Dunkeswell Airfield was built between 1942 & 1943 by
George Wimpey and Co, 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. 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 specialised
Consolidated B-24 Liberator bombers from August until November 1943. 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. 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. • Relief Landing Ground for
No. 9 Flying Training School RAF (July - December 1954) •
No. 11 Ferry Unit RAF (August 1945) became No. 16 FU • Relief Landing Ground for
No. 208 Advanced Flying School RAF (November 1951 - June 1954) •
No. 265 Maintenance Unit RAF (August 1946 - December 1948) • Sub site for
No. 267 Maintenance unit RAF (November 1946 - December 1948) •
No. 2778 Squadron RAF Regiment •
No. 2854 Squadron RAF Regiment ==Incidents==