HATSTON / HMS Sparrowhawk.

                                                Photo: Crown Copyright.

Hatston situated 1m NW of Kirkwall on the A965 was the first WWII airfield to be be built on Orkney and ready for Operational flying by the time war broke out in September 1939. Construction began in February and based on the comments to the Admiralty by Civil airline pilot  Capt Fresson on the type of runway that would be best, work began on hard surface tarmac types,4 in all plus perimeter tracks, the main road into Kirkwall would form a main runway foundation, and the road was diverted south of the airfield.

 Above:  Swordfish taxiing at Hatston.  Photo: Orkney Image Archive. Gregor Lamb collection                                                            

Other buildings soon sprang up including 4 large Bellman hangers, workshops, Ammo sheds, Fuel tanks, and huts for Officers and Men of the many squadrons due to move in by the end of the year.

       On 25th August 1939 the runways were considered fully operational and the first unit to try them out was 771  Fleet Requirements Squadron when they arrived with a Swordfish from Evanton piloted by Lt/Cmdr Mortimer and TAG Harry Davison, the very next day Skuas arrived from 800 Squadron carrier `Ark Royal`  and some 5 weeks later on 2nd Oct the airfield at Hatston was Commissioned as HMS Sparrowhawk.  

Left: : Control tower at Hatston 1943 and right large Bellman hangers in 1982.

Over 200 naval squadrons spent time at Hatston during the second world war, 771,800,801,804, 880,1771 & 1820 to name but a few, they flew Swordfish, Roc,Skua,Walrus,Martlet,Barracuada,Seafire,Spitfire, Avengers and many,many other types,seeing thousands of servicemen pass through their gates and airspace, yet there is very little to mark their presence today, except those large hangers and a few of the smaller brick buildings, a few momentoes though do remain such as the road names around this airfield, now an Industrial estate and a small stone memorial at the end of the road.   

Runways:

1/  NW to SE

2/  NE to SW

3/  N to S

4/  ESE to WSW.

(Lengths of WWII runways being researched - Data to follow shortly)

A great photo of Hatston as it is today   Photo: Andrew Brown.

Memorial to those who lost their lives while flying in Fleet Air Arm squadrons from Hatston near the roundabout at the corner of Grainshore Rd and Ayre Rd on the way into Kirkwall. Erected by the Royal British Legion.  Photo: Dave Earl.                                    

TWATT /  HMS TERN

Avove:  Stone Anchor at Gate to Twatt Airfield   Photo: Andrew Brown.

Photo: ARGOS Collection. 

UPDATE:  We recieved the following message from Joyce Gray regarding the stone anchor .

I see on the ARGOS site a photo of the stone anchor at Twatt Aerodrome.  Just to let you know that this anchor is now restored and is in the Oil Tank at Lyness.  Colin Watson (the cathedral mason) and I got permission to take if from the site.  I was very concerned at the state of it with the cows trampling it) so Colin restored it and took it over to Lyness.  The anchor was in a really poor shape and in lots of pieces. Made of concrete it is only around 10in deep and had no foundation.

                                         Crown Copyright.

HMS Tern or RNAS Twatt was first commisioned as a Royal Naval Station on 1st April 1941 and construction of four concrete runways and perimeter tracks began and were built between April and July all were longer than 2,000 feet  and were as follows:

01/19  2,370ft. (722m)  N to S.
04/22  2,430ft. ( 740m) NE to SW.
10/28  2,400ft. (731m)  WNW to ESE.
14/32  2,760ft. (841m)  NW to SE.

Plus construction work on many buildings inc Control Tower and Ops block,Engine house,Guard House & Cells,Fire Station,Cinema,air raid shelters,Ammo Sheds, Mainenance buildings etc. Many of which still survive today.

Twatt Control tower & Operations building in the 1940s,also shows 3 of 771sq Hangers.

Above:  A Douglas Boston at Twatt in August 1943. Photo: G.Lamb Collection via Orkney Library Photographic Archives.  

Above:  Twatt Control Tower and the Cinema projection room as seen in 2005. Photos: Dave Ramsey.

Below:  A fantastic panoramic shot of the airfield from Bryameadow takin in 2006.  Photo: Tom Johnston.

Below:  A great aerial view today of Twatt airfield control tower & dispersal pens. Photo: Neil Thain.

Above: Kenny Sinclair of Newhall,Dounby clearing out broken concrete and plaster from around the  control tower observation block as part of a restoration project,rubble was stacked 3ft high. The building has now been emptied of all rubbish and windows have been boarded up.   Photo:  Tom Johnston.

Above:  The job complete on a visit in May 2010.  Windows have mesh to keep the birds out and the roof has been sealed watertight.  Photo: Dave Earl.

Above:  Left the reception desk in the operations building below the control tower. Right:  Remains of the telephone exchange switchboard in May 2010.   Photos: Dave  Earl.

Above:  Tern reception desk looking towards the enterance door in May 2010.   Photo:  Dave Earl. 

KIRKWALL / RAF Grimsetter / HMS Robin

                                               crown copyright.

On 17 October 1940 Ops room staff moved to Grimsetter at Kirkwall from RAF Wick in the highlands, at first it was used as a fighter station operating in the 14 group area,and the old Ops block can still be seen on the old coast road and tends to be known as the `Black Building`.(See `Black Building` page on this website for more info).

Above:  A large MT workshop at HMS Robin in 1982. Photobucket photo - Norwichpaul.

