RNAS Eglinton
RAF Eglinton RNAS Eglinton (HMS Gannet)
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| Summary | |||||||||||||||||||
| Airport type | Military | ||||||||||||||||||
| Owner | Ministry of Defence | ||||||||||||||||||
| Operator |
Royal Air Force as RAF Eglinton Royal Navy as RNAS Eglinton |
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| Location | Eglinton, County Londonderry, Northern Ireland | ||||||||||||||||||
| Built | 1940 | ||||||||||||||||||
| In use | 1941-1959 | ||||||||||||||||||
| Elevation AMSL | 6 ft 7 in ft / 2 m | ||||||||||||||||||
| Coordinates | 55°02′35″N 007°09′34″W / 55.04306°N 7.15944°WCoordinates: 55°02′35″N 007°09′34″W / 55.04306°N 7.15944°W | ||||||||||||||||||
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 RNAS Eglinton
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Royal Air Force Station Eglinton opened in 1941, in County Londonderry, Northern Ireland. Later it became Royal Naval Air Station Eglinton or RNAS Eglinton was a Royal Naval Air Station located 1.3 miles (2.1 km) north east of Eglinton, County Londonderry, Northern Ireland.
The airfield was operational between 1943 and 1959.
The Royal Naval Air Station has its origins in the early Second World War when in 1941 RAF Eglinton was established as the home to No. 133 Squadron RAF which flew Hawker Hurricane fighters in defence of Londonderry. In 1942 the airfield was occupied by No. 41 Squadron RAF when it moved in on 22 September flying the Supermarine Spitfire VB before moving to RAF Llanbedr on 20 September 1942. The station was allocated to the Royal Navy and was transferred in 1943 the airfield became a Fleet Air Arm airfield called RNAS Eglinton (HMS Gannet) and was home to the 1847 Naval Air Squadron which provided convoy air cover as part of the Battle of the Atlantic.
RNAS Eglinton (HMS Gannet) was the name assigned to RNAS Eglinton, a Fleet Air Arm airfield in Northern Ireland. A number of ships have borne the name HMS Gannet.
The air station's main function was to work up fighter squadrons' pilots before joining the attacks on Japan. RNAS Maydown (HMS Shrike) with Fairey Swordfish aircraft next door to Eglinton received Battle Honours for its role in the Battle of the Atlantic from 1943 until 1945.
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