Smoogro
SMOOGRO: Military aerodrome (Also spelt SMOOGROO)
Note: The first three items were kindly sent by Mr Michael T Holder. The fourth, area view was obtained from Google Earth ©
Military users: RNAS/RAF (Royal Naval Air Service / Royal Air Force)
RNAS Kite Balloon Station (1917 to 1918)
RNAS/RAF Fleet Practice Ground and Fleet Practice Station (1917 to 1919)
It appears that the most commonly used aircraft types on this airfield were all Sopwith types: Camels, Pups and 1½ Strutters
Location: S of A964, E of Orphir, W of Swanbister Bay
Period of operation: 1917 to 1923
Site area: 116 acres
NOTES: This listing, heavily amended in September 2020 has been a joint effort between myself and Mike Holder, who is of course a great friend of this 'Guide'.
It appears that the RNAS Air Station began life in 1917 as a landing ground for wheeled aircraft flown from ships of the fleet in Scapa Flow. Indeed, right from the start it earned its place in British aviation history when, on the 2nd August 1917, Commander Dunning took off from here in a RNAS Sopwith Pup to make the first ever deck landing on an aircraft carrier in Scapa Flow - HMS Furious. He died five days later attempting another landing, presumably on HMS Furious (?) and a memorial has been erected in his honour.
In those days of course, they had none of the equipment later installed - not even arrester wires. Indeed, they relied on deck crews to grab hold of the aircraft as soon as possible after landing, and to position the aircraft for take-offs.
And, from what I have read, the pilots had a bit of a struggle to make Naval crews aware that the carrier had to be placed exactly into wind for both landings and take offs. And, that included catapulted take-offs! Those low powered and very light aircraft could not handle cross-winds.
The station occupied an area of 47 hectacres which was described in the RAF aerodrome survey of 1918 as 'very rough and uneven in places'.Modern mapping suggests that much of the area in the NW part of the site was probably boggy in those days. The aerodrome was equipped with three Bessoneaux canvas hangars, located on the northern edge of the site. The limited number of military personnel were accommodated in a small group of buildings near the beach. The final element of the Station was a jetty which was equipped with a small crane. Presumably to allow float-planes to be placed on wheeled cradles and moved up for storage and maintenance.
At the time of the survey (15th November 1918), construction of the aerodrome was incomplete, although it had been operational for some time. It was said that, other than the Bessoneaux hangars, other buildings were 75 per cent complete, and the jetty 60 per cent complete. And, only three-quarters of the aerodrome area had been cleared. We must of course remember that aircraft such as the Sopwith types listed above needed very small areas to land and take-off from. Indeed many night-fighter fields were only about 300 or so metres square!
This said, clearly a much larger area would be needed if any training was envisaged, even during daylight hours.
It appears that work began in 1918 on the construction of three substantial and permanent hangars, which seem to have been intended for the maintenance of large seaplanes, (float-planes). These were located to the north of the aerodrome and are marked on the first map above. It appears that this base was intended to either complement or even replace the HOUTON BAY Station. Work continued until around 1922/23 when the project was aborted.
Incredibly it seems, the jetty and its crane still survive, as does the stone-built workshop. And, the three concrete bases for the later hangars also survive, one being the base for a modern barn.
Christine Gray
This comment was written on: 2021-04-20 12:36:28I picked up an autograph album many years ago(50) at the infamous Paddy's market in Glasgow. It contains many references to Orkney including an entry from a Lieutenant Leslie Beaver/Deaver in October 1918 who was based at Smoogo.
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