Latitude 59°05'15"N Longitude 03°17'6"W


ACQUISITION	Built by the Admiralty.
COMMISSIONED	01.04.1941 on books of 'Sparrowhawk' 01.01.1942 as independent Command 'Tern'
CLOSED
PAID OFF	20.10.1945 to Care & Maintenance on books of 'Owl'

C.O./O.I.C.

FUNCTION	Accommodation for disembarked Front-Line squadrons. Accommodation for disembarked Ship's Flight Aircraft (H.Q. 700 Squadron). Home Fleet Fleet Requirements UNit (771 squadron)
ADDRESS	R.N. Air Station, Twatt, Mainland, Orkney.
LOCALITY	On the SE. side of Loch of Isbister, ½ mile S. of the village of Twatt and 3¼ miles SE. by S. of Brough Head. Kirkwall lies 12 miles SE. by E. Stromness lies 7½ miles S.
LANDMARKS	Brough Head and Loch of Isbister. (See Locality).
ROAD AND RAIL ACCESS	Road on E. and S. boundaries to Stromness 9¼ miles (R) and to Kirkwall, 16 miles (R). Piers and Harbour facilities for small vessels at Stromness and Kirkwall, with steamer communication to Scotland.

CONTROL

Control Building inside the perimeter track on the SW: of the landing area.

ELEVATION

65' above M.S.L.

RUNWAYS

Four, tarmac.

			Extensibility
01/19	QDM. 013° -193°	1,000 x 30 yds.	1,235
06/24	QDM. 058° -238°	1,009 x 30 yds.	-
11/29	QDM. 113° -293°	1,030 x 30 yds.	1,488
15/33	QDM. 153° -333°	1,200 x 30 yds.	2056

TRACKS

40' perimeter track.

OBSTRUCTIONS

Navigation

WSW. Vestra Fiold 400', distant 2,500 yds.

Circuit

N. Ravie Hill, 300'-350', distant 2,000 yds.
ENE. Greenay Hill, 450', distant 2,70o yds. SW. Cruaday Hill, 35o', distant 1,700 yds. W. Yonbell Hill, 300'-350', distant 1,400 yds.

Approach

None.

APPROACH

Recommended sector, mean QDM.

WIND INDICATOR

Two. One in the centre of the landing area, one on the W. side , outside the perimeter track adjacent the N. of the Test Butt.


HOMING - VISUAL	By day	None.
	By night	None.
HOMING--RADIO	D/F	Not known.
	Beacons	Not known.
APPROACH - VISUAL	By day	None.
	By night	Mot known.
APPROACH - RADIO
COMMUNICATION EQUIPMENT	M/F & H/F	Not known.
	VH/F	Not known.

GROUND RADAR	Not known.

ACCOMMODATION

Living quarters at Skogar Camp and on the W. side of the airfield. Additional quarters at Linklater and West Quoys.

Capacity:

Officers:	173
Chiefs, P.O.s and ratings:	965
W.R.N.S. Officers:	7
W.R.N.S. Chiefs, P.O.s and ratings;	357

Note: Accommodation figures are those at time of reduction to C. & M. and are on war-time austerity scales.

ARMOURIES

Not known.

COMPASS BASE

Two, concrete diameter 70'.

DISPERSAL

5 Hardstandings from perimeter track. 1 Apron.

HANGARS

Dispersed around the perimeter track.

Number /Type	Size	Door Height	Door Width
12 Skeabrae	6o' x 5o'	20′	60′
16 Mains	60' x 70'	17'	55'
1 Bellman	185' x 105'	25'	105'

MEDICAL

Sick Bay in the technical site, S.W. corner of the airfield.

METEOROLOGICAL

Office in the Control building. Limited service by Naval personnel.

FUEL AND OIL

Aviation -

Not known.

M/T -

Not known.

Oil -

Not known.

TEST BASE

A/c radar base to NE. of landing area.

TEST BUTT

M.G. test butt and 25 yds. range to be adapted for Cannon.

WORKSHOPS

Workshops to 2-3 squadron scale.

EXPLOSIVES

Explosives are on W. side of the airfield, adjacent to the '11' end of the 11/29 runway and extending south to the Test Butt.

BOMBING AND FIRING RANGES

Not known.

Information taken from B.R. 1807 Admiralty Handbook of Naval Air Stations Dec. 48

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

700
771
802
804
807
809
812
8117
818
819
820
821
822
846
880
884