The Royal Canadian Army built Dunsfold in 1942 as an emergency airfield. Between 1942 and 1945 a variety of Aircraft operated from Dunsfold including B-25 Mitchell Bombers, Typhoons, Mustangs, Mosquitoes and Spitfires. After the war, the airfield was used as a repatriation centre and over 47,000 prisoners of war were returned to their homelands using Dakota, Lancaster, and Stirling and Halifax aircraft. However, the usefulness of the airfield came to an end in August 1946 when Dunsfold was declared inactive. Later that year Skyways Ltd leased the entire airfield and then subsequently played a significant part in the Berlin airlift between 1948 and 1949. When Skyways went into voluntary liquidation in 1950, the Hawker Aircraft Company Ltd (today part of BAE SYSTEMS) acquired the lease. A number of the wartime buildings remain on the airfield - the three main production hangars, for example were built in the early 1950’s with the remainder following over a number of years. There have been a number of milestones recorded at the site such as when in May 1953, test pilot Neville Duke broke the ‘world speed record’ sound barrier at an average of 727.63 mile per hour (mach 0.92 at sea level) in a prototype Hunter Mk3. In October 1960, the forerunner of the Harrier Jump jet made its first tethered flight there, which led to its first conventional flight in November of the same year. Up until 18 months ago all derivatives of the Harrier family of aircraft have evolved from Dunsfold. Today the aerodrome is designated as a private unlicensed airfield where Prior Permission is Required ("PPR"). We are also in the process of reinstating the radio frequencies and these will be published in the appropriate handbooks in due course. For the time being, however, this should not to be interpreted as an open invitation, as permission will only be given to those who have business with us. If this situation should change then we will publicise the fact.