Trisha Shetty (Editor)

RAF Heathfield

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In use
  
1941-1957 (1957)

00/00
  
Concrete

Elevation
  
14 m

Owner
  
Air Ministry

00/00
  
Concrete

00/00
  
Concrete

Year built
  
1940

RAF Heathfield

Type
  
Royal Air Force station

Operator
  
Royal Air Force Royal Navy United States Air Force

Similar
  
RAF Peterhead, Joint Helicopter Comman, Coronation Chair

RAF Heathfield, sometimes known as RAF Ayr/Heathfield due to its proximity to Glasgow Prestwick Airport, which was also used by military flights, is a former Royal Air Force station.

Contents

Like many other wartime airfields, its runways were of the triangular layout.

Royal Air Force use

The following units were posted here at some point:

  • No. 1 Squadron RAF.
  • No. 3 Squadron RAF.
  • No. 18 Squadron RAF.
  • No. 26 Squadron RAF.
  • No. 56 Squadron RAF.
  • No. 64 Squadron RAF.
  • No. 72 Squadron RAF.
  • No. 81 Squadron RAF.
  • No. 130 Squadron RAF.
  • No. 141 Squadron RAF.
  • No. 165 Squadron RAF.
  • No. 169 Squadron RAF.
  • No. 186 Squadron RAF.
  • No. 219 Squadron RAF.
  • No. 222 Squadron RAF.
  • No. 232 Squadron RAF.
  • No. 239 Squadron RAF.
  • No. 241 Squadron RAF.
  • No. 278 Squadron RAF.
  • No. 281 Squadron RAF.
  • No. 282 Squadron RAF.
  • No. 289 Squadron RAF.
  • No. 312 (Czechoslovak) Squadron RAF.
  • No. 313 Squadron RAF.
  • No. 322 (Dutch) Squadron RAF.
  • No. 329 Squadron RAF.
  • No. 340 Squadron RAF.
  • No. 345 Squadron RAF.
  • No. 402 Squadron RCAF.
  • No. 406 Squadron RCAF.
  • No. 410 Squadron RCAF.
  • No. 438 Squadron RCAF.
  • No. 439 (Fighter Bomber) Squadron RCAF.
  • No. 440 (Fighter Bomber) Squadron RCAF.
  • No. 486 Squadron RNZAF.
  • No. 488 Squadron RNZAF.
  • No. 516 Squadron RAF.
  • No. 602 Squadron RAF.
  • No. 611 Squadron RAF.
  • No. 651 Squadron RAF.
  • No. 652 Squadron RAF.
  • No. 8 Elementary Gliding School RAF.
  • No. 13 Group AAC Flight.
  • No. 22 (RCAF) (Fighter) Wing.
  • No. 58 Operational Training Unit RAF.
  • No. 143 (RCAF) Airfield.
  • 415th Night Fighter Squadron.
  • No. 1490 (Fighter) Gunnery Flight then No. 14 Armament Practice Camp.
  • No. 1497 (Target Towing) Flight.

    • Royal Navy use

    On 6 September 1944 Heathfield was handed over to the Royal Navy and was designated as HMS Wagtail. One runway was redesigned and used by the Royal Navy's Fleet Air Arm to practice aircraft carrier landings.

    The following units were posted here at some point:

    The site was used by the United States Air Force between 1951 and 1957 for storage.

    Current use

    The site is now a mixture of housing, farmland and a golf club.

    References

    RAF Heathfield Wikipedia
    (Text) CC BY-SA