RAF Castel Benito

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RAF Castel Benito

Ensign of the Royal Air Force.svg
RAF Idris
Summary
Owner/Operator Desert Air Force (DAF)
LocationNear: Tripoli, Libya
Built1938
Coordinates 32°40′10″N013°09′24″E / 32.66944°N 13.15667°E / 32.66944; 13.15667
Map
Libya location map.svg
Airplane silhouette.svg
RAF Castel Benito
Location of RAF Castel Benito
RAF Castel Benito
Castel Benito airport under attack in 1943 Tripoli airfield under attack2 1943.jpg
Castel Benito airport under attack in 1943

RAF Castel Benito (called originally in Italian "Tripoli-Castel Benito Airport") was an airport of Tripoli created by the Italians in Italian Libya. Originally, it was a small military airport named Castel Benito, but it was enlarged in the late 1930s and was later used by the British RAF after 1943. It was called RAF Castel Benito by the Allies.

Contents

RAF Castel Benito (later RAF Idris) was a Royal Air Force station near Tripoli in Libya between 1943 and 1966.

History

Wrecked plane and hangars in 1942 Wreckage of Italian hangers and airplanes ouside Tripoli.jpg
Wrecked plane and hangars in 1942

Units and aircraft

UnitDatesAircraftVariantNotes
No. 6 Squadron RAF 1943 Hawker Hurricane IIDOnly stayed for six days
No. 73 Squadron RAF 1951 de Havilland Vampire FB9
No. 73 Squadron RAF 1952 de Havilland Vampire FB9(RAF Idris)
No. 89 Squadron RAF 1943 Bristol Beaufighter VIF
No. 92 Squadron RAF 1943 Supermarine Spitfire VB and VC
No. 108 Squadron RAF 1943-1944 Bristol Beaufighter VIFDetached aircraft from RAF Luqa
No. 112 Squadron RAF 1943 Curtiss Kittyhawk III
No. 117 Squadron RAF 1943 Lockheed Hudson and Douglas Dakota
No. 145 Squadron RAF 1943 Supermarine Spitfire VBDetached from Wadi Suri later based
No. 185 Squadron RAF 1952 de Havilland Vampire FB5(RAF Idris)
No. 208 Squadron RAF 1951 Gloster Meteor FR9Detached aircraft from Abu Sueir
No. 250 Squadron RAF 1943 Curtiss Kittyhawk III
No. 260 Squadron RAF 1943 Curtiss Kittyhawk III
No. 283 Squadron RAF 1944-1946 Vickers Warwick IDetached aircraft from Hal Far
No. 294 Squadron RAF 1943-1944 Vickers Wellington IC
No. 318 Squadron RAF 1944 Supermarine Spitfire VC
No. 417 Squadron RCAF 1943 Supermarine Spitfire VC
No. 450 Squadron RAAF 1943 Curtiss Kittyhawk III
No. 601 Squadron RAF 1943 Supermarine Spitfire VC
No. 651 Squadron RAF 1943 Auster I
No. 651 Squadron RAF 1948-1950 Auster Based but later detached from Ismailia
No. 680 Squadron RAF 1943Various (Electra/Spitfire/Hurricane)Detached aircraft from LG219 (Photo Reconnaissance Unit)

Bibliography

Thompson, Jonathan W. (1963). Italian Civil and Military aircraft 1930-1945 Aero Publishers Inc. New York, 1963 ISBN   0-8168-6500-0.

See also

References

Citations

  1. Fowler 2010, p. 61.
  2. Rosselli, Alberto. "The air links between Italy and Eastern Africa". Section: The debut of the Transatlantic SM83
  3. From Betty Clay's diary (not published yet): Sunday, 06 February 1949"Mummy and Daddy left Brussels at one o’clock today, & now (8 pm) they have just come down on the coast of Africa, at Castel Bonito, where they spend half an hour & then up & on again all through the night, touching down for half an hour at Kano in Nigeria, then on to Leopoldville at 11 a.m. tomorrow" on their way to Ndola.
  4. See the international aviation safety database here

Bibliography