Latitude 58°57′29″N Longitude 002°54′02″W

   

ACQUISITION

R.A.F. fighter station transferred to the Admiralty on loan  06.07.1943.

 

COMMISSIONED

15.08.1943.

 

CLOSED

 

 

PAID OFF

31.07.1945.

 

   

C.O./O.I.C.

 
   

FUNCTION

Satellite to RNAS Hatston.

Accommodation for disembarked Front-Line squadrons.

 

ADDRESS

R.N. Air Station,
Grimsetter,
Mainland,
Orkney.

 

LOCALITY

The airfield lies on the S. bank of the Bay of Berstane, 3½ miles (R) SE of Kirkwall.

 

LANDMARKS

The town and port of Kirkwall .

Scapa Flow 2½ miles SW.

 

ROAD AND RAIL ACCESS

Road accedes to Kirkwall 3½ mile NW. and Finstown 9½ miles NW. (R) and to RNAS Hatston 4¾ miles (R) to the NW. Scapa 2½miles SW.

Nearest railway station at Thurso (LMS), mainland Scotland.

Piers and Harbour facilities for small vessels at Stromness and Kirkwall, with steamer communication to Scotland.

 
   

 

   

CONTROL

Control Building - originally sited at the extreme S. of the airfield outside the perimeter track at the '33' end of runway 15/33'

New Control Building - inside the perimeter track to the S. of the runway intersection.

 

ELEVATION

 30' above M.S.L.

 

RUNWAYS

Three, Tarmac.
 

07/25 QDM. 071°/250° .... 1,310 X 50  yds.

10/28 QDM. 101°/281° .... 1,240 X 50  yds.

15/33 QDM. 154°/334° ....   970 X 50  yds.

 

TRACKS

40' perimeter track.

 

OBSTRUCTIONS

Navigation

Tower hill(279') with 4 W/T masts (100') 1800yds. HM. and ground rising 220' 1600 yds. SW.

Circuit

None.

Approach

None.

 

APPROACH

Recommended sector, mean Q.D.M. :

 

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

Not known.

 

APPROACH - RADIO

Not known.

 

COMMUNICATION EQUIPMENT

M/F & H/F

 Not known.

VH/F

 Not known.

   

GROUND RADAR

Not known.

   

 

   

ACCOMMODATION

Living quarters in camp in SE corner of the airfield.

 

Capacity:

Officers:

45

Chiefs, P.O.s and ratings:

390

W.R.N.S. Officers:

9

W.R.N.S.  Chiefs, P.O.s and ratings;

165

 

ARMOURIES

Not known.

 

COMPASS BASE

Not known.

 

DISPERSAL

Five double fighter pens and five pan handle standings, dispersed around the perimeter track.

 

HANGARS

In two sites NE. and NW. of the airfield, connected by the perimeter track.

 

Number /Type

Size

Door Height

Door Width

6 Mains (Squadron) ..

6o' x 84'

17'

55'

7 Mains (Storage) .. ..

6o' x 84'

17'

55'

1 Pentad .. .. .. .. .. ..

185' x 105'

25'

105'

 

MEDICAL

Sick Bay in accommodation site.

 

METEOROLOGICAL

Not known.

 

FUEL AND OIL

Aviation:

Not known.

M/T:

Not known.

Oil :

Not known.

   

TEST BASE

Not known.

 

TEST BUTT

M.G. test butt and 25 yds. range

 

WORKSHOPS

Not known.

 

VISITORS

Not known.

 

EXPLOSIVES

Not known.

 

BOMBING AND FIRING RANGES

Not known.

   
   

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

 

800

 

 

801

 

807

 

824

 

825

 

826

 

841

 

842

 

846

 

848

 

849

 

880

 

881

 

882

 

884

 

887

 

894

 

899

 

1770

 

1834

 

1840

 

 

 

 

PAGE UNDER CONSTRUCTION

 

 

Click here for a list of Primary sources


Additional sources:

 

Admiralty Fleet Orders:

 

Confidential Admiralty Fleet Orders:

 

 

 

 

AUDATCTIER

(BOLDLY)

 

 

 

 


View Larger Map

 

 

Add Comment

* Required information
1000
Is it true or false that green is a number?
Captcha Image
Powered by Commentics

Comments (0)

No comments yet. Be the first!