Latitude 33° 54' 30"S Longitude 18° 31' 44"E

   

ACQUISITION

South African Air Force Station transferred to Admiralty control. 

 

OPENED

 

 

COMMISSIONED

Previously on books of AFRIKANDER

01.07.1942 as MALAGAS

 

CLOSED

 

PAID OFF

31-05.1946  to C & M

   

C.O.

Commander J. Friar July 1942

Captain M. Farqahar August 1942

Captain  H. J. Haynes D.S.C., D.S.O. December 1944

   

FUNCTION

6 squadron station for disembarked squadrons, and squadrons working up, capacity 75 a/c.

Fighter and T.B.R. facilities.

Fleet Requirements Unit,

R.N. Air Repair Yard capacity 150 a/c.

 

ADDRESS

R.N. Air Station

Wingfield,

P.O. Box 2301, Cape Town,

South Africa.

 

LOCALITY

The airfield lies 1n the NE. suburbs of Cape Town, 4½ miles E. of the harbour and on the N. side of the road and railway running E. from the city to Belville.

 

LANDMARKS

Cape of Good Hope, the W. entrance point of False Bay, distant 27 miles S.

The city of Cape Town with its artificial harbour, on the S. side of Table Bay.

Table mountain rising from the Atlantic coast immediately S. of Cape Town.

Note: Brooklyn airfield ¾ mile from the SE. shore of Table Bay lies 1½ miles W. of R.N.A.S. Wingfield.

 

ROAD AND RAIL ACCESS

The main road to Cape Town harbour passes the S. side of the airfield. Railway line from Cape Town runs ½ mile S. of the airfield with two stations less than  ¾ mile (R) from the airfield, which is also served by a rail siding connected to the Cape Town line.

Adequate harbour facilities at Cape Town with numerous cranes, including one 60 ton floating crane.

   
   

CONTROL

Control Building in the SW. corner of the landing area, adjacent to the perimeter track. Runway control in force at all times when flying is in progress.

Left-hand circuits to embrace both Brooklyn and Wingfield airfields are in force; no aircraft may make tight circuits or cross between the two airfields.

Special caution ids to be taken when the line of approach passes over or close to Brooklyn as, due to the varying runway directions, the tracks of aircraft approaching to land, and those of aircraft taking off may cross. A.D.D.L.s may be in progress.

 

ELEVATION

 55' above M.S.L.

 

RUNWAYS

Four


00/18 QDM. 001° -180° .... 1000 x 30 yds. 

02/20 QDM. 024° -204° .... 1420x 30 yds. 

05/23 QDM. 046° -226° .... 1050 x 30 yds. 

14/32 QDM. 136° -316° .... 1000 x 30 yds. 

 

Sommerfeld tracking, to a depth of 30' is laid along the side of all runways.

 

TRACKS

40' perimeter tracks. A 25' track leads from the N. side of the landing area to the Repair Yard and Storage Area.

 

OBSTRUCTIONS

Navigation

Table mountain (3565') distant 5 miles SW.

Tygerberg mountain rang (1366') distant 4 mile NE.

W/T masts (300') distant 2 miles NNW.

 

Circuit

None.

 

Approach

W/T mast (about 80') in SW. corner of airfield.

High tension cables (32') border the main road 430 yds. S. of the perimeter track.

 

APPROACH

Recommended sector of approach mean QDM. 000 and 160.

 

WIND INDICATOR

Windsock on the water tower in SW. corner of the the airfield.

Windsocks in the NE. and NW. corners of the airfield, outside the perimeter track.

   
   

HOMING - VISUAL

By day

None.

By night

Landmark beacon in SE. corner of the airfield flashing (red) the letter 'W'.

 

HOMING--RADIO

D/F

H/F, V/HF.

Beacons

25 LMS, YG and YJ.

 

APPROACH - VISUAL

By day

None.

By night

Airfield light (Naval) installed.

 

APPROACH - RADIO

93S. and 257S. beam approach.

 

COMMUNICATION EQUIPMENT

M/F & H/F

5 transmitters, 5 receivers.

VH/F

6  transmitters, 6 receivers.

 

   

GROUND RADAR

Fighter direction using G.C.I,  G.C.I. interrogator with low and medium cover radar with interrogator.

 

   
   

ACCOMMODATION

Living quarters  in "Wingfield" and "Goodwood" camps at the W. and S. sides of the airfield.

 

Capacity:

 

Officers:

 

Chiefs, P.O.s and ratings:

320

W.R.N.S. Officers:

 

W.R.N.S.  Chiefs, P.O.s and ratings;

 

 

ARMOURIES

To accommodate 6 squadrons.

 

COMPASS BASE

Two, 70' diameter.

 

DISPERSAL

Three large concrete aprons on the on the E. and W. sides of the airfield.

 

HANGARS

Squadron Hangars on SE. and SW. sides of the airfield, Aircraft Repair Yard adjacent N. side and Storage Hangars 2,000 yds. NNE.

 

Number /Type

Size

Door Height

Door Width

 

 

 

 

SE. side

     

 2 x squadron

150' x 95'

26'

95'

1 x Winged target

125'  95'

26'

90'

       

SW. side

     

 2 x squadron

250' x 95'

26'

90'

 1 x squadron

125' x 114'

26'

90'

 1 x squadron

140' x 95'

20'

109'

 1 x squadron

140' x 110'

30'

97'

       

NNE. side

     

 7 x storage

125' x 95'

26'

90'

 38 x storage

95' x 45'

17'

45'

 

Note: Repair Yard hangars not included above.

