Latitude 11°01'35"N Longitude 77°02'35"W


ACQUISITION
COMMISSIONED	01 Oct 1942
CLOSED
PAID OFF	01 Apr1946

C.O./O.I.C.	Commander T. P. coode DSC 01 Oct 1942 Captain R. St. A. Malleson, AFC 15 Jan 1953 Captain E.R.G. Baker Mar 1945

FUNCTION	Aircraft Repair Yard Parent station to: RN Air Section Cochin RN Air Station Sulur
ADDRESS	R.N.A.S. Coimbatore Peelamedu, Coimbatore Southern India
LOCALITY	The airfield is situated on a bare, laterite plain, 66 miles W. of the coast of Southern India, and 5¾ miles ESE. of the village of Coimbatore. It lies 5¾ miles N, of Podanur Junction , between the Podanur - Madras railway line to the S., and the Coimbatore to Madras road to the N. R.N.A.S. Sulur lies 7 mile SE. The port of Cochin lies 90 mile SW,, and Dhanushkodii, the Ferry head to Ceylon lies 190 miles SE.
LANDMARKS	The town of Coimbatore, with Podanur Railway Junction 2½ miles SE. The Podanur Junction - Madras railway line passing within 2200 yards of the airfield's S. boundary, and the Coimbatore to Madras road passing within 700 yards of the airfield's N. boundary.
ROAD AND RAIL ACCESS	Road to Coimbatore 6½ miles (R); to Madras 324 miles (R); and to the hill station at Ootacamund, 54 miles (R). The airfield has its own siding (with platform and 5 Ton crane) connecting to the Southern Indian Railway, giving access to Coimbatore, Ootacamund, Cochin, Dhanushkodii and Madras. Railway station at Singanullur 2½ miles (R) SSE,


CONTROL	Control Building on W, side of landing area, near intersection of runways.
ELEVATION	1300' above M.S.L.
RUNWAYS	Two. one with Macadam surface, one consolidated earth over-laid with Marston mat/ 05/23 QDM. 049° 229° .... 1480 x 50 yds. Macadam. 11/29 QDM. 111° -291° ....1100 x 50 yds. Marston mat.
TRACKS	40' taxi strip along SE. side of runway 05/23,. conected by 40; tracks to hangars and workshops.
OBSTRUCTIONS	Navigation	None.; but high mountain peaks lie within 10 - 15 miles SW, and NW. of airfield.
	Circuit	None.
	Approach	None.
APPROACH	No special approach recommended.
WIND INDICATOR	Windsock N. of runway intersection.


HOMING - VISUAL	By day	None.
	By night	None.
HOMING--RADIO	D/F	H/F, VH/F
	Beacons	YG and 251 MS.
APPROACH - VISUAL	By day	None.
	By night	None.
APPROACH - RADIO	Mobile 257 S.
COMMUNICATION EQUIPMENT	M/F & H/F	5 transmitters, 6 receivers.
	VH/F	1 transmitters, 1 receivers.

GROUND RADAR	None.

ACCOMMODATION

Living accommodation at Camp, on disused Gold course, on outskirts of Coimbatore, distant 6 miles (R).

Capacity:

Officers:	33
Chiefs, P.O.s and ratings:	Unknown.
W.R.N.S. Officers:	3
W.R.N.S. Chiefs, P.O.s and ratings;	50

ARMOURIES

COMPASS BASE

One, diameter 100'

DISPERSAL

Not known

HANGARS

Dispersed around the maintenance yard.

Number /Type	Size	Door Height	Door Width
3 Storage	120' x 116'	-	-
5 Storage	90' x 60'	-	-
1 Storage (Calelmdar)	185' x 110'	25'	110'
1? Storage	90' x 25'	-	-
1 (Comms flight))	90' x 60'	-	-
IN addition there is open storage for 200 aircraft.

MEDICAL

Sick Bay on airfield, Sick Quarters adjacent to camp.

METEOROLOGICAL

Office adjacent the control building. Full service by naval personnel.

The climate is very dry.
A strong SW. wind blows nearly every afternoon, during July and August; the rainy season is during September and October.

FUEL AND OIL

Aviation:	36,000 gallons in two installations.
M/T:	4,000 gallons.
Oil :	4,000 gallons.

TEST BASE

Test base available.

TEST BUTT

Test butt for cannon available.

WORKSHOPS

Double Aircraft Maintenance Yard..

VISITORS

Not known.

EXPLOSIVES

Not known.

BOMBING AND FIRING RANGES

None.

Information taken from CB..4368(B) Admiralty Handbook of Royal Naval Air Stations (Abroad,) August 1945

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

729

instrument Flying Training Squadron

Assembled at Coimbatore 15.05.1945 (formed in UK 01.01.1945 but took passage without aircraft). Moved to RNAS Tambaram 07.06.1945.

Equipped with 4 Oxfords and 1 Harvard.

742

Communications Squadron

Moved here from RNAS Colombo 15.09.1944. Moved to RNAS Sulur 01'02.1945.

Equipped with Expeditor C.II and Beech AT.7 (also recovered small number of Anson, Reliant, Sea Otter, Swordfish and Walrus).

800

Single Seat Fighter Squadron

Disembarked from EMPEROR 18.09.1945 [A/C withdrawn?]. Moved to RNAS Trincomalee 03.10.1945.

Equipped with Hellcat II.

804

Single Seat Fighter Squadron

Disembarked from AMEER 03.10.1945 [A/C withdrawn?]. Moved to RNAS Trincomalee 15.10.1945.

Equipped with Hellcat II.

808

Single Seat Fighter Squadron

Disembarked from KHEDIVE 18.09.1945 [A/C withdrawn?]. Re-embarked KHEDIVE 08.11.1945.

Equipped with Hellcat II.

810

Torpedo, Bomber, Reconnaissance squadron

Disembarked from ILLUSTRIOUS 02.11.1944 and A/C withdrawn. Personnel embarked in ACTIVITY 04.11.1944

Equipped with Barracuda II.

815

Torpedo, Bomber, Reconnaissance squadron

Disembarked from INDOMITABLE 28.10.1944 and A/C withdrawn. Personnel embarked in ACTIVITY 04.11.1944

Equipped with Barracuda II.

821

Torpedo, Bomber, Reconnaissance squadron

Moved here from RNAS Katukurunda 27.08.1944 and A/C withdrawn. Personnel moved to RNAS Sulur 02.09.1945 and embarked in FENCER 04.09.1944.

Equipped with Barracuda II.

834

Torpedo, Bomber, Reconnaissance squadron

Disembarked from BATTLER 19.09.1944.Moved to RNAS Cochin 27.09.1944.

Equipped with Swordfish II and Wildcat V.

849

Torpedo, Bomber, Reconnaissance squadron

Disembarked from RAJAH 09.10.1944. Aircraft strength increased from 12 to 21 before moving to RNAS Katukurunda 11.10.1944.

Equipped with Avenger II.

857

Torpedo, Bomber, Reconnaissance squadron

Disembarked from RAJAH 11.10.1944. Moved to RNAS Katukurunda 19.11.1944.

Equipped with Avenger II

1850

Single Seat Fighter Squadron

Disembarked from VENGEANCE 11.06.45 to both Coimbatore and RNAS Tambaram.

Re-embarked in VENGEANCE 01.07.45

Equipped with 24 Corsair IV