Colombo Racecourse Airstrip

Colombo Racecourse Airstrip was a temporary airfield constructed at the Colombo Racecourse in Colombo during World War II for the Royal Air Force.

After the fall of Singapore the Royal Navy's East Indies Station was moved to Colombo and then to Trincomalee. Admiral Sir Geoffrey Layton was appointed Commander-in-Chief, Ceylon with Air Vice Marshal John D'Albaic as air officer commanding, No. 222 Group RAF which was based in Ceylon. The order was given to construct an airfield at the Colombo Racecourse. D S Senanayake, Minister of Agriculture and Lands (later th 1st Prime Minister of Ceylon) was given the task of its construction. Consisting only of a single runway, station headquarters and the officers mess were set up in the bungalows in Cinnamon Gardens and was serviced by a newly established military hospital in the premises of Royal College Colombo.

Two squadrons of the Royal Air Force where based at the racecourse. They were No. 258 Squadron RAF with Hawker Hurricanes and No. 11 Squadron RAF with Bristol Blenheims. When the Easter Sunday Raid occurred the Japanese bombed the RAF units at RAF Ratmalana yet passed over the Racecourse Airstrip without knowing it existed.

The Royal Navy also established a Royal Naval Air Station (RNAS) here during the duration of the war with the name HMS Bherunda. 882 Naval Air Squadron was based here.

After the war the airfield was dismantled and horse racing resumed only to be permanently stopped when it was banned after Ceylon gained independence.

The Sri Lanka Air Force still uses whats left of the racecourse grounds for landing transport helicopters and the Sri Lanka Army has used the disused racecourse buildings as a temporary garrison from time to time.

References

External links

• 1941-1945 Eastern Travels Part 4
• The Battle of Ceylon - 1942
• 888 (PR) Naval Air Squadron

Coordinates: 6°54′18″N 79°51′50″E / 6.9050°N 79.8639°E / 6.9050; 79.8639