AIRFIELDSSEAPLANE STATIONSBALLOON STATIONSAIRSHIP STATIONS

AIRSHIP SUB STATIONSCOMBINED STATIONS

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The idea for this slideshow is based on the map on the left produced by the

Fly Navy Heritage Trust.

One hundred years of Royal Naval Air Stations.

Maps used in our production are prior to the 1974 boundary changes.

While every care has been taken in the preparation of this slideshow,

accuracy cannot be guaranteed.

Royal Naval Air Stations Over The Past 100 Years

The Admiralty ordered its first airship on 7 May 1909 and it is from this single standing point that naval aviation progressed so rapidly. The first four naval pilots learned to fly on the Isle of Sheppey in 1911, home of the first Royal Naval Air Station at Eastchurch. Once their wings had been awarded, naval pilots put their new skills to use very quickly. The Fleet experienced its first take offs and landings to mention just one aspect of aerial warfare and by the end of World War 1 in 1918 the Royal Naval Air Service could boast 67,000 officers and men, 2949 aircraft, 103 airships and 126 coastal stations.

Many of these coastal or naval air stations along with those that came into being during World War 2 still exist today, a few still in use by the Royal Navy. Others have become civil airports or have been taken over by the RAF and Army whilst some have, sadly, fallen into disuse and either left to fall down or have become industrial estates, business parks, leisure facilities or supermarkets; one has even become a reservoir. The Fly Navy Heritage Trust has identified and is keen to identify even more of these former sites and to formally designate them as Naval Aviation Heritage Sites.

Gill Charles2010

1 Ross & Cromarty

1

Kirkcudbrightshire

Aberdeenshire

BanffshireMorayshireNairn

2

2Inverness-shire

Caithness

Sutherland

2

Stirlingshire.

3

3

Argyllshire

Perthshire

Angus

Kincardineshire

2

2

3

Lanarkshire

Renfrewshire

Fife

Pee

bles

Berwickshire

East Lothian Mid Lothian

Ayrshire

Dumfries

RoxburhshireSelki

rk

Wigtown

HMS Owl Fearn/Evanton, Ross-shire

1942-1946 Transferred from RAF

HMS Fieldfare Evanton Ross-shire

1920-1946 RNAS lodger between the wars

HMS Tern II, Skeabrae, Dounreay, Hatston11944 – 1954. To Air Ministry 1954

HMS Tern, Twatt, Orkney 1942-1946. Satellite to Sparrowhawk 1941 Smoogroo, Scapa Flow

