List of air stations of the Royal Navy

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This is a list of Naval Air Stations of the Royal Navy. Naval Air Stations are land bases of the Fleet Air Arm, the branch of the Royal Navy responsible for the operation of naval aircraft.

Current Naval Air Stations

Currently RNAS means "Royal Naval Air Station" and, in common with the Royal Air Force, is always followed by a geographical place in which the air station is located. (Historically RNAS is the "Royal Naval Air Service")

Former Naval Air Stations

RNAS HMS RAF RN Years active Current county Country Notes
Abbotsinch Sanderling Abbotsinch 1939-1963 Renfrewshire Scotland Now Glasgow Airport
n/a n/a Aldergrove 1939-40
1977-1982 		Co. Antrim Northern Ireland Naval units as lodgers on an RAF Base. Now Joint Helicopter Command Flying Station Aldergrove
Angle Goldcrest Angle 1943 Pembrokeshire Wales
Anthorn Nuthatch Anthorn 1944-58 Cumbria England Now Anthorn Radio Station
Arbroath Condor n/a 1940-1971 Angus Scotland Now RM Condor
Archerfield Nabreekie n/a 1945-46 Queensland Australia MONAB VII
Ayr Wagtail Heathfield
Ayr 		1944-46 South Ayrshire Scotland
Bacton n/a Bacton 1915-19 Norfolk England
Ballyhalbert Corncrake Ballyhalbert 1945 Co. Down Northern Ireland
Ballykelly Sealion Ballykelly 1945-1971 Co. Londonderry Northern Ireland Lodger facilities only until 1962. Now Shackleton Barracks
Bankstown Nabberley n/a 1944-1946 New South Wales Australia MONAB II. Now Bankstown Airport
Beccles Hornbill II Beccles -1945 Suffolk England Lodger facilities only.
n/a n/a Benbecula Western Isles Scotland Lodger facilities only. Now RRH Benbecula
n/a n/a Benson Oxfordshire England Lodger facilities only. Now RAF Benson
n/a n/a Bircham Newton Norfolk England Lodger facilities only.
Boaz Island Malabar n/a ? Sandys Parish Bermuda
n/a n/a Boscombe Down Wiltshire England Now MoD Boscombe Down
Bramcote Gamecock Bramcote 1946-58 Warwickshire England Now Gamecock Barracks
n/a n/a Bratton 1943-44 Shropshire England Provided training facilities for RNAS Hinstock during 1943/44
Brawdy Goldcrest
Goldcrest II 		Brawdy 1946-1971 Pembrokeshire Wales Now Cawdor Barracks
Bungay Europa II Bungay
Flixton 		1945-46 Suffolk England
Burscough Ringtail n/a 1943-46 Lancashire England
n/a n/a Bush Barn
No. 44 SLG 		1944-5 Oxfordshire England
Calshot n/a Calshot 1913-22 Hampshire England
Campbeltown Landrail
Landrail II 		n/a 1940-45 Argyll & Bute Scotland Located 1 mile SE of RAF Machrihanish, grass landing ground north of the B843.
Capel n/a Folkestone 1915-19 Kent England
Cattewater n/a Cattewater
Mount Batten 		1917-18 Devon England
Charlton Horethorne Heron II Charlton Horethorne 1943-45 Somerset England
China Bay Bambara n/a Trincomalee Sri Lanka Now China Bay Airport
Chingford n/a Chingford 1915-19 Greater London England Now William Girling Reservoir
n/a Raven Christchurch ?-1945 Dorset England Lodger facilities with a Naval Air Section and the Naval Air Radio Installation Unit.
n/a (Station in Reserve) n/a Cluntoe 1947-mid 1950s Co. Tyrone Northern Ireland Used occasionally.
Coimbatore
Sulur 		Garuda
Vairi 		n/a 1942-46 Cochin India Now Sulur Air Force Station
Colombo Racecourse Bherunda Colombo Racecourse 1943-45 Colombo Sri Lanka Now Colombo Racecourse
Covehithe n/a Covehithe 1915-19 Suffolk England
Cowdray Park n/a n/a 1941-45 West Sussex England Private airfield requisitioned for the storage of obsolescent naval aircraft.
Crail Bruce
Jackdaw 		Crail 1940-1961 Fife Scotland
RNAS Training Establishment, Cranwell Daedalus (Thunderbolt) Cranwell 1916-1918 Lincolnshire England Now Royal Air Force College
Culham Hornbill n/a 1944-1953 Oxfordshire England Now Culham Science Centre
Culmhead n/a Culmhead
Churchstanton 		Somerset England Lodger facilities only. Now Culmhead Business Centre
Dale Goldcrest Dale 1943-48 Pembrokeshire Wales
n/a n/a Defford Worcestershire England RN Air Section attached to Telecommunications Flying Unit RAF.
Dekheila Grebe n/a 1940-46 Egypt
Diego Suarez n/a n/a 1940-46 Madagascar
n/a Seaborn n/a 1940-46 Canada Lodger facilities only. Now CFB Shearwater
n/a n/a Detling 1940-41 Kent England Lodger facilities only.
n/a n/a Docking 1942-44 Norfolk England Lodger facilities only.
Donibristle Merlin Donibristle 1939-1959 Fife Scotland
Dounreay Tern II 1944-54 Highland Scotland Never commissioned.
Drem Nighthawk Drem 1945-46 East Lothian Scotland Lodger facilities until 1945.
Dundee Condor II Dundee 1941-44 Dundee City Scotland
n/a n/a Dundonald 1944 South Ayrshire Scotland Lodger facilities only.
Dunino Jackdaw II Dunino 1942-46 Fife Scotland
n/a n/a Duxford 1941-43 Cambridgeshire England Lodger facilities only.
East Fortune n/a East Fortune 1915-18 East Lothian Scotland National Museum of Flight
East Haven Peewit 1943-46 Angus Scotland
Eastchurch n/a Eastchurch 1910-1918 Kent England Now HM Prison Standford Hill
n/a Raven Eastleigh
Southampton 		1935-39, 1939-1947 Hampshire England Now Southampton Airport
Eglinton Gannet Eglinton 1943-1959
1960-63 		Co. Londonderry Northern Ireland Now City of Derry Airport
Evanton Fieldfare Evanton
Novar 		1944-48 Highland Scotland
Fairlop n/a Fairlop ? Essex England
Fearn Owl Fearn 1942-46 Highland Scotland
Felixstowe n/a Felixstowe 1913-19 Suffolk England See Seaplane Experimental Station
Fishguard n/a 1917-19 Pembrokeshire Wales
Ford Peregrine Ford
Ford Junction 		1939-1958 West Sussex England Now HM Prison Ford
n/a n/a Fraserburgh Aberdeenshire Scotland Lodger facilities only.
Gan Haitian Gan 1941-57 Addu Atoll Maldives Now Gan International Airport
Goldhanger n/a Goldhanger 1915-16 Essex England
Gosport Siskin Gosport 1940-56 Hampshire England
Grimsetter Robin Grimsetter 1943-45 Orkney Scotland Now Kirkwall Airport
Haldon Heron II Haldon 1941-43 Devon England
Halifax Canada
Saker 		? Nova Scotia Canada
Halesworth Sparrowhawk Halesworth 1945-46 Suffolk England Lodger facilities until 1945
Hastings Spurwing Hastings 1943-44 Sierra Leone Lodger facilities until 1943
Hatston Sparrowhawk
Tern II 		1939-1945 Orkney Scotland
Heath Row n/a Heathrow 1944-45 Greater London England Lodger facilities for a flight of 781 Naval Air Squadron only. Now Heathrow airport
Henstridge Dipper n/a 1943-46
1946-1954 		Somerset England Henstridge Airfield, The only Known station using 5 runways one of these having a dummy deck landing area with arrestor system
Hinstock Godwit Ollerton 1943-47 Shropshire England
Hornsea Mere n/a Atwick ?-1918 East Yorkshire England
Inskip Nightjar n/a 1943-46 Lancashire England
n/a n/a Helier 1940 Jersey Channel Islands
n/a Nabstock n/a 1945-46 Queensland Australia MONAB VI
Jervis Bay Nabswick n/a 1945-46 New South Wales Australia MONAB V
Kai Tak Nabcatcher
Flycatcher 		Kai Tak 1947-? Kowloon Bay Hong Kong MONAB VIII
Katukurunda Ukussa Katukurunda Katukurunda Sri Lanka.[1] Now Katukurunda Airport
Kete Harrier n/a 1945-1961 Pembrokeshire Wales
Kilindini Kipanga n/a 1942-44 Mombasa Kenya
Kingsnorth n/a Kingsnorth 1914-25 Kent England
Kirkistown Corncrake II Kirkistown 1945-46 Co. Down Northern Ireland Lodger facilities only during WWII. Satellite airfield from July 1945.
Komenda Wara Takoradi Oct-Dec 1943 Ghana Now Takoradi Airport
n/a n/a Langham 1942-44 Norfolk England Lodger facilities only.
Lawrenny Ferry Daedalus II n/a 1942-43 Pembrokeshire Wales
Lee-on-Solent Ariel
Daedalus III 		Lee-on-Solent 1939-1995 Hampshire England
n/a n/a Leuchars ?-1938
1972-78 		Fife Scotland Lodger facilities only. Now Leuchars Station
Lewiston Saker n/a 1943-5 Maine United States Now Auburn/Lewiston Municipal Airport
Limavady n/a Limavady 1944
1945-? 		Co. Londonderry Northern Ireland Lodger facilities during 1944. Naval charge from 1945.
Long Kesh n/a Long Kesh 1944-45 Co. Antrim Northern Ireland Lodger facilities only.
Lossiemouth Fulmar Lossiemouth 1946-1979 Moray Scotland Now RAF Lossiemouth.
Luce Bay n/a West Freugh 1940-43 Dumfries and Galloway Scotland Lodger facilities only. Now MoD West Freugh
Ludham Flycatcher Ludham 1944-? Norfolk England
Lympne Buzzard
Daedalus II 		Lympne 1939-1940 Kent England
Machrihanish Landrail Machrihanish 1941-46
1951-52 		Argyll & Bute Scotland Now MoD Machrihanish & Campbeltown Airport
Mackinnon Road Tana
Kipanga II 		n/a 1942-44 Taita-Taveta Kenya Now Mackinnon Road Airport
Macmerry n/a Macmerry 1945-46 East Lothian Scotland
Manston Manston 1933-35
WW2
1974 		Kent England Used by FAA squadron between 1933 and 1935. Lodger facilities during WW2 and used by 845 Naval Air Squadron briefly during early 1974. Now Manston Airport
Maydown Shrike
Gannet II 		Maydown 1943-45 Co. Londonderry Northern Ireland
Middle Wallop Flycatcher Middle Wallop 1945-46 Hampshire England Now AAC Middle Wallop
Milltown Fulmar II Milltown 1946-1972 Moray Scotland
Milton
Pembroke 		n/a Carew Cheriton
Pembroke 		1914-18 Pembrokeshire Wales
Minnerya n/a Minnerya 1942-46 Sri Lanka Lodger facilities only. Now Hingurakgoda Airport
Narborough n/a Narborough Aug 1916-1916 Norfolk England Now RAF Marham
n/a n/a North Coates 1940-41 Lincolnshire England
Nowra Nabbington
Nabswick 		n/a Jan-Nov 1945
1945-1946 		New South Wales Australia MONAB I
MONAB V. Now HMAS Albatross (air station)
Nutts Corner Pintail Nutts Corner 1945-46 Co. Antrim Northern Ireland
Palisadoes Malabar III
Buzzard 		n/a 1941-43 Kingston Jamaica Now Norman Manley International Airport
n/a n/a Pembroke Dock 1940-41 Pembrokeshire Wales Lodger facilities only.
Peplow Godwit II Peplow 1945-49 Shropshire England
n/a n/a Perranporth 1944 Cornwall England Lodger facilities only.
n/a n/a Peterhead 1942-44 Aberdeenshire Scotland Lodger facilities only.
Piarco Malabar II
Goshawk 		n/a 1940-46 Trinidad Now Piarco International Airport
n/a Kipanga Port Reitz ? Mombasa Kenya Lodger facilities only.
