RNAS NORTH TYNESIDE?

[tony freeman]

morning all,

in the past id heard that there had been a RNAS base,operating airships,in North Tyneside namely somewhere in the New York/Preston area.

an "auld wives tale",or is there any truth in it-where could i find out?

many thanks for any info given,

tony.

[per ardua per mare per terram]

There were RNAS airship, seaplane and flyingboat stations all around the coast of Britain. They were mostly used for anti submarine patrols.

[tony freeman]

thanks for your reply,

the area in question saw quite a lot of activity during the war,im led to believe,notably with large AA defences to look after the port of Blyth where there was a submarine base, according to what ive been able to learn so far.

very intrigued as to the the whereabouts of this RNAS base however,as i live and work nearby.

thanks,

tony.

[Peterhastie]

thanks for your reply,

the area in question saw quite a lot of activity during the war,im led to believe,notably with large AA defences to look after the port of Blyth where there was a submarine base, according to what ive been able to learn so far.

very intrigued as to the the whereabouts of this RNAS base however,as i live and work nearby.

thanks,

tony.

The only info I can give is from a book called Action Stations by David J Smith. According to him a Naval Aerodrome operated at Whitley Bay from 1915 and was still in operation in 1916. Also a Seaplane repair depot at South Shields and a coastal patrol base at Tynemouth and Ashington, But nothing for Blyth. The book gives map references

Regs Peter

[tony freeman]

thanks for the info peter,

i think ill check out those ACTION STATIONS guides-id forgotten about those.

the area id been told about was (apparently) anywhere between Shiremoor and Preston.theres a lot of open farmland there now.

time to get my wellies on,maybe,

cheers,

tony,

sunny north shields.

[Peterhastie]

thanks for the info peter,

i think ill check out those ACTION STATIONS guides-id forgotten about those.

the area id been told about was (apparently) anywhere between Shiremoor and Preston.theres a lot of open farmland there now.

time to get my wellies on,maybe,

cheers,

tony,

sunny north shields.

Sounds like it could be Whitley Bay. Unfortunately their is no grid ref for this site.

Regs Peter

Dinnington

[Mick D]

Could it be the area to you left (west) as you travel from Whitley Bay to Bltyth. Lots of concrete structures.

Also gun emplacements in the dunes ( don't know if WW1 or 2)

Mick D

[HERITAGE PLUS]

Sounds like it could be Whitley Bay. Unfortunately their is no grid ref for this site.

See: http://www.abct.org.uk/page_1391.html

Looks like it was RFC.

Dave

[tony freeman]

thanks dave,

thats a fascinating website-that ones going in my favourites!

[tony freeman]

Could it be the area to you left (west) as you travel from Whitley Bay to Bltyth. Lots of concrete structures.

Also gun emplacements in the dunes ( don't know if WW1 or 2)

Mick D

hi mick,

one of my pals knows what went on in that area you mention(i think its AA)-ILL INTERROGATE HIM AND GET BACK TO YOU WHEN HES CRACKED.

[per ardua per mare per terram]

You might be interested in this file at Kew

AIR 1/357/15/227/13 Inspecting Captain of Aircraft, Sheerness Office - correspondence and papers relating to Grain, Warsash, Westgate, Whitley Bay, Newcastle, Dover, Killingholme and Grange Field stations, inventions training establishments, etc.

Now I have my hands on something with a map! There were air stations at Tynemouth, Whitely Bay, Newcastle (Gosforth/ Dukes Moor), Ashington and Cramlington. As I don't know the local geography, I'm not sure how wide of the mark those are for you.

[tony freeman]

thanks for the information,

collating the leads that the forum has given me leads me to think its whitley bay-no more than a couple of miles from my original site.

thank you again,all of you,

tony.

[Peterhastie]

Im fairly sure the concrete structures have gone and I seem to remember my dad saying that the site was used WW2 for Radar masts and the bunkers were built to house the staff during a raid. There is still a number of modern radio masts on the site. I google maped the area in question and couldnt see much except for some curious formations on the cliff top. I have noticed that caravan sites and disused airfields seem to go hand in hand.

Regs Peter

[mickdavis]

There was no airship station in the Preston/New York area. During WW1, the only airship sites in the North East were at Kirkleatham, near Redcar, and Chathill, near Seahouses. They were mooring-out sites, respectively for the airship stations at Howden and East Fortune. As such, they were very temporay stations, with tented accommodation and the airships, mainly SSZ types on detachment, moored in bays cut into woodland. There are unconfirmed reports of Gosforth Park being used by RNAS airships.

Cramlington airship station was under construction during the latter half of 1918 and its shed was completed. The structure survived until the 1960s, when it was demolished during the construction of Nelson Village. Interestingly, RAF lists of stations for January - May 1919 refer to Newcastle airship station, housing 2 flights of SST airships between February and April and with Kirkleatham as its mooring-out site. This can only refer to Cramlington - after all Barlow was also known as Selby and Cardington was, officially, Bedford.