The airfield was at first only used as a Satellite by Skeabrae,until 132 squadron moved in on 11 June 1942 with Spitfire MK1s until Mid Sept when they moved to Martlesham Heath,being replaced here by 129 squadron for local air defence,then 234 who were the last RAF Squadron at Grimsetter until April 1943 when they moved to Skeabrae and the Royal Navy took over the airfield. 

(Above: Two photos of  the Ops Block or `Black Building` found on photobucket from 1982 taken by Norwichpaul .

The airfield was commissioned HMS Robin on 15 August 1943 and a number of Fleet Air Arm squadrons such as 848,1770 & 842 operated from here with Swordfish,Wildcat,Firefly,Seafire and Avenger types.

Runways constructed of Asphalt during WW2 were as follows:

07/25   3,832ft (1,168m)  WSW to ENE

09/27   4,698ft  (1,432m)  E to W

15/33   1,837ft  (560m)    NW to SE

(Above : Control tower at HMS Robin in 1982.  Photobucket Photo: Norwichpaul).

The airfield at HMS Robin/Grimsetter became a civil airport in 1948 and is now Kirkwall Airport. Today the old Operations Block is still on site though at present its future is still uncertain. a few small buildings and air raid shelters still lay scattered about but much has been redeveloped to make way for the modern airport. The old control tower survived until about 2001 when it was replaced with a new one.

Old Wartime building still at Kirkwall in the late 1990s poss the old watch office?  

SKEABRAE

                            (Orkney Archive)

The airfield was constructed during a wet Summer in 1940, the first party of airmen being RN Fleet Air Arm who arrived on 15 August to a sea of mud and several partially constructed buildings.  The first landing by an aeroplane was a Miles Whitney Straight of Station Command on 15 Sept and soon after the arrival of Gladiators and 1 Martlet of 804 Squadron, and incidentally it was a Martlet from this Squadron and airfield that shot down a Ju-88 at Flotterston,Sandwick on Orkney`s West Mainland on 25 December 1940 thus creating a record of being the first American aircraft flown by a British pilot to down an enemy plane on British soil in WW2.

804 Had arrived at Skeabrae on 25 October 1940 but their time here, and indeed the Navy`s time here was short lived as they left for Skitten early in the New Year.  Skeabrae was then transformed into an RAF fighter base with the arrival of 3 squadrons of Hurricanes from Castletown who in their time here had several encounters with the enemy.

Runways  at Skeabrae were as follows:

1/   2,788ft   (850m)  NE to SW.

2/   2,788ft  (850m)   NW to SE.

3/   2,788ft  (850m)  WSW to ENE.

Above: 164 Squadron pilots,Skeabrae. Photo: Cloudio Maunier Via  Dave Earl.

 Below:  164 Spitfire pilot Ron Sheward at Skeabrae in 1942. Photo: Ron Sheward via Dave Earl.                                

 Among the squadrons at Skeabrae were 235 with Blenheims & Beaufighters, 129,132,133, 164, & 602 with  Hurricanes and Spitfires and Canadian Squadron 441.                                                        

 Above:  Spitfire FJ-A of 164 Sq at Skeabrae dispersal pen in 1942. Photo: Ron Sheward.              

 Of all the buildings that remained in the late 1970s and early 80s, such as the Control Tower,Fire Station, Generator building, guardhouse etc only a few remain at the airfield today.  One such building is the Cinema & Projection house which can clearly be seen on the A967 Birsay to Stromess road, also there are still several ammunition buildings and all the old air raid shelters.  

THE CONTROL TOWER

 Photo: Rae Slater

Above: Another view of the other side of the tower in 1983.  Photo:  Norwichpaul.

Above:  Demolition of the Skeabrae control tower in the 1980s the words `Sandwick FC` showing its last owner can be seen on the side above the door, the tower was used as a changing room for the local football team who had their pitch  close by.    Photo:  John Flett. 

Above:  A sad end to the Skeabrae tower.  Photo: John Flett.

AIRFIELD BUILDINGS

1/           Operations Building                                             2/          Decontamination Centre

.       

3/                      Power House                                               4/           Fire Station.

All four photos via photobucket member Norwichpaul .  

AMMUNITION SHED

Above: Tom Johnston of Bryameadow with one of the few remaining buildings at Skeabrae,that of one of the ammunition storage sheds.  Photo: Dave Earl.

THE CINEMA

Above:  Two recent cinema shots at Skeabrae.   Photos: Dave Earl.

Inside the main cinema building.  Photo: Magnus Ritch.

Projection room.   Photo:Magnus Ritch.           Other end of main Cinema building. Photo: Magnus Ritch

SPITFIRE DISPERSAL PENS

Spitfire dispersal pens still clearly visible from the air Skeabrae today. Photo: Neil Thain.

More Spitfire pens from the air. Photo:Neil Thain.

 Above:  Runways albeit badly broken up not very visible from below,but seen clearly from around 500ft. Photo: Neil Thain.

Despersals Skeabrae.   Photo: Andrew Brown.

Above:   Inside one of the many air raid shelters still at Skeabrae in 2010.  Photo: Dave Earl.

Above:  A concrete base for a coke stove that would have been in one of the billet huts.  Photo:  Dave Earl.

Bibliography:

Action Stations 7 by David J.Smith published by Patrick Stephens Ltd. 1989.

(c)  Copyright  2010. Aviation Research Group of Orkney & Shetland.

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