RAF Middleton St George

RAF Middleton St. George was a Royal Air Force (RAF) Bomber Command station during World War II. It was located in County Durham, five miles east of Darlington, England.

Second World War
The airfield began its life as Royal Air Force Goosepool, and in 1941 became RAF Middleton St. George. The aerodrome opened as a Bomber Command station in 1941. In 1943 it was allocated to No. 6 Group, Royal Canadian Air Force. A sub-station was located at RAF Croft, Yorkshire. Squadrons based here include: 76 Squadron, which flew Handley Page Halifaxes, 78 Squadron, which flew Armstrong Whitworth Whitleys, 419 Squadron RCAF, which flew Vickers Wellingtons, Halifaxes, and Avro Lancasters, 420 Squadron RCAF, which flew Wellingtons, and 428 Squadron RCAF, which flew Wellingtons, Halifaxes, and Lancasters.

Post war
After the war, the aerodrome served various squadrons and units including No. 13 Operational Training Unit (OTU), No. 2 Air Navigation School, No. 4 Flight Training School, and squadrons that used Gloster Meteors, Hawker Hunters, Gloster Javelins and English Electric Lightnings.

The RAF left the station in 1964, but the aerodrome was reopened in 1966 as a civil airport. The airfield was named Teesside International Airport in the 1960s, and was renamed Durham Tees Valley Airport in 2004. In 1986 the entire former RAF Middleton St George NCO Married Quarter housing estate was sold to The Welbeck Estate Group. It was renamed The Virginia Estate as Welbeck at the time were involved in 370 apartments in Arlington Virginia opposite the military facility at the Pentagon, USA.

From 1968 to 1979, some of the former station buildings housed Middleton St George College of Education, a teacher training college.

Units and aircraft

 * 1947-1948 No. 13 Operational Training Unit RAF de Havilland Mosquito Mk.T3 & Mk 6.


 * 1951-1953 No. 205 Advanced Flying School RAF Gloster Meteor Mk7 & Mk 8.


 * 1963-1964 No. 226 Operational Conversion Unit RAF English Electric Lightning