1915-1919

HMSSparrowhawk, Hatston, Orkney 1939-1945,

Became Tern II

HMS Robin, GrimsetterKirkwall, Orkney

1943-1945, Ex RAF - tender toSparrowhawk

- back to RAF

HMS FulmarLossiemouth

1946-1972 Ex RAF and returned to RAF

HMS Fulmar IIMilltown

1946-1972 Ex RAF and returned to RAF – satellite of Fulmar

HMS Merganser Crimmond/Rattery

1944-1946 Known as Crimmond until

1945 then Rattery

HMS Condor, Arbroath, Angus, 1940-1970,

Became RM Barracks

HMS Peewit East Haven

Angus1943-1946

Was to have been named Dotterel

Leuchers Fife 1914-1918

Then to RAF - lodger basis

1935-38 & 1972-79

3

3

3

3

HMS Jackdaw II Dunino, Fife 1942-1946

Ex RAF

HMS Jackdaw Crail, Fife 1940-1947

RNAS

HMS Merlin Donibristle, Fife 1917-18,1939-59

Ex RAF between the wars

HMS Nighthawk Drem/MacMerry, E Lothian

1945-1946 Tender to Merlin - on loan from

RAF and both returned

Turnhouse, Midlothian -1918

RNAS - RAF lodger 1942-1944

DNB - DunbartonshireCLK - ClackmannanshireKRS - Kinross-shireWL - West Lothian

DNB

KRSCLK

WL

Orkneys

HMS Gannet Prestwick, Ayr

1971-Lodger airfield 1940/41

HMS Wagtail Heathfield, Ayr

1944-1946 Transferred from RAF on loan

HMS Landrail Campbeltown

1940-1941 Civil airport requisitioned

by Air Ministry

HMS Landrail II Campbeltown

1941-1945

HMS Sanderling Abbotsinch 1943-1963 Lodger basis from 1939

-transferred from RAF - to Min of Av

Airfields

1Ross & Cromarty

1

Ross &

Cro

mar

ty

Kirkcudbrightshire

Aberdeenshire

Banffs

hireMorayshire

Nairn

2

2 Inverness-shire

Caithness

Sutherland

2

Stirlingshire

DNB - DunbartonshireCLK - ClackmannanshireKRS - Kinross-shireWL - West Lothian

DNB

3

3

Argyllshire

Perthshire

Angus

Kincardineshire

2

2

3

Lanarkshire

Renfrewshire

Fife

CLKKRS

WL

Peeb

les

Berwickshire

East LothianMid Lothian

Ayrshire

Dumfries

RoxburhshireSelkirk

Wigtown

3

3

3

Orkneys SeaplaneBalloonAirship

Airship Sub Stations

Catfirth Zetland,

Shetlands -1918 RNAS

Caldale Scapa Flow1915-1919

North Queensferry Forth

1917-1918 Balloon station

Houton Bay, Scapa Flow 1915-1919

Was also Kite Balloon Station

Steness, Scapa Flow 1915-1919

Strathbeg Aberdeen

-1918

Longside Aberdeen 1915-1918

East Fortune East Lothian

1916-1918 RNAS

Luce Bay Wigtownshire

1916-1918 RNAS

Rosyth Forth

1917-1918

HMS Condor II Dundee, Scotland

1941-1944

Hawkscraig, Fife 1912-1919

RNAS - Seaplane station

Auldbar, Angus, 1917-1918,

To RAF

1Ross & Cromarty

1

Ross &

Cro

mar

ty

Kirkcudbrightshire

Aberdeenshire

Banffs

hireMorayshire

Nairn

2

2 Inverness-shire

Caithness

Sutherland

2

Stirlingshire

DNB - DunbartonshireCLK - ClackmannanshireKRS - Kinross-shireWL - West Lothian

DNB

3

3

Argyllshire

Perthshire

Angus

Kincardineshire

2

2

3

Lanarkshire

Renfrewshire

Fife

CLKKRS

WL

Peeb

les

Berwickshire

East LothianMid Lothian

Ayrshire

Dumfries

RoxburhshireSelkirk

Wigtown

3

3

3

Orkneys

Swarbacks MinnScapa Flow1915-1919

RNAS***

HMS Campania Scapa Flow 1914-1918

Used as Scapa seaplane base, sunk in 1918

Scapa Bay Scapa Flow 1915-1919

RNAS***

HMS Icarus Houton Bay

Scapa/Caldale 1917-1918

Central depot for air services Orkney

Rattray, Aberdeen WW1 RNAS

***HMS Rattray

Crimond 1945-1946

Ex Merganser

HMS DotterelEast Haven, Angus

1943Original name selected but opened as Peewit

***Stannergate

Dundee, 1914-1918

RN seaplane site

HMS Bruce Crail, Fife 1947-1949

Ex Jackdaw - listed as reserve air station until at

least 1960***

Leven, Fife 1913

Naval airfield and camp***

HMS Merlin III Dunino, Fife 1945

Ex HMS Jackdaw II

Roxburgh, Kelso, Roxburgshire

WW2 Transferred to Air

Ministry 1942

HMS Siskin Dounreay, Caithness

1944 Ex RAF transferred to

RN but little used

Lossiemouth Morayshire WW1

RNAS - Combined station

Banff, Morayshire   Lent to RNAS for bombing 1947

- presumably Lossiemouth

Fort George Cromarty 1912-1915

RNAS - Closed 1916

Inchinnan Renfrewshire

WW1 RNAS

HMS Sanderling II Macrihanish

1946 Landrail paid off and re commissioned as tender to Sanderling

***HMS Landrail

Strabane/Machrihanish 1941 -1963

Strabane replaced by Machrihanish -

Transferred to Air Min***

Macrihannish Argyll

1915-1918 RNAS

***HMS Waterrail Campbeltown  

RNAS Campbeltown was Landrail?

