|
Tambaram
airfield dates back to 1942 when work commenced to construct
an airfield for the R.A.F. with two runways covering an
expanse of about 1400 acres. No use appears to have been
made of the station by the R.A.F. and it had been agreed, at
some time in 1943, that the station would be transferred to
Admiralty charge1 for use as a naval Air
Station and development into a Double Aircraft Maintenance
Yard. The exact date of transfer is unclear but the RN was
using the station from as early as February 1944 when it
appears in official records as RN Aircraft Repair Yard
Tambaram and at least 5 aircraft were on site during this
month 2.
Commissioned as H.M.S. VALLURU
Royal Naval
Air Station Tambaram commissioned as H.M.S. VALLURU on July
1st 1944 The description in official records changed from to
Aircraft Maintenance Yard from this date The first unit to
arrive was No. 722 Fleet Requirements Unit which formed here
on September 1st with 12 Martinet T.T.1 Target Tugs.
Squadron HQ was at Tambaram while three detached flights
operated out of RAF Juhu (X Flt), RAF Vizagapatam (Y Flt),
and RN Air Sect Cochin (Z Flt) to provide for local
requirements. A detachment of Beech Expeditors (number not
known) from No. 742 RN Air Transport Squadron began
operations from the station beginning on September 21st,
making regular communications flights to other stations in
Southern India; the main squadron HQ was at RNAMY
Coimbatore.
The first
front-line unit to visit the station was 804 Squadron which
arrived from RNAS Colombo with its Hellcat fighters on March
21st 1945. Their stay was only a short one however, the
squadron moved to RNAS Trincomalee on April 19th. On May
12th a second Hellcat squadron arrived, No. 896 Squadron
which disembarked from the escort carrier HMS AMEER for a
short training period; at the end of the month it made a
round trip flight to RNAS Trincomalee, arriving back on June
5th. 896 finally depart to embark in the escort carrier HMS
EMPRESS on June 10th.
The start
of June 1945 brought the first Corsair squadrons to
Tambaram, these were part of the carrier air groups aboard
the first of the new Colossus class light Fleet Carriers
which had arrived on the East Indies station on route to the
Pacific; the squadrons were put ashore to continue
working-up before sailing to join the British Pacific Fleet.
First to arrive was 1851 squadron (24 Corsair IVs) which
disembarked from HMS VENERABLE on the 7th, followed by 1845
(18 Corsair IVs) from HMS COLOSSUS on the 10th, and finally
1850 (24 Corsair IVs) from HMS VENGEANCE on the 11th. These
squadrons were to make extensive use of the live firing
ranges in the area to hone their combat skills. The Hellcats
of 804 now operating aboard HMS AMEER made a short stop over
23rd - 27th June, possibly to re-equip. A further training
squadron also arrived in June, 729 Instrument Flying
Training Squadron equipped with Harvard IIIs and Oxfords
moved here from RNARY Coimbatore on June 7th.
At the
start of July 1945 the Corsair squadrons began returning to
their carriers, 1850 flew out to HMS VENGEANCE on the 1st,
followed by 1851 returning to HMS VENERABLE on the 3rd, and
1845 rejoining HMS COLOSSUS on the 10th. 804 made a final
short stop over, disembarking from HMS AMEER 12 - 19th July;
this was to be the last use made of the station be a
front-line unit.
A new unit
arrived on the station on the July when 15th No. 757 Fighter
Pool Squadron, a fighter OTU ( Operational Training Unit)
moved here from RNAS Puttalam. This unit operated all
fighter types operated by the RN carrier forces operating
with the East Indies and British Pacific Fleets, namely
Corsair, Hellcat, Wildcat and Seafires, providing continuing
flying training, gunnery and bombing practice and deck
landings with training carriers. 729 IFTU moved to RNAS
Puttalam on July 20th, leaving only 757 fighter OTU and the
martinetts of 722 FRU operating from the station.
Returned to RAF Control
After the
Japanese surrender on August 15th the station was no longer
required and all building work on the Aircraft Maintenance
Yard was suspended. 722 FRU was disbanded at Tambaram on
October 24th and 757 OTu moved to RNAS Katukurunda on
November 12th. H.M.S. VALLURU was paid off on December 1st
1945, a retard party remained on site until the 31st when
the station officially closed. It was returned to RAF
control in 1946.
Notes:
1. Appears in the December 1943 edition
of the Navy List as 'RNAS Tambaram' under control of
Rear Admiral, Royal Naval Air Station, Indian Ocean. No
entry for ship name of parent unit.
2. Albacore L7096, Avenger N842,
Martinett EM525, Swordfish LS235 and Tiger Moth LR236
recorded as on site February 1944.
Click here for a list of
Primary sources
Additional sources:
Confidential Admiralty Fleet Orders:
2573/43 transfer from R.A.F.
1466/44 Commissioning
2451/44
Admiralty Fleet
Orders:
6290/43 Mentioned as an RNARY in B.R. 377 (B)
reference to spares carried for Barracuda aircraft types.
5794/44 First mention of RNAMY
7323/45 Paying off
National Archive material:
ADM 1/13516 COMMONWEALTH OF NATIONS (21): RAF airfield,
Tambaram, Madras, taken over as RN air station
Photographs from the collection of the late Leslie
Howlett, kindly supplied by his daughter Mrs. Kay Morgan.
|
Comments (0)