RAF Great Orton

RAF Great Orton
Great Orton, Cumbria in England
Site information
Type	Royal Air Force satellite station
Code	GE [1]
Owner	Air Ministry
Operator	Royal Air Force
Controlled by	RAF Fighter Command * No. 9 Group RAF
Location
RAF Great Orton Shown within Cumbria Show map of Cumbria RAF Great Orton RAF Great Orton (the United Kingdom) Show map of the United Kingdom
Coordinates	54°52′24″N003°04′32″W / 54.87333°N 3.07556°W / 54.87333; -3.07556
Site history
Built	1942 (1942)/43
In use	June 1943 - 1952 (1952)
Battles/wars	European theatre of World War II
Airfield information
Elevation	73 metres (240 ft) [1] AMSL
Runways Direction Length and surface 00/00  Concrete 00/00  Concrete 00/00  Concrete

Royal Air Force Great Orton or more simply RAF Great Orton is a former Royal Air Force satellite station located west of Great Orton, Cumbria and the city of Carlisle, Cumbria, England.

History

The following units were here at some point: ^[2]

• No. 1 (Coastal) Engine Control Demonstration Unit RAF
• No. 3 Tactical Exercise Unit RAF
• No. 4 Tactical Exercise Unit RAF
• No. 6 Operational Training Unit RAF
• No. 55 OTU
• No. 60 Maintenance Unit RAF
• No. 219 Maintenance Unit RAF
• No. 249 Maintenance Unit RAF
• A detachment of No. 281 Squadron RAF with the Vickers Warwick I (1944–45) ^[3]
• A detachment of No. 282 Squadron RAF with the Warwick I (1944–45) ^[3]

Current use

The site is currently a nature reserve. ^[2]

See also

• Listed buildings in Aikton

References

Citations

1. Falconer 2012, p. 102.
2. "Great Orton". Airfields of Britain Conservation Trust . Retrieved 19 April 2022.
3. Jefford 1988, p. 83.

Bibliography

• Falconer, Jonathan (2012). RAF Airfields of World War 2. UK: Ian Allan Publishing. ISBN   978-1-85780-349-5.
• Jefford, C.G. (1988). RAF Squadrons. A comprehensive record of the movement and equipment of all RAF squadrons and their antecedents since 1912. Shrewsbury: Airlife. ISBN   1-85310-053-6.