Lerwick Shetlands 1915-1918

RNAS - To RAF

Additional Information…

Northumberland

CumberlandDurham

Yorkshire

1Lancashire

Cheshire

Der

bysh

ire

Not

tingh

amsh

ire

Lincolnshire

Shropshire

Wes

tmor

elan

d

Staffordshire

Leice

ster

shire

RUT

RUT – RutlandHUN – HuntingdonshireBDF – BedfordshireMDX - Middlesex

HUN

Ca

mbr

idge

shire Norfolk

Suffolk

EssexW

orce

ster

shire

Her

efor

dshi

re

Kent

Gloucestershire

Oxfordshire

Berkshire

Buc

kin

gha

msh

ire

MDX

London

Sussex

1

Hertfo

rdsh

ire

BDFNor

tham

pton

shire

War

wic

kshi

re

Surrey

Hampshire

Wiltshire

IOM

IOW

DorsetDevonshire

Cornwall

Somerset

Airfields Part 1From Northumberland across to

Lancashire, to Berkshire in the south.

New Haggerston, Northumberland

WW1, RNASSeahouses

Northumberland WW1, RNAS

Ashington Northumberland

WW1, RNAS

Tynemouth Northumberland

1918, RNASSeaton Carew ,Co Durham

WW1, RNASRedcar, Co Durham

1916-1918 RNAS

HMS NuthatchAnthorn, Cumberland

1944-1960, RN lodger unit 1940 - NATO radio

station from 1964

HMS UrleyRonaldsway,

IOM1944-1946

Ex civil airport

HMS Nightjar,Inskip, Lancs,

1943-1946 Originally called RNAS Elswick

- later became radio station

HMS Ringtail Burscough, Ormskirk

1943-1946 RNAS

HMS Ringtail II, Woodvale, Formby

1945-1946 Ex RAF on indefinite loan HMS Blackcap

Stretton, Lancs 1942-1958

Facilities no longer required by RAF, transferred to RN

HMS Godwit Ollerton/Hinstock, Salop

1942-1947 Known as Ollerton until 1943

then as Hinstock HMS Godwit II

Peplow/Weston Park, Salop 1945-1949

Ex RAF - satellite landing ground at Weston Park

West Ayton, YorkshireWW1, RNAS

Atwick, Yorkshire1914-1918

RNAS

Owthorne , Yorks, 1917, RNASGreenland Top

Lincs 1914-1918

RNAS

North Coates, Lincolnshire 1915-1918

RAF lodger 1940-41Holt , Norfolk

1916-1918 RNAS - Night landing ground

Bacton, Norfolk 1916-1918

Night landing ground

HMS Flycatcher Ludham, Norfolk

1944-1945 Returned to RAF in 1945,

exchanged for Middle Wallop

Pulham, Norfolk 1916-1918

RNAS - Airship station

Covehithe, Suffolk 1916-1918

RNAS

HMS Sparrowhawk Halesworth, Suffolk

1945-1946 Transferred from RAF and returned to them

Aldeburgh ,Suffolk RNAS

1916-1918

Butley, Suffolk WW1 RNAS

Became RAF Bentwaters then to USAF

HMS Gamecock Bramcote, Nuneaton

1943-1959 Ex RAF - transferred to Army

(Royal Artillery)

