World War II....
RNAS Stretton was originally planned as a Royal Air Force night fighter station to protect Liverpool and Manchester from Luftwaffe air raids during World War II. However changes in German tactics meant that the airfield was not required so it was transferred to the Admiralty on completion. Three runways and numerous hangars had been built.
HMS Blackcap was commissioned on 1 June 1942 and forty-one Fleet Air Arm Squadrons were based here for varying periods with some aircraft being flown directly to and from aircraft carriers operating in the Irish Sea and other nearby waters.
Fairey Aviation used a hangar on the northeast edge of the airfield for the modification, repair and flight-testing of Barracudas, Fireflies and Fulmars before they were despatched to their operational squadrons. From 1944 HMS Blackcap was also used as an Aircraft Maintenance Yard, a large hangar complex being constructed to the northwest of the airfield for this activity.
Post War Operations....
At the end of the war American Naval Aircraft were flown into Blackcap to be broken up for disposal. The Aircraft Maintenance Yard at Blackcap meant that the airfield continued to operate and, at its peak, handled one third of all Fleet Air Arm Aircraft and all its spare engines.
In 1947 the Fleet Air Arm decided to form Royal Naval Volunteer Reserve Squadrons. The first to be based at Stretton was 1831 Naval Air Squadron, a fighter squadron, which was reformed here on 1 June 1947. It was joined on 18 August 1952 by 1841 Naval Air Squadron, an anti-submarine squadron. Together, these Squadrons comprised the Northern Air Division which was formed at Stretton on 1 June 1952 and disbanded on 10 March 1957 together with its constituent units.
767 Naval Air Squadron who operated Supermarine Attackers was also based in Stretton. The most notable incident when Attacker FB Mk.1, WA535 crashed on 05.02.1953 near Winwick fatally killing the pilot Mr Roy Edwin Collingwood aged 22.
The last squadron based at HMS Blackcap was 728B Naval Air Squadron, formed in January 1958. The squadron was relocated on 15 February 1958 to HMS Falcon, Hal Far, Malta.
The airfield was closed on 4 November 1958
Sadly, i couldnt find any info out on when shell aquired the base and converted it to a test track, all i know, is, that, it closed down with-in the last 5 or 6 years =]
could'nt find the marshall anywhere
and i did, funnily enough
so many gates and barriers for a closed down place
some places have lonely chairs, this place has lonely lighting !
a failed attempt at underwater lighting :3
yours truelly =]
flameproof goodness =3
sorry ladies ! o.o
i've heard of a PMS, but this.... this is just silly O.O
yes, it was me.... i turned off the yell.com adverts !
anyone up for a paddle ? :3
twas the night of the day before, not even a creature was stiring, except for this mouse :3
the end of the incandescent lightbulb as we know it D:
goodbye from stretton
hope you liked this report, i uploaded it so you could all see how it may of changed since any last visits...
im still open to any suggestions to take better pictures.
thanks for looking all ^^
RNAS Stretton was originally planned as a Royal Air Force night fighter station to protect Liverpool and Manchester from Luftwaffe air raids during World War II. However changes in German tactics meant that the airfield was not required so it was transferred to the Admiralty on completion. Three runways and numerous hangars had been built.
HMS Blackcap was commissioned on 1 June 1942 and forty-one Fleet Air Arm Squadrons were based here for varying periods with some aircraft being flown directly to and from aircraft carriers operating in the Irish Sea and other nearby waters.
Fairey Aviation used a hangar on the northeast edge of the airfield for the modification, repair and flight-testing of Barracudas, Fireflies and Fulmars before they were despatched to their operational squadrons. From 1944 HMS Blackcap was also used as an Aircraft Maintenance Yard, a large hangar complex being constructed to the northwest of the airfield for this activity.
Post War Operations....
At the end of the war American Naval Aircraft were flown into Blackcap to be broken up for disposal. The Aircraft Maintenance Yard at Blackcap meant that the airfield continued to operate and, at its peak, handled one third of all Fleet Air Arm Aircraft and all its spare engines.
In 1947 the Fleet Air Arm decided to form Royal Naval Volunteer Reserve Squadrons. The first to be based at Stretton was 1831 Naval Air Squadron, a fighter squadron, which was reformed here on 1 June 1947. It was joined on 18 August 1952 by 1841 Naval Air Squadron, an anti-submarine squadron. Together, these Squadrons comprised the Northern Air Division which was formed at Stretton on 1 June 1952 and disbanded on 10 March 1957 together with its constituent units.
767 Naval Air Squadron who operated Supermarine Attackers was also based in Stretton. The most notable incident when Attacker FB Mk.1, WA535 crashed on 05.02.1953 near Winwick fatally killing the pilot Mr Roy Edwin Collingwood aged 22.
The last squadron based at HMS Blackcap was 728B Naval Air Squadron, formed in January 1958. The squadron was relocated on 15 February 1958 to HMS Falcon, Hal Far, Malta.
The airfield was closed on 4 November 1958
Sadly, i couldnt find any info out on when shell aquired the base and converted it to a test track, all i know, is, that, it closed down with-in the last 5 or 6 years =]
could'nt find the marshall anywhere
and i did, funnily enough
so many gates and barriers for a closed down place
some places have lonely chairs, this place has lonely lighting !
a failed attempt at underwater lighting :3
yours truelly =]
flameproof goodness =3
sorry ladies ! o.o
i've heard of a PMS, but this.... this is just silly O.O
yes, it was me.... i turned off the yell.com adverts !
twas the night of the day before, not even a creature was stiring, except for this mouse :3
the end of the incandescent lightbulb as we know it D:
goodbye from stretton
hope you liked this report, i uploaded it so you could all see how it may of changed since any last visits...
im still open to any suggestions to take better pictures.
thanks for looking all ^^
