Latitude 33° 54' 30"S Longitude 18° 31' 44"E


ACQUISITION	South African Air Force Station transferred to Admiralty control.
OPENED
COMMISSIONED	Previously on books of AFRIKANDER 01.07.1942 as MALAGAS
CLOSED
PAID OFF	31-05.1946 to C & M

C.O.	Commander J. Friar July 1942 Captain M. Farqahar August 1942 Captain H. J. Haynes D.S.C., D.S.O. December 1944

FUNCTION	6 squadron station for disembarked squadrons, and squadrons working up, capacity 75 a/c. Fighter and T.B.R. facilities. Fleet Requirements Unit, R.N. Air Repair Yard capacity 150 a/c.
ADDRESS	R.N. Air Station Wingfield, P.O. Box 2301, Cape Town, South Africa.
LOCALITY	The airfield lies 1n the NE. suburbs of Cape Town, 4½ miles E. of the harbour and on the N. side of the road and railway running E. from the city to Belville.
LANDMARKS	Cape of Good Hope, the W. entrance point of False Bay, distant 27 miles S. The city of Cape Town with its artificial harbour, on the S. side of Table Bay. Table mountain rising from the Atlantic coast immediately S. of Cape Town. Note: Brooklyn airfield ¾ mile from the SE. shore of Table Bay lies 1½ miles W. of R.N.A.S. Wingfield.
ROAD AND RAIL ACCESS	The main road to Cape Town harbour passes the S. side of the airfield. Railway line from Cape Town runs ½ mile S. of the airfield with two stations less than ¾ mile (R) from the airfield, which is also served by a rail siding connected to the Cape Town line. Adequate harbour facilities at Cape Town with numerous cranes, including one 60 ton floating crane.


CONTROL	Control Building in the SW. corner of the landing area, adjacent to the perimeter track. Runway control in force at all times when flying is in progress. Left-hand circuits to embrace both Brooklyn and Wingfield airfields are in force; no aircraft may make tight circuits or cross between the two airfields. Special caution ids to be taken when the line of approach passes over or close to Brooklyn as, due to the varying runway directions, the tracks of aircraft approaching to land, and those of aircraft taking off may cross. A.D.D.L.s may be in progress.
ELEVATION	55' above M.S.L.
RUNWAYS	Four 00/18 QDM. 001° -180° .... 1000 x 30 yds. 02/20 QDM. 024° -204° .... 1420x 30 yds. 05/23 QDM. 046° -226° .... 1050 x 30 yds. 14/32 QDM. 136° -316° .... 1000 x 30 yds. Sommerfeld tracking, to a depth of 30' is laid along the side of all runways.
TRACKS	40' perimeter tracks. A 25' track leads from the N. side of the landing area to the Repair Yard and Storage Area.
OBSTRUCTIONS	Navigation	Table mountain (3565') distant 5 miles SW. Tygerberg mountain rang (1366') distant 4 mile NE. W/T masts (300') distant 2 miles NNW.
	Circuit	None.
	Approach	W/T mast (about 80') in SW. corner of airfield. High tension cables (32') border the main road 430 yds. S. of the perimeter track.
APPROACH	Recommended sector of approach mean QDM. 000 and 160.
WIND INDICATOR	Windsock on the water tower in SW. corner of the the airfield. Windsocks in the NE. and NW. corners of the airfield, outside the perimeter track.


HOMING - VISUAL	By day	None.
	By night	Landmark beacon in SE. corner of the airfield flashing (red) the letter 'W'.
HOMING--RADIO	D/F	H/F, V/HF.
	Beacons	25 LMS, YG and YJ.
APPROACH - VISUAL	By day	None.
	By night	Airfield light (Naval) installed.
APPROACH - RADIO	93S. and 257S. beam approach.
COMMUNICATION EQUIPMENT	M/F & H/F	5 transmitters, 5 receivers.
	VH/F	6 transmitters, 6 receivers.

GROUND RADAR	Fighter direction using G.C.I, G.C.I. interrogator with low and medium cover radar with interrogator.

ACCOMMODATION

Living quarters in "Wingfield" and "Goodwood" camps at the W. and S. sides of the airfield.

Capacity:
Officers:
Chiefs, P.O.s and ratings:	320
W.R.N.S. Officers:
W.R.N.S. Chiefs, P.O.s and ratings;

ARMOURIES

To accommodate 6 squadrons.

COMPASS BASE

Two, 70' diameter.

DISPERSAL

Three large concrete aprons on the on the E. and W. sides of the airfield.

