RAF Abingdon

Royal Air Force Station Abingdon or more simply RAF Abingdon was a Royal Air Force station near Abingdon, Oxfordshire. It is now known as Dalton Barracks and is used by the Royal Logistic Corps.

The barracks is named in honour of James Langley Dalton, a Victoria Cross winner at the Rorke's Drift Mission Station, Natal, South Africa, in January 1879 (as seen in the film Zulu). Dalton was a member of the Army Commissary Corps, a predecessor of the Royal Logistic Corps. Eleven Victoria Crosses were awarded for this action.

The Army now uses the airfield for three regiment of the Royal Logistic Corps, the 3 and 4 and 12 Regiments that support the 3rd Division.

History
The airfield was opened in 1932, initially as a training station for RAF Bomber Command.

Second World War
It continued in this role throughout World War II. From 1940 to 1942, Abingdon's station commander was Herbert Massey.

1945-1960
After World War II RAF Abingdon became part of RAF Transport Command, and also became the home of No 1 Parachute Training School which is now stationed at RAF Brize Norton. The Parachute Training School, and RAF Abingdon generally, featured heavily in the 1953 Alan Ladd film "The Red Beret" (aka "Paratrooper" in the USA), and the Parachute Training School was used as a location for some scenes for the films "Carve Her Name With Pride" (1958) and "Operation Crossbow" (1965) as well as the French comedy "Babette s'en va-t-en guerre" (1959) which starred Brigitte Bardot. On 14 June 1968 a royal review was conducted at RAF Abingdon by Queen Elizabeth II to mark the 50th anniversary of the RAF.

Circa 1948/49. No. 47 Group Headquarters, of RAF Transport Command was located at RAF Abingdon and the station, its personnel and aircraft (Yorks and Hastings) were involved in the Berlin Airlift.

1952: Units at RAF Abingdon: Ferry Unit. Aircraft Mosquito, Hornet, Meteor, Vampire and Spitfires. 15 Sabres were ferried from Canada, only 12 arrived. After checks and servicing the Sabres went to RAF Germany.

1953: All flying units dispersed to other units to make way for Nos. 24 and 47 Squadrons operating Handley Page Hastings Mks 1, 2 and 4. The three Mk 4 Hastings ("shiny fleet") belonged to 24 Squadron, serialled WD324, 326 and 500.

1953: RAF Abingdon received the freedom of Abingdon.

1955: 47 Squadron changed its Hastings for the Blackburn Beverley. Later 24 Squadron moved to RAF Colerne. It was replaced by No. 53 Squadron RAF operating the Beverley.

1961-1992
Besides London University Air Squadron, the Oxford University Air Squadron was based at RAF Abingdon. Abingdon was also the home of No. 6 AEF (Air Experience Flight) operating between 6-8 DHC Chipmunks for ATC/CCF Air Cadet flight experience training. 6 AEF was one of a very few locations that offered air cadets the "Air Cadet Navigator" training course, leading to the award of Cadet Navigation Wings. In the late 1960s the Blackburn Beverley's hangars had dormer extensions put in the roof to take the extra height of the tailplane of the Short Belfast s of No. 47 Squadron. Once the nose of the Belfast was in the hangar the nose had to be lifted to get the tail fin under the lip of the roof. The nose was then lowered and the tail fin rose up into the dormer roof for that parking position. No. 46 Squadron was also at Abingdon at this time flying Andovers, one of their roles being to support UK MAMS (United Kingdom Mobile Air Movements). A small Army Air Dispatch unit was also supported by the airfield at this time.

From 1975 through to the 1990s Abingdon became a maintenance field, with the AMS (Aircraft Maintenance Squadron) servicing BAE Hawk, SEPECAT Jaguar and Blackburn Buccaneer aircraft. In the early 80s the Battle of Britain Memorial Flight's Lancaster bomber spent a couple of winters at RAF Abingdon to undergo major refurbishment. During this period, RAF Abingdon was also home to the Field Repair Squadron (later Repair & Salvage Squadron) which included Aircraft Repair Flight, Aircraft Salvage and Transportation Flight (formerly 71 MU "Crash & Smash") and Battle Damage Repair Flight.

From 1986 to 1988 RAF Abingdon became home to the Thames Valley Police Air Support Unit, flying a helicopter in support of police operations. It was also the home of the London University Air Squadron in the seventies. An annual airshow took place at RAF Abingdon until the late eighties.

From 1981 many ex-airline Vickers VC10s were stored at the base following their purchase by the MoD. By the early 1990s the aircraft were either converted to tanker configuration or scrapped. It was intended that the 3 Air Maintenance Support (3 AMS) unit would move from RAF Brize Norton, only a few miles away, to undertake the major servicing of the VC10 military fleet. This would have involved the modification of a number of hangars to raise the roof to allow access for the VC10 high tail section at a cost of £5m. A white paper to review defence requirements "Option for Change" recommended the closure of RAF Abingdon and that a new hangar, known as "Twin Peaks" be built at RAF St Athan with the reforming of 3 AMS, from RAF Brize Norton to 1 AMS at RAF St Athan in August 1992.

British Army use
The station was closed in December 1992. It was taken over by the British Army and renamed Dalton Barracks, home to 3 & 4 regiments Royal Logistic Corps (RLC) transport; formally Royal Corps of Transport (RCT). RAF Benson continues to use Abingdon as a diversion airfield and for helicopter training. No. 612 Volunteer Gliding Squadron also continues to fly Grob Vigilant Motorgliders from Abingdon.

The two regiments that are based at Abingdon, are spilt down into four squadron each.
 * 3 Logistic Support Regiment
 * 21 Support Squadron
 * 31 Support Squadron
 * 32 Support Squadron
 * 35 Headquarters Squadron


 * 4 Logistic Support Regiment
 * 4 Close Support Squadron
 * 33 General Support Squadron
 * 60 Close Support Squadron
 * 75 Headquarters Squadron

Accidents and incidents

 * 22 June 1953, a Hastings WJ335 stalled and crashed on takeoff at RAF Abingdon. The elevator control locks had been left engaged. All six crew died.
 * 5 March 1957, a 53 Squadron Blackburn Beverley crashed on approach at Sutton Wick two miles from the airfield. Three crew, 15 passengers (including RAF Police and also their dogs) and two civilians on the ground were killed.
 * On 6 July 1965, an RAF Handley Page Hastings departing on a Parachute Drop crashed at Little Baldon, with the loss of 41 lives.
 * On 23 September 1988, a McDonnell Douglas Phantom FGR2 crashed at the airfield while practising for the annual airshow.
 * On 14 September 1989, a Panavia Tornado crashed near the base.
 * On 14 June 2009, an RAF Grob Tutor and a civilian glider crashed near the airfield, killing an Air Training Corps cadet and their instructor. The glider pilot managed to parachute from the aircraft in time and was unharmed.