RNAS Calshot
| RNAS Calshot | |
|---|---|
| Located near First World War |
RNAS Calshot was a First World War Royal Navy air station for seaplanes and flying boats, mainly operating as an experimental and training station, but also providing anti-submarine and convoy protection patrols.
It was located at the end of
History
Royal Flying Corps
The station was originally established on 29 March 1913 by the Royal Flying Corps (RFC),[1] as Calshot Naval Air Station, for the purpose of testing seaplanes for the RFC Naval wing.[2] The first aircraft to arrive was a Sopwith Bat Boat, and one of the first buildings constructed – the Sopwith Hangar – is still in use today.[3] [4]
In July 1914 the Royal Navy re-formed its air branch, naming it the
In 1917, seaplane training was extended to the new Naval Seaplane Training School at nearby
By 1918 there were two flights of Felixstowe flying boats and a flight of seaplanes, and together they managed to exceed 9,000 hours of patrol flights in a three-month period. Out of 42 U-boats reported, 3 were sunk.[3]
Royal Air Force
On 1 April 1918 the RFC and the RNAS combined to form the Royal Air Force (RAF) and the station became home to the headquarters of No. 10 Group RAF.[1] The three flights that were based at Calshot became No. 240 Squadron RAF.[3]
After the war, the station became home to the RAF School of Naval Co-operation and Aerial Navigation, and on 5 February 1922 was renamed RAF Calshot.[1]
See also
- RNAS Lee-on-Solent (HMS Daedalus)
- List of seaplanes and flying boats – United Kingdom
- Seaplane bases in the United Kingdom
- List of air stations of the Royal Navy
- List of former Royal Air Force stations
References
- ^ a b c "Stations-C". rafweb.org.
- ^ "Hampshire Airfields – daveg4otu.tripod.com". Archived from the original on 6 September 2007.
- ^ a b c d e "The history of the villages of Hampshire, England, and surrounding counties – Southern Life (UK)". southernlife.org.uk. Archived from the original on 25 March 2005.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: unfit URL (link) - ^ "Report on Calshot Heritage and Visitor Centre, 18 June 1998 – Hampshire County Council". Archived from the original on 30 September 2007.
- ^ "Naval Aviation History & FAA Origins – Fleet Air Arm Archive". fleetairarmarchive.net. Archived from the original on 19 May 2015.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: unfit URL (link) - ^ "WW1 History of the former HMS Daedalus Royal Naval Air Station". fleetairarmarchive.net. Archived from the original on 9 May 2008.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: unfit URL (link) - ^ "Henry Boot PLC history". Archived from the original on 13 July 2007.