HATSTON / HMS Sparrowhawk.
Hatston from the air. 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.
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.
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Control tower at Hatston 1943. (William Shearer) Bellman hangers in 1982. (William Shearer)
Above: A line up of squadron Avengers and a Swordfish at Hatston in WWII. Photo: William Shearer.
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)
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.
FOUND AT HATSTON RECENTLY
These two photos were sent in to us by Joyce Gray of Scapa Flow Landscape Partners. She says according to Cmdr David Hobbs who did a tour around the old airfield site some time ago that they were used to tie down aircraft. These concrete blocks would be similar to those used by the barrage balloon batteries to tie down the balloon cables, and in the first war at Caldale for the airships.
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MEMORIAL
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.
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All rights reserved. Due to the immense amount of research that enabled us to build this site we would like to point out that all material on this website is owned by A.R.G.O.S though photos are credited to their respective owners. Anyone wishing to use material for their own website or any other purpose are requested to contact us first expressing their wishes. Permission will usually be granted to none profit making ventures, i.e. websites for educational and/or historical purposes, though a link to this website and acknowledgement to the original owners of any photographs will usually be requested.