Stornoway
STORNOWAY: Civil regional airport, military aerodrome in WW2, later civil regional airport
The original 'airport' was on the golf course, at the northern end of the later WW2 aerodrome. We have Mike Holder, a great friend of this 'Guide', to thank for tracking down the evidence. A gallery of which is featured below:
A MICHAEL T HOLDER GALLERY
Note: The first newspaper article was published in the Dundee Courier on the 5th September 1935. The second article in The Scotsman on the 2nd October 1935.
Note: The fifth item, the newspaper article, was published in the Aberdeen Press and Journal on the 5th August 1935:
The eighth item was published in Flight magazine on the 22nd March 1934:
MORE PICTURES AND A MAP
Note: The first picture is from The John Stroud Collection. The second item, a modern map, was provided by Mike Holder. The third picture (2015) was obtained from Google Earth ©
Operated by:
1959: MTCA
1965: Ministry of Civil Aviation
1975: Department of Trade & Industry
1980s to 2000: Highlands & Islands Airports Ltd
Military users: WW2: RAF Coastal Command 18 (GR) Group
48 Sqdn (Avro Anson, Bristol Beaufort, Lockheed Hudson)
58 Sqdn (Armstrong Whitworth Whitley, Handley Page Halifax)
120 Sqdn (Consolidated B-24 Liberator)
224 & 500 Sqdns (Lockheed Hudson)
502 & 518 Sqdns (Handley Page Halifax)
612 Sqdn (Avro Anson)
303 FTU (Vickers Wellington)
FLEET AIR ARM
701 Sqdn (Supermarine Walrus)
Note: This picture was taken of a British Airways ATP landing here in a howling crosswind. Flown on this occasion by my very good friend Captain James Roland. Note the application of substantial left rudder to line the ATP up on the centre-line for touchdown.
British airline users: Pre WW2: Services from RENFREW (Who?)
Post 1945: BEA (British European Airways), Loganair, British Airways, Scottish Airways
Charter: Macedonian Aviation
Location: N of A866, W of Broad Bay, NNE of Branahuie, NE of Sandwick, E of Plasterfield & SE of Steinish. 2nm NE of Stornoway
Period of operation: Civil: 1930s Military 1941 to 1946? Then civil to present day
Note: These maps are reproduced with the kind permission of Pooleys Flight Equipment Ltd. Copyright Robert Pooley 2014.
Runways: Pre 1941: The golf course
WW2: 18/36 1829x46 hard 07/25 1234x46 hard
12/30 1180x46 hard 05/23 796x46 hard
1959: 18/36 1839x46 hard 07/25 1220x46 hard
12/30 1183x46 hard 05/23 (Not in use)
1965: 01/19 1839x46 hard 07/25 1220x46 hard 12/30 1183x46 hard
1990: 18/36 2200x46 hard 07/25 1220x46 hard
2000: 18/36 2200x46 hard 07/25 1000x23 hard
Odd isn’t it that so very often the lengths of so many runways seem to vary slightly given a variety of information sources when it would seem pretty obvious they should be, (STORNAWAY for example is a good case), exactly the same? Surely there does not appear to be any over-riding operational reason why the WW2 runway 18/36 should have been extended by just ten metres by 1959. So, why the discrepancy?
PICTURES FROM MIKE CHARLTON - BEA Daks galore
These three pictures from postcards were very kindly sent by Mike Charlton who has a fabulous collection: See; www.aviationpostcard.co.uk
First picture: This picture of the BEA twenty-one seater Douglas C-47A Dakota 3 G-AHCX was probably taken in the late 1940s. This minimal colour scheme was worn by BEA airliners from 1946 until the 1950/52 period. G-AHCX originally served with the RAF as KG621 and was first registered to BOAC (British Overseas Airways Corporation) then based at WHITCHURCH near Bristol from the 29th of March 1946, (other sources such as the UK register state the 24th April 1946), until the 3rd September 1946.
It then passed to BEA (British European Airways Corporation) who operated it from the 10th September 1946 until the 19th June 1962, when it went to Yemen. It then seems it returned to the UK to be WFU (Withdrawn From Use) at SOUTHEND on the 16th October 1966, and finally broken up in January 1970.
