RAF Heathfield

Last updated

RAF Heathfield
RNAS Ayr (HMS Wagtail)
USAAF Station 570
Ensign of the Royal Air Force.svg Naval Ensign of the United Kingdom.svg
Prestwick, South Ayrshire in Scotland
South Ayrshire UK location map.svg
Red pog.svg
RAF Heathfield
Shown within South Ayrshire
United Kingdom adm location map.svg
Red pog.svg
RAF Heathfield
RAF Heathfield (the United Kingdom)
Coordinates 55°29′10″N004°35′56″W / 55.48611°N 4.59889°W / 55.48611; -4.59889
Type Royal Air Force station
Parent Station
CodeAR [1]
Site information
Owner Air Ministry
Operator Royal Air Force
Royal Navy
United States Air Force
Controlled by RAF Fighter Command 1941-44
* No. 13 Group RAF
Fleet Air Arm 1944-46
Site history
Built1940 (1940)
In useApril 1941-1946 (1946)
Battles/wars European theatre of World War II
Airfield information
Elevation15 metres (49 ft) [1] AMSL
Runways
Direction Length and surface
01/191,261 metres (4,137 ft)  Tarmac/Asphalt
06/241,463 metres (4,800 ft) Tarmac/Asphalt
13/311,097 metres (3,599 ft) Tarmac/Asphalt

Royal Air Force Heathfield, or more commonly RAF Heathfield, sometimes known as RAF Ayr/Heathfield due to its proximity to Glasgow Prestwick Airport, which was also used by military flights, is a former Royal Air Force station. It opened in April 1941 as an airbase for day and night fighter squadrons. In September 1944 it transferred to Fleet Air Arm control and commissioned as HMS Wagtail. The Royal Navy paid off the airbase in March 1946 and it was reduced to care and maintenance. The United States Air Force used it for storage between 1951 and 1957.

Contents

Like many other wartime airfields, its runways were of the triangular layout.

History

Royal Air Force use

The following units were posted here at some point:

Units

Royal Navy

HMS Wagtail (1944-1946)

The airbase was transferred on loan to the Admiralty, from No. 13 Group RAF, on 6 September 1944. The Royal Navy took over with Commander(A) H.L. McCullock as CO. Known as Royal Naval Air Station Ayr (RNAS Ayr), it was commissioned shortly afterwards, on 20 October, as HMS Wagtail. [11] One runway was redesigned and used by the Royal Navy's Fleet Air Arm to practice aircraft carrier landings.

HMS Wagtail was 'paid off' by the Royal Navy on 10 March 1946 and it was reduced to Care & Maintenance Status, administered by RNAS Abbotsinch. [11]

Commanding officers

List of commanding officers of HMS Wagtail with date of appointment:

Units based at HMS Wagtail

List of units associated with HMS Wagtail, in support of disembarked fighter squadrons and a Fleet Requirements Unit: [11]

Function

Squadrons at HMS Wagtail

A list of Royal Navy Fleet Air Arm aviation squadrons that were either stationed at or deployed to HMS Wagtail:

United States Air Force

The site was used by the United States Air Force (USAF) between 1951 and 1957 for aircraft storage use. From then on the USAF decided to solely use the adjacent Prestwick. [2]

Current use

The site is now a mixture of housing, farmland and a golf club. [2]

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">RAF Tangmere</span> Former Royal Air Force station in West Sussex, England

Royal Air Force Tangmere or more simply RAF Tangmere is a former Royal Air Force station located in Tangmere, England, famous for its role in the Battle of Britain.

