RAF Sumburgh
Encyclopedia
RAF Sumburgh was located on the southern tip of the mainland island of the Shetland Islands
, and was home to half of No. 404 Squadron RCAF, (Royal Canadian Air Force
).
At the outbreak of World War II
the airstrip at the Sumburgh Links was taken over by the Air Ministry. By 1941 there were 3 operational runways at Sumburgh Aerodrome from which a variety of RAF aircraft operated.
The Opening of Sumburgh Airport
Sumburgh Links was surveyed and the grass strips laid out by Capt. E.E.Fresson in 1936 and the Airport was opened on June 3rd.of that year with the inaugural flight from Aberdeen(Kintore) by the DH Rapide G-ACPN piloted by Cpatain Fresson himself. It was also one of the first airfields to have RDF facilities due to the frequency of low cloud and fog coupled with the proximity of Sumburgh Head.The building of runways was at the instigation of Capt Fresson who had proved to the navy at Hatson that to maintain all round landing facilities over the winter months runways were essential. This was taken up by the airforce after the obvious success of the Hatson(Orkney) experiment.
The former RAF Sumburgh airfield had two runways, the longest being 800 yards, and the shorter running a length of 600 yards from shore-line to shore-line. No. 404 Squadron operated Beaufighter Mark VI and X aircraft from this station on coastal raids against Axis shipping off the coast of Norway
and in the North Sea
.
No. 404 Squadron pioneered the use of unguided rocket projectiles against enemy merchant shipping sailing off the Norwegian coast by launching joint strike attacks with No. 144 Squadron
(torpedo aircraft or 'Torbeaus') from RAF Sumburgh and RAF Wick in 1943 and early 1944.
started a scheduled service with Junkers 52s and then Douglas DC3 Dakotas
. The main runway was lengthened in the mid 1960's. The airfield, now called Sumburgh Airport
, is owned by the Highlands and Islands Airports Limited
, and commercial flights are served by Loganair and Highland Airways.
Shetland Islands
Shetland is a subarctic archipelago of Scotland that lies north and east of mainland Great Britain. The islands lie some to the northeast of Orkney and southeast of the Faroe Islands and form part of the division between the Atlantic Ocean to the west and the North Sea to the east. The total...
, and was home to half of No. 404 Squadron RCAF, (Royal Canadian Air Force
Royal Canadian Air Force
The history of the Royal Canadian Air Force begins in 1920, when the air force was created as the Canadian Air Force . In 1924 the CAF was renamed the Royal Canadian Air Force and granted royal sanction by King George V. The RCAF existed as an independent service until 1968...
).
At the outbreak of World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
the airstrip at the Sumburgh Links was taken over by the Air Ministry. By 1941 there were 3 operational runways at Sumburgh Aerodrome from which a variety of RAF aircraft operated.
The Opening of Sumburgh Airport
Sumburgh Links was surveyed and the grass strips laid out by Capt. E.E.Fresson in 1936 and the Airport was opened on June 3rd.of that year with the inaugural flight from Aberdeen(Kintore) by the DH Rapide G-ACPN piloted by Cpatain Fresson himself. It was also one of the first airfields to have RDF facilities due to the frequency of low cloud and fog coupled with the proximity of Sumburgh Head.The building of runways was at the instigation of Capt Fresson who had proved to the navy at Hatson that to maintain all round landing facilities over the winter months runways were essential. This was taken up by the airforce after the obvious success of the Hatson(Orkney) experiment.
The former RAF Sumburgh airfield had two runways, the longest being 800 yards, and the shorter running a length of 600 yards from shore-line to shore-line. No. 404 Squadron operated Beaufighter Mark VI and X aircraft from this station on coastal raids against Axis shipping off the coast of Norway
Norway
Norway , officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic unitary constitutional monarchy whose territory comprises the western portion of the Scandinavian Peninsula, Jan Mayen, and the Arctic archipelago of Svalbard and Bouvet Island. Norway has a total area of and a population of about 4.9 million...
and in the North Sea
North Sea
In the southwest, beyond the Straits of Dover, the North Sea becomes the English Channel connecting to the Atlantic Ocean. In the east, it connects to the Baltic Sea via the Skagerrak and Kattegat, narrow straits that separate Denmark from Norway and Sweden respectively...
.
No. 404 Squadron pioneered the use of unguided rocket projectiles against enemy merchant shipping sailing off the Norwegian coast by launching joint strike attacks with No. 144 Squadron
No. 144 Squadron RAF
No. 144 Squadron, RAF, was a British aviation and missle squadron during World War I, World War II, and the Cold War.-World War I:No. 144 Squadron, RFC, was formed at Port Said, Egypt, on 20th March 1918...
(torpedo aircraft or 'Torbeaus') from RAF Sumburgh and RAF Wick in 1943 and early 1944.
Post war
Scheduled services continued during the war and, in 1946, British European AirwaysBritish European Airways
British European Airways or British European Airways Corporation was a British airline which existed from 1946 until 1974. The airline operated European and North African routes from airports around the United Kingdom...
started a scheduled service with Junkers 52s and then Douglas DC3 Dakotas
Douglas DC-3
The Douglas DC-3 is an American fixed-wing propeller-driven aircraft whose speed and range revolutionized air transport in the 1930s and 1940s. Its lasting impact on the airline industry and World War II makes it one of the most significant transport aircraft ever made...
. The main runway was lengthened in the mid 1960's. The airfield, now called Sumburgh Airport
Sumburgh Airport
-Other tenants:*Maritime and Coastguard Agency *Bristow Helicopters*Bond Helicopters -Incidents and accidents:...
, is owned by the Highlands and Islands Airports Limited
Highlands and Islands Airports Limited
Highlands and Islands Airports Limited is the company that owns and operates 10 airports in the Scottish Highlands, the Northern Isles and the Western Isles...
, and commercial flights are served by Loganair and Highland Airways.
Sources
- Squadron Leader Sydney S. ShulemsonSydney S. ShulemsonSydney Simon Shulemson DFC was a Canadian fighter pilot, and Canada's highest decorated Jewish soldier, during World War II....
DSO, DFC, interview (September, 2006) - Ph.D. Candidate Stéphane Guevremont (Lecture Tour), University of Calgary, 2005-2006