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ACQUISITION |
Lodger facilities from R.A.F. Northern Ireland from
1942.
Transferred from R.A.F. Northern Ireland on loan
14 July 1945. |
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COMMISSIONED |
17 July 1945.
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PAID OFF |
To Care & Maintenance status 14 November 1945 'on books
of GADWALL'.
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CLOSED |
Returned to R.A.F. Northern Ireland control, 24/01.46. |
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C.O. |
Captain G.N.P. Stringer |
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FUNCTION |
No. 4 Naval Fighter School
No.1 Hellcat Servicing Unit
Support of disembarked squadrons |
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TENDER |
R.N.A.S. Kirkistown
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ADDRESS |
R.N. Air Station
Ballyhalbert,
County Down,
Northern Ireland |
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LOCALITY
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The airfield lies 11 mile SE of Newtonatds, County Down.
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LANDMARKS |
Coast skirts E. end of the airfield, Shrangfiord Lough
3 miles W. Skulmart lightship 3½ miles
NNE.
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ROAD AND RAIL ACCESS |
Railway station at Newtonards, 13½ miles (R). |
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CONTROL |
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ELEVATION |
26' above M.S.L.
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RUNWAYS |
Three, wood chipping and Tarmac:
--/-- QDM. 025˚----˚
.... 1.147 x 50 yds.
--/-- QDM. 085˚----˚
.... 2,000 x 50 yds. --/-- QDM. 145˚----˚
....1,093 x 50 yds. |
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TRACKS |
Perimeter track connects ends of runways.
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OBSTRUCTIONS |
Navigation |
Hill 200' ½ mile NW.
Mountain of Mourne 2800' 35 miles SW. |
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Circuit |
None. |
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Approach |
None.
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APPROACH |
No special approach recommended.
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WIND INDICATOR |
Not known. |
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HOMING - VISUAL |
By day |
Not known. |
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By night |
Not known.
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HOMING--RADIO |
D/F |
Not known. |
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Beacons |
Not known.
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APPROACH - VISUAL |
By day |
Not known. |
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By night |
Mk2 airfield lighting
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APPROACH - RADIO |
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COMMUNICATION EQUIPMENT |
M/F & H/F |
? transmitters, ? receivers. |
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VH/F |
? transmitters, ? receivers.
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GROUND RADAR |
None.
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ACCOMMODATION |
Living quarters
Capacity: (based on RAF manning)
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Officers: |
188 |
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Chiefs, P.O.s and ratings: |
2024 |
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W.R.N.S. Officers: |
9 |
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W.R.N.S. Chiefs, P.O.s and ratings; |
N18 |
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ARMOURIES |
Not known.
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COMPASS BASE |
Not known.
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DISPERSAL |
Not known.
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HANGARS |
Hangars
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Number /Type |
Size |
Door Height |
Door Width |
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2 x Transportable Bellman |
250' x 95' |
26' |
90' |
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6 x Over Blister |
69' x 45' |
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6 x Extended over Blister |
69' x 90' |
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MEDICAL |
Not known.
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METEOROLOGICAL |
Not known.
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FUEL AND OIL |
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Aviation: |
Not known. |
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M/T: |
Not known. |
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Oil : |
Not known. |
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TEST BASE |
Not known.
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TEST BUTT |
Not known.
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WORKSHOPS |
Not known.
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VISITORS |
Not known.
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EXPLOSIVES |
Not known.
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BOMBING AND FIRING RANGES |
Not known. |
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Air to air |
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Air to ground and R. p. Firing |
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Live and practice bombing |
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Practice bombing |
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Assault training |
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Information taken from CB 4368 B. Admiralty Handbook
of Naval Air Stations Aug. 45 |
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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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718
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No. 4 Naval Fighter School
Moved here from RNAS
Henstridge 17.08045
Disbanded here 01.11.45, absorbed into 794
squadron.
Equipped with Corsair III & IV, Seafire III &
L.III, Harvard.
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725
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FRU ?
Detachment (2) operated here 21.08.44 to
09.11.44 when it increased to (4). Reurned to RNAS
Eglinton 21.02.45
Equipped with Martinet T.T.I
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768
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Deck Landing Training Squadron
Moved here from
RNAS Ayr 28.08.45 Moved to RNAS East Haven 25.10.45
Carried out DLT on HMS PREMIER 11 - 27.08.45 and
HMS NAIRANA 20./09.45 to 01.10.45.
Equipped with Barracuda II, Corsair II & Iv,
Hellcat, and Swordfish.
