Pembroke Dock

Latitude 51°41'44"N Longitude 04°57'11"W


ACQUISITION	Lodger facilities for an RN Air Section and a single Seaplane squadron from R.A.F. Coastal Command.
OPENED
COMMISSIONED
PAID OFF
CLOSED

FUNCTION	Seaplane training
ADDRESS	R.A.F. Station Pembroke Dock, Pembrokeshire, Wales
LOCALITY
LANDMARKS
ROAD AND RAIL ACCESS


CONTROL	Air traffic control 24 hours service by R.A.F. personnel.
ELEVATION	0' above M.S.L.
LANDING AREA	4 Seaplane landing runs in the River Cleddau opposite Angle Bay, 5½ miles down river from R.A.F. Station Pembroke Dock.:- 15/33 QDM. ---° ----° .... --- x -- yds. 07/26 QDM. ---° ----° .... --- x -- yds. 10/28 QDM. ---° ----° .... --- x -- yds. 20/02 QDM. ---° ----° .... --- x -- yds.
TRACKS	None.
OBSTRUCTIONS	Navigation	Three W/T masts (200') on St Patrick's hill, S. of dock barrack hill, 5 miles. Hills (350') N., N.E., and N.W. within 5 miles. Hill range N.E. (673') within 10 miles. Hill range N.N.E. (1760') within 20 miles.
	Circuit & Approach	Mudflats and buoys in channel

APPROACH	No special approach recommended.
WIND INDICATOR


HOMING - VISUAL	By day: By night:	Not known Not known
HOMING--RADIO	D/F: Beacon:	Not known Not known
APPROACH - VISUAL	By day:	Not known
APPROACH - VISUAL	By night:	Fixed flare path buoys, show pilot lights when not in use. Obstruction lights around Haven. Lead-in funnels on all flare paths except No,2.
APPROACH - RADIO	Not known
COMMUNICATION EQUIPMENT	W/T and R/T: VH/F:	Not known Not known
GROUND RADAR	Not known

ACCOMMODATION

Living quarters

Capacity:

Officers:	Unknown.
Chiefs, P.O.s and ratings:	Unknown.
W.R.N.S. Officers:	None.
W.R.N.S. Chiefs, P.O.s and ratings;	None.

ARMOURIES

COMPASS BASE

DISPERSAL

one on opposite bank of River Cleddau

at Neyland, served by a single slipway.

MOORINGS

Limited moorings adjacent to the landing area, multiple moorings in the River Cleddau, opposite and up river from, R.A.F. Station. Beaching area in Angle Bay.

HANGARS

Number /Type	Size	Door Height	Door Width
Not Known
2 x 'B' type
1 x 'T' type

SLIPWAYS

3, two at R.A.F. Station (1,121' and 199'), the third at remote dispersal on opposite bank of River Cleddau.

MEDICAL

Not Known.

METEOROLOGICAL

24 hours service by R.A.F. personnel.

FUEL AND OIL

Aviation:	Not known.
M/T:	Not known.
Oil :	Not known.

TEST BASE

Not known.

TEST BUTT

Not known.

WORKSHOPS

Equipped to service all Flying Boats and Seaplanes.

BOMBING AND FIRING RANGES

Practice bombing:

One, Sprinkle Pill

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

764	Advance Seaplane Training Squadron Moved here from RNAS Lee0on-Solent 03.07.1940. Moved to RNAS Lawrenny Ferry 04.10.1941. Equipped Walrus amphibians and Swordfish floatplanes.

The Royal Air Force arrived in Pembroke Dock on 1 January 1930 and developed facilities for Seaplane servicing using a floating dock to lift individual aircraft for maintenance. It was developed further in 1938 when two 'B' and one 'T' hangars were built together with two large slipways to enable aircraft to taxi or be winched ashore for servicing. At its operational peak during the Second World War it was host to 99 aircraft.

Located on the south bank of the River Cleddau 5 miles upriver from Milford Haven the station operated a Seaplane landing, mooring and beaching area at Angle Bay 5½ miles down river; after water taxiing up river aircraft could be moored mid channel opposite the RAF Station and along the banks up river.

RN use

BThe Royal Navy was granted lodger facilities for an RN Air Section and a single Seaplane squadron in 1940 and No. 764 squadron arrived from RNAS Lee-on-Solent on July 3rd. The squadron had had formed at Lee-on-Solent as an Advanced Seaplane Conversion Squadron operating a mix of Walrus amphibians, Seafox and Swordfish floatplanes, trainees embarking in the Seaplane Carrier HMS PEGASUS for catapult training. Most of the Seafoxes were left behind when the squadron moved to Pembroke Dock.

No. 764 squadron began operating from another site, up river at Lawrenny Ferry, from May 1941 but in October 1941 the Air Section was withdrawn in response to enemy air raids on Pembroke Docks and relocated to the Lawrenny Ferry site. This became a Royal Naval Air Station under the control of HMS DAEDALUS at Lee-on-Solent on February 1st 1942 and. 764 transferred to its control.

Click here for a list of Primary sources

Additional sources:

Admiralty Fleet Orders:

Confidential Admiralty Fleet Orders: