Memorial unveiled to remember those who served at Sunderland airfield

The Airfields of Britain Conservation Trust, in coordination with numerous local organisations, have unveiled a memorial at the North East Land Sea & Air Museum, in Old Washington Road, Sunderland, at the weekend.

Founder of Airfields of Britain Conservation Trust, Kenneth Bannerman said: “Usworth Airfield was an extremely important fighter airfield during both World Wars, and vitally played a major part in the Battle of Britain so it’s fitting that the day the memorial is unveiled on Battle of Britain Day.

“There was an excellent attendance at the event.”

Members of the museum, MP Sharon Hodgson and personnel of No 607 (County of Durham) Squadron, Royal Auxiliary Air Force, from RAF Leeming attended the unveiling.

The airfield started life as a Flight Station for ‘B’ Flight of the No. 36 Squadron of the Royal Flying Corps during World War One.

It served again in World War Two as RAF Usworth, and in 1962 it was purchased by the Sunderland Corporation and became Sunderland Airport.

It went on to became the site of the Nissan car factory and the North East Aircraft Museum, now the North East Land, Sea and Air Museum.

The Airfields of Britain Conservation Trust’s objective is to eventually commemorate each known disused airfield site in Britain with one of two forms of standardised granite memorial - nearly 90 have already been unveiled with almost 200 scheduled to be in place by the end of the year.