kaldadarnes

Latitude 63°55'51"N Longitude 21°10'15"W


ACQUISITION	Lodger facilities for an RN Air Section from RAF Coastal Command
OPENED	01 May1943 Accounts carried 'on books of HMS BALDUR II'
WITHDRAWN/CLOSED	Withdrawn 02 November 1943

O.I.C.	Lt. (P) H R N Barron RNVR 30 April 1943 Lt. Cdr. (A) (P) A.G. Mayhew RNVR 21 June 1943

FUNCTION	Reserve storage of up to 12 Swordfish (Erected) for possible use as replacement a/c for escort carriers on N. Atlantic convoy duties. Support of one disembarked squadron.

ADDRESS	R.N. Air Section RAF Station Kaldadarnes, Iceland
LOCALITY	The airfield lies on the southern banks of the Ülfus river, around 5 miles west of the town of Selfoss.
LANDMARKS	Straumsnes point which forms a large bend in the Ülfus river, lies ½ mile W. of the airfield on the river estuary. The town of Selfoss E. 5 miles (R).
ROAD AND RAIL ACCESS	Road to Reykjavík 41 miles (R). No railway.


CONTROL	Not known
ELEVATION	3' above M.S.L.
RUNWAYS	Three 10/29 QDM. 103°-287° .... 1083 x 50 yds. 17/35 QDM. 171°-351° .... 1014 X 50 yds. 23/05 QDM. 228°-052° .... 1416 x 50 yds.
TRACKS	Taxi track from the '10' end of runway 10/29 connects to all A/C pens, hangers and explosives area, terminating at the '35' end of runway 17/35.

OBSTRUCTIONS	Not known
APPROACH	Not known
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	Not known
APPROACH - RADIO	Not known
COMMUNICATION EQUIPMENT	M/F and H/F. - Not known VH/F - Not known
CALL SIGNS	Not known
GROUND RADAR	Not known

ACCOMMODATION

Capacity:

Officers:	6
Chiefs, P.O.s and ratings:	100
W.R.N.S. Officers:	None.
W.R.N.S. Chiefs, P.O.s and ratings;	None.

COMPASS BASE

One, size unknown.

DISPERSAL

13 pan-handle A/C standings disperse around the perimeter track.

HANGARS

2 on the SE. side of the landing area.

Number /Type	Size	Door Height	Door Width
2 x Type unkown	?	?	?

MEDICAL

Not known

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

Not known

EXPLOSIVES

Explosive area on SE. corner of the airfield accessed from taxi track near '35' end of runway 17/35.

BOMBING AND FIRING RANGES

None.

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

819

Torpedo, Bomber & Reconnaissance squadron

Disembarked from HMS ARCHER 05-06.05.43.

Equipped with Swordfish II

825

Torpedo, Bomber & Reconnaissance squadron

Disembarked from HMS PRETORIA CASTLE 29-30.09.43.

Equipped with 8 Swordfish II and 6 Sea Hurricanes.

892

Fighter squadron

Disembarked from HMS ARCHER 05-06.05.43.

Equipped with Martlet IVs.

With the arrival of the American built escort carriers Atlantic convoys were now covered by naval aircraft for the whole of the crossing, in order to replenish squadrons on these small carriers strategic reserves of replacement aircraft were established. In May 1943 Royal Naval Air Sections were established at USNAS Argentia, Newfoundland, and RAF Kaldadarnes, Iceland, to provide and maintain, in storage, a reserve of up to 12 Swordfish for possible use as replacement aircraft for escort carriers on N. Atlantic convoy duties. The Sections would also be able to support one disembarked squadron.

RN use of the airfield

R.N. Air Section Kaldadarnes, was commanded by Lt. Cdr. (A) (P) A.G. Mayhew RNVR under the administrative control of Admiral Commanding Iceland,. personnel serving on the section were be borne for pay and discipline on the books of H.M.S. 'BALDUR II'.

Kaldadarnes was chosen as a site for reserve aircraft storage only after an extensive search for an alternative site. The RAF was maintaining the station but no operational use was being made of it during 1943. The station's two hangers could accommodate 12 erected Swordfish, and up to 100 ratings and 6 officers could be accommodated on site. On May 5th a number of Swordfish were flown ashore from HMS ARCHER and were prepared for storage. ARCHER's squadrons also flew ashore for an overnight stop ; 819 TBR squadron with 9 Swordfish II & 3 Martlet IVs and 892 Fighter squadron equipped with 6 Martlet IVs. The only other recorded squadron use was 825 TBR squadron from HMS PRETORIA CASTLE which disembarked some of it's Swordfish and Sea Hurricanes 29-30th October.

RN Air Section withdrawn

By September the RAF were making plans to reduce the station to a Care & Maintenance status unless the Admiralty took over control of the site, this idea was rejected since little use had been made of the Air Section. It is assumed that both the R.N. Air Section sites, Kaldadarnes & Hvitanes were evacuated by HMS PRETORIA CASTLE and HMS FENCER on November 2nd.

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Additional sources:

Admiralty Fleet Orders:

Confidential Admiralty Fleet Orders: