 Constructed at the same time as many other airfields, it was originally named RAF Dalton-on-Tees after the nearby village.However, it was quickly renamed RAF Croft (after Croft On Tees) after initial confusion with the also newly opened RAF Dalton near Thirsk, just 25 miles away.The airfield was opened in 1941 for use by the Royal Air Force (RAF) but by 1942 the aerodrome had been taken over by the Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF) for training as part of No.