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RAF Skeabrae
Royal Air Force Skeabrae, or more simply RAF Skeabrae, is a former Royal Air Force station located on Mainland, Orkney, United Kingdom.
Skeabrae was initially set up as a naval air station for the Admiralty and was handed over to the Air Ministry in May 1940, even though it was still under construction. No. 14 Group RAF took over the administrative management of the station. Its primary role was to provide fighter defense for the Royal Navy fleet based at Scapa Flow. Following the end of the war, the airfield was returned to the Admiralty, known as Royal Naval Air Station Skeabrae (RNAS Skeabrae), commissioned HMS Tern II and maintained as a reserve station.
Initially developed as a naval air station for the Admiralty, Skeabrae was handed over to the Air Ministry, albeit unfinished, on 2 May 1940. This transfer was executed to address the demand for additional Royal Air Force fighter bases in the Orkneys. Lodger facilities for Royal Navy Fleet Air Arm squadrons were granted by No. 13 and No. 14 Groups from May 1940 with accommodation for one Fleet Air Arm squadron. The RAF commenced its arrival on 15 August 1940, then on 30 August, No. 14 Group RAF took over the administrative management of the station.
Accommodation at the station was located in the north-west corner of the airfield. The figures recorded reflect the capacity at the time the site was taken over from the Royal Air Force and were subject to later reduction. The accommodation capacity comprised 94 officers, 1,516 chief petty officers, petty officers and ratings, 6 WRNS officers, and 168 WRNS chief petty officers, petty officers and ratings. Aircraft dispersal facilities included one double and two triple fighter pens located off the perimeter track to the north-east of the end of runway 11. A further double fighter pen was situated off the perimeter track between the ends of runways 29 and 25. The airfield contained twelve Tee Side hangars, arranged in four groups of three outside the perimeter track, each measuring 70 feet (21 m) by 60 feet (18 m), with doors 20 feet (6 m) high and 60 feet (18 m) wide. In addition, a Callender-Hamilton hangar was erected on the technical site in November 1944, measuring 185 feet (56 m) by 110 feet (34 m), with doors 25 feet (8 m) high and 100 feet (30 m) wide.
The primary role of the station was to provide fighter defence for the Royal Navy fleet based at Scapa Flow, with two Royal Air Force fighter squadrons allocated for this purpose. The first operational aircraft to arrive, however, were from the Fleet Air Arm: on 10 October 1940, 804 Naval Air Squadron disembarked its Gloster Sea Gladiator, biplane fighter aircraft, from the aircraft carrier HMS Furious. The squadron was scheduled to re‑equip with twelve Grumman Martlets, American carrier-based fighter aircraft and on 25 December 1940 two aircraft, flown by Lieutenant R.H.P. Carver and Sub‑Lieutenant T.R.V. Parke, intercepted and shot down a Junkers Ju 88 over Scapa Flow. This action marked the first destruction of an enemy aircraft by an American‑built fighter during the Second World War. The squadron relocated to RAF Skitten, Caithness, on 7 January 1941.
The first Royal Air Force detachment arrived later that month, when a flight of Hawker Hurricane fighter aircraft from No. 3 Squadron deployed to the station. They were replaced in February 1941 by No. 253 Squadron, also operating the Hawker Hurricane, which remained until September. No. 331 (Norwegian) Squadron then took over the fighter defence role until May 1942.
The next Fleet Air Arm unit to arrive was 801 Naval Air Squadron, which brought its Hawker Sea Hurricanes, a navalised Hawker Hurricane, from RNAS St Merryn, Cornwall, on 8 November 1941. The squadron remained until 15 February 1942, when it moved to RAF Tain, Highlands. In February, No. 132 Squadron relocated from RAF Peterhead, Aberdeenshire, with Supermarine Spitfire Mk.IIB fighter aircraft, whilst also maintaining a detachment at RAF Sumburgh, Shetland, a common practice for squadrons stationed at RAF Skeabrae. The Squadron transitioned to RAF Grimsetter, also on Mainland, Orkney, in June. During its time at RAF Skeabrae, it briefly overlapped with No. 164 Squadron, which arrived in early May. Additionally, No. 602 Squadron operated Supermarine Spitfires at this location from September 1942 until January 1943, and again in 1944.
Two further FAA units made short visits before embarking in HMS Victorious: 884 Naval Air Squadron, equipped with six Fairey Fulmar Mk.II, British carrier-borne reconnaissance and fighter aircraft, arrived from RNAS Lee-on-Solent, Hampshire, on 25 September 1942 and embarked on 20 October; and 882 Naval Air Squadron, with twelve Grumman Martlet Mk IVs, arrived from RNAS Donibristle, Fife, on 1 October and embarked on 6 October. The Fairey Fulmars of 884 Squadron returned on 25 November after a period at RNAS Twatt, also on Mainland, Orkney, departing again for RAF Turnhouse, Edinburgh, on 13 December 1942.