HMS HornbillCulham, Berkshire

1944 – 1953

Bush Barn Berkshire 1944-1945

Out station airfield for Kestrel

Chingford Essex

1913-1918 RNAS - Now a reservoir

Northumberland

CumberlandDurham

Yorkshire

1Lancashire

Cheshire

Der

bysh

ire

Not

tingh

amsh

ire

Lincolnshire

Shropshire

Wes

tmor

elan

d

Staffordshire

Leice

ster

shire

RUT

RUT – RutlandHUN – HuntingdonshireBDF – BedfordshireMDX - Middlesex

HUN

Ca

mbr

idge

shire

Norfolk

Suffolk

EssexW

orce

ster

shire

Her

efor

dshi

re

Kent

Gloucestershire

Oxfordshire

Berkshire

Buc

kin

gha

msh

ire

MDX

London

Sussex

1

Hertfo

rdsh

ire

BDFNor

tham

pton

shire

Wa

rwic

kshi

re

Surrey

HampshireWiltshire

IOM

IOW

DorsetDevonshire

Cornwall

Somerset

Airfields Part 2From the South East across

to the South West

Predannock, Cornwall 1958-

Satellite to RNAS Culdrose

HMS SeahawkCuldrose, Cornwall

1947- Was to have been

named Chough

HMS Vulture, St Merryn, Cornwall

1940-1953 Renamed Curlew

in 1953

RNAS Trevose Head Padstow, Cornwall

1917-1918

HMS Vulture II Treligga, Cornwall

1916-1918 RNAS

Westward Ho, Devon WW1 RNAS

Prawle PointDevon

1917-1918 RNAS

HMS Heron II Haldon, Devon

1941-1946 Ex RAF

Merryfield, Somerset 1958-60,1972-

RNAS out field for Heron

- also RAF Merryfield

HMS Heron, Yeovilton Somerset

1940- RAF Merrifield used

as satellite

HMS Heron II Charlton Horthorne

1942-1945 To RAF in exchange for Zeals

HMS Dipper Henstridge, Somerset

1941-1946 Early 1950's re-opened

as satellite to Heron

Chickerell ,Dorset WW1

RNAS and between the wars

Bembridge Isle of Wight

WW1 RNAS

HMS Humming Bird Zeals, Wiltshire

1945-1946 Ex RAF

HMS Flycatcher Middle Wallop,

Hants 1945-1946 HQ MONAB

Org.- returned to RAF

HMS Raven Eastleigh, Southampton

1939-1947 Included lodger facilities at

RAF Christchurch

HMS Kestrel Worthy Down , Hampshire

1939-1952 Ex RAF - included airfields at Bush Barn, Haslemere, Jersey

HMS Siskin Gosport, Hants

1945-1956 Was to have been

named Woodpecker, lent by RAF originally

HMS Peregrine Ford, Sussex 1939-1958

Ex RAF - returned 1940 with RN as lodger - back to RN 1945

Telscombe Cliffs,Sussex

WW1

Cowdray Park, Sussex 1941

Out station airfield for Daedalus

HMS Buzzard Lympne, Kent

1939 Ex 22 Gp RAF - handed back to RAF May 1940

Dover Kent 1916-1919

Also RNAS Guston

Walmer Kent -1918 RNASEastchurch, Sheppey

1913-1918 RNAS

Northumberland

CumberlandDurham

Yorkshire

1Lancashire

Cheshire

Der

bysh

ire

Not

tingh

amsh

ire

Lincolnshire

Shropshire

Wes

tmor

elan

d

Staffordshire

Leice

ster

shire

RUT

RUT – RutlandHUN – HuntingdonshireBDF – BedfordshireMDX - Middlesex

HUN

Ca

mbr

idge

shire

Norfolk

Suffolk

EssexW

orce

ster

shire

Her

efor

dshi

re

Kent

Gloucestershire

Oxfordshire

Berkshire

Buc

kin

gha

msh

ire

MDX

London

Sussex

1

Hertfo

rdsh

ire

BDFNor

tham

pton

shire

Wa

rwic

kshi

re

Surrey

Hampshire

Wiltshire

IOM

IOWDorsetDevonshire

Cornwall

Somerset

SeaplaneBalloonAirship

CombinedAirship Sub Stations Ramsay

Isle of Man WW1

Chathill Northumberland

