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

– Dunkeswell Memories<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Sources of information, Text & Photographs<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

-Blackdown Hills Airfield Survey 1995- Author Paul Francis<\/p>\n\n\n\n

-Stalking the U boat – Author Max Schoenfield<\/p>\n\n\n\n

-USAF Historical Research Center Maxwell Airforce Base  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

-U.S. Navy PB4Y-1 (B-24) Liberator Squadrons in Great Britain
During WWII –\u00a0Author Alan Carey<\/p>\n\n\n\n

-Bloody Biscay Author -Chris Goss<\/p>\n\n\n\n

-Imperial War Museum<\/p>\n\n\n\n

-Washington Naval Museum<\/p>\n\n\n\n

-Wikipedia<\/p>\n\n\n\n

-Google<\/p>\n\n\n\n

-rafupwood.co.uk\/constructionbywimpeybyLes.html<\/p>\n\n\n\n

-U boat. Net<\/p>\n\n\n\n

-U Boat Archive<\/p>\n\n\n\n

-The Many Veterans who served at Dunkeswell<\/p>\n\n\n\n

-Brian Lane-Smith<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

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Out of Dunkeswell’ describes in detail the role played by the airfield and the USAAF anti-submarine units based there. NOW OUT OF PRINT \/ NO COPIES AVAILABLE<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

NEW revised book out soon<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Dunkeswell\u00a0Airfield AIRFIELD HISTORY Although some 366 miles from the centre of the Bay of Biscay, Dunkeswell airfield owes its origins to the urgent need to tackle the threat created by the German U-boats in the Battle of the Atlantic; a campaign which was the longest in World War II, and one of the most costly. […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"parent":0,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"footnotes":""},"class_list":["post-96","page","type-page","status-publish","hentry"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/southwestairfields.teknicode.uk\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/pages\/96","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/southwestairfields.teknicode.uk\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/southwestairfields.teknicode.uk\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/southwestairfields.teknicode.uk\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/southwestairfields.teknicode.uk\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=96"}],"version-history":[{"count":17,"href":"https:\/\/southwestairfields.teknicode.uk\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/pages\/96\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":180,"href":"https:\/\/southwestairfields.teknicode.uk\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/pages\/96\/revisions\/180"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/southwestairfields.teknicode.uk\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=96"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}