RAF Middleton St George

{{Short description|Former Royal Air Force station in Middleton St George, County Durham, England (1941–1964)}}

{{For|the current civilian use of this facility and airport information|Teesside International Airport}}

{{Infobox military installation

| name = RAF Middleton St George
~~RAF Goosepool~~

| ensign = Ensign of the Royal Air Force.svg

| ensign_size = 90px

| native_name =

| partof =

| location = Middleton St George, County Durham

| country = England

| image = 250px

| caption = A crew of No. 78 Squadron RAF watch as engine adjustments are made to an Armstrong Whitworth Whitley bomber, Z6743, before they take off for a raid from Middleton St George.

| image2 =

| alt2 =

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| type = Royal Air Force station

| coordinates = {{coord|54|30|33|N|001|25|46|W|type:airport_region:GB|display=inline,title}}

| gridref = NZ375130{{sfn|Birtles|2012|p=41}}

| pushpin_map = County Durham#UK

| pushpin_map_caption = Shown within County Durham

| pushpin_label = RAF Middleton St George

| pushpin_label_position = right

| ownership = Ministry of Defence

| operator = Royal Air Force
Royal Canadian Air Force

| controlledby = RAF Bomber Command 1941-45
RAF Fighter Command
1945-47 & 1956-64
RAF Flying Training Command 1947-56

| open_to_public =

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| built = {{Start date|1939}}

| used = January 1941 - April {{End date|1964}}

| builder =

| fate = repurposed to Teesside International Airport

| condition =

| battles = European theatre of World War II
Cold War

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| elevation =

| r1-number = 01/19

| r1-length = {{Convert|1006|m|0}}

| r1-surface = Concrete

| r2-number = 05/23

| r2-length = {{Convert|2291|m|0}}

| r2-surface = Concrete

| r3-number = 10/28

| r3-length = {{Convert|1280|m|0}}

| r3-surface = Concrete

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}}

File:R.A.F. Middleton St. George - geograph.org.uk - 1110520.jpg

RAF Middleton St George is a former Royal Air Force (RAF) and Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF) Bomber Command station during the Second World War. It was located in County Durham, {{cvt|6|mi}} east of Darlington, England. The station's motto was Shield and Deter.{{cite book|last1=Pine|first1=L.G.|title=A dictionary of mottoes|date=1983|publisher=Routledge & Kegan Paul|location=London|isbn=0-7100-9339-X|page=[https://archive.org/details/dictionaryofmott00tion/page/212 212]|edition=1|url-access=registration|url=https://archive.org/details/dictionaryofmott00tion/page/212}} The aerodrome remains active as Teesside International Airport.

History

=Second World War=

Like many similar airfields; RAF Middleton St George was commissioned in 1938 in anticipation of WWII and opened in 1941 under the auspices of Bomber Command. Contrary to popular belief the airfield was never called RAF Goosepool, Goosepool being the name of the farm which made way for the airfield, with the name sticking amongst the local population.

Initial Squadrons based here were 76 Squadron with Handley Page Halifaxes and 78 Squadron which flew Armstrong Whitworth Whitleys.

In 1943 it was allocated to No. 6 Group, Royal Canadian Air Force. A sub-station was located at RAF Croft, Yorkshire although RAF Thornaby was closer yet never held sub-station status.{{sfn|Halpenny|1982|p=54}} Canadian Squadrons based here were 419 "Moose" Squadron, which flew Vickers Wellingtons, Halifaxes, and Avro Lancasters, 420 "Snowy Owl" Squadron, which flew Wellingtons, and 428 "Ghost" Squadron, which flew Wellingtons, Halifaxes, and Lancasters.{{sfn|Delve|2006|p=197}}{{cite web|title=Stations-M|url=http://www.rafweb.org/Stations/Stations-M.htm|website=www.rafweb.org|access-date=4 November 2017}}

