RAF Findo Gask explained

RAF Findo Gask
No. 25 SLG
Ensign:Ensign of the Royal Air Force.svg
Ensign Size:90px
Location:Perth, Perth & Kinross
Country:Scotland
Type:Satellite station
Coordinates:56.3744°N -3.6025°W
Pushpin Map:Scotland Perth and Kinross#UK
Pushpin Map Caption:Shown within Perth and Kinross
Pushpin Label:RAF Findo Gask
Pushpin Label Position:left
Ownership:Air Ministry
Operator:Royal Air Force
Controlledby:RAF Flying Training Command
Built:/41
Used:June 1941 – [1]
Battles:European theatre of World War II
Elevation:110m (360feet)
R1-Number:01/19
R1-Length:1005m (3,297feet)
R1-Surface:Sommerfeld Tracking
R2-Number:07/25
R2-Length:1784m (5,853feet)
R2-Surface:Sommerfeld Tracking
R3-Number:11/29
R3-Length:1143m (3,750feet)
R3-Surface:Sommerfeld Tracking

RAF Findo Gask was a Royal Air Force satellite station located 7miles west of Perth, Scotland used during the Second World War.

History

RAF Findo Gask was opened on 14 June 1941 as a Flying Training Airfield. It would appear that it had three runways made of Sommerfeld Track (a form of wire netting based surface). The tower is of the "Watch Office for All Commands" (12779/41) type, with an extra floor and reduced size front windows. There were eight hangars, One T2 hangar (415x), three Blisters (85xx in height), four Dorman Long Blisters (90xx in height).

There seems to have been a flooding problem at the airfield due poor drainage; it was often waterlogged and muddy and continued flooding led to the eventual abandonment of the airfield in 1944, when all training moved to RAF Tealing. The airfield also proved to be unsuitable for the North American Mustang.

In late 1944 the airfield was used by units from the Polish Army for training purposes.[2]

After the war ended the airfield was designated as Camp 233, and the accommodation was used to house German prisoners of war, who worked the land in the area.[3]

The airfield was then home to a maintenance unit, No. 260 Maintenance Unit, and used as Equipment Disposal sub site from November 1945 until 1948. A satellite of No. 44 Maintenance Unit RAF also used the site from August 1945

The Perth and District Motor Club held motorcycles races at Gask (also at Errol Aerodrome and Balado).[4]

There are no signs of the airfield runways today and the area is mainly used for agriculture, although one area of the airfield near the tower does appear to have had housing built on it.

The control tower, previously in a derelict state, is now being restored as a private home.[5]

Operational units and aircraft

Unit PeriodAircraft
No. 309 Polish Fighter-Reconnaissance Squadron 'A' & 'C' Flights26 October 1942 to 8 March 1943Westland Lysander
No. 309 Polish Fighter-Reconnaissance Squadron 'B' Flight 15 December 1942 to 10 January 1943 North American Mustang Mk. I

It was also used as a "Relief Landing Ground" from 12 July 1943 to 2 November 1944 for No. 9 (Pilots) Advanced Flying Unit based at RAF Errol.

References

Bibliography

External links

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Findo Gask . Airfields of Britain Conservation Trust. 13 September 2022.
  2. http://www.controltowers.co.uk/F/Findo_Gask.htm RAF Findo Gask
  3. https://api.parliament.uk/historic-hansard/written-answers/1946/jul/31/findo-gask-airfield Extract from HL Deb 31 July 1946 vol 142 c1234WA
  4. http://perthanddistrictmc.co.uk/club-info/ Club Info
  5. Web site: Top 15 unusual buildings for sale. https://web.archive.org/web/20130102215934/http://www.telegraph.co.uk/property/buyingsellingandmoving/9775390/Top-15-unusual-buildings-for-sale.html. dead. 2 January 2013. The Daily Telegraph. London.