Latitude 58°12'40" N.  Longitude  6°23'40" W

   

ACQUISITION

Seaplane base - Admiralty requisition.
R.N. Air Section granted lodger facilities from No. 15 & 18 Groups RAF Coastal Command
 

COMMISSIONED

November 1940 'on books of MENTOR' but may also have been 'MENTOR II'

 

CLOSED

Reduced to 'Care & Maintenance' in June 1941

 

PAID OFF

Not known.

 

 

Not known. MENTOR paid off 15 November 1944

  

C.O./O.I.C.

Lt. Cdr (0) M. A. Everett RN (C.O. 700 flight)
 

   

FUNCTION

Sea Plane Base for the operation of amphibians for anti-submarine warfare.

 

ADDRESS

R.N. Air Station,
Stornoway,
Isle of Lewis,
Scotland.

 

LOCALITY

The Station is situated at Airdnan Laogh, a promontory on tie W. side of the head of Stornoway. Harbour, directly opposite North Beach quay, Stornoway.

 

LANDMARKS

Lewis Castle, ¼ mile North.

RAF Station Stornoway 2¼ miles E.

 

ROAD AND RAIL ACCESS

Access from the mainland via Steamer from Kyle of Lochalsh, Ross and Cromarty, served by rail service from Inverness.

   

 

   

CONTROL

Air watch office.

 

ELEVATION

 ' above M.S.L.

 

WATER RUNWAYS

Details not known.

 

SLIPWAY

Details not known.

 

TRACKS

None

 

OBSTRUCTIONS

Navigation

Not known.

Circuit

Not known.

Approach

Not known.

   

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

Not known.

 

APPROACH - RADIO

 

 

COMMUNICATION EQUIPMENT

M/F & H/F

 Not known.

VH/F

 Not known.

 

   

GROUND RADA

None.

   

 

   

ACCOMMODATION

No permanent accommodation for personnel was planned. Personnel accommodated locally.

 

Capacity:

Officers

?

Chiefs, P.O.s and ratings:

?

 

ARMOURIES

Not known.

 

COMPASS BASE

Not known.

 

DISPERSAL

Not known.

 

HANGARS

One aircraft storage hangar and one workshop:

 

Number /Type

Size

Door Height

Door Width

1 x unknown

?

?

?

1 x Workshop

?'

?

?

 

MEDICAL

R.N. Sick Quarters, Lewis Castle ¼ mile N.

 

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

Limited workshop facilities on site.

 

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

 

700

Stornoway flight

 

Anti-Submarine patrol Squadron

Flight formed her here 11.11.40.

 Moved to join 700 Sullom Voe flight 28.05.41.

Equipped with 6 Walrus.


701

 

Anti-Submarine Patrol Squadron

Moved here from RNAS Donibristle 06.11.40.

Moved to RNAS Campeltown 12.03.41.

Equipped with 6 Walrus


825

 

Torpedo, Bomber and Reconnaissance Squadron

Moved here from RNAS Hatston 04.07.43.

Returned to RNAS Hatston 05.07.43.

Equipped with 12 Swordfish


827

 

Torpedo, Bomber and Reconnaissance Squadron

Moved here from RNAS Crail 14.03.41.

Moved to RAF Thorney Island 01.05.41.

Equipped with 12 Albacore


842

 

Torpedo, Bomber and Reconnaissance Squadron

Moved here from RNAS Hatston 08.08.44.

Embarked HMS FENCE 16.08.44. Disembarked 22.08.44.

Moved to RAF Benbecula 10.09.44

Equipped with 12 Swordfish & 8 Wildcats


1840

 

Single Seat Fighter Squadron

In transit from RNAS Machrihanish to RNAS Hatston 06.07.44.

Equipped with 12 Wildcat


 

RN Seaplane base

 

Construction of a Seaplane base began on a small promontory, Cuddy Point, on the western side of Stornoway harbour in late 1940. The first nit to arrive was 701 squadron which operated 6 Walrus for anti-submarine patrols on November 6th 1940. They were joined by a further 6 Walrus belonging to 700 squadron Stornoway flight on November 11th.

Construction of the RN Air Station was suspended in mid-1941 and the site reduced to Care and Maintenances status when both Walrus units were withdrawn. 701 squadron moved to RNAS Campeltown on March 12th 1941, and 700 Stornoway flight relocated to join 700 Sullom Voe flight, on Shetland on May 28th.

 

Lodger facilities at RAF Stornoway

During 1940 the Air Ministry was constructing an RAF Station on the site of a pre-war civil aerodrome; this opened in April 1941 as a Coastal Command .airfield. Occupied first by No. 15 (General Reconnaissance) Group RAF It comprised RAF Squadrons with attached Naval Air Squadrons operating under RAF control for Western Approaches patrols.

The first RN squadron to arrive on the new Station was 827 Torpedo, Bomber and Reconnaissance (TBR) squadron which flew in from RNAS Crail on March 14th 1941. Their 12 Albacores operated here until May 1st when they moved south to RAF Thorney Island.

The next RN squadron arrived in July 1943 but was only passing thorough, the Swordfish of 825 TBR squadron arrived from RNAS Hatston on July 4th but returned the next day. One year later another squadron made a brief visit, 1840 Wildcats were in transit from RNAS Machrihanish to RNAS Hatston on July 6th.

The last wartime squadron to operate from the Station was 842 TBR squadron which moved here from RNAS Hatston on August 8th 1944. They embarked in HMS FENCER on the 16th, returning on the 22nd. They operated their Swordfish and Wildcats from Stornoway until they moved to RAF Benbecula on September 10th.

 

 

Click here for a list of Primary sources


Additional sources:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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