Dallachy House, the new Single Living Accommodation block for the Station’s Warrant Officers & Senior Non-Commissioned Officers, was handed over by the contractors Robertsons on 1 February 2024 and it was available for occupation the following day. Dallachy House provides 84 additional bedrooms for the Station’s WO & SNCOs.
The large bedrooms are en-suite, and each floor has kitchen and laundry facilities. Extra parking has been provided for those moving into Dallachy House.
The handover of Dallachy House brings the total number of new accommodation blocks delivered by the Lossiemouth Development Project to three. Brackla House, the new Junior Officers' block, is due to be handed over in mid-February 2024 and the remaining three blocks for Junior Ranks will be completed shortly thereafter.
RAF Dallachy, located nine miles east of Elgin, was initially nominated as a satellite airfield for RAF Banff. Opened in March 1943, the airfield had two runways arranged in an ‘X’ shape, rather than the usual three arranged in an ‘A’ shape. It was originally used as a training station by No 1542 (Beam Approach Training) Flight and No 14 (Pilots) Advanced Flying Unit, both flying Airspeed Oxfords.
In September 1944, the airfield was reorganised for operational use by several squadrons, including No 144 Squadron, No 404 Squadron (Royal Canadian Air Force), No 455 Squadron Royal Australian Air Force and No 489 Squadron Royal New Zealand Air Force. These squadrons operating from RAF Dallachy and equipped with Bristol Beaufighters formed the Dallachy Strike Wing.
Under command of 18 Group, RAF Coastal Command, the Strike Wing undertook dangerous anti-shipping operations until the final days of the Second World War. Following Armistice, the Wing operated from RAF Dallachy until May 1945.
Operational flying had ceased by June 1945 and all the squadrons had departed RAF Dallachy. The airfield was transferred to War Office ownership in November 1945 for Territorial Army training, and it was formally closed in 1958.
