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RAF Machrihanish
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RAF Machrihanish
Royal Air Force Machrihanish or RAF Machrihanish (formerly ICAO: EGQJ) is a former Royal Air Force station located near the town of Machrihanish and 3.5 miles (5.6 km) west of Campbeltown, at the tip of the Kintyre peninsula, Argyll and Bute, in Scotland.
Two airfields known as Machrihanish have existed, the first was operational during the First World War and was used by the Royal Naval Air Service and RAF, before closing at the end of the Second World War. A second airfield, which was constructed during the Second World War, was used extensively by the Fleet Air Arm during the war. During the 1960s, it was redeveloped and became an RAF station and was made available to the US Navy as a nuclear weapons store and base for components of the US Navy SEALs Naval Special Warfare Group 2.
The draw-down of US military forces in Europe after the end of the Cold War resulted in the US Navy leaving Machrihanish and returning their facilities to the Ministry of Defence (MOD) on 30 June 1995, after which the station became MOD Machrihanish and was retained on a care and maintenance basis.
In May 2012, the station was sold to the Machrihanish Airbase Community Company (MACC) under community right-to-buy legislation. MACC now operates the site as a business park, with part of the airfield incorporating Campbeltown Airport.
An airfield was first established at Machrihanish towards the end of the First World War, 2 miles (3.2 km) west of Campbeltown. The site, known as Machrihanish Aerodrome and Mooring Out Station, extended to 65 acres (26 hectares) and comprised timber and canvas Bessonneau hangars and Armstrong huts. It was operated by the Royal Naval Air Service (RNAS) as a secondary station of the Luce Bay Airship Station, located near Stranraer, approximately 50 miles (80 km) to the south-east. Due to Machrihanish being relatively open and without the benefit of shelter from woodland, it is thought that the airfield saw little use by airships. On 1 April 1918, Machrihanish came under the control of the newly formed Royal Air Force (RAF), when the RNAS was merged with the army's Royal Flying Corps. The airfield became part of No. 25 (Operations) Group, with No. 272 Squadron forming on 25 July 1918, operating eighteen Airco DH.6s on anti-submarine patrols in the Firth of Clyde.
Along with its parent station at Luce Bay, Machrihanish closed towards the end of 1918, with the airfield transferring to civil aviation use. In the 1930s, it was used for scheduled flights to Islay, Renfrew and Belfast by Midland & Scottish Air Ferries.
The airfield was requisitioned by the Fleet Air Arm (FAA) in 1940 and in April 1941 it became known as Royal Naval Air Station (RNAS) Machrihanish or HMS Landrail. During the same period, a new airfield was constructed by Bernard Sunley & Sons for the FAA to the north west of the existing airfield. The new airfield was opened on 15 June 1941 and was known as RNAS Strabane until the summer of 1941, when it took on the names RNAS Machrihanish and HMS Landrail. The original airfield became a satellite station of the new airfield and became known as HMS Landrail II.
Throughout the Second World War, Machrihanish was heavily used for training by a wide range of FAA and RAF aircraft and as a base for squadrons disembarked from aircraft carriers. The airfield was also used for operational anti-submarine patrols and convoy escort duties, becoming one of the top three busiest stations in the UK. At the end of the war activity decreased, with the station closing on 16 April 1946. At the same time, HMS Landrail II closed, with the land returned to agricultural use.
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RAF Machrihanish
Royal Air Force Machrihanish or RAF Machrihanish (formerly ICAO: EGQJ) is a former Royal Air Force station located near the town of Machrihanish and 3.5 miles (5.6 km) west of Campbeltown, at the tip of the Kintyre peninsula, Argyll and Bute, in Scotland.
Two airfields known as Machrihanish have existed, the first was operational during the First World War and was used by the Royal Naval Air Service and RAF, before closing at the end of the Second World War. A second airfield, which was constructed during the Second World War, was used extensively by the Fleet Air Arm during the war. During the 1960s, it was redeveloped and became an RAF station and was made available to the US Navy as a nuclear weapons store and base for components of the US Navy SEALs Naval Special Warfare Group 2.
The draw-down of US military forces in Europe after the end of the Cold War resulted in the US Navy leaving Machrihanish and returning their facilities to the Ministry of Defence (MOD) on 30 June 1995, after which the station became MOD Machrihanish and was retained on a care and maintenance basis.
In May 2012, the station was sold to the Machrihanish Airbase Community Company (MACC) under community right-to-buy legislation. MACC now operates the site as a business park, with part of the airfield incorporating Campbeltown Airport.
An airfield was first established at Machrihanish towards the end of the First World War, 2 miles (3.2 km) west of Campbeltown. The site, known as Machrihanish Aerodrome and Mooring Out Station, extended to 65 acres (26 hectares) and comprised timber and canvas Bessonneau hangars and Armstrong huts. It was operated by the Royal Naval Air Service (RNAS) as a secondary station of the Luce Bay Airship Station, located near Stranraer, approximately 50 miles (80 km) to the south-east. Due to Machrihanish being relatively open and without the benefit of shelter from woodland, it is thought that the airfield saw little use by airships. On 1 April 1918, Machrihanish came under the control of the newly formed Royal Air Force (RAF), when the RNAS was merged with the army's Royal Flying Corps. The airfield became part of No. 25 (Operations) Group, with No. 272 Squadron forming on 25 July 1918, operating eighteen Airco DH.6s on anti-submarine patrols in the Firth of Clyde.
Along with its parent station at Luce Bay, Machrihanish closed towards the end of 1918, with the airfield transferring to civil aviation use. In the 1930s, it was used for scheduled flights to Islay, Renfrew and Belfast by Midland & Scottish Air Ferries.
The airfield was requisitioned by the Fleet Air Arm (FAA) in 1940 and in April 1941 it became known as Royal Naval Air Station (RNAS) Machrihanish or HMS Landrail. During the same period, a new airfield was constructed by Bernard Sunley & Sons for the FAA to the north west of the existing airfield. The new airfield was opened on 15 June 1941 and was known as RNAS Strabane until the summer of 1941, when it took on the names RNAS Machrihanish and HMS Landrail. The original airfield became a satellite station of the new airfield and became known as HMS Landrail II.
Throughout the Second World War, Machrihanish was heavily used for training by a wide range of FAA and RAF aircraft and as a base for squadrons disembarked from aircraft carriers. The airfield was also used for operational anti-submarine patrols and convoy escort duties, becoming one of the top three busiest stations in the UK. At the end of the war activity decreased, with the station closing on 16 April 1946. At the same time, HMS Landrail II closed, with the land returned to agricultural use.
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