NAF Dunkeswell, Devonshire, England

The U.S. Army Air Force had begun working with the RAF Coastal Command at RAF Dunkeswell early in 1943, conducting ASW sweeps over the English Channel and the Bay of Biscay. On 24 September 1943, the 19th USAAF squadron departed Dunkeswell to join the 8th Air Force, followed by the 22nd USAAF on 28 September. Three Navy squadrons, VBs 103, 105 and 110, undertook the ASW role previously flown by the USAAF in England. The USAAF squadrons were phased out and their equipment, similar to that on the PB4Y-1 aircraft, was turned over to the Navy. The USAAF flew its last ASW mission from Dunkeswell on 31 October 1943, and the 4th USAAF squadron departed on 6 November. VPB-105 moved aboard RAF Dunkeswell on 12 October 1943 and VB-110 on 30 October 1943. VPB-103 had been based there since 30 August 1943, sharing the field with the USAAF.

FAW-7 established its headquarters there at roughly the same time. The three squadrons at RAF Dunkeswell came to be known by several names over the next year: Dunkeswell Air Group, Land Plane Air Group, and finally Patrol Air Group One. Each squadron had the luxury of being assigned its own PATSU. On 4 January 1944 RAF Dunkeswell came under U.S. Navy control and was redesignated an NAF. The facilities under the Royal Air Force had been extremely spartan. With the change of Dunkeswell to an NAF conditions improved dramatically. On 9 January 1945, VPB-112 received orders to cease operations and prepare for transfer from NAF Port Lyautey, F.M., to Upottery, Devon, England. Operations began from this base on 15 February 1945. Upottery was a satellite field to NAF Dunkeswell, where VBs 103, 105 and 110 were based. VPB-107 later joined VPB-112 at Upottery after being transferred from Natal, Brazil. Both NAF Dunkeswell and its satellite field at Upottery were returned to RAF control on 31. July 1945.