RAF Castletown

Royal Air Force Castletown or more simply RAF Castletown is a former Royal Air Force station that operated during the Second World War. Built near to Castletown in Caithness, Scotland the station opened in 1940 and closed in 1945. Initially built to provide a base for fighter cover for the Royal Navy base at Scapa Flow, it later became an air-sea rescue base as well, before closing just after the end of the war in Europe.

RAF Castletown
Castletown, Caithness in Scotland
RAF Castletown
Coordinates58.583°N 3.341°W / 58.583; -3.341
TypeRoyal Air Force station
Site information
OwnerAir Ministry
OperatorRoyal Air Force
Controlled byRAF Fighter Command
RAF Coastal Command
Site history
Built1939 (1939)
In use1940-1945 (1945)
Battles/warsSecond World War
EventsBattle of Britain & Defence of Scapa Flow
Garrison information
OccupantsNo. 13 Group RAF
No. 18 Group RAF

Air defence of Scapa Flow in 1939

At the outbreak of war, the only base available for local air defence of the hugely important Royal navy base at Scapa Flow was the naval airfield, RNAS Hatston. Hatston had no permanent aircraft allocation and was used by the Fleet Air Arm (FAA) squadrons from the Home fleet aircraft carriers when they were at Scapa Flow.[1] There were no RAF stations nearby and the Air Ministry took immediate steps to remedy this by requisitioning Wick Airport which became RAF Wick and by the end of September 1939 Blackburn Skua aircraft of 803 Squadron FAA were patrolling over Scapa. At the same time a site was sought for a second airfield. A site was chosen at Thurdistoft near Castletown and work began immediately on the construction of a new station, RAF Castletown.[2]

Operational history

Castletown officially opened on 28 May 1940[2] as a satellite of RAF Wick.[3] Wick was then a station in 18 Group, Coastal Command[1] though also serving as a sector headquarters for 13 Group in Fighter Command. On 7 June 1940, Castletown ceased to be a satellite of Wick and became an operational station of 13 Group. The new station itself had its own satellite at RAF Skitten, which opened in December 1940.

The first aircraft, Hawker Hurricanes of 504 Squadron, arrived on 9 June 1940. Throughout the Battle of Britain Castletown provided air cover for Scapa with 504 Squadron being replaced by 3 Squadron and later 232 Squadron.[4] From September to October 1940, also 808 FAA Squadron, flying Fairey Fulmars, operated there, as one of only two FAA squadrons taking part in the Battle of Britain.[5]

After the Battle of Britain, the threat of invasion receded but attacks on Scapa continued. In 1941 124 Squadron was formed at Castletown to provide convoy and coastal patrols.[6] This activity continued until 1944 when the last squadron (by coincidence 504 Squadron) left and the station began to be wound down. The last known aircraft to visit the station was a Sikorsky Hoverfly helicopter of 771 Squadron FAA in March 1945[7] and the station closed soon after.[7]

As fighter activity decreased Castletown became a base for air-sea rescue duties with 282 Squadron being raised specifically for this purpose at Castletown in 1943.[8] 282 Squadron was replaced by 278 Squadron in 1944.

Ground defence of the station was initially provided by army units but from 1942 onwards No. 2816 Squadron RAF Regiment fulfilled these duties.[9]

