Latitude 50°48'35"N  Longitude  10°12'25"W

   

ACQUISITION

Transferred from Air ministry to Admiralty control May 1939.

 

OPENED

24 May 1939

 

COMMISSIONED

24 May 1939 as DAEDALUS

01 November 1959 as ARIEL

05 October 1965 as DAEDALUS

 

PAID OFF

31 October 1960 as DAEDALUS

o5 October 1965 as ARIEL

29 March 1996 as DAEDALUS

 

CLOSED

 

 

O.I.C.

 

COMMANDING OFFICER

 Captain T Bulteel 25 May 1939

 Captain E. C. Thornton, DSC 17 Mar 1941

 Captain R. S. D. Armour  11 Apr 1942

 

Captain Captain D Newberry 1995

   

PARENT TO

RNAE Bedhampton Camp
RNATE Lympne

RNATE Newcastle-under-Lyme
RNAS Lawrenny Ferry

RNAS Sandbanks
 

FUNCTION

WW2:

No.3 Barracuda servicing Unit

No.1 Avenger Serving Unit

 

1948:

Headquarters of Flag Officer (Air).

 Headquarters of Flag Officer Ground Training (F.O.G.T.).

R.N. Barracks

Naval Air/Sea Warfare Development Unit

No. 781 Communications Squadron.

Flying Boat Base.

Conversion and Refresher Unit.

Southern F.R.U.

Customs and All-weather airfield.

Naval Air Signal School at Seafield Park.

 

1960:

 Air Electrical School.

Headquarters of the Flag Officer Air (Home).

No. 781 Communications Squadron.

Fleetlands Test Flying.

 

Customs Airfield. Units at Lee-on-Solent:-

Naval Air Radio Installation Unit.

Naval Aircraft Maintenance Development Unit.

Accident Investigation Unit.

Flight Deck Machinery Trials and Training Unit.

Management Development Unit.

Mobile Aircraft Repair, Transport and Salvage Unit.

 

Units at Seafield Park:—

Air Medical School.

Safety Equipment and Survival Training School.

Central Air Medical Board.

Naval Aircrew Advisory Board.

Naval Aircraft and Marine Examination Board.

 

Air Engineering School (from 1970)

Naval Hovercraft Trials Unit (from 1975)

 

ADDRESS

R.N. Air Station

Lee-0n-Solent

Gosport

Hampshire

 

 R.N. Barracks (H.M.S. "Daedalus"). R.N. Barracks, Lee-on-Solent, Hampshire.

LOCALITY

The airfield lies on the coast 4 miles WNW. of the entrance to Portsmouth Harbour, with Lee-on-Solent adjoining its SE. boundary. Gosport lies 21½ miles E. Southampton lies 8 miles NW.

 

LANDMARKS

The Isle of Wight lying 3½ miles SW. across the Solent. Portsmouth Town and Harbour and Southampton Water with Southampton at its head.

 

ROAD AND RAIL ACCESS

Main roads to Gosport, Southampton and Portsmouth, via Fareham. Stations at Gosport 4 miles (R) and at Fareham, distant ½ miles (R) NNE. on the Southern Railway.

   

 

   

CONTROL

Control on the SW. side of the landing area, outside the perimeter track.

Keeps watch o800—sunset or 1800, whichever is the earlier, Mondays to Fridays; o800-1200 on Saturdays; as required for night flying; as ordered by Flag Officer (Air) for essential commitments.

 

ELEVATION

 30' above M.S.L.

 

RUNWAYS

Three, tarmac.

                                                                 Extensibility
00/18 QDM. 178°/358° ....   975 X 50  yds.     2000

06/24 QDM. 056°/236° .... 1420 X 50  yds.    2000

11/29 QDM. 107°/287° .... 1,100 X 50  yds.     3000

Note: W. end of runway 11/29 to he curtailed in accordance with A.F.O. 3594/47.

 

Seaplane alighting area to W. of Slipway.

00/18 . . Q.D.M. 358°-187° . . 2950 yds.

06/24 . . Q.D.M. 056°-236° .. 2800 yds

11/29 . . Q.D.M. 107°-287° .. 2000 yds.

 

1960:

Three, tarmac.

 

35/17 QDM. 174°/354° ....   1000 X 50  yds

05/23 QDM. 054°/234° ....   1426 X 50  yds

01/29 Q.D.M. 104°-284° ..   1100 X 50  yds

 

 A light aircraft landing area in grass between runways 05/23 and 10/28 is marked with white ground strips. Concrete insert for jet aircraft at extremities of runway 05/23.

 

 Note 1. W. end of runway 10/28 and SW. end of runway 05/23 curtailed.

Note 2. Runway 05/23 is in continual use by jet and heavy twin aircraft. The international signal for two runways in use is displayed in the signals square kind on the Control Building mast when the duty runway is either 35/17 or 10/28.

Note 3. V.I.P. helicopter alighting area is indicated by a white letter " H " in front of the Control Tower. Note 4. Emergency arrester wires are fitted at both ends of the 05/23 runway and on runway 28. The wires at the upwind end of these runways are always set for emergency use by aircraft fitted with arrester hooks.

Note 5. R/W 05/23 and perimeter track north side of airfield strengthened up to L.C.N. 24 but limited to 100 Scimitar landings annually.

 

TRACKS

 40' perimeter track.

 

OBSTRUCTIONS

Navigation

W/T masts, 191' high, on Horsea Island in Portsmouth Harbour, distant 4 miles ENE.

1960:

 Additional - Fawley Oil Refinery chimneys 420' 5 miles 284° from Control Tower. Portsmouth Power Station ESE. 5 miles.

Circuit &;

 Lee-on-Solent Pier Tower (150') 2000 yards S. of centre of airfield.

Approach

 

 

APPROACH

Recommended sector, mean QDM 080˚˚

 

WIND INDICATOR

 Windsocks at the centre and on the W. side.
   
   

HOMING - VISUAL

By day:

By night:

 

Not known

Airfield beacon flashing L.S. (Red). Post-war  

HOMING--RADIO

D/F:

Beacon:

 

M/F, H/F and VH/F. U/HF added post war

YG, 251MS. and AN/CPN6. (YG only by 1960)

 

APPROACH - VISUAL

By day:  

Flarepath Type F. on 05/23 runway.

  By night:  

Portable Glim lamps and floodlights on on request.

Type G flarepath 05/23 runway by 1960
 

APPROACH - RADIO

VHF and UHF by 1960

 

COMMUNICATION EQUIPMENT

W/T and R/T:

6 transmitters, 8 receivers.

 

VHF:

6 transmitters, 6 receivers.

 

 

By 1960

 HF . . 6 channels.

VHF . . 5 channels.

Ulf F .. 4 channels.

 

 CALL SIGNS

 R/T .. SOLENT

W/T .. GZD

Identity Letters .. LP

 

GROUND RADAR

Not known 

 

   

ACCOMMODATION

Living Quarters adjacent SE ; (WW2) W.R.N.S. accommodation in requisitioned property in Lee-on-Solent - later purpose built block mar Victorious workshops.

 

Capacity:

1945

1950

1960

Officers:

277

152

103

Chiefs, P.O.s and ratings:

4,503

3.403

1303

W.R.N.S. Officers:

50

25

*

W.R.N.S.  Chiefs, P.O.s and ratings;

892

269

2107

*WRNS officers included in overall figure for Officers in 1960.

†Figure may include personnel held in RN Barracks.

 

ARMOURIES

To accommodate 4-6 squadrons. Main  armoury in technical site, small armoury in central airfield dispersal area near the 18 & 24 ends  of runways 00/18 and 06/24.

Small arms armoury near main gate.

