RAF Skaebrae

RAF Skaebrae
HMS Tern II
IATA: none – ICAO: none
Summary
Airport type Military
Owner Air Ministry
Operator Royal Air Force
Royal Navy
Location Skaebrae, Orkney
Built 1940 (1940)
In use 1940-1957 (1957)
Elevation AMSL 56 ft / 17 m
Coordinates 59°03′50″N 003°16′12″W / 59.06389°N 3.27000°W / 59.06389; -3.27000Coordinates: 59°03′50″N 003°16′12″W / 59.06389°N 3.27000°W / 59.06389; -3.27000
Map
RAF Skaebrae

Location in Orkney

Runways
Direction Length Surface
ft m
00/00 0 0 Asphalt
00/00 0 0 Asphalt
00/00 0 0 Asphalt

RAF Skaebrae is a former Royal Air Force station located 1.4 miles (2.3 km) west of Dounby, Mainland, Orkney and 6.4 miles (10.3 km) northwest of Finstown, Mainland, Orkney.

History

The following units were posted here at some point:

Royal Air Force units and aircraft

[15]

Unit Dates Aircraft Variant Notes
No. 3 Squadron RAF 1941 Hawker Hurricane I Based for a few weeks in January/February 1941
No. 66 Squadron RAF 1943 Supermarine Spitfire VB and VC later VI Based for four-months with detachments to Sumburgh, converted to Spitfire VI and moved south the RAF Church Fenton
No. 118 Squadron RAF 1944 Supermarine Spitfire VB and VII Had operated detachments to Skaebrae in September 1943 from RAF Peterhead, moved from RAF Detling and returned south to Detling after four months, operated detachments to RAF Sumburgh.
No. 129 Squadron RAF 1943 Supermarine Spitfire VC and VI Had operated detachments to Skaebrae in late 1942 from RAF Grimsetter, it moved to Skaebrae for a few weeks in January/February 1943 before moving south the RAF Ibsley
No. 132 Squadron RAF 1942 Supermarine Spitfire IIB later VB Moved from Peterhead in February 1942, converted to Spitfire VB in April and moved to RAF Grimsetter in June 1942.
No. 164 Squadron RAF 1942 Supermarine Spitfire VA Newly formed at RAF Peterhead in April 1942 it moved to Skaebrae in May 1942 before returning to Peterhead in September 1942.
No. 234 Squadron RAF 1943 Supermarine Spitfire VI Moved in from Grimsetter in April 1943 for a few weeks before moving on to RAF Church Stanton in June 1943.
No. 253 Squadron RAF 1941 Hawker Hurricane I later IIB Moved from RAF Leconfield in February 1941, converted to the Hurricane IIB in July 1941 and moved south to RAF Hibaldstow in September 1941.
No. 312 Squadron RAF 1943 Supermarine Spitfire VC Moved from RAF Church Stanton in June 1943 until it returned south to RAF Ibsley in September 1943.
No. 313 Squadron RAF 1944 Supermarine Spitfire VB Moved from RAF Lympne in July 1944 and converted to the Spitfire VB (Spitfire VIIs were also operated for a few weeks), moved south to RAF North Weald in October 1944. Operated detachments to RAF Sumburgh.
No. 329 Squadron RAF 1945 Supermarine Spitfire IX Had moved to RAF Turnhouse from the Netherlands in March 1945 and then moved to Skaebrae the following month to convert to the Spitfire IX, moved to RAF Harrowbeer in May 1945.
No. 331 Squadron RAF 1941-1942 Hawker Hurricane IIB Moved from RAF Castletown in September 1941 and converted from the Hurricane to the Spitfire IIA in November 1941, another change to Spitfire VBs in April 1942 a few weeks before it moved south to RAF North Weald.
Supermarine Spitfire XVI
No. 441 Squadron RCAF 1944-1945 Supermarine Spitfire IXB later IX Moved from RAF Hawkinge on 30 December 1944 and converted to the Spitfire IX in January, returned to Hawkinge in April 1945.
No. 451 Squadron RAAF 1945 Supermarine Spitfire XVI Moved from RAF Hawkinge in May 1945 for a few weeks before moving back south to RAF Lasham in June 1945.
No. 453 Squadron RAAF 1943-1944 Supermarine Spitfire VC Moved from RAF Perranporth in October 1943 before moving back south to RAF Detling in January 1944, operated detachments to RAF Sumburgh.
No. 598 Squadron RAF 1943 Multiple types The squadron was an Anti-aircraft Co-operation squadron and based at RAF Peterhead with a variety of aircraft, it operated all over north-east Scotland including detachments to Skaebrae.
No. 602 Squadron RAF 1942-1943 Supermarine Spitfire VA, VC, VI Moved from RAF Peterhead in September 1942 before moving to RAF Perranporth in January 1943.
No. 603 Squadron RAF 1945 Supermarine Spitfire LF XVIe Moved from RAF Drem and was based for a few weeks in June/July 1945 before moving to RAF Turnhouse.
No. 611 Squadron RAF 1944 Supermarine Spitfire IX Moved from RAF Bradwell Bay in October 1944 until it moved south to RAF Hawkinge in December 1944.

Current use

The site is now open land and housing.[14]

See also

References

Citations

  1. ↑ Jefford 1988, p. 24.
  2. ↑ Jefford 1988, p. 45.
  3. ↑ Jefford 1988, p. 57.
  4. 1 2 Jefford 1988, p. 59.
  5. ↑ Jefford 1988, p. 64.
  6. ↑ Jefford 1988, p. 75.
  7. ↑ Jefford 1988, p. 78.
  8. 1 2 Jefford 1988, p. 86.
  9. 1 2 Jefford 1988, p. 87.
  10. ↑ Jefford 1988, p. 92.
  11. 1 2 Jefford 1988, p. 93.
  12. 1 2 3 Jefford 1988, p. 98.
  13. ↑ Jefford 1988, p. 100.
  14. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 "Skaebrae". Airfields of Britain Conservation Trust. Retrieved 17 October 2013.
  15. ↑ Jefford 1988, p. 173.

Bibliography

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