1942
The First Canadian Army mainly the 2nd battalion Royal Canadian Engineers began construction of the airfield on the 11th May 1942, and after just twenty weeks the site was officially handed over to the Royal Canadian Air Force on the 16th October 1942 as RCAF Dunsfold. In December the Mustang Mark 1 fighters of 400 and 414 Squadron RCAF arrived.
1943
In August 1943, the Mitchell Mk11 medium bombers of 98 and 180 Squadrons RAF arrived and as 139 Airfield commenced intensive operations over Northern France. 139 Airfield (later 139 Wing) was strengthened by a third squadron of Mitchell bombers when 320 squadron of the Royal Netherlands Naval Air Service arrived.
1944
On the 5th June a strict security clamp was imposed at Dunsfold and that evening eleven aircraft went to bomb targets in the Caen area. The next morning it was announced that British and American airborne and seaborne divisions had landed at points between Le Havre and Cherbourg. 139 Wings Mitchells continued to fly in the following weeks in support of the D-Day and Arnhem operations.
1945
From January 1945, 83 Group Support Unit RAF (GSU) operated from Dunsfold with Spitfire, Typhoon, Tempest and Auster aircraft. Dunsfold was designated an Arrival Centre in April 1945 and from then until June received 47,529 released prisoners of war from liberated Europe and the Middle East. Later renamed 83 Group Disbandment Centre (GDC) and tasked with receiving disbanded units from the Continent, the aerodrome saw hundreds of Spitfires and Typhoons brought back until the 83 GDC left in October 1945.
1946
Dunsfold aerodrome closed as an active RAF station in August 1946. From August Dunsfold was used by the charter airline Skyways, operating a fleet of Lancastrian, York, Dakota, Dove, Rapide and Skymaster aircraft. Skyways also used Dunsfold to refurbish, test fly and deliver Spitfire and Hurricane aircraft for the Portuguese Air Force.
1948
Skyways participated extensively in the Berlin Airlift in December 1948 from Dunsfold.
1951
In July 1951, the Hawker Aircraft Company moved into Dunsfold using the airfield as a flight test centre for its parent factory at Kingston. With changes of name (from Hawker to Hawker Siddeley and subsequently to British Aerospace, these companies tested and refurbished Sea Hawks, Hunters, Sea Furies Gnats, Harriers and Hawks for worldwide markets as well as supporting British military operations abroad for five decades.
1953
World Speed Record - on the 19th September a new world speed record of 709mph over a 100 kilometer closed course is established at Dunsfold by Squadron Leader N.F. Duke in a Hawker Hunter.
1960
Maiden First on the 21st October the Harrier Prototype P1127 performed its first tethered hover at Dunsfold. This was the first fixed wing aircraft to vertically take off.
1967
Maiden Flight - on the 28th December the first flight of a production Hawker Siddeley Harrier GR1 is made at Dunsfold.
1971
January 6th The US Marine Corps first AV-8 harrier was accepted in to service at Dunsfold, The Harrier was the first vertical take-off and landing (V/STOL) fixed-wing aircraft ever accepted for use as a combat aircraft by US armed forces.
1974
Maiden Flight on the 12th August the first production Hawk (XX154) made its maiden flight at Dunsfold flown by Chief Test Pilot Duncan Simpson.
1987
July - The RAF received its first Harrier GR5, ZD324, from the British Aerospace at Dunsfold.
1988
Maiden Flight on the 19th September the first Sea Harrier FRS2 made its maiden flight at Dunsfold.
1989
Maiden Flight on the 29th November the BAe Harrier II GR7 made its maiden flight at Dunsfold.