 

COMPASS BASE

 Two, diameter 5o'.


1960:

 1 south side and 1 north side of airfiled. Diameters 60' and 70' respectively.

 

DISPERSAL

 10 A/c pens outside the perimeter track in the SW. portion.

 

HANGARS

Dispersed round the airfield.

 

Number /Type

Size

Door Height

Door Width

 1 Type "C"

 300' x 150'

 30'

 150'

 1 Type "C"

 250' x 120'

 30'

 120'

 2 Bellman

 187′ x105′

 25′

 105′

 12 Mains

 60' x70'

 17'

 55'

 8 Fromson

 70' x 60'

 20'

 55'

 1 A.R.S.

 250′ x 80′

 25'

 80′

 Note: In addition there are five old seaplane hangars near the slipway now used as workshops.

 

1960: 1 Type "C" *Swann hangar) no longer in use for aircraft, converted into gymnasium and theatre. A third Bellman on site.

Note.—The Bellman Hangar outer doors have been partially secured limiting their normal opening to 80'.
 

MEDICAL

 Sick bay among station buildings on the S. side.

 

METEOROLOGICAL

 Office in Control Building. Full service by Naval personnel.

 

FUEL AND OIL

Aviation:

1950

.72,000 in six installations.

 

AVGAS 1960

 36,000 gallons in three tanks (100/130 octane). 900 gallons in Bowser (115/145 octane) (while Skyraiders remain in use).

820 gallons in Bowser (73 octane).

 

AVCAT

1960

 36,000 gallons in three tanks.

 

M/T:

4,000 gallons.

 

Oil :

2,000 gallons in three installations.

 

   

 MOORINGS

 Two buoys.
 

 SLIPWAY

 A double slipway S. of the airfield, leads from the shore to a tarmac apron fronting the five old seaplane hangars.
 

TEST BASE

 Test base in centre of the airfield.

 

TEST BUTT

 M.G. 'test butt and 25 yd. range.

 

WORKSHOPS

 Workshops to special scale. Facilities and stowage for 80 torpedoes. Component workshops for Propellers and Aircraft hydraulic and pneumatic components.

 

VISITORS

 Visitors' parking area.

 

1960: Visitors' parking area (piston engine aircraft only) at rear of Control Tower. Jet and turbo prop aircraft park between Dunning and Swann Hangars South side of airfield, in front of No. 1 Bellman Hangar (NW. Dispersal) or on concrete area on the South side of the airfield. V.I.P. ,Parking area is in front of Control Tower.

 

EXPLOSIVES

Explosive store in H.E. corner of airfield adjacent 19 end of runway 18/00

 

BOMBING AND FIRING RANGES

None.

   

Information taken from BR.1807. Admiralty Handbook of Naval Air Stations Dec. 48 and March 1960

 

 

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

 

70H

 

 

70oW

 

 

701

 

 

702

 

 

703

 

 

705

 

 

708

 

 

710

 

 

712

 

 

716

 

 

728C

 

 

737X

 

 

739

 

 

748

 

 

752

 

 

753

 

 

754

 

 

760

 

 

783

 

 

764

Advance Seaplane Training Squadron

Formed here 08.04.1940.   Moved to RN Air Section RAF Pembroke Dock 03.07.1940.

Equipped with Walrus amphibians, Seafox and Swordfish floatplanes,

 

764B

 

 

765

 

 

770

 

 

771

 

 

772

 

 

773

 

 

776

 

 

778

 

 

780

 

 

781

 

 

782

 

 

783

 

 

784

 

 

787

 

 

793

 

 

798

 

 

799

 

 

800

 

 

801

 

 

802

 

 

803

 

 

804

 

 

805

 

 

807

 

 

808

Single Seat Fighter Squadron (Part of No. 3 Naval Fighter Wing)

Disembarked from HMS HUNTER 25.02.44 Moved to RNAS Henstridge 07.03.44

Moved here from RNAS Ayr 14.05.44

Joined Air Spotting Pool, 34 Reconnaissance Wing, 2nd Tactical Air Force for D-Day operations.