WW1 RNAS

Kirkleathan Yorks WW1 RNAS

Lowthorpe Yorks WW1 RNAS

Seaton Carew Co Durham

WW1

Hornsea Mere Yorks

1915-1919, to close 1919 and

transferredto Killingholme

Howden Yorks

1915-1918 RNAS - Airship station Killingholme Haven , Lincs

1914-1918 To USN 1918 - vacated by USN 1919

- RAF station WW2

Immingham Lincolnshire1916-1918

Cranwell Lincs

1915-1918 Transferred to RAF

Hickling Broad Norfolk

1916-1918

South Denes Great Yarmouth, Norfolk

1911-1918 Lowestoft

SuffolkWW1

Shotley Suffolk

1912-1919

Felixstowe Harwich Suffolk

1912-1918 Seaplane station- Became radio station in 1920

Isle of Grain,Medway

1911-1918 Sheerness

Medway 1912-1919

Not required by Air MinistryKingsnorth,Kent 1912-1918 RNAS

Westgate, Kent 1916Dover/Marine, Kent

WW1

Capel Nr. Folkestone,

Kent 1915-1920

RNAS

Godmersham Park Kent

WW1 West Mersham

Kent WW1

Polegate,Sussex 1916-1918 Transferred from Dover

to Portsmouth Command 1917

NewhavenSussex

1917-1919 RNAS

Bembridge Harbour Isle of Wight

1916-1918

HMS Daedalus II Sandbanks, Dorset

1940-1943

HMS Osprey (Sarepta) Portland, Dorset

1916-1918 To RAF as seaplane base

- closed 1919

Upton, Dorset WW1

Bridport, Dorset 1917-1918

RNAS Lands End Newlyn, Cornwall

1917-1918To RAF

Mullion Cornwall 1915-1918

To RAF - First known as

Lizard Airship

Bude Cornwall 1915-1918

To RAF 1918-1919 - out station to Mullion

Merifield, Cornwall 1919

At Wilcove with detachment at Torquay

Laira, DevonWW1

Sub station for Mullion

Tresco, Nr New Grimsby, Scilly Is

1917-1918 Transferred to RAF

St Mary's Scilly Is 1917-1918 RNAS

Cattewater Laira, Plymouth

1918

Torquay Devon 1918

Calshot, Hants 1913-1918

To RAF between the wars

HMS Daedalus Lee-on-Solent,

Hants 1917-18,1939-96

39 back from RAF - renamed Daedalus 1965 ex Ariel

Tipner , Portsmouth -1918

Balloon station -Closed 1919 and not

-required by Air Ministry

Slindon, Sussex WW1

Richmond Park Surrey WW1

Northumberland

CumberlandDurham

Yorkshire

1Lancashire

Cheshire

Der

bysh

ire

Not

tingh

amsh

ire

Lincolnshire

Shropshire

Wes

tmor

elan

d

Staffordshire

Leice

ster

shire

RUT

RUT – RutlandHUN – HuntingdonshireBDF – BedfordshireMDX - Middlesex

HUN

Ca

mbr

idge

shire

Norfolk

Suffolk

EssexW

orce

ster

shire

Her

efor

dshi

re

Kent

Gloucestershire

Oxfordshire

Berkshire

Buc

king

ham

shire

MDX

London

Sussex

1

Hertfo

rdsh

ire

BDFNor

tham

pton

shire

Wa

rwic

kshi

re

Surrey

Hampshire

Wiltshire

IOM

IOW

DorsetDevonshire

Cornwall

Somerset

Fairlop, Essex 1913-1918

Sub station to Chingford - Now a Leisure Centre

***

Chelmsford, Essex 1915-1918

RNAS

Barlow Nr Selby, Yorkshire

1916-1920 Airship construction station

RNAS***

Scarborough Yorkshire 1915-1916

RNAS

Cramlington Northumberland WW1 RNAS not

completed ***

Whitley Bay Northumberland

1916 RNAS

Cardington, Cambs WW1 RNAS

Sedgeford Norfolk 1915-1917

Night landing ground-To RFC 1917

***Narborough Norfolk

1912 -1916 To War Office - later

became RAF Marham-***

Burgh Castle Norfolk -1918 Night landing

ground - RNAS