There are two stories of heroism linked with RAF Middleton St George, the most notable being that of Andrew Mynarski, a member of 419 Squadron, who was posthumously awarded the Victoria Cross. It was bestowed for his actions on 13 June 1944, in a raid on Cambrai, France, in support of the Normandy landings. A statue of Mynarski was dedicated in 2005 outside the former Officers' Mess. The second belongs to William McMullen of 428 Squadron, who was killed during a routine training sortie on 13 January 1945 when his Lancaster crashed on the outskirts of Darlington after he remained with the aircraft to steer it away from houses, having ordered his crew to bail out. McMullen Road adjacent to the crash site was renamed in his honour.

A memorial garden for all aircrew at Middleton St George is also located near the Mess.Middleton St George Memorial Association: http://www.middleton-st-george-memorial-association.org/ ; The Wartime Memories Project: "RAF Middleton St George During the Second World War." https://wartimememoriesproject.com/ww2/airfields/airfield.php?pid=1804

=Post war=

After the war, the aerodrome changed hands regularly between Bomber Command, Fighter Command and Flying Training Command, serving various squadrons and units including No. 13 Operational Training Unit (OTU) using de Havilland Mosquitos, No. 2 Air Navigation School using Avro Ansons and Vickers Wellingtons, No. 205 Advanced Flying Training School (later renumbered No. 4 Flying Training School) using de Havilland Vampires and Gloster Meteors, 92 Squadron using Hawker Hunters, 264 Squadron (later renumbered No. 33 Squadron) using Gloster Meteors, the Javelin Instrument Rating Squadron (IRS) using Gloster Javelins and the Lightning Conversion Unit (LCU) (later renamed the Lightning Conversion Squadron) using English Electric Lightnings. The IRS and LCS were later merged to form 226 Operational Conversion Unit (OCU).{{sfn|Halpenny|1982|pp=149–150}}

In 1962 Flying Officer Jean Oakes became the first woman to fly at over {{cvt|1,000|mph}}. The Times of 14 September 1962 reported that a Lightning from RAF Middleton St George flew out over the North Sea, and at {{convert|35,000|ft}}, she took over the controls from Flight Lieutenant John Smith and flew up and down the north east coast at about Mach 1.6.{{cite news |editor-last1=Haley |editor-first1=William |editor-link=William Haley|title=Woman Flew JET at 1,125 mph |work=The Times |issue=55496 |date=14 September 1962 |page=10|issn=0140-0460}}

The RAF left the station in 1964 and handed it over to the Ministry of Civil Aviation who reopened the site as a civil airport.{{sfn|Halpenny|1982|pp=150–151}} The airfield was named Tees-Side Airport until 1987, then Teesside International Airport until 2004 when it became Durham Tees Valley Airport before reverting to Teesside International in 2019.{{cite news|last1=Lloyd|first1=Chris|title=Getting airborne at Middleton St George 50 years ago|url=http://www.thenorthernecho.co.uk/history/11747911.Getting_airborne_at_Middleton_St_George_50_years_ago/|access-date=4 November 2017|work=The Northern Echo|date=24 January 2015}}

From 1968 to 1979, some of the former station buildings housed Middleton St George College of Education, a teacher training college.[http://www.msg-reunion.co.uk/ Reunion website]

The officers' mess at the base was converted into the St George Hotel, complete with the RAF Middleton St George memorial room. The hotel was mothballed in late 2018; the museum is to be relocated in the future.{{cite web |title=A Brief History of Middleton St George from 1800 |url=http://middleton-st-george.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2016/11/Modern-History-from-1800.pdf |website=Middleton-st-george.org |access-date=2 June 2018 |page=11 }}Teesside Live Website | [url=https://www.gazettelive.co.uk/news/teesside-news/everything-must-go-entire-contents-15542008

The Sergeants' mess remains in use by Serco, who operate the International Fire Training Centre located on the site, and the Armoury currently houses a flying school, Scenic Air Tours and Flight Training.