The only military flying site in the area in question was Tynemouth, sometimes referred to as Cullercoats. This had opened as a Night Landing Ground 2 Class for 36(HD) Sqn in December 1916. It was upgraded to become a Marine Operations station in June 1918 and 4 Bessoneau hangars were erected. 507 & 508 Flights of 252 Sqn arrived from Cramlington in June and flew DH6s on coastal patrols against the U-boat threat. Each had a nominal establishment of 6 machines. 507 Flt was scheduled to re-equip with DH9s, but the Armistice intervened. The site was at NZ 358706, it measured 650 x 330 yards and occupied 45 acres. The DH6 flights disbanded by March 1919. The station's closure was notified on 6 November 1919 and confirmed on 22 January 1920.

A site at Marden was licensed for civil use by Avro 504s and similar types during the summer of 1919 but I've been unable to trace either its exact location or any use.

There were only two other nearby WW1 sites north of the Tyne. The RFC/RAF had a Night Landing Ground 2nd Class at Benton (NZ 270690, 580 x 320 yards, 42 acres, operated from May 1917 and closure notified on 29 May 1919. Whitley Bay was in operation from December 1914 until July 1916. It began life as an advanced base for C Flt of 1 Sqn RNAS, based on Duke's Moor. The flight's equipment formed the basis of a defence flight, which moved to Whitley Bay by March 1915. The aerodrome was at NZ 350728, on the site near St Mary's lighthouse that is now a caravan park. There were 2 wooden aircraft sheds on the western boundary and numerous accommodation huts on the southern one. The flight began operating with Bristol TB8s and a Farman F.20. It later received BE2cs, a Bristol Scout C, two Caudron G.IIIs and 3 Avro 504Cs - not all operated simultaneously.

[Peterhastie]

Hello Mick

Can you tell me more about the Benton site. I grew up just across the road from it. The balloon hangars went someyears ago and I knew it had WW1 connections from the book I mentioned earlier.

History on my doorstep I love it!

Regs Peter

[tony freeman]

There was no airship station in the Preston/New York area. During WW1, the only airship sites in the North East were at Kirkleatham, near Redcar, and Chathill, near Seahouses. They were mooring-out sites, respectively for the airship stations at Howden and East Fortune. As such, they were very temporay stations, with tented accommodation and the airships, mainly SSZ types on detachment, moored in bays cut into woodland. There are unconfirmed reports of Gosforth Park being used by RNAS airships. Cramlington airship station was under construction during the latter half of 1918 and its shed was completed. The structure survived until the 1960s, when it was demolished during the construction of Nelson Village. Interestingly, RAF lists of stations for January - May 1919 refer to Newcastle airship station, housing 2 flights of SST airships between February and April and with Kirkleatham as its mooring-out site. This can only refer to Cramlington - after all Barlow was also known as Selby and Cardington was, officially, Bedford. The only military flying site in the area in question was Tynemouth, sometimes referred to as Cullercoats. This had opened as a Night Landing Ground 2 Class for 36(HD) Sqn in December 1916. It was upgraded to become a Marine Operations station in June 1918 and 4 Bessoneau hangars were erected. 507 & 508 Flights of 252 Sqn arrived from Cramlington in June and flew DH6s on coastal patrols against the U-boat threat. Each had a nominal establishment of 6 machines. 507 Flt was scheduled to re-equip with DH9s, but the Armistice intervened. The site was at NZ 358706, it measured 650 x 330 yards and occupied 45 acres. The DH6 flights disbanded by March 1919. The station's closure was notified on 6 November 1919 and confirmed on 22 January 1920. A site at Marden was licensed for civil use by Avro 504s and similar types during the summer of 1919 but I've been unable to trace either its exact location or any use. There were only two other nearby WW1 sites north of the Tyne. The RFC/RAF had a Night Landing Ground 2nd Class at Benton (NZ 270690, 580 x 320 yards, 42 acres, operated from May 1917 and closure notified on 29 May 1919. Whitley Bay was in operation from December 1914 until July 1916. It began life as an advanced base for C Flt of 1 Sqn RNAS, based on Duke's Moor. The flight's equipment formed the basis of a defence flight, which moved to Whitley Bay by March 1915. The aerodrome was at NZ 350728, on the site near St Mary's lighthouse that is now a caravan park. There were 2 wooden aircraft sheds on the western boundary and numerous accommodation huts on the southern one. The flight began operating with Bristol TB8s and a Farman F.20. It later received BE2cs, a Bristol Scout C, two Caudron G.IIIs and 3 Avro 504Cs - not all operated simultaneously.

thanks mick-my curiousity has been temporarily slaked,

tony.

[per ardua per mare per terram]

Apologies for not stressing that the stations I listed could have been for air ships, and also sea planes or flying boats.