Latitude 58°59'32"N Longitude 02°58'35"W

   

ACQUISITION

Purpose built for the Admiralty.

 

COMMISSIONED

02.10.1959 as 'Sparrowhawk'

01.08.1945 as 'Tern II'

CLOSED

 

 

PAID OFF

01.08.1945 as 'Sparrowhawk'

15.09.1945 as 'Tern II' reduced to Care & Maintenance

   

C.O./O.I.C.

 
   

FUNCTION

Accommodation for disembarked Front-Line squadrons.

Accommodation for disembarked Ship's Flight Aircraft (H.Q. 700 Squadron).

Home Fleet Fleet Requirements Unit (771 squadron)

 

ADDRESS

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

 

LOCALITY

The airfield lies on the S. bank of the Bay of Kirkwall, 1 mile N.E. of the town of Kirkwall. The road from Kirkwall to Finstown forms the s. boundary of the airfield.

 

LANDMARKS

The town and port of Kirkwall .

Scapa Flow 2½ miles S.

 

ROAD AND RAIL ACCESS

Road accedes to Kirkwall 1 mile SE. and Finstown 6 miles NE. (R), to RNAS Grimsetter 3½miles (R) to the SE. and Scapa 2½miles S.

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 inside the perimeter track SE. adjacent the technical site.

 

ELEVATION

 35' above M.S.L.

 

RUNWAYS

Four, Tarmac.


01/19 QDM. 015° -195° .... 780 x -17 yds. 

07/25 QDM. 069° -249° .... 8810 x 17 yds. 

12/30 QDM. 121° -301° .... 790 x 50 yds. 

15/33 QDM. 150° -330° .... 1000 x 50 yds. 

 

TRACKS

40' perimeter track.

 

OBSTRUCTIONS

Navigation

Wideford hill (741') 1½ miles W. W/T masts (360') on hill (180') 4 miles SSE.

Circuit

None.

Approach

None.

 

APPROACH

Recommended sector, mean Q.D.M. :

 

WIND INDICATOR

Outside perimeter track adjacent to the '25' end of runway 07/25.

   
   

HOMING - VISUAL

By day

None.

By night

None.

 

HOMING--RADIO

D/F

Not known.

Beacons

Not known.

 

APPROACH - VISUAL

By day

None.

By night

None.

 

APPROACH - RADIO

 

 

COMMUNICATION EQUIPMENT

M/F & H/F

Not known..

VH/F

Not known.

   

GROUND RADAR

Not known.

   

 

   

ACCOMMODATION

Living quarters at Hatston Farm camp and W.R.N.S. quarters to the S. of the technical site.

 

Capacity:

Officers:

180

Chiefs, P.O.s and ratings:

1,260

W.R.N.S. Officers:

15

W.R.N.S.  Chiefs, P.O.s and ratings;

224

 

ARMOURIES

Not known.

 

COMPASS BASE

One.

 

DISPERSAL

9 pens, 2 hardstandings.

 

HANGARS

Storage hangars (Mains) on NW. corner of airfield, the reminder located in the main technical site SE.

 

Number /Type

Size

Door Height

Door Width

2 x Bellman (Squadron)

175' x 95'

25'

90'

4 x Pentad (Squadron)

187' x106'

25'

106'

2 x Bellman (Storage)

176' x 95'

25'

90'

7 x Mains (Storage)

60' x 70'

17'

55'

 

MEDICAL

Sick Bay in camp area at Hatston Farm.

 

METEOROLOGICAL

 

 

FUEL AND OIL

Aviation:

Not known.

M/T:

Not known.

Oil :

Not known.

   

TEST BASE

A/c Radar base off perimeter track adjacent to the '25' end of runway 07/25.

 

TEST BUTT

M.G. test butt and 25 yds. range

 

WORKSHOPS

 

 

VISITORS

 

 

EXPLOSIVES

Explosives are on N. side of the airfield, adjacent to the '25' end of the 07/25 runway and extending W. and S. along the edge of the Bay of Kirkwall to the Test Butt and the approach to the '30' end of the 12/30 runway..

 

BOMBING AND FIRING RANGES

Not known.

   
   

Information taken from CB 4368 A. 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

 

700

 

 

701

 

 

712

 

 

746

 

771

 

 

800

 

801

 

802

 

803

 

804

 

806

 

807

 

809

 

810

 

811

 

812

 

813

 

814

 

816

 

817

 

818

 

819

 

820

 

821

 

822

 

823

 

824

 

825

 

826

 

827

 

828

 

829

 

830

 

831

 

832

 

833

 

835

 

836M

 

837

 

840

 

841

 

842

 

845

 

846

 

848

 

852

 

853

 

856

 

860

 

878

 

880

 

881

 

882

 

883

 

885

 

887

 

888

 

890

 

891

 

893

 

894

 

896

 

898

 

899

 

1770

 

1771

 

1820

 

1840

 

1841

 

1842

 

 

 

 

 

PAGE UNDER CONSTRUCTION

 

 

Click here for a list of Primary sources


Additional sources:

 

Admiralty Fleet Orders:

 

Confidential Admiralty Fleet Orders:

 

 

 

 

AD MORTEM SEQOUR

(PIRSIE TO THE DEATH)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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