 

MEDICAL

Sick Quarters in camp on N. side of airfield. There is also an airfield surgery.

 

METEOROLOGICAL

Office in the control building. Full service from Naval personnel.

 

FUEL AND OIL

Aviation -

36,000 gallons (100 Octane) with additional storage under construction (1945) .

4.00 gallons (87 Octane).

M/T -

4.000 gallons.

Oil -

4,000 gallons (Aero Shell 100)

 

TEST BASE

Aircraft radar base available, N. side of airfield.

 

TEST BUTT

Test butt available, suitable for cannon.

 

WORKSHOPS

R.N. Aircraft Repair Yard facilities, at present (Aug 1945) reduced to 4 - 6 squadron workshop scale.

Torpedo workshop and large armoury.

 

VISITORS

No special park allocated but visiting aircraft are normally parked on concrete hardstandings on SW corner of the airfield.

 

EXPLOSIVES

 

 

BOMBING AND FIRING RANGES

 

 

Air to air

 Two, A - B lines and C -D lines.

Air to ground

 One

R. p. Firing

 One, at Melkbosch.

Dive bombing (land)

 Two, one at Belville, one at Blauwberg.

Practice bombing (sea)

 One

Torpedo

 False Bay suitable for A.L.T.s

Strafing

 One, with truck targets for R.P., low level bombing and front gun.

Puff range

 One.


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

 

789

 

Fleet Requirements Unit

Formed here 01.07.42 Disbanded here 25.11.45

Equipment included: Anson, Beaufighter II, Defiant, Harvard, Kingfisher, Martinet, Skua, and Walrus. Other aircraft types were loaned from other squadrons.


799

 

Pool Squadron. [Aircrew refresher training]

Formed here 10.09.43. Disbanded here 20.06.44.

Equipped with Albacore Is.


804

Single Seat Fighter Squadron

Formed here 01.09.44 Embarked in H.M.S. AMEER 06.12.44.

Equipped with 24 Hellcat FB.II.


810

Torpedo, Bomber, Reconnaissance Squadron

Disembarked from H.M.S. ILLUSTRIOUS 11.08.44 to 13.10.44.

Equipped with 12 Barracuda II.


818

Torpedo, Bomber, Reconnaissance Squadron

Disembarked from H.M.S. ATHELING 12 - 18.o9.1944

Equipped with 4 Swordfish II.


827

Torpedo, Bomber, Reconnaissance Squadron

Disembarked from H.M.S. COLOSSUS 17.01.1946 to 08.04.1946.

Equipped with 18 Barracuda II.


881

Single Seat Fighter Squadron

Disembarked from H.M.S.  PURSUER 26.04.1945 to reform. Disbanded here

Equipped with 24 Hellcat FB.II.


896

Single Seat Fighter Squadron

Formed here 05.01.45  Moved to R.N. Air Sect. Stamford Hill 22.04.45 to embark in H.M.S. AMEER.

Equipped with 24 Hellcat FB.II.


898

Single Seat Fighter Squadron

Formed here 01.01.45 Embarked in H.M.S. ATTACKER 23.06.45.

Equipped with 24 Hellcat FB.II.


1830

Single Seat Fighter Squadron

Disembarked from H.M.S. ILLUSTRIOUS 11.08.1944 to 13.10.1944

Equipped with Corsair II.


1833

Single Seat Fighter Squadron

Disembarked from H.M.S. ILLUSTRIOUS 11.08.1944 to 13.10.1944

Equipped with Corsair II.


1838

Single Seat Fighter Squadron

Disembarked from H.M.S. ATHELING 12.09.44  Disbanded here the following day, and absorbed into 1830 & 1833 squadrons..

Equipped with 10 Corsair II.


1846

Single Seat Fighter Squadron

Disembarked from H.M.S. COLOSSUS 17.01.1946 to 08.04.1946.

Equipped with Corsair II.


 

 

PAGE UNDER CONSTRUCTION

 

 

Click here for a list of Primary sources


Additional sources:

 

Admiralty Fleet Orders:

 

AFO 4189/46 Reduction to C & M

 

Confidential Admiralty Fleet Orders:

 

 

Last modified 12 June 2020

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Comments (3)

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Topic: Wingfield
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Jim Mackay
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Sep 2024
Jim Mackay (Cullen, Moray, UK) says...

A very interesting site. I have an Airgraph sent by 576752 LAC Bowles EC on 13 July 1942 to his parents in Cardiff. He gives his unit as RNARF Wingfield Aerodrome. Is 'LAC' a Naval rank as I think there is a similar RAF rank? He must have been one of the first servicemen at the location. The Airgraph has been censored and marked with a 'CENSORED' handstamp with an illegible signature. I don't know if this was Naval or civilian censor. It would be interesting if any other mail items were known.

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Paul Gregg
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Aug 2019
Paul Gregg (Loughborough) says...
Roger I hope I am not too late to contact you on this. My father also Royal Marine Lawrence Gregg served at Wingfield on photographic Interpretation for SEAC Aircrew intelligence updates.He was able only to return with one aerial photo of Wingfield which I have. I would be fascinated to learn of your fathers service and experiences there and have been searching for Wingfield Photos and information on the net for years!
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Roger
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Jul 2018
First Poster
Roger says...
I have a mint condition Ships Company Dance ticket from 1946, a couple of aerial photos etc. As my Dad was stationed there. No idea what to do with them as having a clear out.
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