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784 |
Night Fighter Training Squadron
'B2' flight
disembarked from HMS VINDEX 03..04.44 operating 3
aircraft attached to 825 squadron. Re-embarked in
VINDEX 15.04.44
'B3' flight disembarked from HMS CAMPANIA
03.04.44 operating 3 aircraft attached to 813
squadron. Re-embarked in CAMPANIA 26.04.44
Equipped with Fulmar NF.IIs.
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787
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Fighter Affiliation Flight
'Y' flight operated
heed here 07 - 20.02.45 before returning to
RNAS Machrihanish.
Equipped with Seafire III.
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800 |
Fleet Fighter Squadron
Moved here from
RNAS Ayr
28.06.44. Embarked in
HMS EMPEROR 09.07.44.
Equipped with Hellcat IIs.
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808 |
Fleet Fighter Squadron
Moved here from
RNAS Ayr
09.08.44. Conducted ADDLs at RNAS Kirkistown
24.08.44 Moved to RAF Harwarden 01.09.44
Equipped with 9 x Seafire L/IIIs.
Returned 12.10.44 to reequip with 24 Hellcat IIs.
Carried out DLT on HMS SMITER 04.01.45. Embarked in
HMS KHEDIVE05.01.44.
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812 |
Torpedo, Bomber, Reconnaissance Squadron.
Moved
here from RNAS Fearn 0501.45. Embarked in HMS
VENGEANCE 26.01.45
Equipped with 16 Barracuda IIs.
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827 |
Torpedo, Bomber, Reconnaissance Squadron.
Detachment (?) operated ashore from HMS COLOSSUS 23
- 27.01.45.
All 18 aircraft disembarked from COLOSSUS
28.02.45. Re0embarked in COLOSSUS 20.02.45.
Equipped with Barracuda IIs.
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880 |
Single Seat Fighter Squadron
Disembarked from
HMS
STALKER 07.10.43. Moved to RNAS Skaebrae 06.02.44.
Equipped with 12 Seafire IIs.
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882 |
Single Seat Fighter Squadron
Disembarked from
HMS
SEARCHER 12.10.44. Squadron re-equipped, exchanging
20 Wildcat Vs for 20 Wildcat VIs.
Moved to RAF Long Kesh 29.10.44
Equipped with Wildcats.
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885 |
Single Seat Fighter Squadron
Moved here from RNAS
Lee-on-Solent 04.08.44 equipped with 20 x Seafire
L.IIIs.. Carried out ADDLs at RAF Kirkistown
21-98.44. Re-equipped with 24 Hellcat I & II during
October before moving to RNAMY
Belfast 15.12.44, in
transit on route to RNAS Ayr.
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887 |
Single Seat Fighter Squadron
Moved here from
RNAMY
Belfast 19.10.42. Moved to RAF Kirkistown 14.11.42.
Equipped with6 Fulmar IIs. |
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894 |
Single Seat Fighter Squadron
Moved here from
RNAS
Burscough 08.02.44.Moved to RAF Culmhead 28.04.44.
Returned here 15.05.44. Moved to RNAS Eglinton
30.05.44.
Equipped with 12 x Seafire IIIs.
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899 |
Single Seat Fighter Squadron
Disembarked from
HMS
HUNTER 14.10.43. Exchanged 12 Seafire IIs for 20
Spitfire VBs.
Moved to RNAMY Belfast 17.01.45.
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1840 |
Single Seat Fighter Squadron
Moved
here from RNAS Eglinton 30.05.44. Squadron strength
increased from 10 to 20 aircraft during June.
Embarked in HMS INDEFATIGABLE
25.06.44.
Moved here from RNAS Eglinton
24.10.44. Moved to RNAS Ayr 09.11.44 but
returned on the 19th.
Embarked in
HMS SPEAKER 16.12.44.
Equipped with Hellcat IIs.
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1846 |
Single Seat Fighter Squadron
Moved here from RNAS
Eglinton 13.01.45.
Detachment (12) carried out DLTs in HMS COLOSSUS
22 - 27.01.45
Exchanged 24 Corsair IIIs for 24 Corsair IVs in
February 1945.
Embarked in HMS COLOSSUS 20.02.45.
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PAGE UNDER
CONSTRUCTION
Click here for a list of
Primary sources
Additional sources:
Admiralty Fleet Orders:
6672/45 R.N. Air Stations, Ballyhalbert and Kirkistown -
Reduction to Care and Mainitenance.
Confidential Admiralty Fleet Orders:
1220.45 R.N. Air Stations,
Ballyhalbert and Kirkistown - Transfer from R.A.F. and
Commissioning as Naval Air Station.
1396/46 R.N. Air Stations,
Ballyhalbert and Kirkistown - Return to R.A.F.
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