RAF Sullom Voe

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RAF Sullom Voe
Ensign of the Royal Air Force.svg
Sullom Voe, Shetland Isles in Scotland
Shetland UK location map.svg
Red pog.svg
RAF Sullom Voe
Shown within Shetland
United Kingdom adm location map.svg
Red pog.svg
RAF Sullom Voe
RAF Sullom Voe (the United Kingdom)
Coordinates 60°28′00″N001°16′30″W / 60.46667°N 1.27500°W / 60.46667; -1.27500
Type Satellite Station
Site information
Owner Air Ministry
Operator Royal Air Force
Controlled by RAF Coastal Command
Site history
Built1938 (1938)
In use1938-1952 (1952)
Battles/wars European theatre of World War II
Airfield information
Elevation1 metre (3 ft 3 in) [1] AMSL
OtherAligned with RAF Scatsta

Royal Air Force Sullom Voe or more simply RAF Sullom Voe is a former Royal Air Force station near the village of Brae, in the Shetland Isles of Scotland. It was a Flying boat base and was closely associated with the adjacent airfield of RAF Scatsta. [2]

Contents

History

Beginnings

The building of this flying boat station started well before the Second World War during 1938 and it became home to various Coastal Command squadrons that patrolled the North Sea, Norwegian Sea and North Atlantic for enemy ships and U-boats.

In the early days accommodation was provided by the Clyde-built SS Manella, [3] a ship built in 1921, requisitioned by the Royal Navy in 1939, renamed HMS Manella and sent to Sullom Voe as a supply ship to provide temporary accommodation prior to suitable accommodation being built on-shore at nearby Graven.

201 Squadron was posted there just 25 days before the declaration of war on 3 September 1939. 240 Squadron was posted there a month later on 4 November 1939 then Sullom Voe became the first location in the British Isles to be bombed on Monday 13 November 1939 when four bombs landed in a field. No damage was formally reported apart from the death of a rabbit! [4]

The complex was added to when a nearby airfield was built during 1940 and named RAF Scatsta.

Units

SquadronAircraftPosted fromPosted toFrom → ToNotes
190 Consolidated Catalina IB & IV17 February 19431 January 1944Formed → DisbandedFormed from the nucleus of disbanded 210 Squadron and subsequently reformed back to 210 Sqn again. [5]
201 Saro London I & II
Short Sunderland I & II		9 August 1939
26 May 1940		6 November 1939
9 October 1941		 RAF Calshot → RAF Invergordon
RAF Invergordon → RAF Lough Erne 		Squadron moves twice to Sullom Voe. [6]
204 Short Sunderland I2 April 19405 April 1941 RAF Mount Batten → RAF Reykjavik [7]
210 Short Sunderland I24 November 1939
13 July 1940		21 May 1940
4 October 1942		 RAF Invergordon → RAF Pembroke Dock
RAF Oban → RAF Pembroke Dock 		Detachment from RAF Invergordon then from RAF Oban. [8]
240 Saro London II4 November 1939
27 March 1940		12 February 1940
27 May 1940		 RAF Invergordon → RAF Invergordon
RAF Invergordon → RAF Pembroke Dock 		Squadron moves twice to Sullom Voe. [9]
330 Short Sunderland II, III and V12 July 194314 June 1945 RAF Oban → Stavangar Airport, Sola, NorwaySquadron disbanded 21 Nov 1945 and transferred to Norwegian control. [10]
333 Consolidated Catalina I & IV5 May 1943June 1945 RAF Woodhaven → Fornebu (Oslo, Norway)On detachment before being disbanded 21 November 1945 and transferred to Norwegian control. [10]
413 RCAF Consolidated Catalina I & IV1 October 19414 March 1942 RAF Stranraer → En route to Sri Lanka [11]
461 RAAF [12]
701 Naval Air Squadron [12]

The following units were also here at some point: [12]

During the War

In 1944 one of 210 Sqn's pilots, Flying Officer John Cruickshank, carried out a successful attack off Narvik on a German U-boat, sinking the U-361, which by this time possessed heavy anti-aircraft guns. Despite severe injuries from those guns, he managed to fly his aircraft home and circled until daybreak before he was able to land it safely saving his crew, an achievement for which he was awarded the Victoria Cross. [13]

Post War

RAF Sullom Voe and RAF Scatsta was rendered non-operational in June 1945 after all wartime operations by Coastal Command ended.

In 1975 the Sullom Voe Terminal was built in the land and surroundings formerly part of the airbase and its sister airport RAF Scatsta. [14]

Major portions of the airfield still remain. Some have been repurposed; such as taxiways being used as car parking.

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References

Citations

  1. ↑ Falconer 2012, p. 184.
  2. ↑ Falconer 2012, p. 185.
  3. ↑ "S.S. Manela". Clydesite Scotland. Archived from the original on 1 October 2004. Retrieved 3 November 2013.
  4. ↑ "Sullom Voe". Shetland Museum. Retrieved 3 November 2013.
  5. ↑ Jefford 1988, p. 69.
  6. ↑ Jefford 1988, p. 70.
  7. ↑ Jefford 1988, p. 71.
  8. ↑ Jefford 1988, p. 72.
  9. ↑ Jefford 1988, p. 78.
  10. 1 2 Jefford 1988, p. 89.
  11. ↑ Jefford 1988, p. 92.
  12. 1 2 3 "Sullom Voe (Garths Voe)". Airfields of Britain Conservation Trust . Retrieved 15 September 2022.
  13. ↑ Seymour and Balderson 1999, p. 100.
  14. ↑ "Sullom Voe Feature Page on Undiscovered Scotland". www.undiscoveredscotland.co.uk. Retrieved 8 November 2024.

Bibliography

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