RAF Skeabrae

Royal Air Force Skeabrae, or more simply RAF Skeabrae, is a former Royal Air Force station located in Orkney, Mainland, United Kingdom.

RAF Skeabrae RNAS Skeabrae (HMS Tern II)
Dounby, Mainland, Orkney in Scotland
RAF Skeabrae on a target dossier of the German Luftwaffe, 1941
RAF Skeabrae Location within Orkney Show map of Orkney Islands RAF Skeabrae RAF Skeabrae (the United Kingdom) Show map of the United Kingdom
Coordinates	59°03′52″N 003°16′09″W
Type	Royal Air Force station
Code	KJ[1]
Site information
Owner	Air Ministry
Operator	Royal Air Force Royal Navy
Controlled by	RAF Fighter Command Fleet Air Arm
Site history
Built	1940 (1940)
In use	August 1940 (1940) - 1957 (1957)
Battles/wars	European theatre of World War II
Airfield information
Elevation	18 metres (59 ft)[1] AMSL
Runways Direction Length and surface 09/27 976 yd (892 m) Concrete 05/23 976 yd (892 m) Concrete 14/32 992 yd (907 m) Concrete 01/19 970 yd (887 m) Concrete

History

The following units were here at some point:

Squadrons

• No. 3 Squadron RAF (1941)^[2]
• No. 66 Squadron RAF (1943)^[3]
• No. 118 Squadron RAF (1944)^[4]
• No. 129 Squadron RAF (1943)^[5]
• No. 132 Squadron RAF (1942)^[5]
• No. 164 Squadron RAF (1942)^[6]
• No. 234 Squadron RAF (1943)^[7]
• No. 253 Squadron RAF (1941)^[8]
• No. 312 (Czechoslovak) Squadron RAF (1943)^[9]
• No. 313 Squadron RAF (1944)^[9]
• No. 329 Squadron RAF (1945)^[10]
• No. 331 Squadron RAF (1941-42)^[10]
• No. 441 Squadron RCAF (1944-45)^[11]
• No. 451 Squadron RAAF^[11]
• No. 453 Squadron RAAF (1943-44)^[12]
• No. 598 Squadron RAF^[13]
• No. 602 Squadron RAF (1942-43 & 1944)^[13]
• No. 603 Squadron RAF^[13]
• No. 611 Squadron RAF (1944)^[14]

Units

• Advanced Ship Recognition Flight RAF (January - February 1943) became No. 1476 (Advanced Ship Recognition) Flight RAF (February - June 1943 & June - January 1944)^[15]
• No. 1491 (Fighter Gunnery) Flight RAF (November 1942 - August 1943)^[16]
• 1841 Naval Air Squadron^[17]
• No. 2714 Squadron RAF Regiment^[17]
• No. 2745 Squadron RAF Regiment^[17]
• No. 2766 Squadron RAF Regiment^[17]
• No. 2824 Squadron RAF Regiment^[17]

Royal Navy

• 801 Naval Air Squadron^[17]
• 804 Naval Air Squadron^[17]
• 841 Naval Air Squadron^[17]
• 880 Naval Air Squadron^[17]
• 881 Naval Air Squadron^[17]
• 882 Naval Air Squadron^[17]
• 884 Naval Air Squadron^[17]
• 887 Naval Air Squadron^[17]
• 894 Naval Air Squadron^[17]

Current use

The site is currently private agricultural land.^[17]

See also

• List of former Royal Air Force stations

References

Citations

1. Falconer 2012, p. 177.
2. Jefford 1988, p. 24.
3. Jefford 1988, p. 45.
4. Jefford 1988, p. 57.
5. Jefford 1988, p. 59.
6. Jefford 1988, p. 64.
7. Jefford 1988, p. 75.
8. Jefford 1988, p. 78.
9. Jefford 1988, p. 86.
10. Jefford 1988, p. 87.
11. Jefford 1988, p. 92.
12. Jefford 1988, p. 93.
13. Jefford 1988, p. 98.
14. Jefford 1988, p. 100.
15. Sturtivant, Hamlin & Halley 1997, p. 134.
16. Sturtivant, Hamlin & Halley 1997, p. 136.
17. "Skeabrae". Airfields of Britain Conservation Trust. Retrieved 26 April 2020.

Bibliography

• Falconer, J (2012). RAF Airfields of World War 2. UK: Ian Allan Publishing. ISBN 978-1-85780-349-5.
• Jefford, C G (1988). RAF Squadrons. A comprehensive record of the movement and equipment of all RAF squadrons and their antecedents since 1912. Shrewsbury: Airlife. ISBN 1-85310-053-6.
• Sturtivant, R; Hamlin, J; Halley, J (1997). Royal Air Force flying training and support units. UK: Air-Britain (Historians). ISBN 0-85130-252-1.