RNAS Hatston (HMS Sparrowhawk)

Royal Naval Air Station Hatston (RNAS Hatston, also called HMS Sparrowhawk), was a Royal Naval Air Station, one mile to the north west of Kirkwall on the island of Mainland, Orkney, Scotland. It was located near the strategically vital naval base of Scapa Flow, which for most of the twentieth century formed the main base of the ships of the Home Fleet.

RNAS Hatston (HMS Sparrowhawk)
Kirkwall, Mainland, Orkney in Scotland
Fairey Swordfish taxi along the tarmac to take off for an exercise with dummy torpedoes from HMS Sparrowhawk, Royal Naval Air Station, Hatston.
RNAS Hatston is located in Orkney Islands
RNAS Hatston
RNAS Hatston
Shown within the Orkney Islands
RNAS Hatston is located in the United Kingdom
RNAS Hatston
RNAS Hatston
RNAS Hatston (the United Kingdom)
Coordinates58°59′39″N 002°58′35″W
Site information
OwnerAdmiralty
OperatorRoyal Navy
Controlled byFleet Air Arm
Site history
Built1934 (1934)
In useOctober 1939 - 1948 (1948)
Battles/warsEuropean theatre of World War II
Airfield information
Elevation7 metres (23 ft) AMSL
Runways
Direction Length and surface
00/00  Concrete
00/00  Concrete
00/00  Concrete
00/00  Concrete

History

In 1939 an Admiralty representative sought the advice of Ted Fresson on the best site for an airfield in Orkney. Fresson, the founder of Highland Airways and now working for Scottish Airways, recommended the site at Hatston. Fresson had earlier wanted to create an airfield there, but the land owner had refused him. Fresson warned that the location would become very muddy and unsuitable for modern aircraft, and recommended that asphalt runways be built.[1] Thus once the airfield was established later that year, it was probably the first in Britain to have hard runways.[2] The airfield was declared operational in early 1940.[3]

During the Second World War, it was host to a number of different types of aircraft of the Fleet Air Arm, including Fairey Swordfish, Blackburn Rocs, Grumman Martlet IV and Grumman Avengers. Two squadrons of Blackburn Skuas flew from Hatston on 10 April 1940, on a mission to sink the German cruiser Königsberg, in which they were successful.

A US Navy Grumman J2F Duck at RNAS Hatston in 1942

From April 1942 the airfield was also used by several squadrons of the United States Navy, who flew aircraft including Douglas TBD Devastators, Grumman F4F Wildcats and Vought SB2U Vindicators.[4]

After the war, Hatston became Kirkwall's main civil airport and was served by Allied Airways and Scottish Airways, which were both absorbed by British European Airways (BEA) in 1947. By 1948 BEA was operating Douglas Dakotas which were deemed too large to use the runways safely. They moved operations to a larger airfield, RAF Grimsetter, 3 miles (4.8 km) south-east of Kirkwall. RNAS Hatston was officially closed in 1948, but from 1953 until 1957 was the home of the Orkney Flying Club.[4]

Finally it was closed and turned into an industrial estate, with some buildings becoming council housing.[5] Several local street names commemorate the airfield, including Sparrowhawk Road, Seafire Road, Swordfish Road, Skua Road, Dakota Road and Gladiator Road.

Units

The following units were here at some point:[6]

References

Citations
  1. Warner 2005, p. 27.
  2. Smith 1989, p. 114.
  3. Warner 2005, p. 24.
  4. "Hatston (Kirkwall)". Airfields of Britain Conservation Trust. Retrieved 28 April 2023.
  5. Smith 1989, p. 115.
  6. Sturtivant & Ballance 1994.
  7. Jefford 1988, p. 81.

Bibliography
  • 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.
  • Smith, David J. (1989). Action Stations 7: Military Airfields of Scotland, the North-East and Northern Ireland (2nd ed.). Wellingborough, UK: Patrick Stephens Ltd. ISBN 1-85260-309-7.
  • Sturtivant, R; Ballance, T (1994). The Squadrons of The Fleet Air Arm. Tonbridge, Kent, UK: Air-Britain (Historians) Ltd. ISBN 0-85130-223-8.
  • Warner, Guy (2005). Orkney by Air. Erskine, Scotland: kea publishing. ISBN 0951895877. Retrieved 28 April 2023.
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