Latitude 56°01'19"N Longitude 02°47'38"W

   

ACQUISITION

Lodger facility for R.N. Air Section at R.A.F. Station.

Transferred to Admiralty on indefinite Loan from R.A.F. No. 13 Group 21.4.1945

 

COMMISSIONED

21.4.1945 as NIGHTHAWK, a tender to RNAS Donibristle with accounts held in MERLIN

01.6.1945 became independent command

 

PAID OFF

5.3.1946 Transferred back to R.A.F. control.

 

   

C.O./O.I.C.

 
   

FUNCTION

Naval Night Fighter School and Night Fighter Direction Centre.

 

Remarks: The Fighter School, comprising No. 784 Squadron,-comes under C.Q,N.A.S for training and Com. N.A.S.(N) for administration.
The Direction Centre, at Cockburnspath lying near the coast 15 miles E.S.E. of the airfield, is under the general administration of Corn. N.A.S.(N): through the Commanding Officer No. 784 Squadron, but under the control of the Fighter Direction Centre, Yeovilton, as regards instructional methods

 

PARENT STATION TO:

R.N.A.S. MacMerry

 

ADDRESS

R.N. Air Section

R.A.F. Station Drem,
East Lothian,

Scotland.

 

R.N. Air Station

Drem,
East Lothian,

Scotland.

 

LOCALITY

The airfield lies near the S. shore of the Firth of Forth, 3 miles S.W. of North Berwick and I mile N.N.W. of the village of Drem. Edinburgh lies 14 miles W..by S.

 

LANDMARKS

Bass Rock and Berwick Law, (613 ft). The Peffer Burn stream which forms the S. boundary of the airfield. RAF Station East Fortune  3½ miles S.W.

 

ROAD AND RAIL ACCESS

Railway Station at Drem (LNER) with service s to Edinburgh, 18 miles W. and Dunbar 11 miles W. and North Berwick 5 miles N.

   

 

   

CONTROL

Control Building

 

ELEVATION

 52' above M.S.L.

 

RUNWAYS

None.

 

 

LANDING AREA

Irregular grass surface

     

Extensibility

E/W

.....

1,850 yds.

2,300 YDS.

NW/SE

.....

 1.400 yds. 

Nil.

NE/SW

......

1.400 yds. 

Nil.

     

TRACKS

A taxi track encircles the landing area connecting the dispersed hangars to the technical area.

 

OBSTRUCTIONS

Navigation

Not known.

Circuit

RAF Station East Fortune  3½ miles S.W.

Approach

Not known.

   

APPROACH

Not known.

 

WIND INDICATOR

Not known.

   
   

HOMING - VISUAL

By day

None.

By night

None.

 

HOMING--RADIO

D/F

Not known.

Beacons

Not known.

 

APPROACH - VISUAL

By day

None.

By night

Airfield lighting Mk.II

 

APPROACH - RADIO

Not known.

 

COMMUNICATION EQUIPMENT

M/F & H/F

 Not known.

VH/F

  Not known.

 

   

GROUND RADAR

Not known.

   

 

   

ACCOMMODATION

Living quarters

 

Capacity: Figures for R.A.F. personnel

Officers:

104

S.NC.O.s:

198

Other ranks:

1505

 

ARMOURIES

 

 

COMPASS BASE

 

 

DISPERSAL

7 on S.E. side of the landing area.

 

HANGARS

Hangars

 

Number /Type

Size

Door Height

Door Width

3 Bellman

     

10  Blister

     

3 Extended Over Blister

     
       
 

MEDICAL

 

 

METEOROLOGICAL

 

 

FUEL AND OIL

Aviation:

Not known.

M/T:

Not known.

Oil :

Not known.

   

TEST BASE

 

 

TEST BUTT

 

 

WORKSHOPS

 

 

VISITORS

 

 

EXPLOSIVES

 

 

BOMBING AND FIRING RANGES

 

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

 

732

 

Night Fighter Training School

Formed at Drem 15.05.1945. Disbanded here 07.11.1945 to become 'B' fly of 784 squadron.

Equipped with  6 Anson flying classrooms, 6 Harvard, 9 Hellcat and an unknown number of Firefly I.NF.


770

 

Fleet Requirements Unit

Moved here from RNAS Dunino 25.07.1944. Disbanded here 01.10.1945

Equipped with various A/C types including Seafire, Hurricane, Beaufighter, Blenheim, Mosquito,  Martinet, and Reliant.


784

 

Night Fighter Training Squadron.

Moved here from RNAS Lee-on-Solent 13.10.19432.Moved to RNAS Dale 15.01.1946.

Operated various small detachments embarked in carriers or attached to front-line squadrons. 

Equipped Initially with 2 Chesapeake and 6 Fulmars, later Proctor, Anson, Reliant, Hurricane, Firefly, and Hellcat.


801

Single Seat Fighter Squadron

Detachment (4) disembarked from H.M.S. FURIOUS 11 - 14.06.1944

Equipped with Seafire L.III.


880

Single Seat Fighter Squadron

Detachment (8) disembarked from H.M.S. FURIOUS 11 - 17.06.1944

Equipped with Seafire L.III.


881

Single Seat Fighter Squadron

Detachment (8) disembarked from H.M.S. PURSUER 11 - 16.06.1944

Equipped with Wildcat V


884

Single Seat Fighter Squadron

Moved here from RNAS Machrihanish 10.04.1943. Moved to RNAS Grimsetter by 06.05.1943.

Equipped with  Seafire II.c


892

Single Seat Fighter Squadron

Disembarked from H.M.S. PREMIER 06.07.1945. Moved to RNAS Machrihanish 02.11.1945.

Equipped with Hellcat NF.II


1791

Night Fighter Squadron.

Disembarked from H.M.S. PUNCHER 18.06.1945 Moved to RNAS Burscough 18.08.1945

Equipped with 12 Firefly I.NF.


1792

Night Fighter Squadron.

Moved here from RNAS Inskip 29.08.1845  Moved to RNAS Machrihanish 27.11.1945

Equipped with 12 Firefly I.NF.


 

 

 

PAGE UNDER CONSTRUCTION

 

 

Click here for a list of Primary sources


Additional sources:

Admiralty Fleet Orders:

3450/45 R.N. Air Station Drem - Commissioning as Independent Command

 

Confidential Admiralty Fleet Orders:

811/45 R.A.F. Stations Drem and MacMerry transfer to R.N.

2370/46 R.N. Air Stations, Drem and Macmerry (H.M.S. "NIGHTHAWK) return to R.A.F.

 

 

 

 



View Larger Map

 

Drem, 27 August 1943

https://canmore.org.uk/collection/674824

 

 

 

 

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