Units and aircraft

class="wikitable sortable" ! Unit !! Dates !! Aircraft !! Variant !! Notes
colspan="5" \|Bomber Command No.4 Group RAF
rowspan="2" \| No. 76 Squadron RAF	rowspan="2" \| 1941-1942	Handley Page HP.57 Halifax	Mk.I	rowspan="2" \| Four-engined piston heavy bomber.{{sfn\|Jefford\|1988\|p=48}}
Handley Page HP.59 Halifax \|Mk.II
rowspan="2" \| No. 78 Squadron RAF	1941	Armstrong AW.38 Whitworth Whitley	Mk.V	Twin-engined medium bomber.{{sfn\|Jefford\|1988\|p=48}}
1942	Handley Page HP.57 Halifax \| Mk.II	Four-engined piston heavy bomber.{{sfn\|Jefford\|1988\|p=48}}
No. 1516 BAT Flight RAF \|1941-1942 \|Airspeed AS.10 Oxford \|Mk.I \|Twin-engined training aircraft.
No. 1535 BAT Flight RAF \|1942-1943 \|Airspeed AS.10 Oxford \|Mk.I \|Twin-engined training aircraft.
colspan="5" \|Bomber Command No.6 Group RCAF
rowspan="2" \| No. 419 "Moose" Squadron RCAF	1942-1944	Handley Page HP.59 Halifax	Mk.II	Four-engined piston heavy bomber.{{sfn\|Jefford\|1988\|p=91}}
1943-1945	Avro 683 Lancaster	Mk.X	Four-engined piston heavy bomber.{{sfn\|Jefford\|1988\|p=91}}
rowspan="2" \|No. 420 "Snowy Owl" Squadron RCAF	rowspan="2" \| 1942-1943	Vickers 417 Wellington	Mk.III	rowspan="2" \| Twin-engined medium bomber.{{sfn\|Jefford\|1988\|p=91}}
Vickers 440 Wellington \|Mk.X
rowspan="3" \| No. 428 "Ghost" Squadron RCAF	rowspan="2" \| 1943-1944	Handley Page HP.59 Halifax	Mk.II	rowspan="2" \| Four-engined piston heavy bomber.{{sfn\|Jefford\|1988\|p=91}}
Handley Page HP.63 Halifax \|Mk.V
1944-1945	Avro 683 Lancaster	Mk.X	Four-engined piston heavy bomber.{{sfn\|Jefford\|1988\|p=91}}
colspan="5" \|Fighter Command RAF
rowspan="3" \|No. 13 Operational Training Unit RAF \| rowspan="3" \|1945-1947 \| rowspan="3" \|De Havilland DH.98 Mosquito \|FB.VI \|Twin-engined fighter-bomber.
NF.II \|Twin-engined night fighter.
T.3 \|Twin-engined training aircraft.
rowspan="2" \|No. 26 Gliding School Air Cadets \| rowspan="2" \|1946-1955 \|Slingsby T.7 Kirby Cadet \|TX.1 \|Training glider.
Slingsby T.21B Sedbergh \|TX.1 \|Training glider.
rowspan="2" \|No. 28 Gliding School Air Cadets \| rowspan="2" \|1946-1948 \| rowspan="2" \|Slingsby T.7 Kirby Cadet \|TX.1 \| rowspan="2" \|Training glider.
TX.2
colspan="5" \|Flying Training Command RAF
rowspan="3" \|No. 2 Air Navigation School RAF \| rowspan="2" \|1947-1950 \|Avro 652A Anson \|Mk.I \|Twin-engined multi-role aircraft.
Vickers 440 Wellington \|B.X \| rowspan="2" \|Twin-engined medium bomber.{{sfn\|Jefford\|1988\|p=91}}
1949-1950 \|Vickers 619 Wellington \|T.10
rowspan="3" \|No. 205 Advanced Flying Training School RAF \| rowspan="3" \|1950-1954 \|De Havilland DH.100 Vampire \|FB.5 \|Single-engined fighter-bomber.
rowspan="2" \|Gloster Meteor \|F.4 \|Twin-engined single-seat fighter.
T.7 \|Twin-engined two-seat training aircraft.
rowspan="4" \|No. 4 Flying Training School RAF \| rowspan="3" \|1954-1956 \|De Havilland DH.100 Vampire \|FB.5 \|Single-engined fighter-bomber.
rowspan="2" \|Gloster Meteor \|F.4 \|Twin-engined single-seat fighter.
T.7 \|Twin-engined two-seat training aircraft.
1955-1956 \|De Havilland DH.115 Vampire \|T.11 \|Single-engined training jet.
colspan="5" \|Fighter Command No.13 Group RAF
No. 92 Squadron RAF	1957-1961	Hawker Hunter	F.6	Single-engined jet fighter/fighter-bomber.{{sfn\|Jefford\|1988\|p=52}}
No. 264 Squadron RAF	1957	Gloster Meteor	NF.14	Twin-engined jet night-fighter.{{sfn\|Jefford\|1988\|p=80}}
rowspan="3" \|Middleton St George Station Flight RAF \| rowspan="3" \|1957 \|Avro 652A Anson \|Mk.I \|Twin-engined multi-role aircraft.
De Havilland DH.115 Vampire \|T.11 \|Single-engined training jet.
Gloster Meteor \|T.7 \|Twin-engined two-seat training aircraft.
rowspan="2" \|No. 33 Squadron RAF	1958-1962	rowspan="2" \| Gloster Javelin	FAW.7	rowspan="2" \| Twin-engined jet fighter/interceptor.{{sfn\|Jefford\|1988\|p=36}}
1960-1962 \|FAW.9
No. 645 Volunteer Gliding Squadron Air Cadets \|1958-1960 \| \| \|
Instrument Rating Squadron RAF \|1961-1963 \|Gloster Javelin \|T.3 \|Twin-engined jet fighter/interceptor.{{sfn\|Jefford\|1988\|p=36}}
Lightning Conversion Unit RAF \| rowspan="2" \|1961-1963 \| rowspan="2" \|English Electric Lightning \|F.1 \|Twin-engined single-seat fighter-interceptor.
Lightning Conversion Squadron RAF \|T.4 \|Twin-engined two-seat fighter-interceptor.
rowspan="2" \|No. 226 Operational Conversion Unit RAF \| rowspan="2" \|1963-1964 \| rowspan="2" \|English Electric Lightning \|F.1 \|Twin-engined single-seat fighter-interceptor.
T.4 \|Twin-engined two-seat fighter-interceptor.

