RAF SKEABRAE
Orkney Archive
Originally under construction as a naval air station for the Admiralty, Skeabrae was transferred to the Air Ministry, incomplete, on 2 May 1940. It was handed over to meet the need for further RAF fighter bases in the Orkneys and the RAF began to arrive on 15 August 1940 to find a station with four runways, and few completed buildings but no water supply, sanitation or electricity. No. 14 Group RAF assumed administrative control of the station on 30 August 1940. 804 squadron 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.
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.
Above: 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.
The Royal Navy at Skeabrae
The station’s primary task was to providing vital fighter defence for the Royal Navy fleet at Scapa Flow and two RAF fighter squadrons were to occupy the site. However, the first operational aircraft to arrive on 10 October were the Sea Gladiators of the Fleet Air Arm‘s 804 Squadron, which disembarked from the Fleet Carrier HMS FURIOUS. While at Skeabrae the squadron acquired twelve new American single seat fighters, namely the Martlet (US name Wildcat). On Christmas Day 1940 a pair of Martlets, flown by Lt. R. H. P. Carver and Sub-Lt T. R. V. Parke, was on patrol over Scapa when they successfully intercepted a German raider, a Ju 88; this was the first American built fighter to destroy an enemy aircraft in the Second World War. The squadron moved to RAF Skitten on 7 January 1941.
The first RAF unit to arrive came in January 1941, one flight of Hawker Hurricanes from No 3 Squadron. In February they were replaced by the Hurricanes of No. 253 Squadron; they stayed until September 1941 and were subsequently replaced by No 331 Squadron in the same month. They stayed resident until May 1942.
The next Royal Naval squadron did not arrive at the station until the end of 1941, the Sea Hurricanes of 801 Squadron arriving from RNAS St. Merryn on November 8th. They stayed until February 1942, moving to RAF Tain on the 15th. The next two RN squadrons stayed briefly before joining the Fleet Carrier VICTORIOUS, these were 884 Squadron, who came equipped with six Fulmar Mk.IIs arriving from RNAS Lee-on-Solent on 15 September and embarking on 20 October. 882 Squadron moved to Skeabrae from RNAS Donibristle on 1 October equipped with twelve Martlet IVs, they embarked 5 days later on the 6th. The Fulmars of 884 Squadron returned on 25 November, relocating from RNAS Twatt, before moving to RAF Turnhouse on 13 December 1942.
The Fleet Air Arm did not return to Skeabrae until February 1944 when the Seafires of 880 squadron relocated from RNAS Ballyhalbert on the 6th. This squadron was to alternate between time afloat aboard the Fleet Carrier FURIOUS and ashore at Skeabrae. They embarked for the first of fourteen short deployments on 8 February; on completion of the last deployment on 9 September they disembarked. The squadron moved to RNAS Machrihanish a week later but returned to Skeabrae on 27 October. On 8 November they embarked onto the Fleet Carrier IMPLACABLE for a short deployment, disembarking on the 29th. They moved to RNAS Grimsetter on 15 January 1945.
On 16 June 1944 a detachment of eight Wildcats from 881 Squadron disembarked from the Escort Carrier PURSUER, they re-embarked on the 20th. No.897 squadron called at Skeabrae on 6 July 1944 in transit to embark onto the Fleet Carrier INDEFATIGABLE. A detachment of four Corsairs of 1841 Squadron disembarked from FORMIDABLE on 16 August, re-embarking on the 18th. 897 disembarked from INDEFATIGABLE on 24 September; three weeks later they moved to RNAS Grimsetter in transit to join IMPLACABLE on 16 October.
Beginning in mid-October 1944, a detachment of four Barracudas from 841 Squadron, based at RNAS Hatston, began making overnight stays on the station, four in total, the first was on the 15-16 October and the last on the 7-8 of November. The last Royal Naval squadron to operate from Skeabrae was 881 Squadron, they relocated from RNAS Grimsetter on 18 January 1945 and operated from Skeabrae before embarking onto the Escort Carrier PUNCHER on 9 February, disembarking on the 14 February, they embarked for a second time on the 17 February before returning on the 25th. The squadron moved to RNAS Hatston on 3 March 1945.
The Royal Navy at Skeabrae
The station’s primary task was to providing vital fighter defence for the Royal Navy fleet at Scapa Flow and two RAF fighter squadrons were to occupy the site. However, the first operational aircraft to arrive on 10 October were the Sea Gladiators of the Fleet Air Arm‘s 804 Squadron, which disembarked from the Fleet Carrier HMS FURIOUS. While at Skeabrae the squadron acquired twelve new American single seat fighters, namely the Martlet (US name Wildcat). On Christmas Day 1940 a pair of Martlets, flown by Lt. R. H. P. Carver and Sub-Lt T. R. V. Parke, was on patrol over Scapa when they successfully intercepted a German raider, a Ju 88; this was the first American built fighter to destroy an enemy aircraft in the Second World War. The squadron moved to RAF Skitten on 7 January 1941.