HANGARS

Squadron Hangars on SE. and SW. sides of the airfield, Aircraft Repair Yard adjacent N. side and Storage Hangars 2,000 yds. NNE.

Number /Type	Size	Door Height	Door Width

SE. side
2 x squadron	150' x 95'	26'	95'
1 x Winged target	125' 95'	26'	90'

SW. side
2 x squadron	250' x 95'	26'	90'
1 x squadron	125' x 114'	26'	90'
1 x squadron	140' x 95'	20'	109'
1 x squadron	140' x 110'	30'	97'

NNE. side
7 x storage	125' x 95'	26'	90'
38 x storage	95' x 45'	17'	45'
Note: Repair Yard hangars not included above.

MEDICAL

Sick Quarters in camp on N. side of airfield. There is also an airfield surgery.

METEOROLOGICAL

Office in the control building. Full service from Naval personnel.

FUEL AND OIL

Aviation -

36,000 gallons (100 Octane) with additional storage under construction (1945) .

4.00 gallons (87 Octane).

M/T -

4.000 gallons.

Oil -

4,000 gallons (Aero Shell 100)

TEST BASE

Aircraft radar base available, N. side of airfield.

TEST BUTT

Test butt available, suitable for cannon.

WORKSHOPS

R.N. Aircraft Repair Yard facilities, at present (Aug 1945) reduced to 4 - 6 squadron workshop scale.

Torpedo workshop and large armoury.

VISITORS

No special park allocated but visiting aircraft are normally parked on concrete hardstandings on SW corner of the airfield.

EXPLOSIVES

BOMBING AND FIRING RANGES

Air to air

Two, A - B lines and C -D lines.

Air to ground

One

R. p. Firing

One, at Melkbosch.

Dive bombing (land)

Two, one at Belville, one at Blauwberg.

Practice bombing (sea)

One

Torpedo

False Bay suitable for A.L.T.s

Strafing

One, with truck targets for R.P., low level bombing and front gun.

Puff range

One.

Information taken from CB 4368 B. Admiralty Handbook of Naval Air Stations Aug. 45

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

789

Fleet Requirements Unit
Formed here 01.07.42 Disbanded here 25.11.45

Equipment included: Anson, Beaufighter II, Defiant, Harvard, Kingfisher, Martinet, Skua, and Walrus. Other aircraft types were loaned from other squadrons.

799

Pool Squadron. [Aircrew refresher training]
Formed here 10.09.43. Disbanded here 20.06.44.

Equipped with Albacore Is.

804 Single Seat Fighter Squadron
Formed here 01.09.44 Embarked in H.M.S. AMEER 06.12.44.

Equipped with 24 Hellcat FB.II.

810 Torpedo, Bomber, Reconnaissance Squadron
Disembarked from H.M.S. ILLUSTRIOUS 11.08.44 to 13.10.44.

Equipped with 12 Barracuda II.

818 Torpedo, Bomber, Reconnaissance Squadron
Disembarked from H.M.S. ATHELING 12 - 18.o9.1944

Equipped with 4 Swordfish II.

827 Torpedo, Bomber, Reconnaissance Squadron
Disembarked from H.M.S. COLOSSUS 17.01.1946 to 08.04.1946.

Equipped with 18 Barracuda II.

881 Single Seat Fighter Squadron
Disembarked from H.M.S. PURSUER 26.04.1945 to reform. Disbanded here

Equipped with 24 Hellcat FB.II.

896 Single Seat Fighter Squadron
Formed here 05.01.45 Moved to R.N. Air Sect. Stamford Hill 22.04.45 to embark in H.M.S. AMEER.

Equipped with 24 Hellcat FB.II.

898 Single Seat Fighter Squadron
Formed here 01.01.45 Embarked in H.M.S. ATTACKER 23.06.45.

Equipped with 24 Hellcat FB.II.

1830 Single Seat Fighter Squadron
Disembarked from H.M.S. ILLUSTRIOUS 11.08.1944 to 13.10.1944
Equipped with Corsair II.

1833 Single Seat Fighter Squadron
Disembarked from H.M.S. ILLUSTRIOUS 11.08.1944 to 13.10.1944
Equipped with Corsair II.

1838 Single Seat Fighter Squadron
Disembarked from H.M.S. ATHELING 12.09.44 Disbanded here the following day, and absorbed into 1830 & 1833 squadrons..
Equipped with 10 Corsair II.

1846 Single Seat Fighter Squadron
Disembarked from H.M.S. COLOSSUS 17.01.1946 to 08.04.1946.

Equipped with Corsair II.