RNAS TWATT / HMS TERN
Above: Stone Anchor at Gate to Twatt Airfield Photo: Andrew Brown.
UPDATE: We received the following message from Joyce Gray regarding the stone anchor . 2011
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.
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.
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.
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Above: Twatt Control Tower and the Cinema projection room as seen in 2005. Photos: Dave Ramsey.
Above: A fantastic panoramic shot of the airfield from Bryameadow taken in 2006. Photo: Tom Johnston.
Above: A great aerial view today of Twatt airfield control tower & dispersal pens. Photo: Neil Thain.
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Above: left 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 right: 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.
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Above Left the reception desk in the operations building below the control tower. Centre: Remains of the telephone exchange switchboard, and right Tern reception desk looking towards the entrance door . Photos: Dave Earl. May 2010
Above: Aerial shot of the control tower taken August 2010. Photo: Kevin Heath.
TELEPHONE EXCHANGE BUILDING at TWATT.
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Above: The telephone exchange building adjutant to the main gate is still structurally sound, and inside can still be seen blackout screens to be used in the event of an air raid, fortunately there were no raids on the airfield. Photo: Magnus Ritch.
AIR GUNNERS MESS HUT SIGN FROM HMS TERN
This old sign from the TAG`s mess hut in World War Two is in the Scapa Flow Visitor Centre & Museum at Lyness, Hoy. 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.