Second picture: Clearly in the period from 1946 to 1950 or so, the BEA Dakota G-AHCX appears to have been the main connection from the mainland to STORNAWAY.
Third picture: The Douglas C-47A Dakota 3 G-AGJW operated in the RAF during WW2 as FZ641. But, well before the war ended, it was registered to BOAC at WHITCHURCH on the 2nd June 1944 until the 5th September 1947. It then passed to BEA who operated it until the 27th November 1958. The colour scheme seen was worn by BEA airlners from 1950 until 1959/61.
It then appears it went to Ghana, for Ghana Airways as 9G-AAD. However, a look at the UK register appears to indicate it was actually operated by BOAC Associated Companies from the 5th December 1958 until the 9th July 1959. Then the trail appears to end.
NOTES: Although there was obviously some attempt in WW2 to establish a ‘standard’ aerodrome layout the fact is that in detail very few managed this. Many aerodromes had unusual layouts and STORNOWAY is a fine example. The reasons for the very odd addition of the short 05/23 runway being constructed in WW2 would be interesting to learn about.
There is some doubt STORNOWAY aerodrome existed in 1941. In his book Aviation in Doncaster Geoffrey Oakes relates this tale told to him by Mr V J Venn, a pilot with 271 Squadron based at DONCASTER. To quote, “The squadron was ordered to send two Harrows to Dyce to ferry stores to Thornaby. The Squadron Commander thought this to be a pleasant day’s outing….” However, when they arrived at Dyce, they were told that the stores had to go to Stornoway. There was no airfield at Stornoway, just a golf course which they landed on, departing, “leaving some heavily pockmarked fairways.”
AN UNEXPECTED PIECE OF NEWS
In 2022 I learnt that STORNOWAY was a popular, or should I say much used, staging post for American air crews delivering aircraft across the Atlantic, departing from Iceland. It appears that they left surplus clothing behind which was much appreciated by RAF crews stationed here.
MORE HISTORY
In his excellent book Air Ambulance Iain Hutchison provides a mass of information and stories regarding many elements of the aviation history in Scotland. For example: “British European Airways Corporation took over the services and aircraft of Scottish Airways on the Ist February 1947. Financial arrangements for ambulance flights were not immediately affected but on 5th July 1948, with the formation of the National Health Service, it was provided to patients free of charge.
I was born on the 29th August 1947, so evidentally not under the auspices of the National Health Service. Probably within some discount deal, which would explain a lot.
Anyway, to get back to the story. “BEA continued to operate the de Havilland DH89 Rapide for ambulance flying and for some of its Scottish scheduled services.” And the LANDS END to SCILLY ISLES route of course. “The first birth to be logged in the Register of Air Births held at Register House, Edinburgh, took place in one of these. Margaret McLellan was in advanced labour when the aircraft landed at Stornaway after a short flight from Benbecula on the 22nd November 1949. Another patient with a broken leg was rushed off the aircraft, and Nurse Anastasia Doherty, assisted by BEA’s Stornaway agent, Mrs McPherson, completed the delivery of a baby boy. There were no facilities at the airport but the aircraft had an electric light which was the only technological aid at the nurse’s disposal.”
An interesting case and certainly problematical in many respects as the aircraft was still on the ground! So hardly a valid claim? See TIREE for details of the first airborne birth in Scotland.
In 1959 it appears the only regular airline service was by BEA from Glasgow (RENFREW) via Inverness (DALCROSS) and BENBECULA. However it also appears that STORNOWAY was also a diversion or emergency airfield for aircraft flying across the Atlantic. Sounds sensible, a bit like MANSTON (KENT) but without most, (or any?), of the full scale emergency facilities?
In July 2003, a Velocity with US registration N173RG, but built by Denis Wood, (a retired BA captain), and Jack Berkin arrived here having crossed the north Atlantic en route to the PFA Rally at Kemble and eventually a base in the south of France. Stornoway was chosen, (perhaps uniquely amongst trans-Atlantic flyers?), because thirty five years before, Denis had spent a time flying Vickers Viscounts into STORNOWAY and obviously it still held a soft-spot for him. For a full account see Popular Flying magazine November/December issue 2003.
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