Latitude 11°00'55"N Longitude 77°09'50"E


ACQUISITION	Transferred from Air Ministry June 1944.
COMMISSIONED	16 May 1944 as 'Non books of GARUDA' February 1st 1945 as 'VAIRI'

PAID OFF	01 Apr1946

C.O. and O.I.C.	Commander G. R. Brown D.S.C. 16.5.1944

FUNCTION	Aircraft Storage Depot for 500 aircraft. R.N. Air Communications Centre. Southern India 742 Communications Squadron
ADDRESS	R.N. Air Station, Sulur, Nr Coimbatore, Southern India
LOCALITY	The airfield is situated on a bare, laterite plain, 74 miles W. of the coast of Southern India, and 2 miles E. of the village of Sulur. R.N.A.S. Coimbatore lies 7 miles W. The port of Cochin lies 90 mile SW,, and Dhanushkodii, the Ferry head to Ceylon lies 185 miles SE.
LANDMARKS	The Podanur Junction - Madras railway line ruining NE. to Madras, passes 2½ miles NW. of the airfield. A road running E. from Sulur traverses the airfield and separates the technical area, to the N, and the runways and hangar area to the S.
ROAD AND RAIL ACCESS	Road, via Sulur, to Coimbatore, 15 miles (R); to Madras, 323 Mile (R); and to the hill station at Ootacamund, 62 miles (R). Road to Sulur railway station 4 miles NW. on the Sothern Indian Railway, giving access to Coimbatore, Ootacamund, Cochin, Dhanushkodii and Madras.


CONTROL	Control Building adjacent. of runway intersection.
ELEVATION	1260' above M.S.L.
RUNWAYS	Two, concrete. All weather. 05/23 QDM. 052° 232° .... 2,200 x 50 yds. 10/28 QDM. 101° 281° .... 1.600 x 50 yds.
TRACKS	50' perimeter track connects the ends of the runways, and 40' taxi tracks give access to Hangars, Workshops and aircraft standings.
OBSTRUCTIONS	Navigation	None.
	Circuit	None.
	Approach	None.
APPROACH	Distant approaches clear,. No special sector recommended.
WIND INDICATOR	Two windsocks: One on the N. and one on S. side of runway intersection.


HOMING - VISUAL	By day	None.
	By night	None.
HOMING--RADIO	D/F	None.
	Beacons	None.
APPROACH - VISUAL	By day	None.
	By night	Portable airfield lighting held.
APPROACH - RADIO & COMMUNICATION EQUIPMENT	None. The only radio equipment to be installed at Sulur will be that needed for local control of flying. For all other purposes, Coimbatore be used.

GROUND RADAR	None.

ACCOMMODATION

Living accommodation in camp 1½ miles E. of airfield.

Capacity:


Officers:	70
Chiefs, P.O.s and ratings:	1,220
W.R.N.S. Officers:	None.
W.R.N.S. Chiefs, P.O.s and ratings;	None.

Nearest accommodation for W.R.N.S. is R.N.B. Coimbatore.

ARMOURIES

Three storage armouries.

COMPASS BASE

Three, one for each storage area; diameter of each 75'.

DISPERSAL

9 aircraft standings, 4 aprons, and 16 aircraft pens.

HANGARS

Storage hangars in three separate groups to N., NE., and E. of landing area, to house 300 aircraft (100 in each group).

Number /Type	Size	Door Height	Door Width
48 Mainhill (Storage)	60' x 84'	17'	55'
4 T2. (Storage)	I87' 6" x 113' 6"	25'	113' 6"
2 T2. (Storage)	239' 7" x 113' 6"	25'	113' 6"
2 T2. (Squadron)	I87' 6" x 113' 6"	25'	113' 6"

MEDICAL

Combined Sick Bay and Sick Quarters at E. end of camp.

METEOROLOGICAL

Full service by naval personnel will be provided later.

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 -

26,000 gallons in tanks near fuel apron N. of Control building, and at Sulur Railway station.

100 and 91 Octane held.

Kerosine

M/T -

4,000 gallons.

Oil -

4.000 Gallons. DPD. 109, 472 (B), and 472 (C) held.

TEST BASE

Three a/c Radar test bases, one for each storage area.

TEST BUTT

Test butt (for canon) and 25 yd. range.

WORKSHOPS

One large A.R.S. hangar, one E.R.S. and workshops to 2-3 Squadron scale.

EXPLOSIVES

Explosives area in SE, comer of airfild.

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

742

R.N. Air Transport Squadron

Moved here from RNAMY Coimbatore 01.02.1945. Moved to RNAS Katukurunda 26.02.1946.

Main equipment Expediter C.IIs and Beech AT-7s (also recovered small number of Anson, Reliant, Sea Otter, Swordfish and Walrus).

815

Torpedo, Bomber, Reconnaissance squadron

Disembarked from SMITER 18.08.1945. Aircraft withdrawn, personnel embarked in FENCER 03.09.1945 for passage to UK..

Equipped with 12 Barracuda TR.III

817

Torpedo, Bomber, Reconnaissance squadron

Disembarked from UNICORN 13.01.1945. Aircraft withdrawn, aircrew re-embarked in UNICORN 19.01.1945 for passage to UK, disbanding on arrival 21.02.1945.

Equipped with 12 Barracuda II

821

Torpedo, Bomber, Reconnaissance squadron

Moved here from RNAMY Coimbatore 02.09.1945. Aircraft withdrawn, aircrew embarked in FENCER 04.09.1945 for passage to UK.

Equipped with 12 Barracuda II

824

Torpedo, Bomber, Reconnaissance squadron

Moved here from RNAS Katukurunda 27.08.1945. Aircraft withdrawn, aircrew returned to RNAS Katukurunda 11.09.1845.

Equipped with 10 Barracuda II

1700

Air Sea Rescue squadron

Disembarked from KHEDIVE to RN Air Section Cochin, arrived Sulur 08.o211945