Wig Bay
WIG BAY: Military flying boat facility
(Also sometimes known erroneously as WIGTOWN BAY which is roughly 30nm miles ESE of Loch Ryan)
Military users: WW2: RAF Coastal Command
No.1 FBSU (Flying Boat Service Unit)
57 MU (Maintenance Unit)
Civil user: (1951 to 1955?) Short and Harland
Location: Near to Kirkland, on the W side of Loch Ryan. This part of Loch Ryan is known as The Wig.
Period of operation: 1942 to 1955
NOTES: Some Short Sunderlands were delivered here by ATA 6 FPP crews from Rochester sometimes employing ATC cadets as part of the aircrew.
SOMETHING TO CONSIDER
It appears that construction of this flying boat base was by the Americans. This must have been quite an undertaking as the USA did not enter WW2 until December 1941 and the base was handed over to the RAF in Mar 1942.
It seems that in January 1945 the RAF had around one thousand or more personnel stationed here with about one hundred and seventy flying boats on charge. It is reported that the last RAF unit left WIG BAY in November 1955.
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