Latitude 55°52'19"N  Longitude 04°25'59"W

   

ACQUISITION

Lodger facility for an RN Air Section on RAF station from 19 June 1940. Transferred from No.19 Group RAF  to Admiralty 11 August 1943.

OPENED


 

COMMISSIONED

20 September 1943 
 

PAID OFF

31 October 1963 and transferred to Ministry of Aviation.
 

CLOSED

 
   

FUNCTION

Aircraft Maintenance Yard, Reserve Aircraft Storage. Salvage.No. 602(City of Glasgow) Squadron R. Aux A.F., Glasgow
 

University Air Squadron. A.T.C. Gliding School. Northern Engine Holding Unit. Parent station for R.N.A.S. Ayr and Machrihanish. Contact Airfield. No. 1830 & 1843 Squadron R.N.V.R.
 

ADDRESS

R.N. Air Station,

Abbotsinch,

Paisley.

Scotland.

 

LOCALITY

The airfield is situated on the northern outskirts of Paisley, 2½ miles W,. of the Govan district of Glasgow.

 

LANDMARKS

The Firth of Clyde with the River Clyde passing 1½ NE.  The city of Glasgow and the town of Paisley.

 

The airfield lies within the fork of the Black Cart and White Cart waters which form a junction about  1.000 yds. NE. of the airfield before flowing into the Clyde..

 

ROAD AND RAIL ACCESS

Main road communication with Paisley and Glasgow. Railway station at Paisley on the Greenock-Glasgow line.

   

CONTROL

Control building on the E. side onside the perimeter track, in front of apron. Keeps watch 1800 -1600 or sunset, whichever id the earlier, Mondays to Fridays only. No night flying, No D/F watch.

 

ELEVATION

18' above M.S.L.

 

RUNWAYS /LANDING AREA

Three, steel mesh.

                                                                 Extensibility
06/24 QDM. 058°/238° .... 1293 X 50  yds.   2000

10/28 QDM. 103°/283° .... 1224 X 50  yds.   1600*

17/35 QDM. 173°/353° .... 1206 X 50  yds.    1600*

 

*Require road diversion

Note: W. end of runway 10/28 to be curtailed in accordance with A.F.O. 3594/47.

 

TRACKS

40' perimeter track from 24 to 06 runways.

 

OBSTRUCTIONS

Navigation:

Mountains rise to 1199', 4½ miles N. Hills rising to 749' 3½ miles SSW.

 

Circuit:

Rising ground to E. and S.

 

Approach:

Two pylons, 218', 1200 yds. ENE. Four tall chimneys, 450 yds. from 10 end of runway 10/28.

 

APPROACH

Recommended sector, mean QDM 065°
 

WIND INDICATOR

Windsocks on the R. side of the landing area inside perimeter track.

   

   

HOMING-VISUAL

None.

 

 

HOMING-RADIO

D/F:

H/F/ and VH/F.

Beacon:

YG and 251 MS.

 

APPROACH-VISUAL

  None.

 

 

APPROACH-RADIO

None.

 

COMMUNICATION EQUIPMENT

M/F and H/F:

VH/F:

 

2 transmitters, 3 receivers.

4 transmitters, 4 receivers.

 

CALL SIGNS

R/T

ABBOTIN

W/T

GYV

Identity letters

 

AC

GROUND RADAR

None.

 

   

ACCOMMODATION

Living quarters in he SE. corner of the airfield.

 

Capacity:

Officers:

103

Chiefs, P.O.s and ratings:

972

W.R.N.S. Officers:

6

W.R.N.S.  Chiefs, P.O.s and ratings;

93

 

ARMOURIES

Not known 

 

COMPASS BASE

One, diameter 70' and one diameter 80'. the later being combined with the Radar test base. 

 

DISPERSAL

On aprons

 

HANGARS

Storage hangar area on SE. side; Workshop hangar area on SW. side.

