# RAF Dunino / HMS Jackdaw 2, Fife



## dittohead (May 26, 2008)

WW2 airfield operational 1941 - 1946.

RAF Dunino started life in 1941 as a support airfield staffed by the 309 squadron of the Polish Air Force flying Lysanders who were due only to be there for a few months but remained until the end of 1942.

The airfield was then turned over to the Fleet Air Arm (FAA) who renamed the base HMS Jackdaw 2 to relieve overcrowding problems at the nearby HMS Jackdaw located at Crail.

It proved to be an unsatisfactory airfield with its grass runways which could not be used when it rained heavily. Walrus and Swordfish squadrons were based here for a short time but by the end of 1944 it was being used mainly for storage of naval aircraft before they were decommissioned and destroyed.

the base closed in 1946 but was retained by the navy until being sold off in 1957.

Gatehouse:







The first buildings you arrive at appear to be accomodation barracks:
















Toilet block:






Bunker (Flooded):























As you move further down into the base there are many more buildings, all in a very dilapidated state:










































A fair few hangars located over the airfield:











The runway is located just behind this hangar, I didn't go to it as the field was full of cows.






This one is strange, its in good shape where as the rest are wrecked:






Further on you come to what I believe to be the operations buildings:





















Very dodgy inside:











Nature fighting back:






Couple of pillboxes along the way:
















Not sure what this was:






Control Tower:






The small block outside is a twin toilet block.

Inside, the control tower has held up much better than most of the other buildings:






Stairs to upper level (didn't risk it):







If anyone does go here I would advise being very careful choosing which buildings you go into as some are in a seriously bad way and close to collapse.

Thanks for looking....

dittohead


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## reddwarf9 (May 26, 2008)

Thats a great explore, I never tire of seeing these old WW2 airfields, something new and different at every one. Thanx for posting.

rd


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## Goldie87 (May 26, 2008)

Excellent stuff. It doesn't look too bad, there seems quite a bit left


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## Bryag (May 26, 2008)

Well done DH, you covered much more than we did in April. We were on a tight schedule, and the buildings lower in the site looked less interesting than the control tower, the strange double ended garage and the naked hangar at the top of the hill.

You should have climbed the stairs, they really were not dangerous. Farmers erect dwarf walls to prevent their stock from impersonating lemmings!

Here are a couple of the upstairs that you missed out on. It has been used recently for Airsoft!
















Sorry to hijack, just thought it would be nice to share


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## dittohead (May 26, 2008)

Bryag said:


> Sorry to hijack, just thought it would be nice to share



No probs  Did think about climbing the stairs, but to be honest I was knackered after the walk in and just sat down and had a smoke and some lucozade instead.


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## Urban Mole (May 26, 2008)

Nice find there matey, and its good to see loads of pictures of the place.



dittohead said:


> Not sure what this was:



This looks like the remains of an old Nissen hut, but either all the iron has rotted away or its been removed.


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## Foxylady (May 27, 2008)

Good tour of the buildings there and very nice photos, dittohead. Nice to see some more of this interesting airfield.
Just noticed these... :radar: ...this is a good one for airfields.


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## RichardB (Oct 5, 2008)

I've been there several times but it looks like I might have missed some of it, unless my memory is worse than I thought. I've seen various buildings dotted around the control tower and some more clustered around the flooded bunker.


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## smiffy (Oct 7, 2008)

Thats a grand old airfield mate ...cheers


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## sqwasher (Oct 7, 2008)

Must of missed this first time round!  It looks like a good site & you've got some great photos of the buildings. To say most of them have been abandoned so long they're not in that bad a nick really!


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## RichardB (Oct 7, 2008)

A lot of them have been used, though not necessarily maintained, by the farmer.


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