HMS Hornbill II Beccles/Halesworth, Suffolk

1945-1953 Ex RAF - lodger facilities

Stratford London 1917-1918

To be Admiralty Establishment

***HMS Victory VI

Crystal Palace, London 1918 RNAS

***Roehampton London

1918 RNAS

***Wormwood Scrubs London 1915-1917

RNAS

HMS Pembroke II Eastchurch,

Sheppey 1913-1918 Transferred to RAF

*** Folkestone Kent

1915-1918 RNAS - Also naval base during WW1 -

closed 1919 ***

HMS Bluebird III Folkestone, Kent

1942-1944 Ex Air Sea Rescue

Folkestone ***

Wittersham, Kent WW1 RNAS

***Ramsgate, Kent

1914-1918 RNAS

Lympne Kent 1914-1918

RNAS***

HMS Daedalus II Lympne, Kent

1939-1940 EX RAF and

transferred back to them

***Rochford, Kent

WW1 Transferred to War

Office 1916 ***

Detling Maidstone, Kent 1916-1918 to

Military 1917-RAF lodger 1940-

1941 - RNAS

HMS Ariel II (Culcheth) Warrington, Lancs J

ul-Dec1952 RNAS

***Barrow in Furness

Lancs 1916-1918

RNAS ***

Ramsay Isle of Man

WW1 Airship sub station

HMS Humming Bird, Zeals, Wiltshire

WW1 RNAS

***Stonehenge Wiltshire

1918 RNAS

Mount Batten, Plymouth 1917-1918 To RAF - Used by RN

between wars***

Teignmouth Devon 1940 RNAS

***RNAS Tregantle Ft

Plymouth 1917 RNAS

***Tregantle & Withnoe

Plymouth 918

RNAS

HMS Heron II Henstridge Marsh Som. 1941-1957

Commissioned as HMS Dipper - tender to Heron Eastcote,

Ruislip WW1 RNAS

Fort Grange Gosport,Hants

1914-1918 RNAS - Became No 1 Naval Air Squadron

*** HMS Ariel Worthy Down

, Hampshire Jul 1952-1959

Transferred from Warrington

***HMS Daedalus III

Lee/Bedhampton, Hants 1943-1947

Also release centre - known as Bedhampton

Camp***

Arnold House Farnborough, Hants

1912-1918 RNAS

HMS Woodpecker Gosport, Hants

1945 Name proposed for RNAS Gosport but Siskin used instead

***HMS Ariel

Lee-on-Solent, Hants 1959-1965

Daedalus renamed Ariel when ground

training moved there

***Lee-on-Solent Portsmouth

-1918 RNAS

***Gosport Portsmouth

-1918 RNAS 

Lands End Nr St Just, Cornwall

1940 Temporary RNAS

HMS Curlew St Merryn, Cornwall

1953-1956 Transferred to Air

Ministry

HMS Chough Culdrose, Cornwall 1944-1947 Name whilst under

construction, changed on completion

Moreton, Dorset WW1

RNAS - Not completed

Additional Information…

Anglesey

Mer

ione

thsh

ire

Glamorgan

Cardiganshire

Montgomeryshire

Denbighshire

Caernarvonshire

Flintshire

BrecknokCarmarthenshire

Pembr

okes

hire

Radnorshire

Monm

outhshire

Conway Anglesey

1916 RNAS

Bangor Caernarvonshire

WW1 RNAS

Pembroke Dock Pembrokeshire

WW1

Milford Haven Pembrokeshire

1916

HMS Daedalus II Lawrenny Ferry, Pembsrokeshire

1942-1943 Ex RAF and detached from Pembroke dock

Fishguard ,Pembs 1917-1918

RNAS

HMS Goldcrest Dale, Pembrokeshire

1943-1948 From Angle to Ex RAF Station

- became Harrier in 1948

HMS Goldcrest Brawdy,

Pembrokeshire 1952-1971

Ex Goldcrest II - transferred to RAF

HMS St David Pembs

1947-1961 Relief airfield for Brawdy

AirfieldsSeaplaneBalloonAirship

HMS Goldcrest Angle, Pembs

1943 Ex RAF and transferred back

to RAF***

HMS Goldcrest II Brawdy, Pembs

1946-1952 Ex RAF - Satellite to

Goldcrest (Dale)

