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ACQUISITION |
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COMMISSIONED |
10.08.1940 as 'VULTURE
15.10.1953 as 'CURLEW'
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CLOSED |
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PAID OFF |
14.10.1953 as 'VULTURE'
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COMMANDING
OFFICER |
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FUNCTION |
School of Naval Air Warfare: No.s 709 Fighter Ground
Attack School, 715 Fighter Air Combat and Fighter Leaders Course, 719
Fighter Air Firing training squadron, 725 Air Target
Towing Unit, 736 Fighter Combat School & 794
School of Air Firing.
No. 796 Squadron for conversion of T.A.G.'s to
aircrewman standard.
Training of R.N. (A) Emergency List Officers.
Treligga Ranges.
No. 1 Planned Inspection Application Team,
No. 70 Admin. A.L. Section.
No. 12 C.B.A.L. Section.
Operational Research Unit.
All-weather airfield.
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ADDRESS |
R.N. Air Station,
St. Merryn,
Nr. Padstow,
Cornwall.
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LOCALITY
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The airfield lies 3½ miles SE. by S. of Trevose Head,
and 1½ miles S. of the village of St. Merryn.
Padstow lies 2½ miles NE. by N. and Wadebridge 5½ miles
E. by N. Bodmin lies 10 miles E. by S.
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LANDMARKS |
Padstow Bay and the mouth of the River Camel.
Trevose Head. A small river flows past the airfield's S.
corner.
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ROAD AND RAIL ACCESS |
A secondary road, running SE. from the airfield, joins the
main Padstow road 1 mile (R) distant.
Railway station at Padstow, 4½ miles (R) ; on the S.R.
Padstow¬Wadebridge-Launceston line. |
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CONTROL |
Control Building 150 yds. inside perimeter track near
centre of N. side of landing area. Keeps watch on H/F
and VH/F cross country and local control frequencies
from 0800 until 1800 or sunset, whichever is the
earlier. Caution to be exercised at all times owing to
proximity of R.A.F. St. Eval.
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ELEVATION |
260' above M.S.L.
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RUNWAYS |
Four, tarmac
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Extensibility |
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01/19 QDM.
014°-194° .... 1,000 X 30 yds.
06/24 QDM. 056°-234° .... 1,009 X 30 yds.
10/28 QDM. 105°-285° .... 1,030 X 30 yds.
15/33 QDM. 137°-327° .... 1,270 X 30 yds.
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Extensions require extensive “Fill" |
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TRACKS |
40' perimeter track.
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OBSTRUCTIONS |
Navigation |
Rising ground 420' above the airfield 34 miles ESE. and
345' above at 2 miles SSE. |
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Circuit |
None. |
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Approach |
None.
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APPROACH |
Recommended sector, mean Q.D.M. :
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WIND INDICATOR |
Windsocks on E. side, inside perimeter track, and on W.
side outside perimeter track. |
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HOMING - VISUAL |
By day |
None. |
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By night |
None.
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HOMING--RADIO |
D/F |
H/F and VH/F. |
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Beacons |
YG and AN/CPN6.
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APPROACH - VISUAL |
By day |
None. |
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By night |
None.
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APPROACH - RADIO |
None.
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COMMUNICATION EQUIPMENT |
M/F & H/F |
6 transmitters, 7 receivers. |
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VH/F |
6 transmitters, 6 receivers.
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CALL SIGNS |
R/T |
CORNWALL |
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W/T |
MGF |
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Identity letters |
JB |
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GROUND RADAR |
Aircraft direction using G.C.I. and Interrogator, and
Aircraft direction using low cover Radar set with
Interrogator.
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ACCOMMODATION |
Living quarters
on the N. and W. sides of the landing area.
Capacity:
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Officers: |
156 |
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Chiefs, P.O.s and ratings: |
1,265 |
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W.R.N.S. Officers: |
4 |
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W.R.N.S. Chiefs, P.O.s and ratings; |
210 |
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ARMOURIES |
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COMPASS BASE |
Two, diameter 70' and two, diameter 100'
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DISPERSAL |
Eight A/c standings, four of which are suitable for
heavy bombers. Four aprons off perimeter track and in
hangar areas.
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HANGARS |
Hangar areas on N., E. and S. of the airfield.
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Number /Type |
Size |
Door Height |
Door Width |
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1 Callender Hamilton .. |
185' x 11O' |
25′ |
110′ |
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2 Pentad .. .. .. .. .. .. |
185' x 105' |
25' |
105' |
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4 Tee Side "S" .. .. .. .. |
6o' x 70' |
20' |
60' |
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13 Mains* . . . . . . . .. |
6o' x 70' |
17' |
55' |
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13 Mains* . . . . . . . .. |
6o' x 84' |
17' |
55' |
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* built in 1943 when the station was expanded
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MEDICAL |
Sick Bay on W. side of airfield. Sick Quarters at
"Woodlands", Padstow
6½ miles (R) North.
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METEOROLOGICAL |
Office in the Control building. Limited service by Naval
personnel
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FUEL AND OIL |
Aviation - |
73,200 gallons |
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M/T - |
4,600 gallons. |
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Oil - |
4,600 gallons.
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TEST BASE |
A/c Radar base in SE. hangar area.
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TEST BUTT |
Test butt on N. side of N. dispersal.
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WORKSHOPS |
Workshops to 4-6 squadron scale.
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VISITORS |
Visitors' parking area on apron adjacent to Control
Building.
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EXPLOSIVES |
On the south of the airfield, adjacent to the '01' end
of runway 01/19 .
