Royal Naval Air Station Dale (RNAS Dale, also known as HMS Goldcrest) is a former Royal Naval Air Station, located 10 miles (16 km) South West of Haverfordwest in Pembrokeshire, Wales.
304 Polish Bomber Squadron, twice between June 1942 and April 1943, spending November and December 1942 at RAF Talbenny.
It used the Vickers Wellington IC,[4] for air/sea rescue, anti-submarine patrols, bombing raids and convoy protection,[5] supporting No.
[5] 303 Ferry Training Unit from Talbenny also moved to Dale, this was a temporary measure, while lighting was being installed at the former.
[1] RAF Dale was transferred to the Admiralty, in exchange for RNAS Angle (HMS Goldcrest), in September 1943.
[5] In March 1944, 762 Twin Engine Conversion Unit arrived and then six months later, 748 No 10 Naval OTU relocated to Dale.
Work began on the new Fighter Direction School, ½ mile down the coast at Kete, in the latter part of 1944, and the facility was completed in 1945.
In December 1945, 762 Twin Engined Conversion Unit departed Dale, meaning only 790 NAS was undertaking flying operations at the airbase.
On the 1 January 1946, Dale received RNAS Brawdy as a satellite airfield and later that month 784 Night Fighter Training Squadron moved there.
On 13 December 1947, when 790 NAS departed RNAS Dale, the air station closed to flying.
[4] It flew operations over the Bay of Biscay and the Western Approaches, tasked with anti-submarine patrols and shipping attacks.
[9] The unit operated a wide variety of aircraft types to carry out the trials:[10] In September 1943, as part of the swap between the Royal Air Force and Royal Navy with Dale and Angle airfields, the Coastal Command Development Unit (CCDU) moved to Angle.
The unit's primary role was aircraft preparation and aircrew training for overseas deployment flights.
It disbanded (at RNAS Brawdy) on the 10 September 1946,[1] becoming 'B' flight of the existing Fighter Direction Training Unit at Dale, 790 Naval Air Squadron.
[15] The squadron provided live interception flights for the Air Direction School, located 1 mile (2 km) South of RNAS Dale, at R.N.
[20] On the 1 January 1946, RAF Brawdy was transferred to the Admiralty, on loan, as a satellite airfield for RNAS Dale and was commissioned as HMS Goldcrest II.
[1] Now owned privately by a local farmer, in May 2010, an illegal rave was held on the site, attracting 2,500 people.
Dyfed-Powys Police were forced eventually to create roadblocks to stop further attendees joining, and release an announcement on local media.