AdditionalInformation…

Carlow

Lough Neough

Armagh

DownFermanagh

Tyrone

AntrimLondonderry

Galway

Roscommon

Mayo

Sligo

CavanLeitrim

Monaghan

Donegal

Laois

KilkennyTipperary

Wexford

Waterford

CorkKerry

Limerick

Clare

Longford

Westmeath

Louth

Meath

Dublin

Wicklow

KildareOffaly

AirfieldsBalloon

Airship Sub Stations

HMS Corncrake Ballyhalbert, Co. Down

1945 Transferred to RAF in 1946 with

RN lodger facilities

HMS Corncrake II Kirkistown, Co. Down

1945-1946 On loan from RAF

HMS Gadwall Sydenham,1943-1946

Ex RAF Became Gannet III

HMS Pintail Nutts Corner, Crumlin

1945-1946 From RAF - to RAF transport

command

HMS Shrike Maydown, Co .Down

1943-1945 Ex RAF - became Gannet II

HMS Gannet Eglinton, Co. Londonderry

1943-1959 Lent by RAF, transferred to RN 1947,

reopened as Sea Eagle

HMS Mermaid Co. Dublin 1916-1919

Closed 1919

Malahide Co. Dublin

WW1 RNAS

Larne Co. Antrim 1916-1918

RNAS

Ballyliffan Co. Donegal

WW1 RNAS

Rathmullan Co. Donegal

-1918

Killeagh Co. Cork

WW1 RNAS

Queenstown Co. Cork

WW1 Used by USN not returned 1919

closed 1921 ***

Whiddy Island Co. Cork

WW1 Used by USN

Lough Foyle Co. Donegal

1915-1919 RNAS

Lough Neough N Ireland

WW1 RNAS Not completed

HMS Mermaid Dublin

1916-1919 Closed 1919

Wexford Ireland WW1

Used by USN

HMS Gannet II Sydenham, Co. Antrim

1946-1973 Ex HMS Gadwall - to RAF

HMS Gannet II Maydown,

Londonderry1945-1953 Ex HMS Shrike

*** HMS Sea Eagle

Eglinton, Co Londonderry

1959-1970 Ex Gannet

***HMS Sealion

Ballykelly , Londonderry  RNAS Ballykelly

(Sea Eagle?)

Additional Information…

Under the Government of Ireland Act 1920, "Home Rule" institutions were created in two divisions of Ireland, 26 counties forming Southern Ireland and six counties forming Northern Ireland. This partition was copper fastened by the 1922 Anglo-Irish Treaty, under which Ireland left the United Kingdom, Northern Ireland rejoining two days later. Southern Ireland, which had never functioned as a separate entity, became the Irish Free State, now the Republic of Ireland.

Royal Naval Air Stations throughout the rest of the world.

Researched and compiled by Gill Charles.

Mobile Naval Operating Air Bases, MONABs, were a series of mobile, self-contained units able to repair, and prepare for service, aircraft, engines, and components as required for ships of the British Pacific Fleet. Each were initially assembled at the MONAB HQ at HMS Flycatcher (Ludham then Middle Wallop). In total 10 MONABS were established and one Transportable Aircraft Maintenance Yard (TAMY)