 

Number /Type

Size

Door Height

Door Width

4 R.A.F. Callender Hamilton

185' x 90'

17' 6" 

 90'

2 Type "C"

300' x 150'

30'

150'

1 Type "C"

225' x 150'

30'

150'

4 Bellman

175' x 95'

25'

90'

1 End opening flight shed

240' x 100'

 20'

100'

2 Massillon arch

92' x 70'  

-

-

 

MEDICAL

Sick quarters in Camp sire SE. of landing area.

 

METEOROLOGICAL

Office in Control building. Limited service by Naval personnel.

 

FUEL AND OIL

Aviation:

21,250 gallons.

M/T:

2,500 gallons.

Oil :

In barrels

 

TEST BASE

None.

 

TEST BUTT

M.G. test butt and 25 yd. range to NE.

 

WORKSHOPS

R.N. Aircraft workshop on SW. side of airfield.

 

VISITORS

On apron near Control building, for 6 aircraft.

 

BOMBING AND FIRING RANGES

None

   
   

Information taken from CB 4368 A. Admiralty Handbook of Naval Air Stations (Home) Aug. 45 and B.R. 1807. Admiralty Handbook of Naval Air Stations (Home & Abroad) Dec. 48

 

 

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

 

730

Communications squadron. Formed here in April, 1944. Moved to R.N.A.S. Ayr in July, 1944.


768

Deck Landing Training squadron. 1944 - 1946


771

 Fleet Requirements Unit


800

 

801

 

802

 

804

 

807

 

813

 

816

 

818

Disembarked from H. M. S. ILLUSTRIOUS with Swordfish aircraft July -august 1940


819

 

821

 

824

 

825

 

831

 

832

 

835

 

852

 

892

 

1702

From R.N.A.S. Lee-on-Solent with 6 Sea Otter aircraft 5 September,1945 embarked H.M.S. TROUNCER 12 September.


804

 

807

 

1830 R.N.V.R.

 1947 . 1957. Operated Firefly T.1 & A/S.6, Avenger A/S.4


1840

 

1843 R.N.V.R.

 

1951 . 1957. Operated Firefly T.3 & A/S.6, Seafury T.10, Sea Balliol T.21


   

 

PAGE UNDER CONSTRUCTION

 

Click here for a list of Primary sources


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Comments (5)

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Topic: Abbotsinch
5/5 (2)
 
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Peter Luckraft
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Jan 2023
Peter Luckraft (France) says...

I lived 3 doors down from the Attacker. Anyone interested in some photos?

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Peter Luckraft
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2
Jan 2023
Peter Luckraft (France) says...

Some photos by CdrE LHWE Luckraft, my Dad, who helped shut down HMS Sanderling (Donibristle & Halfar)

Only one photo seems to want to up load !

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tom livsey
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Sep 2022
tom livsey (Paisley, Renfrewshire, UK) says...

Remember living in glasgow road in Paisley in the early 60's and seeing aircraft being delivered late at night

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robin dow
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Feb 2022
robin dow (Glasgow, UK) says...

i remember as a child in te very early 1950's seeing aircraft from there flying low over kilbarochan where i lived later in the late 1950's we went to an airshow there the main display was of 4 scimitars doing a display and also a swordfish which did very much the same display as they do today you could get a flight in a dragon rapide for i think 10 bob i saw an avenger lying behind one of the hangers i would have been about 10 at that time happy memories

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Brian Farley
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Aug 2016
First Poster
Brian Farley (Hertfordshire) says...
I have actually cycled southbound down the centre of the runway at Abbotsinch, in the early 1960s, wondering what all the concrete was for. It was only when I saw the control tower, that the truth dawned on me.
I was a student at Paisley Technical College, on my way home to Cardonald in Glasgow. But, exploring back roads on my way home one day, I found a farm track which petered out into a path. Eventually I came to a low wire fence with a hut of electronics on the other side. So I continued on the concrete path on the other side, wondering why the concrete was getting wider and wider and then excessively wide. When I saw the control tower I got off pretty fast and cycled through the compound and out the main gate - saluting the Naval guards as I went past.
So, to this day, I can truthfully say that I cycled down the main runway at Glasgow Airport! Even the control tower is as I remembered it, but the buildings behind it look totally gone.
Great memories,
Brian Farley.
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