RAF Findo Gask

RAF Findo Gask

No. 25 SLG
RAF Findo Gask; No. 25 SLG;
	IATA: none; ICAO: none;
Summary
Airport type	Military
Owner	Air Ministry
Operator	Royal Air Force
Location	Perth, Perth & Kinross, Scotland
Elevation AMSL	363 ft / 110 m
Coordinates	56°22′28″N 003°36′09″W / 56.37444°N 3.60250°W
Map
	RAF Findo Gask Location in Perth and Kinross
Runways

RAF Findo Gask was a Royal Air Force airfield located 7 mi (11 km) 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 (415 ft × 117 ft or 126 m × 36 m), three Blisters (85 × 85 × 20 ft or 25.9 × 25.9 × 6.1 m in height), four Dorman Long Blisters (90 × 90 × 20 ft or 27.4 × 27.4 × 6.1 m 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.^[1]

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.^[2]

The airfield was then home to a maintenance unit, No. 260 Maintenance Unit, and used for storage until 1948.

The Perth and District Motor Club held motorcycles races at Gask (also at Errol Aerodrome and Balado).^[3]

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.^[4]

Operational units and aircraft[]

Unit	Period	Aircraft
No. 309 Polish Fighter-Reconnaissance Squadron 'A' & 'C' Flights	26 October 1942 to 8 March 1943	Westland 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 "Satellite Landing Ground" from 28 March 1943 to 12 September 1944 for No. 9 (Pilots) Advanced Flying Unit based at RAF Errol with Miles Masters.

References[]

Notes

^ RAF Findo Gask Controltowers.co.uk
^ Extract from HL Deb 31 July 1946 vol 142 c1234WA
^ [1] Perth and District Motor Club. Retrieved 2013-11-17
^ "Top 15 unusual buildings for sale". Daily Telegraph. Archived from the original on 2 January 2013.

Bibliography

External links[]

RAF Findo Gask Control Towers Website
The History of No. 309 Polish Squadron Polish Squadrons Remembered
photographs of RAF Findo Gask
RCAHMS Photographs & Archaeological Data

[1] RAF Findo Gask Controltowers.co.uk

[2] Extract from HL Deb 31 July 1946 vol 142 c1234WA

[3] [1] Perth and District Motor Club. Retrieved 2013-11-17

[4] "Top 15 unusual buildings for sale". Daily Telegraph. Archived from the original on 2 January 2013.

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