Ponam Nabaron n/a Apr-Nov 1945 Admiralty Islands Papua New Guinea MONAB IV
Portland Osprey Portland 1959-1999 Dorset England
Prestwick Gannet Prestwick 1971-2016 Ayrshire Scotland
Puttalam Rajaliya n/a 1942-45 Puttalam District Sri Lanka
Quonset Point Asbury n/a 1942-1943 Rhode Island United States Now Quonset Point Air National Guard Station
Rattray Head
Rattray
Crimond 		Merganser Oct 1944-
Sept 1946 		Aberdeenshire Scotland
Roborough Drake II Roborough 1939-1942
Postwar 		Devon England
Ronaldsway Urley Ronaldsway 1944-46 Isle of Man
Sandbanks Daedalus n/a 1940-43 Dorset England
Schofields Nabthorpe
Nabstock 		n/a Feb-Nov 1945
Nov 1945- ? 		New South Wales Australia MONAB III
MONAB VI. Now Schofields Defence Depot, up for sale.
n/a n/a St Davids 1947-1961 Pembrokeshire Wales
n/a n/a St Mawgan
Trebelzue 		1954-56 Cornwall England Used by 744 Naval Air Squadron
St Merryn Curlew
Vulure 		1940-1956 Cornwall England
Sembawang Simbang
Nabrock 		Sembawang Singapore MONAB IX
Sigiriya n/a Sigiriya Sri Lanka Lodger facilities only. Now Sigiriya Airport
Skaebrae Tern II Skaebrae 1940-? Orkney Scotland Lodger facilities only initially.
n/a n/a Skitten 1940-41 Caithness Scotland Lodger facilities only.
Speke n/a Speke 1942-45 Merseyside England Lodger facilities only initially, housed a RN Air Section. Now Liverpool John Lennon Airport
Stornoway Mentor II Stornoway 1940-41
1943-44 		Outer Hebrides Scotland Seaplane base initially then handed to the RAF and lodger facilities were available.
Stretton Blackcap n/a 1942-1958 Cheshire England
Sullom Voe n/a Sullom Voe 1940-41 Shetland Scotland Lodger unit on an RAF base.
n/a n/a Sumburgh 1941-42 Shetland Scotland Lodger facilities only. Now Sumburgh Airport
Sydenham Gadwall
Gannet III 		Sydenham 1943-1973 Co. Antrim Northern Ireland Also known as RNAS Belfast. Now George Best Belfast City Airport
n/a n/a Tain 1942-44 Ross and Cromarty Scotland Lodger facilities only.
Tambaram Valluru Tambaram 1944-45 Madras India Now Tambaram Air Force Station
Tanga Kilele n/a 1942-44 Tanzania Now Tanga Airport
n/a Falcon Hal Far 1929-50
1952-67 		Malta
n/a Goldfinch Ta Kali Malta Lodger facilities only
Tangmere n/a Tangmere 1942-50 West Sussex England Lodger facilities only initially, the Naval Air Fighting Development Unit was present at some point.
Thorney Island n/a Thorney Island 1940-48 West Sussex England Lodger facilities only initially, used by the Naval Air Sea Warfare Development Unit at some point. Now Baker Barracks
Tresco n/a Tresco 1917-19 Isles of Scilly, Cornwall England
n/a n/a Turnhouse 1942-44 City of Edinburgh Scotland Lodger facilities only. Now Edinburgh Airport
Twatt Tern Twatt 1941-1957 Orkney Scotland
Voi Tana
Kipanga II 		n/a 1944 Kenya Never commissioned
Walmer n/a Walmer 1917-1918 Kent England Hawkshill Freedown (open land)
Wingfield Malagas n/a 1942-46 Western Cape South Africa Now SAS Wingfield
Woodvale Ringtail II Woodvale 1942-45
1945-46 		Merseyside England Lodger facilities only initially, satellite airfield postwar.
Worthy Down Kestrel
HMS Ariel 		Worthy Down 1938-39
1939-1950
1952-1960 		Hampshire England Lodger facilities only pre WWII. Now Worthy Down Barracks
Zeals Hummingbird Zeals 1945-46 Wiltshire England

