The Wartime Memories Project - Royal Naval Air Station Burscough HMS Ringtail



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World War 2 Two II WW2 WWII

Information.

Royal Naval Air Station Burscough HMS Ringtail, was built in 1943 on land requisitioned for use by the RAF. Four runways were built and the station was commissioned on the 1st September 1943 as HMS Ringtail. Origionally intended for fighter squadrons the remit was extended to include night fighter, torpedo fighter, radar training and a fleet requirements unit. Through out the remaineder of hostilities around forty squadrons were attached for short periods. HMS Ringtail moved to Woodvale in April 1945.

The airfield was closed to flying apart from the occasional communications flight from the 3rd of May 1946 and in June the stite became a sub storage depot known as the Naval Engine Holding Unit. The huts were occupied by squatters, mainly families from Liverpool who had lost thier homes in the bombing. During the Fifties the huts were replaced by council houses, the road plan has changed very little and today Trunscot Road follows the same route as Nelson Road did when it was the Fleet Air Arm camp. The Navy departed from Burscough in 1957 and the site reverted to farming with the buildings used for industry.

In 2004 a monument was erected to honour those who served at HMS Ringtail



Squadrons stationed at Royal Naval Air Station Burscough HMS Ringtail

  • No: 707 Fleet Air Arm Squadron. 20 Feb 1945 to 14 Aug 1945
  • No: 735 Fleet Air Arm Squadron. 18 Mar 1944 to 28 Aug 1944
  • No: 737 Fleet Air Arm Squadron. 15 Apr 1945 to 12 Nov 1945
  • No: 758 Fleet Air Arm Squadron. “F” Flight. 21 Jan 1944 to 14 May 1946
  • No: 758 Fleet Air Arm Squadron. “D” Flight. 23 Jan 1944 to 08 Aug 1944
  • No: 758 Fleet Air Arm Squadron. “C” Flight. 03 Mar 1944 to 17 Feb 1946
  • No: 772 Fleet Air Arm Squadron. “B” Flight. 28 Dec 1945 to 10 Jan 1946
  • No: 784 Fleet Air Arm Squadron. 18 Aug 1945 to 15 Jan 1946
  • No: 787 Fleet Air Arm Squadron. 06 Aug 1944 to 12 Nov 1944
  • No: 807 Fleet Air Arm Squadron. 09 Oct 1943 to 22 Feb 1943 & 02 Dec 1943 to 20 Jan 1944
  • No: 808 Fleet Air Arm Squadron. 06 Oct 1943 to 21 Jan 1944
  • No: 809 Fleet Air Arm Squadron. 19 Dec 1943 to 29 Dec 1943
  • No: 810 Fleet Air Arm Squadron. 16 Dec 1944 to 01 Feb 1945
  • No: 812 Fleet Air Arm Squadron. 07 Sep 1944 to 10 Nov 1944
  • No: 813 Fleet Air Arm Squadron. 15 Dec 1944 to 26 Feb 1944 & 20 Nov 1944 to 30 Nov 1944
  • No: 822 Fleet Air Arm Squadron. 18 Feb 1944 to 26 Feb 1944
  • No: 823 Fleet Air Arm Squadron. 09 Jan 1944 to 25 Feb 1944
  • No: 829 Fleet Air Arm Squadron. 20 May 1944 to 26 May 1944
  • No: 831 Fleet Air Arm Squadron. 20 May 1944 to 26 May 1944
  • No: 835 Fleet Air Arm Squadron. 04 Jul 1944 to 13 Aug 1944
  • No: 846 Fleet Air Arm Squadron. 20 Apr 1944 to 28 Apr 1944
  • No: 850 Fleet Air Arm Squadron. 29 Nov 1944 to 30 Nov 1944
  • No: 879 Fleet Air Arm Squadron. 29 Nov 1943 to 09 Dec 1943 & 19 Dec 1943 to 29 Dec 1943 & 06 Feb 1944 to 16 Mar 1944
  • No: 881 Fleet Air Arm Squadron. 01 May 1944 to 02 Jun 1944
  • No: 886 Fleet Air Arm Squadron. 07 Oct 1943 to 04 Dec 1943 & 08 Dec 1943 to 29 Dec 1943 & 07 Feb 1944 to 25 Feb 1944
  • No: 887 Fleet Air Arm Squadron. 08 Jan 1944 to 06 Feb 1944
  • No: 888 Fleet Air Arm Squadron. 10 Jun 1944 to 07 Sep 1944
  • No: 894 Fleet Air Arm Squadron. 08 Jan 1944 to 08 Feb 1944
  • No: 896 Fleet Air Arm Squadron. 01 May 1944 to 02 Jun 1944
  • No: 897 Fleet Air Arm Squadron. 10 Oct 1943 to 29 Dec 1943
  • No: 1770 Fleet Air Arm Squadron. 27 Jul 1944 to 30 Jul 1944
  • No: 1771 Fleet Air Arm Squadron. 03 Mar 1944 to 29 Jun 1944
  • No: 1772 Fleet Air Arm Squadron. 01 May 1944 to 25 Nov 1944 & 27 Nov 1944 to 16 Jan 1945
  • No: 1790 Fleet Air Arm Squadron. 01 Jan 1945 to 25 May 1945 & 05 Jun 1945 to 24 Jun 1945
  • No: 1791 Fleet Air Arm Squadron. 18 Aug 1945 to 23 Sep 1945
  • No: 1820 Fleet Air Arm Squadron. 11 Aug 1944 to 23 Oct 1944 & 04 Dec 1944 to 16 Dec 1944
  • No: 1836 Fleet Air Arm Squadron. 10 Jan 1944 to 03 Feb 1944
  • No: 1837 Fleet Air Arm Squadron. 01 Feb 1944 to 12 Feb 1944
  • No: 1838 Fleet Air Arm Squadron. 01 Feb 1944 to 26 Feb /1944
  • No: 1840 Fleet Air Arm Squadron. 01 Mar 1944 to 13 Mar 1944


I have recently had constructed a new war memorial to honour those who served at HMS Ringtail Royal Naval Airstation Burscough Lancashire. 500 attended the dedication ceremony on Sunday October 10th this year. There was a parade - dedication service and aircraft flypast. Please click here to read all about this historic and emotional event.

Lawrence Critchley



Photographs

If you have any Photographs you would like to share please get in touch.


List of those who served at HMS Ringtail during WW2

  • Sub Lieutenant Eric Roy Almond. 791 Sqd
  • P.O. T B Butler RN. (d.20 Jan 1945)
  • Sub Lieutenant Peter Cariss 1790 Sqd
  • Sub Lieutenant  Ralph Austin Colbeck 886 Sqd
  • Sub Lieutenant Harry Garbutt 1772 Sqd
  • Petrus Johannes Huijer dutch 1840 FAA Sqd (d. 15/03/1944 )
  • Irene Jacobs
  • Midshipman Kenneth Robert Osborn Neuschild 1772 Sqd
  • Sub Lieutenant Alan Edgar Neville 1820 Sqd
  • Sub Lieutenant  Eric Alwyn Philpott 808 Sqd
  • Sub Lieutenant Keith Ashworth Rodgers 714 Sqd
  • Lieutenant James Gladstone Campbell Sloan 1772 Sqd
  • Alexander Joseph Smith dutch 1840 FAA Sqd (d. 15/03/1944 )
  • Sub Lieutenant Peter Graham Sunderland 1771 Sqd
  • Steward Frank Thomas Turner 1820 Sqd
  • Sub Lieutenant Maurice Walton Williams 1771 Sqd

If you have any names to add to this list, or any recollections or photos of those listed, please get in touch.





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