The first RAF unit to arrive came in January 1941, one flight of Hawker Hurricanes from No 3 Squadron. In February they were replaced by the Hurricanes of No. 253 Squadron; they stayed until September 1941 and were subsequently replaced by No 331 Squadron in the same month. They stayed resident until May 1942.
The next Royal Naval squadron did not arrive at the station until the end of 1941, the Sea Hurricanes of 801 Squadron arriving from RNAS St. Merryn on November 8th. They stayed until February 1942, moving to RAF Tain on the 15th. The next two RN squadrons stayed briefly before joining the Fleet Carrier VICTORIOUS, these were 884 Squadron, who came equipped with six Fulmar Mk.IIs arriving from RNAS Lee-on-Solent on 15 September and embarking on 20 October. 882 Squadron moved to Skeabrae from RNAS Donibristle on 1 October equipped with twelve Martlet IVs, they embarked 5 days later on the 6th. The Fulmars of 884 Squadron returned on 25 November, relocating from RNAS Twatt, before moving to RAF Turnhouse on 13 December 1942.
The Fleet Air Arm did not return to Skeabrae until February 1944 when the Seafires of 880 squadron relocated from RNAS Ballyhalbert on the 6th. This squadron was to alternate between time afloat aboard the Fleet Carrier FURIOUS and ashore at Skeabrae. They embarked for the first of fourteen short deployments on 8 February; on completion of the last deployment on 9 September they disembarked. The squadron moved to RNAS Machrihanish a week later but returned to Skeabrae on 27 October. On 8 November they embarked onto the Fleet Carrier IMPLACABLE for a short deployment, disembarking on the 29th. They moved to RNAS Grimsetter on 15 January 1945.
On 16 June 1944 a detachment of eight Wildcats from 881 Squadron disembarked from the Escort Carrier PURSUER, they re-embarked on the 20th. No.897 squadron called at Skeabrae on 6 July 1944 in transit to embark onto the Fleet Carrier INDEFATIGABLE. A detachment of four Corsairs of 1841 Squadron disembarked from FORMIDABLE on 16 August, re-embarking on the 18th. 897 disembarked from INDEFATIGABLE on 24 September; three weeks later they moved to RNAS Grimsetter in transit to join IMPLACABLE on 16 October.
Beginning in mid-October 1944, a detachment of four Barracudas from 841 Squadron, based at RNAS Hatston, began making overnight stays on the station, four in total, the first was on the 15-16 October and the last on the 7-8 of November. The last Royal Naval squadron to operate from Skeabrae was 881 Squadron, they relocated from RNAS Grimsetter on 18 January 1945 and operated from Skeabrae before embarking onto the Escort Carrier PUNCHER on 9 February, disembarking on the 14 February, they embarked for a second time on the 17 February before returning on the 25th. The squadron moved to RNAS Hatston on 3 March 1945.
Above: Spitfire FJ-A of 164 Sq at Skeabrae dispersal pen in 1942. Photo: Ron Sheward Via Dave Earl
The last squadrons allocated to the defence of Scapa Flow at Skeabrae was No. 451 Squadron RAAF, which arrived on the base on 17 May 1945. They departed for RAF Lasham, Hampshire on 12 June 1945, to be replaced by the Spitfires of 603 Squadron, until the end of July. On 15 September 1945, Skeabrae was transferred to the Admiralty as a satellite to RNAS Twatt. The station was effectively at its operational end, reduced to 'Care and Maintenance' status. When the last Royal Naval Air Station in Orkney closed, Skeabrae was re-classified as a 'Station on War Reserve,' on the books of Fulmar, RNAS Lossiemouth. Skeabrae closed on 1 September 1946. No further use was made of the base and it was returned to agriculture in 1957.
Of all the buildings that remained in the late 1970's and early 80's, 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.
Above: LAC William Gill in a Quonset hut at Skeabrae in 1942. Photo: Kenneth Gill.
SKEABRAE - WHEN THE WAR WAS OVER
Photo: Rae Slater Another view of the tower in 1983. Photo: Paul Francis.
Above left: 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. Above right: A sad end to the Skeabrae tower. Photos: John Flett.
AIRFIELD BUILDINGS
Operations Building Decontamination Centre Power House Fire Station
All four photos by Paul Francis
A hut being taken from SkeaBrae to davey's brig for Tommy Shearer -it became their home for years & was still standing a few years back -think it literally fell to pieces!! Think this was around 1953/54. The 'workers' were Jock Sutherland, Ronald Manson, Tommy Shearer, Jim Kirkness & Harry Garriock - the lorry driver was Johnny Kirkness. Photo: Maureen Kirkness.
Ammunition Storage 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.
Cinema
Above: Two recent cinema shots at Skeabrae. Photos: Dave Earl.
Inside the main cinema building. Photo: Magnus Ritch.
SPITFIRE DISPERSAL PENS
Spitfire dispersal pens still clearly visible from the air Skeabrae today. Photos: Neil Thain.
Despersals Skeabrae. Photo: Andrew Brown.
AIR RAID SHELTER
Inside one of the many air raid shelters still at Skeabrae in 2010. Photo: Dave Earl.
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