Barrackpore Air Force Station


ব্যারাকপুর এয়ার ফোর্স স্টেশন
बैरकपुर एयर फोर्स स्टेशन
Summary
Airport typeMilitary
OperatorIndian Air Force
LocationBarrackpore, India
Elevation AMSL18 ft / 5 m
Coordinates22°46′55″N 088°21′33″E / 22.78194°N 88.35917°E / 22.78194; 88.35917
Map
Barrackpore Air Force Station is located in West Bengal
Barrackpore Air Force Station
Barrackpore
Air Force Station
Location in West Bengal
Barrackpore Air Force Station is located in India
Barrackpore Air Force Station
Barrackpore
Air Force Station
Barrackpore
Air Force Station (India)
Runways
Direction Length Surface
ft m
02/20 6,250 1,893 Asphalt

Barrackpore Air Force Station is an Indian Air Force base located at Barrackpore in the state of West Bengal, India. Barrackpore is one of the oldest stations in the IAF, operating transport units. One of the Mi-17 squadrons is based here.

History

During World War II, the airfield was used as a reconnaissance airfield by the United States Army Air Forces Tenth Air Force, which flew unarmed P-38 Lightning aircraft from the station, equipped with several mapping cameras to gather intelligence on Japanese forces in occupied Burma. Barrackpore was also home to several Spitfire Squadrons in the early 1950s.

In 1963 No. 11 Squadron IAF was located at Barrackpore flying Douglas Dakotas. That year two Dakotas were sent to Bandung (Husein) in Indonesia to carry air and ground crew to pick up Indonesian Air Force de Havilland Vampire fighters which were to be transferred to the IAF.[1]

Several Spitfire airframes were salvaged from Barrackpore in the 1970s and 1980s and are currently restored to flying status in the west.

Its ancillary units are 5 Tettra and 3 Tettra and Flying unit is 157 HU.

References

  1. ↑ Wing Cdr Venu Kondath (Retd), 'Ferrying Vampires from Indonesia' Archived January 27, 2012, at the Wayback Machine, Bharat-Rakshak.com, accessed October 2011

Public Domain This article incorporates public domain material from the Air Force Historical Research Agency

  • Maurer, Maurer (1983). Air Force Combat Units Of World War II. Maxwell AFB, Alabama: Office of Air Force History. ISBN 0-89201-092-4.
This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.