RAF Limavady

RAF Limavady RNAS Limavady
Limavady, County Londonderry in Northern Ireland
Site information
Type	Royal Air Force satellite station
Owner	Air Ministry Admiralty
Operator	Royal Air Force Royal Navy
Controlled by	RAF Coastal Command * No. 15 Group RAF * No. 17 (T) Group RAF Fleet Air Arm
Location
RAF Limavady Shown within Northern Ireland Show map of Northern Ireland RAF Limavady RAF Limavady (the United Kingdom) Show map of the United Kingdom
Coordinates	55°04′23″N006°56′15″W / 55.07306°N 6.93750°W / 55.07306; -6.93750
Site history
Built	1940 (1940)
In use	1940 - August 1945 (1945)
Battles/wars	European theatre of World War II Cold War
Airfield information
Elevation	20 metres (66 ft) [1] AMSL
Runways Direction Length and surface 00/00  Concrete/Tarmac 00/00  Concrete/Tarmac 00/00  Concrete/Tarmac

Royal Air Force Limavady, or more simply RAF Limavady, is a former Royal Air Force satellite station, also known as Aghanloo airfield, near the city of Derry, Northern Ireland.

History

The station was built in 1940 during the Second World War. The airfield was part of RAF Coastal Command and was important in the fight against U-boats in the Atlantic Ocean. ^[2]

Units

Sqn	Aircraft	Joined	Departed	From → To	Notes
48	Avro Anson I Bristol Beaufort I Lockheed Hudson V/III	16 July 1940	20 October 1941	RAF Hooton Park RAF Stornoway RAF Skitten	On detachment initially from RAF Hooton Park then squadron moved to RAF Stornoway then on to RAF Skitten. [3]
53	Lockheed Hudson  V	July 1941	February 1942	RAF Bircham Newton → RAF St Eval	On detachment then squadron moved to RAF St Eval and continued its detachment. [4]
143	Bristol Blenheim IV	23 April 1942	11 June 1942	RAF Aldergrove → RAF Thorney Island	Squadron move. [5]
153	Boulton Paul Defiant  I Bristol Beaufighter IF	October 1941	December 1942	RAF Ballyhalbert → RAF Portreath	On detachment. [6]
172	Vickers Wellington XIV	1 September 1944	4 June 1945	RAF Chivenor → DB	Squadron disbanded. [7]
221	Vickers Wellington IC	November 1940	25 December 1941	RAF Bircham Newton → RAF Docking	On detachment from RAF Bircham Newton then from RAF Reykjavik. [8]
224	Lockheed Hudson II	15 April 1941	20 December 1941	RAF Leuchars → RAF St Eval	Squadron move. [9]
245 (Northern Rhodesian)	Hawker Hurricane I	20 July 1940	1 September 1941	RAF Aldergrove → RAF Chilbolton	On detachment. [10]
281	Supermarine Sea Otter	31 March 1941	13 August 1945	RAF Mullaghmore → RAF Ballykelly	Squadron move. [11]
304	Vickers Wellington XIII	21 September 1944	6 March 1945	RAF Benbecula → RAF St Eval	On detachment. [12]
407	Vickers Wellington XI	29 January 1944	28 April 1944	RAF Chivenor → RAF Chivenor	Squadron move. [13]
500 (County of Kent) AAF	Bristol Blenheim IV	30 May 1941	22 March 1942	RAF Bircham Newton → RAF Stornoway	On detachment then squadron move. [14]
502 (Ulster) AAF	Armstrong Whitworth Whitley V	27 January 1941	10 January 1942	RAF Aldergrove → RAF Bircham Newton	Squadron move. [15]
612 (County of Aberdeen) AAF	Armstrong Whitworth Whitley V	1 April 1941	15 December 1941	RAF Wick → RAF Reykjavik	On detachment then squadron move. [16]
811 Naval Air Squadron		1944	1944		[17]
819 Naval Air Squadron					[17]
825 Naval Air Squadron		1944	1944		[17]
846 Naval Air Squadron		1944	1944		[17]
850 Naval Air Squadron		1944	1944		[17]

The following units were also here at some point:

• No. 7 (Coastal) Operational Training Unit RAF (April 1942 - May 1944) ^[18]
• No. 22 Air Crew Holding Unit ^[17]
• No. 2754 Squadron RAF Regiment ^[17]
• Loran Training Unit RAF (April 1945) ^[19] became Coastal Command Anti U-Boat Devices School RAF (April - August 1945) ^[20]

During the Second World War the airfield was further used by the Fleet Air Arm when it was known as RNAS Limavady until 1958 when it was finally sold off.

Current use

After it was vacated by the military, the site was partly converted into an industrial estate with the rest returning to agricultural purposes. The runways and taxiways can still be seen from aerial imagery. ^{[21] [22]}

References

Citations

1. Falconer 2012, p. 128.
2. "Move to preserve Limavady RAF buildings". Derry Journal. 29 June 2012. Retrieved 11 August 2017.
3. Jefford 2001 , p. 44 (No. 48 Sqn)
4. Jefford 2001 , p. 45 (No. 53 Sqn)
5. Jefford 2001 , p. 64 (No. 143 Sqn)
6. Jefford 2001 , p. 65 (No. 153 Sqn)
7. Jefford 2001 , p. 67 (No. 172 Sqn)
8. Jefford 2001 , p. 75 (No. 221 Sqn)
9. Jefford 2001 , p. 75 (No. 224 Sqn)
10. Jefford 2001 , p. 79 (No. 245 Sqn)
11. Jefford 2001 , p. 85 (No. 281 Sqn)
12. Jefford 2001 , p. 87 (No. 304 Sqn)
13. Jefford 2001 , p. 91 (No. 407 Sqn)
14. Jefford 2001 , p. 95 (No. 500 Sqn)
15. Jefford 2001 , p. 96 (No. 502 Sqn)
16. Jefford 2001 , p. 101 (No. 612 Sqn)
17. "Limavady". Airfields of Britain Conservation Trust . Retrieved 7 June 2020.
18. Sturtivant, Hamlin & Halley 1997, p. 235.
19. Sturtivant, Hamlin & Halley 1997, p. 202.
20. Sturtivant, Hamlin & Halley 1997, p. 93.
21. "RAF Limavady airfield control tower WW2". www.controltowers.co.uk. Retrieved 11 August 2017.
22. "Limavady". www.forgottenairfields.com. Retrieved 11 August 2017.

Bibliography

• Falconer, J (2012). RAF Airfields of World War 2. UK: Ian Allan Publishing. ISBN   978-1-85780-349-5.
• Jefford, C G (2001). R.A.F Squadrons, A comprehensive record of the movement and equipment of all RAF squadrons and their antecedents since 1912. UK: Airlife Publishing Ltd. ISBN   1-84037-141-2.
• Sturtivant, R; Hamlin, J; Halley, J (1997). Royal Air Force flying training and support units. UK: Air-Britain (Historians). ISBN   0-85130-252-1.