Moved to RNAS Ayr 04.o8.44

Equipped with Seafire L.III

 

809

 

 

810

 

 

811

 

 

812

 

 

813

 

 

814

 

 

815

 

 

816

 

 

817

 

 

818

 

 

819

 

 

820

 

 

821

 

 

822

 

 

823

 

 

824

 

 

825

 

 

826

 

 

827

 

 

828

 

 

829

 

 

830

 

 

831

 

 

832

 

 

833

 

 

835

 

 

836

 

 

837

 

 

841

 

 

842

 

 

845

 

 

847

 

 

848

 

 

849

 

 

849B

 

 

850

 

 

854

 

 

855

 

 

878

 

 

881

 

 

884

 

 

885

Single Seat Fighter Squadron (Part of No. 3 Naval Fighter Wing)

Reformed here 15.02.44. Moved to RNAS St. Merryn 19.02.44

Moved here from RNAS Ayr 15.05.44

.Joined Air Spotting Pool, 34 Reconnaissance Wing, 2nd Tactical Air Force for D-Day operations.

Absorbed 886 squadron.19.07.44

Moved to RNAS Ballyhalbert 04.06,44

Equipped with Seafire L.III

 

886

Single Seat Fighter Squadron (Part of No. 3 Naval Fighter Wing)

Moved here from RNAS Burscough 25.02.44. Moved to RNAS Henstridge 11.03.44

Moved here from RAF Station Dundonald 20.05.44

.Joined Air Spotting Pool, 34 Reconnaissance Wing, 2nd Tactical Air Force for D-Day operations.

Disbanded here 19.07.44 Absorbed into 885 squadron.

Equipped with Seafire L.III

 

 

887

 

 

888

 

 

891

 

 

892

 

 

894

 

 

895

 

 

897

Single Seat Fighter Squadron (Part of No. 3 Naval Fighter Wing)

Moved here from RNAS Charlton Horethorne 22.03.43. Moved to RNAS St. Merryn 05.05.43

Moved here from RNAS Dale 26.02.44. Moved to RNAS Henstridge 02.03.44

Moved here from RAF Station Dundonald 06.05.44

.Joined Air Spotting Pool, 34 Reconnaissance Wing, 2nd Tactical Air Force for D-Day operations.

Disbanded here 15.07.44 Absorbed into 885 squadron.

Equipped with Seafire L.III

 

1700

 Air Sea Rescue (ASR) squadron

Formed here 01.11.1944. Embarked in HMS KHEDIVE (via RNAS Belfast) 08.01.1945.

Equipped with 6 Sea Otter II.

 

1701

 Air Sea Rescue (ASR) squadron

Formed here 01.02.1945. Embarked in HMS BEGUM (via RNAS Belfast) 17.04.1945.

Equipped with 6 Sea Otter II.

 

1702

 Air Sea Rescue (ASR) squadron

Formed here  01.06.1945. Embarked in HMS TROUNCER (via RNAS Belfast) 05.09.1945.

Equipped with 6 Sea Otter II.

 

1703

 Air Sea Rescue (ASR) squadron

Formed here 01.08.1945. Disbanded here 18.09.1945

Equipped with 6 Sea Otter II.6

 

1791

 

 

1792

 

 

1831

 

 

 

 

 

PAGE UNDER CONSTRUCTION

 

 

Click here for a list of Primary sources


Additional sources:

 

Admiralty Fleet Orders:

 

Confidential Admiralty Fleet Orders:

 

 

 

 

1939 - 1959 & 1965 - 1996


 

INVISIBILIS QUERO

(UNSEEN I SEEK)

1959 - 1965

 

 


 

Lee-on-Solent in 1947.
 

 

 

RNAS Lee-on-Solent c.1945.
 

 

 

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