Dunino
DUNINO: Military aerodrome (Aka KILDUNCAN & HMS JACKDAW)
Note: All three of these pictures are from my Google Earth © derived database.
Military users: RAF originally. Transferred to Royal Navy early 1943
1941: 309 (Polish) Sqdn (Westland Lysanders)
RNAS DUNINO
737 Sqdn (Supermarine Walrus)
813 & 825 Sqdns (Fairey Swordfish)
827 Sqdn (Fairey Barracuda)
1944: RN Storage facility
Location: Just SW of Kilduncan, 4nm SE of St Andrews
Period of operation: 1941 to 1946
Runways: 1944: 09/27 1174 x46 grass
(The Willis & Hollis Omnibus edition contradicts itself by also recording 09/27 as being 1280 yards long in the same listing!)
05/23 1097 grass 15/33 823 grass
NOTES:
As can be seen in the 2019 picture above, nearly all of the original perimeter track still exists, as does, seems to me at least, some of the dispersals.
Although ostensibly grass Willis and Hollis maintain that a variety of Steel Matting, BRC and Sommerfield Track were used to reinforce these grass runways. During my research I became interested in the goings on of the Polish No.309 Ziemia Czerwienska Squadron as they continuously moved about with their Westland Lysanders and later North American P-51 Mustangs and Hawker Hurricanes.
After being formed in RENFREW it seems they first moved to SCONE (PERTHSHIRE), then to DUNINO (FIFE of course), before ending up at FINDO GASK back in PERTHSHIRE, where they converted to Mustangs, (or did this happen back at DUNINO perhaps?), and all within a fairly short time period. But, the fun was only just starting. Having got to grips with their new aircraft they were then posted to GATWICK (SUSSEX), quickly back up north again to PETERHEAD (ABERDEENSHIRE), then on to KIRKNEWTON (LOTHIAN) and then SNAILWELL (SUFFOLK), before ending up at WELLINGORE in LINCOLNSHIRE.
It would now appear that those in charge in the RAF were absolutely determined that 309 Squadron would be given no chance of becoming fully effective for combat operations. But why?
MOST EXTRAORDINARY
It was either here or at their next posting, DREM (LOTHIAN) that they converted onto Hurricanes. I find this quite incredible, is this the only example of a RAF squadron converting from Mustangs back to Hurricanes? They were next posted back to PETERHEAD. Then it appears from the squadron history, they finished up at ANDREWSFIELD (ESSEX) and back to flying Mustangs!
SOMETHING TO BEAR IN MIND
It might be worth mentioning that I have never found a naff report about Polish airmen, quite the contrary in fact. Indeed, glowing reports abound regarding their abilites, bravery and ruthless tenacity. So, one can only wonder about the background regarding the early days of this squadron, especially when presented with Lysanders to fight the Bosch! I suspect “words were exchanged” hence the hasty conversion to Mustangs?
CONTINUAL POSTINGS
As pointed out elsewhere time and again, I simply cannot understand this mania the RAF had for continuously posting squadrons hither and thither in an apparently nonsensical manner. Looked at today it was pretty obviously a strategy designed to degrade the effectiveness of the RAF. And, we need to bear in mind that many people in senior staff positions in the RAF and the Air Ministry had, without too much doubt, much sympathy for the Nazi regime, especially in the 1930s and enduring into the early years of WW2. Indeed, we had a Royal family of German descent! I would say these people were probably largely correct in their sympathies? It is obvious they could have had no idea about how the regime would quickly turn bad and commit such atrocities.
A MATTER OF RECORD
It now appears to be a matter of record that Hitler could not understand why the British government and the British 'Establishment' did not side with him, and he regarded us initially as natural allies in his plan to reorganise northern Europe. But, such a plan would not have suited the Americans of course. So now we need to understand why it was that the US government were so reluctant to get involved in the European war. It appears they stood on the sidelines until it was obvious that the Soviets, (then our allies of course), posed a serious threat to invade and conquer western Europe. The writing was ‘on the wall’ in 1943 that the Nazi regime would not win the war. By this point in time the RAF had developed means by both 'area bombing' and specific 'target bombing' to utterly decimate German cities and their industry.
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