Royal Air Force Nutts Corner, or more simply RAF Nutts Corner, is a former Royal Air Force (RAF) station located 2.7 miles (4.3 km) east of Crumlin, County Antrim, Northern Ireland and 9.2 miles (14.8 km) north west of Belfast.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">RAF Ballyhalbert</span> Former Royal Air Force station in Northern Ireland

Royal Air Force Ballyhalbert or more simply RAF Ballyhalbert is a former Royal Air Force sector station at Ballyhalbert on the Ards Peninsula, County Down, Northern Ireland.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tain Air Weapons Range</span> Military range in Highlands, Scotland

Tain Air Weapons Range is a Ministry of Defence air weapons range on the Dornoch Firth near Tain in Scotland. Royal Air Force aircrews from RAF Lossiemouth are trained in air weaponry on the range, along with NATO aircrew.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Wick Airport</span> Airport in Scotland, UK

Wick John O' Groats Airport is located one nautical mile north of the town of Wick, at the north-eastern extremity of the mainland of Scotland. It is owned and maintained by Highlands and Islands Airports Limited. The airport provides commercial air travel connections for Caithness, with scheduled services to Aberdeen Airport and, until early 2020, Edinburgh. It remains regularly used by helicopters servicing local offshore oil operations and the Beatrice Offshore Windfarm. It also serves as a stop-over for light aircraft ferry flights between Europe and North America via Iceland. The airport also operates an out of hours call-out service for air ambulances, coastguard and police flights. The has one usable runway. Two are disused.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">RAF Westhampnett</span> Former Royal Air Force station in West Sussex, England (1940–1946)

Royal Air Force Westhampnett or more simply RAF Westhampnett is a former Royal Air Force satellite station, located in the village of Westhampnett near Chichester, in the English County of West Sussex.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">RAF Detling</span> Former Royal Air Force station in Kent, England

Royal Air Force Detling, or more simply RAF Detling, is a former Royal Air Force station situated 600 feet (180 m) above sea level, located near Detling, a village about 4 miles (6.4 km) miles north-east of Maidstone, Kent.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">RAF Zeals</span> Former Royal Air Force station in Wiltshire, England

Royal Air Force Zeals, or more simply RAF Zeals, is a former Royal Air Force station in Wiltshire, sited to the north of the village of Zeals, next to the village of Stourton and the Stourhead estate.

Royal Air Force Bramcote, or more simply RAF Bramcote, is a former Royal Air Force station located 3.5 miles (5.6 km) south-east of Nuneaton, Warwickshire, England used during the Second World War. It was later transferred to the Admiralty and was known as Royal Naval Air Station Bramcote,, and when commissioned became HMS Gamecock. When it subsequently transferred to the British Army from the Admiralty, it was called Gamecock Barracks.

Royal Air Force Dundonald or more simply RAF Dundonald is a former Royal Air Force station located in South Ayrshire, Scotland, three miles north-east from the coastal town of Troon.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">RAF Ballykelly</span> Former Royal Air Force station in County Londonderry, Northern Ireland

Royal Air Force Ballykelly, or more simply RAF Ballykelly, is a former Royal Air Force station which opened in 1941 in Ballykelly, County Londonderry. It closed in 1971 when the site was handed over to the British Army as Shackleton Barracks. A small part of the base has been used as a refuelling point by army helicopters and small fixed-wing aircraft usually operating out of Joint Helicopter Command Flying Station Aldergrove near the town of Antrim.

Royal Air Force Macmerry or more simply RAF Macmerry is a former Royal Air Force satellite station located 4.5 miles (7.2 km) west of Haddington, East Lothian, Scotland and 11.4 miles (18.3 km) east of Edinburgh. It was situated immediately to the north east of Macmerry on the north side of the A1 road. It has also been called RNAS Macmerry and unofficially RAF Tranent and RAF Penston during its life.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">885 Naval Air Squadron</span> Royal Navy Fleet Air Arm Squadron