References

=Citations=

=Bibliography=

{{cite book |last1=Birtles|first1=P.|title=UK Airfields of the Cold War |year=2012 |publisher= Midland Publishing|isbn=978-1-85780-346-4}}
{{cite book|last=Delve|first=Ken|title=The Military Airfields of Britain, Northern England: Co. Durham, Cumbria, Isle of Man, Lancashire, Merseyside, Manchester, Northumberland, Tyne & Wear, Yorkshire|year=2006|location=Marlborough|publisher=Crowood Press|isbn=1-86126-809-2}}
{{cite book |last=Halley |first=James J. |title=The Squadrons of the Royal Air Force & Commonwealth, 1918-1988 |year=1988 |location=Tonbridge, Kent, UK |publisher=Air-Britain (Historians) Ltd.|isbn=0-85130-164-9 }}
{{cite book|last=Halpenny|first=Brue Barrymore|title=Action Stations 4; Military Airfields of Yorkshire|year=1982|location=Cambridge|publisher=Patrick Stephens ltd|isbn=0-85059-532-0}}
{{cite book |last1=Jefford |first1= C G |title= RAF Squadrons. A comprehensive record of the movement and equipment of all RAF squadrons and their antecedents since 1912 |year=1988 |publisher= Airlife |location= Shrewsbury |isbn= 1-85310-053-6 }}
{{cite book |last=Moyes |first=Philip J.R. |title=Bomber Squadrons of the RAF and their Aircraft |location=London |publisher=Macdonald and Jane's (Publishers) Ltd. |year=1976 |isbn=0-354-01027-1 }}