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BOMBING AND FIRING RANGES
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Air to air |
One. Two towlines. |
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Air to Sea |
One (incorporated in Air to Air Range). |
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Practice bombing |
Three. R.P. and Air to Ground. |
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TRELIGGA |
Land Range with marking facilities open all year round.
R.P., D.B., A.G. |
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HARLYN BAY |
Sea Range with marking facilities (open 1st Oct.-3 x st
May). D.B., R.P |
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PORT QUINN |
Sea Range with marking facilities (open 1st June-3oth
Sept.). D.B., R.P. |
Information taken from B.R. 1807 Admiralty Handbook
of Naval Air Stations Dec. 48
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List of first and second line squadrons, station
flight and other flying units based at this location |
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709
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Fighter Ground Attack School (Part of the School of
Naval Air Warfare)
Formed here 15.09.44. Disbanded
here 09.01.46
Equipped with Seafire L.III, Hellcat I, & II,
Harvard IIb & III.
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715
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Fighter Air Combat and Fighter Leaders Course (Part of the School of
Naval Air Warfare)
Formed here 17.08.44. Disbanded
here 31.03.46 and absorbed by 736 squadron.
Equipped with Seafire L.III & XVII, Corsair II &
IV, Harvard IIb & III.
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719
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Fighter Air Firing training squadron (Part of the
School of Naval Air Warfare)
Formed here 15.06.44.
Disbanded here 02,01.45.
Equipped with Corsair III, Master II, Seafire Ib
& IIc, Spitfire Vb, Wildcat IV,
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725
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Air Target Towing Unit (Part of the School of Naval
Air Warfare)
Moved here from RNAS
Eglinton 04.08.45.
Disbanded here 27.12.45 and absorbed by 736
squadron.
Equipped with Martinet TT.I.
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736
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Fighter Combat School (Part of the School of Naval
Air Warfare)
Moved here from RNAS Yeovilton
02.09.43. Moved to RNAS Culdrose 01/02.50.
Equipped with Avenger II, Barracuda II, Corsair
III, Firebrand TF.IV, Firefly FR.I , FR.4 & T.I,
Harvard III, Master II, Seafire Ib, III, F.15, F.17
& F.46, Spitfire Va, Wellington XI.
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738
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(Part of the School of Naval Air Warfare, based at
RNAS Culdrose)
The squadron used the station for
Aerodrome Dummy Deck Landing training from January
1953.
Equipped with Sea Fury FB.11.
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741
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Operational Flying Training Unit
Formed here
12.08.46. Disbanded here 25.11.47.
Equipped with Firefly FR.I, Seafire L.III,
Harvard III.
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748
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Fighter Pool Squadron
Formed here 12.10.42. Moved
to RNAS Henstridge 04.02.44.
Moved here from RNAS Dale
14.08.45. Disbanded here 11.02.46.
Equipped with Corsair II, III & IV, Firefly
I, Hellcat I, Hurricane I, Fulmar I & II, Master I &
II, Spitfire I, Va & Vb, Seafire Ib, IIc & III,
Wildcat V & VI.
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750
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Observer School Part II.
Formed here 17.04.52 out
of 796 squadron. Moved to RNAS Culdrose 30.11.43.
Equipped with Barracuda TR.3.
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762
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Advanced Flying Training School
Moved here from
RNAS Yeovilton 15.04.42. Returned to RNAS
Yeovilton 08.09.42.
Equipped with Fulmar I & II, Martlet I,Master I.
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774
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Armament Training Squadron
Moved here from
R.N.A.S. Evanton 17.09.1940. Moved to R.N.A.S.
Rattray 24.10.1944
Equipped with Albacore I, Roc, Shark IIIT, Skua
II, Swordfish I/II, Barracuda II, Sea
Hurricane Ib,
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787
Z Flt.
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Fleet Fighter Development Unit
Moved here from
RNAS Lee-on-Solent 24.02.43. Moved to RNAS Inskip
16.11.54,
Returned from RNAS Inskip 14.01.44 and operated
at the satellite airfield at
Treligga. Flight disbanded here 01.07.44.
Equipped with Fulmar & II, Hurricane IV, Sea
Hurricane Ia & IIc, Swordfish I & II.
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792
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Air Target Towing Unit
Formed here 15.08.40.
Disbanded here 02.01.45 and absorbed by 794
squadron.
Equipped with Anson I, Defiant TT.III, Lysander
III, Martinet 1TT, Master I, Proctor Ia,Roc TT.I,
Sea Gladiator, Sea Hurricane Ia, Skua II, Whitney
Straight.
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794
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School of Air Firing
Formed here 02.01.45. Moved
to RNAS
Eglinton 09.08.45.
Equipped with Corsair III, Fulmar II, Harvard IIb
& III, Martinet TT.I, Master II, Seafire L.III,
Spitfire Vb, Wildcat IV.
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796
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Aircrewmans School (Observer School Part II from
1850)
Formed here 13.11.47. Moved to RNAS Culdrose
09.02.54.
Equipped with Barracuda III, Firefly FR.I, AS.5,
AS.6, T.3 & T.7, Tiger Moth T.2.
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800 |
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801 |
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802 |
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804 |
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807 |
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808 |
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809 |
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810 |
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813 |
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817 |
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819 |
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820 |
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825 |
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826 |
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828 |
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829 |
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836 |
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837 |
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860 |
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879 |
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880 |
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882 |
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883 |
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884 |
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885 |
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886 |
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897 |
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888 |
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891 |
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893 |
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895 |
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897 |
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1831 |
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1832 |
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1833 |
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PAGE UNDER
CONSTRUCTION
Click here for a list of
Primary sources
Additional sources:
Admiralty Fleet Orders:
Confidential Admiralty Fleet Orders:
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