Latitude 54˚29'48"N Longitude 05˚28'39"W

   

ACQUISITION

Lodger facilities from R.A.F. Northern Ireland from 1942.

Transferred from R.A.F. Northern Ireland on loan 14 July 1945.

 

COMMISSIONED

17 July 1945.

 

PAID OFF

To Care & Maintenance status 14 November 1945 'on books of GADWALL'.

 

CLOSED

Returned to R.A.F. Northern Ireland control, 24/01.46.

   

C.O.

Captain G.N.P. Stringer

   

FUNCTION

No. 4 Naval Fighter School

No.1 Hellcat Servicing Unit

Support of disembarked squadrons

 

TENDER

R.N.A.S. Kirkistown

 

ADDRESS

R.N. Air Station

Ballyhalbert,

 County Down,

Northern Ireland

 

LOCALITY

The airfield lies 11 mile SE of Newtonatds, County Down.

 

LANDMARKS

Coast skirts E. end of the airfield, Shrangfiord Lough  3 miles W. Skulmart lightship 3½ miles NNE.

 

ROAD AND RAIL ACCESS

Railway station at Newtonards, 13½ miles (R).

   
   

CONTROL

 

 

ELEVATION

 26' above M.S.L.

 

RUNWAYS

Three, wood chipping and Tarmac:


--/-- QDM. 025˚----˚ .... 1.147 x 50 yds. 

--/-- QDM. 085˚----˚ .... 2,000 x 50 yds. 

--/-- QDM. 145˚----˚ ....1,093 x 50 yds. 

 

TRACKS

Perimeter track connects ends of runways.

 

OBSTRUCTIONS

Navigation

Hill 200' ½ mile NW.  Mountain of Mourne 2800' 35 miles SW.

Circuit

None.

Approach

None.

 

APPROACH

No special approach recommended.

 

WIND INDICATOR

Not known.

   
   

HOMING - VISUAL

By day

Not known.

By night

Not known.

 

HOMING--RADIO

D/F

Not known.

Beacons

Not known.

 

APPROACH - VISUAL

By day

Not known.

By night

Mk2 airfield lighting

 

APPROACH - RADIO

 

 

COMMUNICATION EQUIPMENT

M/F & H/F

? transmitters, ? receivers.

VH/F

 ? transmitters,  ? receivers.

 

GROUND RADAR

None.

   
   

ACCOMMODATION

Living quarters

 

Capacity: (based on RAF manning)

Officers:

188

Chiefs, P.O.s and ratings:

2024

W.R.N.S. Officers:

9

W.R.N.S.  Chiefs, P.O.s and ratings;

N18

 

ARMOURIES

Not known.

 

COMPASS BASE

Not known.

 

DISPERSAL

Not known.

 

HANGARS

Hangars

Number /Type

Size

Door Height

Door Width

2 x Transportable Bellman

250' x 95'

26'

90'

6 x Over Blister

69' x 45'

   

6 x Extended over Blister

69' x 90'

   
       

MEDICAL

Not known.

 

METEOROLOGICAL

Not known.

 

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.

 

EXPLOSIVES

Not known.

 

BOMBING AND FIRING RANGES

Not known.

Air to air

 

Air to ground and R. p. Firing

 

Live and practice bombing

 

Practice bombing

 

Assault training

 
   
   

Information taken from CB 4368 B. Admiralty Handbook of Naval Air Stations Aug. 45

 

 

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

 

718

 

No. 4 Naval Fighter School

Moved here from RNAS Henstridge 17.08045

Disbanded here 01.11.45, absorbed into 794 squadron.

Equipped with Corsair III & IV, Seafire III & L.III, Harvard.


725

 

FRU ?

Detachment (2) operated here 21.08.44 to 09.11.44 when it increased to (4). Reurned to RNAS Eglinton 21.02.45

Equipped with Martinet T.T.I


768

 

Deck Landing Training Squadron

Moved here from RNAS Ayr 28.08.45 Moved to RNAS East Haven 25.10.45

Carried out DLT on HMS PREMIER 11 - 27.08.45 and HMS NAIRANA 20./09.45 to 01.10.45.

Equipped with Barracuda II, Corsair II & Iv, Hellcat, and Swordfish.