Former Naval Air Stations by ship name (HMS xxx)

HMS means Her Majesty's Ship (or His Majesty's Ship if before February 1952).

Some smaller and some very early Naval Air Stations in the list above were not commissioned as HM Ships. Those below were commissioned and, therefore, have a ship's name. Royal Navy shore bases and naval air stations have traditionally been named in the same manner as seagoing ships.

Officers were appointed to HMS xxx rather than to RNAS xxx and, similarly, ratings' Service Certificates will show only the name of the ship when drafted to a Naval Air Station. Thus, this list may help when researching family history records.

HMS Nearest Town County Country Current use
HMS Ariel South Wonston Hampshire England
HMS Ariel Lee-on-the-Solent Hampshire England
HMS Blackcap Stretton Cheshire England
HMS Buzzard Lympne Kent England Industrial estate
HMS Buzzard Palisadoes Kingston Jamaica
HMS Condor Arbroath Angus Scotland RM Condor
HMS Corncrake Ballyhalbert Co. Down Northern Ireland Housing
HMS Curlew St Merryn Cornwall England Farmland
HMS Daedalus II Lympne Kent England Industrial Estate
HMS Daedalus II Sandbanks Dorset England
HMS Daedalus II Lawrenny Ferry Pembrokeshire Wales
HMS Daedalus III Lee-on-the-Solent Hampshire England Lee-on-Solent Airfield
HMS Europa II Bungay Suffolk England
HMS Falcon Ħal Far Malta Industrial Estate
HMS Fieldfare Evanton Ross and Cromarty Scotland Industrial Estate
HMS Flycatcher Ludham Norfolk England Farmland
HMS Flycatcher Middle Wallop Hampshire England AAC Middle Wallop
HMS Flycatcher Kai Tak Kowloon Bay Hong Kong Kai Tak Development
HMS Fulmar Lossiemouth Morayshire Scotland RAF Lossiemouth
HMS Gadwall Sydenham Belfast Northern Ireland George Best Belfast City Airport
HMS Gamecock Bramcote Warwickshire England Gamecock Barracks
HMS Gannet Eglinton Co. Londonderry Northern Ireland City of Derry Airport
HMS Gannet Prestwick South Ayrshire Scotland HMS Gannet
HMS Gannet II Maydown Co. Londonderry Northern Ireland Industry
HMS Gannet III Belfast Co. Antrim Northern Ireland George Best Belfast City Airport
HMS Godwit Ollerton Shropshire England
HMS Goldcrest Angle Pembrokeshire Wales Cawdor Barracks
HMS Goldfinch Ta' Qali Malta Park
HMS Grebe Alexandria Egypt
HMS Heron II Charlton Horethorne Somerset England Farmland
HMS Heron II Haldon Hills Devon England
HMS Hornbill Culham, Abingdon Oxfordshire England Fusion research facility
HMS Hornbill II Beccles Suffolk England Various
HMS Hummingbird Zeals Wiltshire England Farmland
HMS Icarus Scapa Flow Orkney Scotland ?
HMS Jackdaw II Kingsbarns Fife Scotland
HMS Kipanga Kilindini Mombasa County Kenya
HMS Kipanga II Mackinnon Road Taita-Taveta County Kenya
HMS Kipanga II Moi International Airport Mombasa County Kenya Moi International Airport
HMS Kestrel South Wonston Hampshire England Worthy Down Barracks
HMS Landrail Machrihanish Argyllshire Scotland Campbeltown Airport
HMS Malabar Boaz Island Sandys Parish Bermuda Housing
HMS Merganser Rattray Aberdeenshire Scotland Long range radio station
HMS Mentor II Stornoway Outer Hebrides Scotland Stornoway Airport
HMS Merlin Donibristle Fife Scotland Dalgety Bay
HMS Nabaron Ponam Island Papua New Guinea
HMS Nabberley Bankstown Australia Bankstown Airport
HMS Nabbington Nowra Australia HMAS Albatross
HMS Nabcatcher Kowloon Bay Kowloon Peninsula Hong Kong
HMS Nabhurst Middle Wallop Hampshire England
HMS Nabreekie Pinkenba Brisbane Australia
HMS Nabrock Sembawang Singapore
HMS Nabstock Maryborough Queensland Australia
HMS Nabswick Jervis Bay New South Wales Australia
HMS Nabthorpe Schofields New South Wales Australia RAAF Station Schofields
HMS Nighthawk Drem East Lothian Scotland RAF Drem Museum
HMS Nightjar Inskip Lancashire England
HMS Nuthatch Anthorn Cumbria England Anthorn Radio Station
HMS Osprey Portland Dorset England Coastguard base
HMS Owl Fearn Ross and Cromarty Scotland
HMS Peewit East Haven Angus Scotland
HMS Peregrine Ford West Sussex England
HMS Pintail Crumlin Co. Antrim Northern Ireland
HMS Raven Eastleigh Hampshire England Southampton International Airport
HMS Ringtail Burscough/Ormskirk Lancashire England
HMS Robin Kirkwall Orkney Scotland Kirkwall Airport
HMS Sanderling Abbotsinch Renfrewshire Scotland Glasgow Airport
HMS Seaborn Halifax Nova Scotia Canada CFB Shearwater
HMS Sealion Ballykelly Co. Londonderry Northern Ireland Shackleton Barracks
HMS Shrike Maydown Co. Londonderry Northern Ireland Industry
HMS Simbang Sembawang Singapore Sembawang Air Base
HMS Siskin Gosport Hampshire England HMS Sultan
HMS Sparrowhawk Kirkwall Orkney Scotland Industrial Estate
HMS Spurwing Hastings Western Area Sierra Leone
HMS Tern Twatt Orkney Scotland
HMS Ukussa Kalutara Western Province Sri Lanka Katukurunda Airport
HMS Urley Ronaldsway Isle of Man Isle of Man Airport
HMS Vulture St Merryn Cornwall England Farmland
HMS Vulture II Treligga Cornwall England
HMS Wagtail Heathfield South Ayrshire Scotland Glasgow Prestwick Airport

See also

References

  1. ↑ Fleet Air Arm Officers' Association, FAAOA

"FAA Bases home page". Retrieved 21 Mar 2016. 

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