External links

[http://www.raf.mod.uk/history/76squadron.cfm 76 Squadron History]
[http://www.raf.mod.uk/news/archive.cfm?storyid=A64EDF95-1143-EC82-2EBC003A8CAFA24D 78 Squadron history and current status]
[https://web.archive.org/web/20110611195914/http://www.airforce.forces.gc.ca/v2/hst/page-eng.asp?id=713 419 Squadron History]
[https://web.archive.org/web/20110611195923/http://www.airforce.forces.gc.ca/v2/hst/page-eng.asp?id=714 420 Squadron History]
[https://web.archive.org/web/20110611195932/http://www.airforce.forces.gc.ca/v2/hst/page-eng.asp?id=722 428 Squadron History]
[http://www.raf.mod.uk/history/608squadron.cfm 608 Squadron History]

Category:Royal Air Force stations in County Durham

Category:Royal Air Force stations of World War II in the United Kingdom

class="wikitable sortable" ! Unit !! Dates !! Aircraft !! Variant !! Notes
colspan="5" \|Bomber Command No.4 Group RAF
rowspan="2" \| No. 76 Squadron RAF	rowspan="2" \| 1941-1942	Handley Page HP.57 Halifax	Mk.I	rowspan="2" \| Four-engined piston heavy bomber.{{sfn\|Jefford\|1988\|p=48}}
Handley Page HP.59 Halifax \|Mk.II
rowspan="2" \| No. 78 Squadron RAF	1941	Armstrong AW.38 Whitworth Whitley	Mk.V	Twin-engined medium bomber.{{sfn\|Jefford\|1988\|p=48}}
1942	Handley Page HP.57 Halifax \| Mk.II	Four-engined piston heavy bomber.{{sfn\|Jefford\|1988\|p=48}}
No. 1516 BAT Flight RAF \|1941-1942 \|Airspeed AS.10 Oxford \|Mk.I \|Twin-engined training aircraft.
No. 1535 BAT Flight RAF \|1942-1943 \|Airspeed AS.10 Oxford \|Mk.I \|Twin-engined training aircraft.
colspan="5" \|Bomber Command No.6 Group RCAF
rowspan="2" \| No. 419 "Moose" Squadron RCAF	1942-1944	Handley Page HP.59 Halifax	Mk.II	Four-engined piston heavy bomber.{{sfn\|Jefford\|1988\|p=91}}
1943-1945	Avro 683 Lancaster	Mk.X	Four-engined piston heavy bomber.{{sfn\|Jefford\|1988\|p=91}}
rowspan="2" \|No. 420 "Snowy Owl" Squadron RCAF	rowspan="2" \| 1942-1943	Vickers 417 Wellington	Mk.III	rowspan="2" \| Twin-engined medium bomber.{{sfn\|Jefford\|1988\|p=91}}
Vickers 440 Wellington \|Mk.X
rowspan="3" \| No. 428 "Ghost" Squadron RCAF	rowspan="2" \| 1943-1944	Handley Page HP.59 Halifax	Mk.II	rowspan="2" \| Four-engined piston heavy bomber.{{sfn\|Jefford\|1988\|p=91}}
Handley Page HP.63 Halifax \|Mk.V
1944-1945	Avro 683 Lancaster	Mk.X	Four-engined piston heavy bomber.{{sfn\|Jefford\|1988\|p=91}}
colspan="5" \|Fighter Command RAF
rowspan="3" \|No. 13 Operational Training Unit RAF \| rowspan="3" \|1945-1947 \| rowspan="3" \|De Havilland DH.98 Mosquito \|FB.VI \|Twin-engined fighter-bomber.
NF.II \|Twin-engined night fighter.
T.3 \|Twin-engined training aircraft.