HMS Seaborn Dartmouth, Nova Scotia 1939-1946

Pre-war RCAF station - transferred to RCN---

HMS Saker Dartmouth, Nova Scotia 1941-1942

Ex Seaborn

RNAS Saker Brunswick Maine

1943-1945 RN/USN

HMS Moga Jamaica 1943-1944

RNAS

HMS Buzzard Kingston, Jamaica

1940-1945 Naval Base became HMS Morgan, RNAS remained Buzzard

HMS Goshawk Piarco, Trinidad

1940-1946 Originally known as

Malabar II

HMS Cormorant II Gibraltar 1940-1944

RAF North Front, transferred to RN then back to RAF

HMS Force Profit Iceland 1940

Comprised aircraft at Iceland - on

books Daedalus

Murmansk Russia 1914-1917

Transferred to Royal Marines 1917

HMS Wara ,Komenda Takoraal,

G. Coast 1942-1943 RNAS

Hyeres Toulon France

1940 - RNAS

Dunkirk France

1916-1918 Closed 1919 - RNAS

Boulogne France

1915-1919 RNAS

Cherbourg,France

1917-1918 RNAS

VendomeLa Rochelle

1918 RNAS

RNAS Calafrana, Malta 1916-1919

To RAF - Seaplane base---

HMS Falcon Hal Far, Malta 1946-1965

Ex RAF- Shore base for a/c of Med Fleet 1923-RN use WW2

---HMS Goldfinch Takali, Malta

1943-1953 Civil airport pre WW2

---RNAS Kalafrana, Malta

1946-1965 To Air Ministry

HMS Eleusis Maleme, Crete WW2 RNAS

---RNAS Imbros Aegean

1917-1919 Abandoned and then

closed in 1919

HMS Grebe, Dekheila, Alexandria 1940-1946

Returned to Egytian control in 1946

Gibraltar 1915-1918 Seaplane base - To RAF Kite Balloon

station evacuated 1919

St Pol, France 1917 RNAS

HMS Spurwing, Hastings, Sierra Leone 1943-1944

Transferred from RAF

RNAS Tafar Oui Oran 1943

Under Cormorant II

Marquise France

1915-1919 RNAS

HMS Queen II Taranto, S. Italy

1917-1918 Parent Ship

RNAS Southern Italy at Pizzone

RNAS ‘The Rest of the World’PART 1

Langata Nairobi, Kenya

WW2 RNAS

HMS Kipanga II Voi, Pt. Reitz,

Mackinnon Rd 1942-1944/45

RNAS

HMS Kipanga Killindini, Kenya

1942-1944 Depot for RN air

personnel ashore in East Africa

HMS Rapax, Hiswa, Aden 1944-1945

RNAS at RAF Station HMS Maraga

Addu Atoll 1944-1946

RNAS

HMS Vairi, Sular, Coinbatore, India

1944-1946 Transferred from RAF

HMS Bambara Trincomalee, Ceylon

1944-1947 Transferred to RAF 1951 - known as RNAS Trinco

RNAS Kantali Ceylon 1944-1950

Returned to RAF

HMS Flycatcher Kai Tak, Hong Kong

1947 Ex Nabcatcher (MONAB VIII)

---HMS Nabcatcher

Middle Wallop/Kai Tak, Hong Kong 1945-1947 MONAB VIII

HMS Rajaliya Puttalam, Ceylon

1943-1945 Transferred to local

civil authority

HMS Nabaron Ludham/Manus, Adm Is

1944-1945

MONAB IV

HMS Kilele, Tanga, Tanganyika

1942-1945 RNAS

HMS London Zanzibar -1918

Closed 1919 - given in exchange for Heligoland

in 1890

HMS Bherunda Colombo, Ceylon

1943-1945 Was Colombo racecourse,

RAF Station taken over by RNHMS Malagas

Wingfield/Wynberg, SA 1942-1946

Ex Union Government airfield which was

developed HMS Ukussa

Katakurunda, Ceylon 1942-1946

RNAS

HMS Sheathbill Pt San Carlos,

Falkland Is 1982 Unofficial name for

Forward Operating Base

HMS RajawaliMorib, Malaya

1941-1942 ---

Sembawang Malaya 1940-1971

RNAS ---

RNAS Selangor Malaya

WW2

HMS Nabstock Middle Wallop/Marybrough

1945-1946

MONAB VI

HMS Nabberley Ludham/Bankstown, Sydney 1944-1946

MONAB II---

HMS Nabthorpe Ludham/Schofields, NSW

1944-1945

MONAB III

HMS Nabswick Ludham/Jervis Bay/Nowra

1944-1946

MONAB V

Morib Malaya WW2 RNAS

HMS Albatross Nowra, New South Wales

1944-1946 Used by Nabbington &

Nabswick then to RAAF & RAAN

---HMS Nabbington

Ludham/Nowra, NSW 1944-1945

MONAB I

HMS Nasar Sembawang, Singapore. 1941-1942, RNAS

---HMS Simbang Sembawang, Singapore 1945-1971 Administration transferred to ANZAV Force 1971

---HMS Nasar

Sembawang, Singapore. 1941-1942, RNAS

HMS Nabreekie Middle Wallop/Meeandah

1945

MONAB VII

RNAS ‘The Rest of the World’PART 2

Compiled on behalf of Cloud Observers by MIS 2010

Acknowledgements

‘Shore Establishments of the Royal Navy’ by Lieutenant Commander Ben Warlow R.N.

Fly Navy Heritage Trust.

Research and Map of the World - GWC