ACQUISITION

COMMISSIONED

10.08.1940 as 'VULTURE

15.10.1953 as 'CURLEW'

CLOSED

PAID OFF

14.10.1953 as 'VULTURE'
 

COMMANDING OFFICER

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.

ADDRESS

R.N. Air Station,
St. Merryn,
Nr. Padstow,
Cornwall.

LOCALITY

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.

LANDMARKS

Padstow Bay and the mouth of the River Camel.
Trevose Head. A small river flows past the airfield's S. corner.

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.

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.

ELEVATION

 260' above M.S.L.

RUNWAYS

Four, tarmac

TRACKS

40' perimeter track.

OBSTRUCTIONS

Navigation

Rising ground 420' above the airfield 34 miles ESE. and 345' above at 2 miles SSE.

Circuit

None.

Approach

None.

APPROACH

Recommended sector, mean Q.D.M. :

WIND INDICATOR

Windsocks on E. side, inside perimeter track, and on W. side outside perimeter track.

HOMING - VISUAL

By day

None.

By night

None.

HOMING--RADIO

D/F

H/F and VH/F.

Beacons

YG and AN/CPN6.

APPROACH - VISUAL

By day

None.

By night

None.

APPROACH - RADIO

None.

COMMUNICATION EQUIPMENT

M/F & H/F

6 transmitters, 7 receivers.

VH/F

 6 transmitters,  6 receivers.

CALL SIGNS

R/T

CORNWALL

W/T

MGF

Identity letters

JB

GROUND RADAR

Aircraft direction using G.C.I. and Interrogator, and Aircraft direction using low cover Radar set with Interrogator.

ACCOMMODATION

Living quarters on the N. and W. sides of the landing area.

Capacity:

ARMOURIES

COMPASS BASE

Two, diameter 70' and two, diameter 100'

DISPERSAL

Eight A/c standings, four of which are suitable for heavy bombers. Four aprons off perimeter track and in hangar areas.

HANGARS

Hangar areas on N., E. and S. of the airfield.

MEDICAL

Sick Bay on W. side of airfield. Sick Quarters at "Woodlands", Padstow
6½ miles (R) North.

METEOROLOGICAL

Office in the Control building. Limited service by Naval personnel

FUEL AND OIL

Aviation -

73,200 gallons

M/T -

4,600 gallons.

Oil -

4,600 gallons.

TEST BASE

A/c Radar base in SE. hangar area.

TEST BUTT

Test butt on N. side of N. dispersal.

WORKSHOPS

Workshops to 4-6 squadron scale.

VISITORS

Visitors' parking area on apron adjacent to Control Building.

EXPLOSIVES

On the south of the airfield, adjacent to the '01' end of runway 01/19 .

BOMBING AND FIRING RANGES

Air to air

One. Two towlines.

Air to Sea

One (incorporated in Air to Air Range).

Practice bombing

Three. R.P. and Air to Ground.

TRELIGGA

Land Range with marking facilities open all year round. R.P., D.B., A.G.

HARLYN BAY

Sea Range with marking facilities (open 1st Oct.-3 x st May). D.B., R.P

PORT QUINN

Sea Range with marking facilities (open 1st June-3oth Sept.). D.B., R.P.

709

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.

715

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.

719

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,

725

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.

736

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.

738

(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.

741

Operational Flying Training Unit

Formed here 12.08.46. Disbanded here 25.11.47.

Equipped with Firefly FR.I, Seafire L.III, Harvard III.

748

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.

750

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.

762

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.

774

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,

787

Z Flt.

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.

792

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.

794

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.

796

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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