rowspan="2" \|No. 26 Gliding School Air Cadets \| rowspan="2" \|1946-1955 \|Slingsby T.7 Kirby Cadet \|TX.1 \|Training glider.
Slingsby T.21B Sedbergh \|TX.1 \|Training glider.
rowspan="2" \|No. 28 Gliding School Air Cadets \| rowspan="2" \|1946-1948 \| rowspan="2" \|Slingsby T.7 Kirby Cadet \|TX.1 \| rowspan="2" \|Training glider.
TX.2
colspan="5" \|Flying Training Command RAF
rowspan="3" \|No. 2 Air Navigation School RAF \| rowspan="2" \|1947-1950 \|Avro 652A Anson \|Mk.I \|Twin-engined multi-role aircraft.
Vickers 440 Wellington \|B.X \| rowspan="2" \|Twin-engined medium bomber.{{sfn\|Jefford\|1988\|p=91}}
1949-1950 \|Vickers 619 Wellington \|T.10
rowspan="3" \|No. 205 Advanced Flying Training School RAF \| rowspan="3" \|1950-1954 \|De Havilland DH.100 Vampire \|FB.5 \|Single-engined fighter-bomber.
rowspan="2" \|Gloster Meteor \|F.4 \|Twin-engined single-seat fighter.
T.7 \|Twin-engined two-seat training aircraft.
rowspan="4" \|No. 4 Flying Training School RAF \| rowspan="3" \|1954-1956 \|De Havilland DH.100 Vampire \|FB.5 \|Single-engined fighter-bomber.
rowspan="2" \|Gloster Meteor \|F.4 \|Twin-engined single-seat fighter.
T.7 \|Twin-engined two-seat training aircraft.
1955-1956 \|De Havilland DH.115 Vampire \|T.11 \|Single-engined training jet.
colspan="5" \|Fighter Command No.13 Group RAF
No. 92 Squadron RAF	1957-1961	Hawker Hunter	F.6	Single-engined jet fighter/fighter-bomber.{{sfn\|Jefford\|1988\|p=52}}
No. 264 Squadron RAF	1957	Gloster Meteor	NF.14	Twin-engined jet night-fighter.{{sfn\|Jefford\|1988\|p=80}}
rowspan="3" \|Middleton St George Station Flight RAF \| rowspan="3" \|1957 \|Avro 652A Anson \|Mk.I \|Twin-engined multi-role aircraft.
De Havilland DH.115 Vampire \|T.11 \|Single-engined training jet.
Gloster Meteor \|T.7 \|Twin-engined two-seat training aircraft.
rowspan="2" \|No. 33 Squadron RAF	1958-1962	rowspan="2" \| Gloster Javelin	FAW.7	rowspan="2" \| Twin-engined jet fighter/interceptor.{{sfn\|Jefford\|1988\|p=36}}
1960-1962 \|FAW.9
No. 645 Volunteer Gliding Squadron Air Cadets \|1958-1960 \| \| \|
Instrument Rating Squadron RAF \|1961-1963 \|Gloster Javelin \|T.3 \|Twin-engined jet fighter/interceptor.{{sfn\|Jefford\|1988\|p=36}}
Lightning Conversion Unit RAF \| rowspan="2" \|1961-1963 \| rowspan="2" \|English Electric Lightning \|F.1 \|Twin-engined single-seat fighter-interceptor.
Lightning Conversion Squadron RAF \|T.4 \|Twin-engined two-seat fighter-interceptor.
rowspan="2" \|No. 226 Operational Conversion Unit RAF \| rowspan="2" \|1963-1964 \| rowspan="2" \|English Electric Lightning \|F.1 \|Twin-engined single-seat fighter-interceptor.
T.4 \|Twin-engined two-seat fighter-interceptor.