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The Great War (1914-1918) Forum

Remembered Today:

Naval Aviation in the Orkneys


GrenPen

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Hello,

 

Is it the case there were three bases in Orkney:

 

Caldale Airship Station - Airships and kite balloons

Scapa Seaplane Station - self explanatory, located on Scapa beach

Loch Stenness Seaplane Station - self explanatory

 

Regards

GP

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I think I've heard of one more but don't quote me. 

 

Probably worth either asking the Fleet Air Arm Museum Archive (Google for details) or going to archive.org and searching Navy List 1914 (etc) then checking the index at the front of each volume to see what pages they have the Air Stations listed on - you can then 'leaf' through the scanned book.

 

sJ  

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Operated by the RN (i.e. pre-4/1918):-

SMOOGROO - Kite Balloons

SCAPA - Seaplanes/flying boats

HOUTON BAY - Seaplanes/flying boats

CALDALE - Airships and kite balloons

KIRKWALL BAY - Seaplanes/flying boats

plus the following opened under RAF:-

PIEROWALL/WESTRAY - sea planes/flying boats forward base from 8/1918

STENNES - flying boats from 5/1918.

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I believe the last should be spelt Stenness, if I may be so bold.

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sJ - you may be so bold - but I have also seen it spelled STENNES (it appears thus in a WW1 Gazetteer (e.g. Cross & Cockade)).

Edited by horatio2
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Fair enough. It was Stenness when I went there last year, if indeed the same place is intended.

 

TNA's Discovery catalogue is no help whatsoever...

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Thank you all for the assistance rendered.

Best regards

GP

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Bloody Orkney

This bloody town's a bloody cuss 
No bloody trains, no bloody bus, 
And no one cares for bloody us 
In bloody Orkney.

The bloody roads are bloody bad, 
The bloody folks are bloody mad, 
They'd make the brightest bloody sad, 
In bloody Orkney.

All bloody clouds, and bloody rains, 
No bloody kerbs, no bloody drains, 
The Council's got no bloody brains, 
In bloody Orkney.

Everything's so bloody dear, 
A bloody bob, for bloody beer, 
And is it good? - no bloody fear, 
In bloody Orkney.

The bloody 'flicks' are bloody old, 
The bloody seats are bloody cold, 
You can't get in for bloody gold 
In bloody Orkney.

The bloody dances make you smile, 
The bloody band is bloody vile, 
It only cramps your bloody style, 
In bloody Orkney.

No bloody sport, no bloody games, 
No bloody fun, the bloody dames 
Won't even give their bloody names 
In bloody Orkney.

Best bloody place is bloody bed, 
With bloody ice on bloody head, 
You might as well be bloody dead, 
In bloody Orkney 

There's nothing greets your bloody eye 
But bloody sea and bloody sky,
'Roll on demob!' we bloody cry
In bloody Orkney.


Hamish Blair

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Lovely one! Of course, having been there only as a visitor, summertime, about 12 times, well - I love the place! My dream place to retire to...

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Certainly has one of the widest chronological ranges of archaeology and history I've ever seen!

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  • 2 years later...

Hello folks - just came across this site when looking for info about the Seaplane Base at Stenness / Steness / Stennes as you wish.  I have an interesting postcard sent from the base dated14 July 1918 from 'James' who was serving there, initially with the Royal Naval Air Service (RNAS), but from mid 1918 they were amalgamated into the newly formed RAF.

 

I was up there at Christmas 2019 but had too many other sites to visit.  If anyone has a WWI photo of the base that would be great. I have some fascinating mail and naval stuff from Orkney in WII

 

Stay safe everyone (It's corvid-19 time just now)

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On 10/11/2017 at 21:57, Muerrisch said:

Bloody Orkney

This bloody town's a bloody cuss 
No bloody trains, no bloody bus, 
And no one cares for bloody us 
In bloody Orkney.

The bloody roads are bloody bad, 
The bloody folks are bloody mad, 
They'd make the brightest bloody sad, 
In bloody Orkney.

All bloody clouds, and bloody rains, 
No bloody kerbs, no bloody drains, 
The Council's got no bloody brains, 
In bloody Orkney.

Everything's so bloody dear, 
A bloody bob, for bloody beer, 
And is it good? - no bloody fear, 
In bloody Orkney.

The bloody 'flicks' are bloody old, 
The bloody seats are bloody cold, 
You can't get in for bloody gold 
In bloody Orkney.

The bloody dances make you smile, 
The bloody band is bloody vile, 
It only cramps your bloody style, 
In bloody Orkney.

No bloody sport, no bloody games, 
No bloody fun, the bloody dames 
Won't even give their bloody names 
In bloody Orkney.

Best bloody place is bloody bed, 
With bloody ice on bloody head, 
You might as well be bloody dead, 
In bloody Orkney 

There's nothing greets your bloody eye 
But bloody sea and bloody sky,
'Roll on demob!' we bloody cry
In bloody Orkney.


Hamish Blair

 

D'yer think poor Hamish was there long? 

Edited by TeeCeeCee
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15 hours ago, Tony Walker said:

Hello folks - just came across this site when looking for info about the Seaplane Base at Stenness / Steness / Stennes as you wish.  I have an interesting postcard sent from the base dated14 July 1918 from 'James' who was serving there, initially with the Royal Naval Air Service (RNAS), but from mid 1918 they were amalgamated into the newly formed RAF.

Welciome to the GWF, Tony.

A couple of observations: The flying boat air station at Stenness Loch, Orkney, was opened by the RAF in May 1918, shortly after the demise of the RNAS. Although the RNAS may have earmarked it for operations these did not start until under RAF command.So, although "James" may have enlisted as an RNAS rating, he was RAF from 1 April 1918 and he would have been RAF at RAF Stenness.

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