784

Night Fighter Training Squadron

'B2' flight disembarked from HMS VINDEX 03..04.44 operating 3 aircraft attached to 825 squadron. Re-embarked in VINDEX 15.04.44

'B3' flight disembarked from HMS CAMPANIA 03.04.44 operating 3 aircraft attached to 813 squadron. Re-embarked in CAMPANIA 26.04.44

Equipped with Fulmar NF.IIs.


787

 

Fighter Affiliation Flight

'Y' flight operated heed here  07 - 20.02.45 before returning to RNAS Machrihanish.

Equipped with Seafire III.


800

Fleet Fighter Squadron

Moved here from RNAS Ayr 28.06.44. Embarked in HMS EMPEROR 09.07.44.

Equipped with Hellcat IIs.


808

Fleet Fighter Squadron

Moved here from RNAS Ayr 09.08.44. Conducted ADDLs at RNAS Kirkistown 24.08.44 Moved to RAF Harwarden 01.09.44

Equipped with 9 x Seafire L/IIIs.

Returned 12.10.44 to reequip with 24 Hellcat IIs. Carried out DLT on HMS SMITER 04.01.45. Embarked in HMS KHEDIVE05.01.44.


812

Torpedo, Bomber, Reconnaissance Squadron.

Moved here from RNAS Fearn 0501.45. Embarked in HMS VENGEANCE 26.01.45

Equipped with 16 Barracuda IIs.


827

Torpedo, Bomber, Reconnaissance Squadron.

Detachment (?) operated ashore from HMS COLOSSUS 23 - 27.01.45.

All 18 aircraft disembarked from COLOSSUS 28.02.45. Re0embarked in COLOSSUS 20.02.45.

Equipped with Barracuda IIs.


880

Single Seat Fighter Squadron

Disembarked from HMS STALKER 07.10.43. Moved to RNAS Skaebrae 06.02.44.

Equipped with 12 Seafire IIs.


882

Single Seat Fighter Squadron

Disembarked from HMS SEARCHER 12.10.44. Squadron re-equipped, exchanging 20 Wildcat Vs for 20 Wildcat VIs.

Moved to RAF Long Kesh 29.10.44

Equipped with Wildcats.


885

Single Seat Fighter Squadron

Moved here from RNAS Lee-on-Solent 04.08.44 equipped with 20 x Seafire L.IIIs.. Carried out ADDLs at RAF Kirkistown 21-98.44. Re-equipped with 24 Hellcat I & II during October before moving to RNAMY Belfast 15.12.44, in transit on route to RNAS Ayr.


887

Single Seat Fighter Squadron

Moved here from RNAMY Belfast 19.10.42. Moved to RAF Kirkistown 14.11.42.

Equipped with6 Fulmar IIs.

894

Single Seat Fighter Squadron

Moved here from RNAS Burscough 08.02.44.Moved to RAF Culmhead 28.04.44.

Returned here 15.05.44. Moved to RNAS Eglinton 30.05.44.

Equipped with 12 x Seafire IIIs.


899

Single Seat Fighter Squadron

Disembarked from HMS HUNTER 14.10.43. Exchanged 12 Seafire IIs for 20 Spitfire VBs.

Moved to RNAMY Belfast 17.01.45.


1840

Single Seat Fighter Squadron

Moved here from RNAS Eglinton 30.05.44. Squadron strength increased from 10 to 20 aircraft during June.

Embarked in HMS INDEFATIGABLE 25.06.44.

Moved here from RNAS Eglinton 24.10.44.  Moved to RNAS Ayr 09.11.44 but returned on the 19th.

Embarked in HMS SPEAKER 16.12.44.

Equipped with Hellcat IIs.


1846

Single Seat Fighter Squadron

Moved here from RNAS Eglinton 13.01.45.

Detachment (12) carried out DLTs in HMS COLOSSUS 22 - 27.01.45

Exchanged 24 Corsair IIIs for 24 Corsair IVs in February 1945.

Embarked in HMS COLOSSUS 20.02.45.


   

 

 

PAGE UNDER CONSTRUCTION

 

 

Click here for a list of Primary sources


Additional sources:

 

Admiralty Fleet Orders:

6672/45 R.N. Air Stations, Ballyhalbert and Kirkistown - Reduction to Care and Mainitenance.

 

Confidential Admiralty Fleet Orders:

1220.45 R.N. Air Stations, Ballyhalbert and Kirkistown - Transfer from R.A.F. and Commissioning as Naval Air Station.

1396/46 R.N. Air Stations, Ballyhalbert and Kirkistown -  Return to R.A.F.

 

 

 

 

 


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