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RAF Skeabrae
Royal Air Force Skeabrae, or more simply RAF Skeabrae, is a former Royal Air Force station located on Mainland, Orkney, United Kingdom.
Skeabrae was initially set up as a naval air station for the Admiralty and was handed over to the Air Ministry in May 1940, even though it was still under construction. No. 14 Group RAF took over the administrative management of the station. Its primary role was to provide fighter defense for the Royal Navy fleet based at Scapa Flow. Following the end of the war, the airfield was returned to the Admiralty, known as Royal Naval Air Station Skeabrae (RNAS Skeabrae), commissioned HMS Tern II and maintained as a reserve station.
Initially developed as a naval air station for the Admiralty, Skeabrae was handed over to the Air Ministry, albeit unfinished, on 2 May 1940. This transfer was executed to address the demand for additional Royal Air Force fighter bases in the Orkneys. Lodger facilities for Royal Navy Fleet Air Arm squadrons were granted by No. 13 and No. 14 Groups from May 1940 with accommodation for one Fleet Air Arm squadron. The RAF commenced its arrival on 15 August 1940, then on 30 August, No. 14 Group RAF took over the administrative management of the station.
Accommodation at the station was located in the north-west corner of the airfield. The figures recorded reflect the capacity at the time the site was taken over from the Royal Air Force and were subject to later reduction. The accommodation capacity comprised 94 officers, 1,516 chief petty officers, petty officers and ratings, 6 WRNS officers, and 168 WRNS chief petty officers, petty officers and ratings. Aircraft dispersal facilities included one double and two triple fighter pens located off the perimeter track to the north-east of the end of runway 11. A further double fighter pen was situated off the perimeter track between the ends of runways 29 and 25. The airfield contained twelve Tee Side hangars, arranged in four groups of three outside the perimeter track, each measuring 70 feet (21 m) by 60 feet (18 m), with doors 20 feet (6 m) high and 60 feet (18 m) wide. In addition, a Callender-Hamilton hangar was erected on the technical site in November 1944, measuring 185 feet (56 m) by 110 feet (34 m), with doors 25 feet (8 m) high and 100 feet (30 m) wide.
The primary role of the station was to provide fighter defence for the Royal Navy fleet based at Scapa Flow, with two Royal Air Force fighter squadrons allocated for this purpose. The first operational aircraft to arrive, however, were from the Fleet Air Arm: on 10 October 1940, 804 Naval Air Squadron disembarked its Gloster Sea Gladiator, biplane fighter aircraft, from the aircraft carrier HMS Furious. The squadron was scheduled to re‑equip with twelve Grumman Martlets, American carrier-based fighter aircraft and on 25 December 1940 two aircraft, flown by Lieutenant R.H.P. Carver and Sub‑Lieutenant T.R.V. Parke, intercepted and shot down a Junkers Ju 88 over Scapa Flow. This action marked the first destruction of an enemy aircraft by an American‑built fighter during the Second World War. The squadron relocated to RAF Skitten, Caithness, on 7 January 1941.
The first Royal Air Force detachment arrived later that month, when a flight of Hawker Hurricane fighter aircraft from No. 3 Squadron deployed to the station. They were replaced in February 1941 by No. 253 Squadron, also operating the Hawker Hurricane, which remained until September. No. 331 (Norwegian) Squadron then took over the fighter defence role until May 1942.
The next Fleet Air Arm unit to arrive was 801 Naval Air Squadron, which brought its Hawker Sea Hurricanes, a navalised Hawker Hurricane, from RNAS St Merryn, Cornwall, on 8 November 1941. The squadron remained until 15 February 1942, when it moved to RAF Tain, Highlands. In February, No. 132 Squadron relocated from RAF Peterhead, Aberdeenshire, with Supermarine Spitfire Mk.IIB fighter aircraft, whilst also maintaining a detachment at RAF Sumburgh, Shetland, a common practice for squadrons stationed at RAF Skeabrae. The Squadron transitioned to RAF Grimsetter, also on Mainland, Orkney, in June. During its time at RAF Skeabrae, it briefly overlapped with No. 164 Squadron, which arrived in early May. Additionally, No. 602 Squadron operated Supermarine Spitfires at this location from September 1942 until January 1943, and again in 1944.
Two further FAA units made short visits before embarking in HMS Victorious: 884 Naval Air Squadron, equipped with six Fairey Fulmar Mk.II, British carrier-borne reconnaissance and fighter aircraft, arrived from RNAS Lee-on-Solent, Hampshire, on 25 September 1942 and embarked on 20 October; and 882 Naval Air Squadron, with twelve Grumman Martlet Mk IVs, arrived from RNAS Donibristle, Fife, on 1 October and embarked on 6 October. The Fairey Fulmars of 884 Squadron returned on 25 November after a period at RNAS Twatt, also on Mainland, Orkney, departing again for RAF Turnhouse, Edinburgh, on 13 December 1942.