Latitude 31°18'39"N  Longitude 30°03'13"E

   

ACQUISITION

Lodger facility for an RN Air Section on RAF station during WW2.
 

OPENED

16 September 1935
 

COMMISSIONED

06 October 1940 as HMS NILE II
 

PAID OFF


 

CLOSED

May 1942?.

   
C.O./O.I.C.

 Commander (P) R.A. Kilroy
Lt. Commander G.A. Nunneley 01 Oct 1940

   

FUNCTION

Support of disembarked squadrons

RN Night Fighter Unit.
 

ADDRESS

 R.N. Air Section,
RAF Station Aboukir,
Egypt

 

LOCALITY

located on Abu Qir Peninsula, with Abu Qir Bay to the east, 34 miles (R) northeast of Alexandria Harbour and 53 miles northwest of RNAS Dekhelia

 

LANDMARKS

 

 

ROAD AND RAIL ACCESS

 

 

   

CONTROL

Not known. 
 

ELEVATION

? ' above M.S.L.

 

RUNWAYS /LANDING AREA

Not known. 

                                                                 Extensibility
--/-- QDM. ---˚----˚ .... --- x -- yds. 

TRACKS

Not known. 

 

OBSTRUCTIONS

Navigation:

Not known. 

 

Circuit:

Not known. 

 

Approach:

Not known. 

 

APPROACH

Not known. 
 

WIND INDICATOR

Not known. 

   

   

HOMING-VISUAL

Not known. 

 

 

HOMING-RADIO

D/F:

Not known. 

Beacon:

Not known. 

 

APPROACH-VISUAL

  Not known. .

 

 

APPROACH-RADIO

Not known. 

 

COMMUNICATION EQUIPMENT

M/F and H/F:

VH/F:

 

Not known. 

 

GROUND RADAR

None.

 

   

ACCOMMODATION

Living quarters?

 

Capacity:

Officers:

?

Chiefs, P.O.s and ratings:

?

W.R.N.S. Officers:

?

W.R.N.S.  Chiefs, P.O.s and ratings;

?

 

ARMOURIES

Not known.

 

COMPASS BASE

Not known.

 

DISPERSAL

Not known.

HANGARS

Not known.

 

Number /Type

Size

Door Height

Door Width

       
       
       
 

MEDICAL

Not known.

 

METEOROLOGICAL

Office in Control building, manned by R.A.F. personnel.

 

FUEL AND OIL

Aviation:

Not known.

M/T:

Not known.

Oil :

Not known.

 

TEST BASE

Not known.

 

TEST BUTT

Not known.

 

WORKSHOPS

Not known.

 

VISITORS

Not known.

 

BOMBING AND FIRING RANGES

Not known.

   
   

Information taken from CB 4368 A. Admiralty Handbook of Naval Air Stations (Home) Aug. 45 and B.R. 1807. Admiralty Handbook of Naval Air Stations (Home & Abroad) Dec. 48

 

 

List of first and second line squadrons, station flight and other flying units based at this location

 

700

(Mediterranean) Squadron

Moved here from RNAS Dekheila in January 1940. Moved to RAF St. Jean D'Acr8 16.04.42

Operated Swordfish & Walrus. (Responsible for all FAA A/C disembarked in the Middle East so may have encountered other types).


711

(Catapult) Squadron Moved here from RAF Kalafrana 19.08.39.

Disbanded into 700 Squadron 21.01.40. Operated Walrus.


775

Communications Flt

Operated as a detachment from the parent unit based at RNAS Dekheila ??.02.46 to 15.05.46. Operated Oxfords.


801

Fleet Fighter Squadron
Disembarked from HMS FURIOUS 11-22.02.37 Equipped with Ospreys.

802

 Fleet Fighter Squadron
Moved here from RNAS Dekheila 05.07.39 returned RNAS Dekheila 20.07.39
Moved here from RNAS Dekheila 17.11.39 moved to RAF Hal Far 02.12.39
Equipped with Sea Gladiators.

803

 Fleet Fighter Squadron
Detachment put ashore from HMS FORMIDABLE 11-15.03.41
Disembarked from HMS FORMIDABLE 24-27.03.41
Disembarked from HMS FORMIDABLE 30.03.41 t0 18.04.41
Disembarked from HMS FORMIDABLE 12.05.41 moved to RNAS Dekheila 27.05.41 Equipped with 12 x Fulmar I.

805

Two Seat Fighter Squadron
Reformed at R.N. Air Section Aboukir 01.01.41. Moved to RNAS Dekheila 05.02.41. Equipped with 12 aircraft mainly Fulmar Is and some Buffalos.

806

Fleet Fighter Squadron
Disembarked from HMS ILLUSTRIOUS 14 - 24.11.40
Disembarked from HMS ILLUSTRIOUS 01 - 11.12.40
Det (3) remained ashore until 16.12.40
Detachment (?) present by 0202.05.41
Detachment (3) disembarked from HMS FORMIDABLE 16 - 27.03.41
Disembarked from HMS FORMIDABLE 24 - 27.03.41
Disembarked from HMS FORMIDABLE 30.03.41 Majority re-embarked 18.04.41 leaving unknown detachments operating ashore until squadron disembarked again 12 - 2505.41
Disembarked from HMS FORMIDABLE 27.05.41. Moved to RAF Mersa Matruh 16.06.41. Equipped with Sea Gladiator and Fulmar I. Later re-equipped with Sea Hurricane and Fulmar II.