885 Naval Air Squadron was a Naval Air Squadron of the Royal Navy's Fleet Air Arm. First formed on 1 March 1941, the squadron served as a fighter squadron during the Second World War. It operated in the Mediterranean in 1942–43, where it took part in Operation Torch, the Anglo-American invasion of French North Africa, the Allied invasion of Sicily and the Allied invasion of Italy. In 1944 it took part in the Allied invasion of Normandy, spotting for Allied artillery bombardments and in 1945, was deployed as part of the British Pacific Fleet. It was abolished for the last time on 27 September 1945.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">730 Naval Air Squadron</span> Royal Navy Fleet Air Arm Squadron

730 Naval Air Squadron was a Naval Air Squadron of the Royal Navy's Fleet Air Arm. It was active between 1944 and 1945 as a Communications Squadron. The squadron was formed and operated out of RNAS Abbotsinch from April to November 1944, by that point in time it operated four types of aircraft. It moved to RNAS Ayr and while there gained two more aircraft types. For the first three months of 1945 a detachment operated out of RNAS Machrihanish, however, the squadron remained at RNAS Ayr until disbanding in August 1945.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">768 Naval Air Squadron</span> Royal Navy Fleet Air Arm Squadron

768 Naval Air Squadron was a Naval Air Squadron of the Royal Navy's Fleet Air Arm (FAA). It last disbanded at HMS Gannet, RNAS Eglinton, Northern Ireland, in March 1949, having been formed as a Deck Landing Control Officer Training Squadron, in December 1948, to ensure one American-style signal trained DLCO could be located at every FAA station. It first formed as part of the Deck Landing Training School at HMS Condor, RNAS Arbroath, in January 1941, as a Deck Landing Training Squadron. Advanced training was in HMS Argus, for which a detachment was maintained at HMS Landrail, RNAS Machrihanish, where it wholly moved to in March 1943. September saw a move to RAF Heathfield, Ayr, followed by a further move to HMS Sanderling, RNAS Abbotsinch in January 1944. Training used escort carriers on the Firth of Clyde and a detachment was maintained at (Heathfield)Ayr throughout this period, with the squadron returning there in July 1945, at this time HMS Wagtail, RNAS Ayr. In August the squadron moved to HMS Corncrake, RNAS Ballyhalbert in Northern Ireland but then in October it joined up with the Deck Landing School at HMS Peewit, RNAS East Haven, Scotland, where it disbanded in April 1946.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">777 Naval Air Squadron</span> Royal Navy Fleet Air Arm Squadron

777 Naval Air Squadron was a Naval Air Squadron of the Royal Navy's Fleet Air Arm, which formed as a Fleet Requirements Unit in West Africa during the Second World War. Throughout most of 1943, the squadron was responsible for the air defence of Sierra Leone. It disbanded at HMS Spurwing, RNAS Hastings, Sierra Leone, during December 1944. The squadron reformed in May 1945, from 'B' Flight of 778 Naval Air Squadron, as a Carrier Trials Unit operating aboard HMS Pretoria Castle, and using shore bases at HMS Siskin, RNAS Gosport, and HMS Peregrine, RNAS Ford in England, and HMS Wagtail, RNAS Ayr, in Scotland. 777 Naval Air Squadron number was assigned to the aircraft collection at the Fleet Air Arm Museum in April 2006.

1843 Naval Air Squadron was a Naval Air Squadron of the Royal Navy's Fleet Air Arm between 1943 and 1945 and then a Royal Naval Volunteer Reserve Air Squadron from 1953 to 1957. It formed in the United States at RN Air Section Brunswick, in May 1944, as a fighter squadron. It arrived in the UK aboard HMS Trouncer in August. Based at HMS Gannet, RNAS Eglinton, Northern Ireland and training at HMS Wagtail, RNAS Ayr, Scotland, the squadron had deck landing training aboard HMS Patroller in December, before joining HMS Arbiter in February 1945, as part of the 10th Naval Fighter Wing. Sailing to Australia, the squadron became part of the 3rd Carrier Air Group, but saw no action before the war ended and disbanded in October 1945. It reformed as a Royal Naval Volunteer Reserve Air Branch anti-submarine squadron, in the Scottish Air Division, from 1953 and disbanded in 1957.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">1845 Naval Air Squadron</span> Royal Navy Fleet Air Arm Squadron

