Normandy Barracks

 military, search and rescue / SAR, barracks, RAF - Royal Air Force, closed / former military

The Defence School of Transport (DST)
Former RAF Leconfield

DST provides driver and transport management training to Services personnel. The School was formed up in 1996 as the "Centre of Excellence" for driver training of personnel from the Army, Royal Air Force and Royal Marines. DST provides 140 different courses delivering transport management and operation training, for approximately 19,000+ trainees a year.

At any one time the DST is able to train up to 1500 personnel. This makes the DST probably the largest residential driver training school in the world. In addition to core training of military personnel, DST provides specialist training to the Police, Fire Service and overseas training to Defence Attachés, bespoke courses for foreign customers, and additional courses to support operations in Iraq, Afghanistan and Northern Ireland.

Training is delivered by an establishment of 230 military, 850 civil servants and support staff and some 250 contract staff. The Defence School of Transport (DST) has 9 satellite locations in the South of England providing car licence acquisition.

www.mod.uk/DefenceInternet/AboutDefence/WhatWeDo/Traini...

History of former RAF Leconfield

The former Royal Air Force Station Leconfield, more commonly known as Leconfield Camp was a Royal Air Force airbase in Leconfield (near Beverley), East Riding of Yorkshire

Leconfield opened in December 1936 as part of RAF Bomber Command. Handley Page Heyford bombers were flown from there from 1937. On the night of the 3 September 1939, the first night of the war, ten Whitley bombers from Leconfield became the first British aircraft to penetrate German air space, dropping propaganda leaflets over Germany. In October 1939 it was taken over by Fighter Command and the Spitfires of 72 squadron arrived from RAF Church Fenton. During the Battle of Britain, the station was a temporary home to many other squadrons of Fighter Command which made short stays here to rest and re-group. During this period there was also a decoy airfield at nearby Routh.

During the war the RAF squadrons based at Leconfield were: No. 51 Squadron; 166 Squadron; No. 196 Squadron; No. 466 Squadron; 610 Squadron; No. 640 Squadron.

In the 1950s Leconfield was a 'dispersal base' for the RAF V-bomber force. In the early 1950's it was home to the Central Gunnery School which, among other functions, trained air gunners in Lincoln bombers. This School later transformed into the Fighter Weapons School. The aircraft then flown were mainly single seat Vampires and Meteors, plus twin seat Vampire and Meteor trainers. Bristol Sycamore helicopters of No. 228 Squadron RAF arrived there in 1957.

In the 1960s it became home to 19Sqdn and 92 Sqdn with Lightning F.2s, which moved from RAF Dishforth, before their move to RAF Gütersloh in West Germany. It then became home to 60MU and also 202 'D' Flight with Wessex Whirlwind helicopters. 60MU was responsible for the Major Serviceing of the EE/BAC Lightnings plus several other tasks.

In the 1970s the control tower at Leconfield developed a reputation for being haunted by a Flight Lieutenant who had been killed.

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/RAF_Leconfield