810

 Torpedo, Bomber, Reconnaissance Squadron
Disembarked from HMS COURAGEOUS 16 - 18.09.35
Detachment (3) from HMS COURAGEOUS 02 - 10.10.35
Disembarked from HMS COURAGEOUS 17.01.36 re-embarking COURAGEOUS20.02.36. Equipped with Baffin.

811

 Torpedo, Bomber, Reconnaissance Squadron
Detachment (?) disembarked from HMS FURIOUS 11 - 22.02.37
Equipped with Swordfish.

812

Torpedo, Bomber, Reconnaissance Squadron
Disembarked from HMS GLORIOUS 16 - 18.09.35
Disembarked from HMS GLORIOUS 130.11.35 Re-embarked GLORIOUS 16.12.35 Disembarked from HMS GLORIOUS 18.06.36 Re-embarked GLORIOUS 23.07.36 Equipped with Baffin.


819

Torpedo, Bomber, Reconnaissance Squadron
Disembarked from HMS ILLUSTRIOUS 12-15.09.40
Disembarked from HMS ILLUSTRIOUS 19 - 2809.40.
Equipped with Swordfish.

820

Torpedo, Bomber, Reconnaissance Squadron
Disembarked from HMS COURAGEOUS 03 - 09.10.35.
Disembarked from HMS COURAGEOUS 22.11.35. Re-embarked 12.12.35
Disembarked from HMS COURAGEOUS 20.02.10.36. Personnel departed for UK 01.08.36 on Troopship NEUALIA
Equipped with Baffin.

821

 Spotter, Reconnaissance Squadron
Disembarked from HMS COURAGEOUS 21 12.35 to 02.01.36
Disembarked from HMS COURAGEOUS 19 - 20.02.36.
Equipped with Seal.

822

 Spotter, Reconnaissance Squadron
Disembarked from HMS FURIOUS 08 - 22.02.37
Equipped with Seal.

823

 Spotter, Reconnaissance Squadron
'A' Flt disembarked from HMS COURAGEOUS 02 - 10.10.35.
'B' Flt disembarked from HMS GLORIOUS 05.09.35
Whole squadron embarked in HMS GLORIOUS 17.10.35
'A' Flt disembarked from HMS GLORIOUS 22.11.35 re-embarking GLORIOUS 04.12.35 B' Flt disembarked from HMS GLORIOUS 06.12.35 re-embarking GLORIOUS 16.12.35 Whole squadron disembarked from HMS GLORIOUS 27.02.36 re-embarking GLORIOUS 10.03.36
Disembarked from HMS GLORIOUS 19 - 31.03.36
Disembarked from HMS GLORIOUS 08.05.36 re-embarking GLORIOUS18.06.36
Moved here from RAF Hal Far 02.09.36
Embarked in HMS GLORIOUS 09.09.36
Equipped with Seal.

825

 Torpedo, Bomber, Reconnaissance Squadron
Det (6) disembarked from HMS GLORIOUS 21.09.38 to 01.10.38
Det (6) disembarked from HMS GLORIOUS 28.03.39 to 01.05.39
Equipped with Swordfish.
 

RAF station Aboukir was first utilised for Fleet Air Arm use during the Abyssinian cries of 1935 when the Baffins of 812 and Seals of 825 squadrons form HMS GLORIOUS were put ashore while the ship entered port at Alexandria. These were soon followed by squadrons from HMS COURAGEOUS which continued to visit the station through 1936.HMS FURIOUS disembarked squadrons at the start of 1937. Aircraft from these three Fleet Carriers were supported ashore at Aboukir until the outbreak of the Second World War when RAF Aboukir made space available for an R.N. Air Section to lodge on the site.

No. 711 (Catapult) Squadron moved here from RAF Kalafrana on August 19th 1939 to support its embarked flights when their ships were in Egyptian ports. This squadron was disbanded ion January 21st 1940 becoming No. 700 (Mediterranean) Squadron when all catapult Flights/Squadrons were combined into a single squadron. 700 Squadron was responsible for supporting all disembarked catapult flights in the Middle East, it moved to RAF St. Jean D'Acr8 in April 1942.

On New Year's Day 1941 805 was reformed as a Two Seater Fighter Squadron equipped with 12 Fulmar Is but received some Brewster Buffalo single seat fighters. After working up the squadron moved to RNAS Dekheila on February 5th. Squadrons from HMS ILLUSTRIOUS made use of the station during 1040, and HMS FURIOUS during 1941.

With the departure of &00 Squadron in April 1942 the RN Air Section was unused and was probably withdrawn later that year. Aboukir would only house one more FAA unit, in February 1946 a communications flight, part of 775 Fleet Requirements Unit at RNAS Dekheila began operating Oxfords from here. It was withdrawn on May 15th 1946.
 


 

Click here for a list of Primary sources


Additional sources:

 

 

 

 

 

 


View Larger Map

 

 

Above: RAF station Aboukir c. late 1930s with what appears to be a 'C' type hanger.

 

Above and Below: RAF station Aboukir before redevelopment showing its WW1 buildings and layout.

 

 

 

Add Comment

* Required information
1000
Enter the last letter of the word satellite.
Captcha Image
Powered by Commentics

Comments (0)

No comments yet. Be the first!