1845 Naval Air Squadron was a Naval Air Squadron of the Royal Navy's Fleet Air Arm. It formed at RN Air Section Brunswick, United States, in June 1944 as a fighter squadron, with eighteen Vought Corsair Mk III fighter aircraft. It embarked in HMS Puncher on 30 August, disembarking to HMS Gannet, RNAS Eglinton, Northern Ireland, on 18 September and joining the 10th Naval Fighter Wing. It re-equipped with twenty-four Vought Corsair Mk IV, and embarked HMS Slinger in December, sailing for the British Pacific Fleet, the squadron was disbanded in April 1945, and its aircraft and personnel absorbed into squadrons aboard the aircraft carriers HMS Formidable and HMS Victorious. On 1 June it reformed in Australia as a single seater fighter squadron at HMS Nabsford, RNAMY Archerfield, Queensland, and it shortly later became a spare squadron in the 3rd Carrier Air Group at HMS Nabbington, RNAS Nowra, New South Wales. With the end of the Second World War the squadron disbanded on 24 October.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">1846 Naval Air Squadron</span> Royal Navy Fleet Air Arm Squadron

1846 Naval Air Squadron was a Naval Air Squadron of the Royal Navy's Fleet Air Arm. It formed at RN Air Section Brunswick in July 1944 as a fighter squadron, with eighteen Vought Corsair Mk III fighter aircraft. It embarked in HMS Ranee in October, disembarking to HMS Gannet, RNAS Eglinton at the beginning of November, where it expanded to twenty-four aircraft by absorbing part of the disbanded 1848 Naval Air Squadron. In February 1945, it re-equipped with Vought Corsair Mk IV, having joined HMS Colossus at the start of the year. The aircraft carrier departed for the Far East in February, and its aircraft formed part of the 14th Carrier Air Group when this formed in June at HMS Valluru, Royal Naval Aircraft Maintenance Yard Tambaram. The squadron was too late for World War II, and eventually disbanded at HMS Siskin, RNAS Gosport, in July 1946.

No. 22 Sector RAF is a former Royal Air Force Sector that was operational during both the First and the Second World Wars.

References

Citations

  1. 1 2 Falconer 2012, p. 38.
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 38 39 40 41 42 43 44 45 46 47 48 49 50 51 52 53 54 55 56 57 58 59 60 61 62 63 64 65 66 67 68 69 70 71 "Ayr II (Heathfield)". Airfields of Britain Conservation Trust . Retrieved 23 November 2014.
  3. Sturtivant, Hamlin & Halley 1997, p. 163.
  4. Sturtivant, Hamlin & Halley 1997, p. 179.
  5. Sturtivant, Hamlin & Halley 1997, p. 314.
  6. Sturtivant, Hamlin & Halley 1997, p. 242.
  7. Sturtivant, Hamlin & Halley 1997, p. 54.
  8. Sturtivant, Hamlin & Halley 1997, p. 136.
  9. Sturtivant, Hamlin & Halley 1997, p. 74.
  10. Sturtivant, Hamlin & Halley 1997, p. 137.
  11. 1 2 3 "R.N.A.S. Ayr". Royal Navy Research Archive - Fleet Air Arm Bases 1939 - present day. Retrieved 29 October 2023.
  12. Sturtivant & Ballance 1994, p. 338.
  13. Sturtivant & Ballance 1994, p. 339.
  14. Sturtivant & Ballance 1994, p. 352.
  15. Sturtivant & Ballance 1994, p. 353.
  16. Sturtivant & Ballance 1994, p. 355.
  17. 1 2 Sturtivant & Ballance 1994, p. 357.
  18. Sturtivant & Ballance 1994, p. 359.

Bibliography