Squadrons based at station
SqnAircraftFromArrivedDepartedToNotes
3Hawker Hurricane IRAF Wick
RAF Turnhouse
RAF Skaebrae		3 September 1940
13 October 1940
10 February 1941		14 September 1940
7 January 1941
3 April 1941		RAF Turnhouse
RAF Skaebrae
RAF Martlesham Heath		[10]
17Hurricane IIA/IRAF Martlesham Heath5 April 194116 June 1941RAF ElginDetachments at RAF Elgin & RAF Sumburgh.[11]
54Supermarine Spitfire VB/IIBRAF Hornchurch17 November 19412 June 1942RAF Wellingore[12]
66Spitfire LF IXBRAF Bognor8 May 194414 May 1944RAF Bognor[13]
118Spitfire VIRAF Peterhead19 October 194320 January 1944RAF DetlingDet at RAF Peterhead.[14]
123Spitfire I/IIA/VBRAF Drem22 September 194111 April 1942en route EgyptDet at RAF Tain.[15]
124Spitfire I/IIB/VA/VBReformed here10 May 194117 November 1941RAF Biggin HillReformed here.[15]
131Spitfire VB/VCRAF Westhampnett22 January 194326 June 1943RAF Exeter[16]
132Spitfire IXB/VB/VIRAF Detling17 January 194410 March 1944RAF Detling[16]
167Spitfire VBRAF Scorton1 June 194214 October 1942RAF LudhamDet at RAF Peterhead.[17]
213Hurricane IRAF Driffield18 February 194111 May 1941en route Egypt via HMS Furious[18]
232Hurricane IRAF Sumburgh18 September 194013 October 1940RAF Skitten[19]
260Hurricane IReformed here
RAF Skitten		22 November 1940
7 January 1941		5 December 1940
10 February 1941		RAF Skitten[20]
278Westland Lysander IIA
Supermarine Walrus		RAF Matlask21 April 1942FebruaryRAF ShorehamAs a detachment from RAF Coltishall.[21]
282Walrus
Avro Anson I		Formed here1 January 194312 January 1944DisbandedDets at RAF Peterhead, RAF Drem and RAF Ayr.[22]
310Spitfire VA/VB/VIRAF Exeter26 June 194319 September 1943RAF IbsleyDet at RAF Sumburgh.[23]
331Hurricane I/IIBRAF Catterick21 August 194121 September 1941RAF Skaebrae[24]
404Bristol Blenheim IVFRAF Thorney Island20 June 194127 July 1941RAF Skitten[25]
504Hurricane I
Spitfire VB/VC/VI
Spitfire IXB/VB		RAF Wick
RAF Redhill
RAF Hornchurch		21 June 1940
19 September 1943
10 March 1944		2 September 1940
18 October 1943
30 April 1944		RAF Catterick
RAF Peterhead
RAF Digby		Full strength.[26]
Det at Sumburgh.[26]
Full strength.[26]
607Hurricane IRAF Skitten27 July 194120 August 1941RAF Skitten[27]
610Spitfire VB/VCRAF Ludham15 October 194220 January 1943RAF Westhampnett[27]
808 FAAFulmar IRNAS Worthy Down5 September 19402 October 1940RNAS Donibristle[5]

The following RAF Regiment units were here at some point:[28]

  • No. 2833 Squadron RAF Regiment
  • No. 2877 Squadron RAF Regiment

References

Citations
  1. Myers, P. "Air Operations RAF Wick". Caithness.org. Retrieved 17 March 2010.
  2. Castletown Recalls p. 3.
  3. Guttridge, Andrew (2002). "WW2 Defences in Caithness Part 2, Air Defences". Caithness Field Club Bulletin. Retrieved 19 March 2010.
  4. Wood, Derek & Dempster, Derek (1967) [1961]. The Narrow Margin: The Battle of Britain and the rise of air power 1930–1940 (2nd ed.). London: Arrow Books. ISBN 978-0-09-002160-4.
  5. Bussy, Geoffrey: Fairey Fulmar. Hall Park Books, Warpaint Series. No.41. p. 8
  6. "History of No. 124 Squadron". Royal Air Force. Retrieved 19 March 2010.
  7. Castletown Recalls p. 11.
  8. "282 Squadron". Royal Air Force. Retrieved 19 March 2010.
  9. Castletown Recalls p. 13.
  10. Jefford 1988, p. 24.
  11. Jefford 1988, p. 30.
  12. Jefford 1988, p. 42.
  13. Jefford 1988, p. 45.
  14. Jefford 1988, p. 57.
  15. Jefford 1988, p. 58.
  16. Jefford 1988, p. 59.
  17. Jefford 1988, p. 64.
  18. Jefford 1988, p. 71.
  19. Jefford 1988, p. 74.
  20. Jefford 1988, p. 80.
  21. Jefford 1988, p. 82.
  22. Jefford 1988, p. 83.
  23. Jefford 1988, p. 85.
  24. Jefford 1988, p. 87.
  25. Jefford 1988, p. 89.
  26. Jefford 1988, p. 95.
  27. Jefford 1988, p. 99.
  28. "Castletown". Airfields of Britain Conservation Trust. Retrieved 12 June 2020.

Bibliography
  • Andrew Guttridge, ed. (2005). Castletown Recalls 1939–1945 (PDF). Castletown Heritage Society. Retrieved 17 March 2010.
  • 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.
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