RNAS Stretton (HMS Blackcap)

Royal Naval Air Station Stretton (HMS Blackcap), was an airfield close to the village of Stretton, south of Warrington, in Cheshire.

The airfield's site was located to the south west of junction 9 of the later M56 motorway.

World War II

RNAS Stretton was originally planned as a Royal Air Force night fighter station to protect Liverpool and Manchester from Luftwaffe air raids during World War II. However changes in German tactics meant that the airfield was not required so it was transferred to the Admiralty on completion. Three runways and numerous hangars had been built.

HMS Blackcap was commissioned on 1 June 1942 and forty-one Fleet Air Arm Squadrons were based here for varying periods with some aircraft being flown directly to and from aircraft carriers operating in the Irish Sea and other nearby waters.

Fairey Aviation used a hangar on the northeast edge of the airfield for the modification, repair and flight-testing of Barracudas, Fireflies and Fulmars before they were despatched to their operational squadrons. From 1944 HMS Blackcap was also used as an Aircraft Maintenance Yard, a large hangar complex being constructed to the northwest of the airfield for this activity.

Post War Operations

At the end of the war American Naval Aircraft were flown into Blackcap to be broken up for disposal. The Aircraft Maintenance Yard at Blackcap meant that the airfield continued to operate and, at its peak, handled one third of all Fleet Air Arm Aircraft and all its spare engines.

In 1947 the Fleet air arm decided to form Royal Naval Volunteer Reserve Squadrons. The first to be based at Stretton was 1831 Naval Air Squadron, a fighter squadron, which was reformed here on 1 June 1947. It was joined on 18 August 1952 by 1841 Naval Air Squadron, an anti-submarine squadron. Both these Squadrons comprised the Northern Air Division which was formed at Stretton on 1 June 1952 and disbanded on 10 March 1957 together with its constituent units.

The last squadron based at Blackcap was 728B Naval Air Squadron, formed in January 1958. The squadron was relocated on 15th February 1958 to HMS Falcon, Hal Far, Malta.

The airfield was closed on 4 November 1958.

Personnel

On 31st May 1943 eight WRNS ratings were killed as the truck in which they were travelling lost control and overturned [cite web | title=In Memoriam - Wren Anne McCormick | name=www.royalnavyresearcharchive.org.uk | url=http://www.royalnavyresearcharchive.org.uk/WRNS_McCormick.htm | accessdate=2008-04-04] . The Wrens were returning from a local dance to the wrennery at HMS Blackcap.

Seven of the Wrens were buried by their families in their home towns. Anne McCormick, aged 17, was buried by the Royal Navy with full military honours, in the graveyard of the local church - St Cross Church, Appleton Thorn.

The Manchester branch of the Fleet Air Arm Association continue to celebrate the life of Anne McCormick in the annual remembrance service held at St Cross Church in June.

Bibliography

* Smith, David J., "Action Stations - 3 - Wales & the North-West", Patrick Stephens, Cambridge, 1981, ISBN 0 85059 485 5

* Surtivant, Ray. "The Squadrons of the Fleet Air Arm", Air-Britain, Tonbridge, 1994, ISBN 0 85130 223 8

Links

* [http://www.rafburtonwood.org/blackcap.html HMS Blackcap History]
* [http://www.hms-vengeance.co.uk/blackcap.htm HMS Blackcap pictures]
* [http://www.controltowers.co.uk/S/Stretton.htm Control Tower pictures]
* [http://www.royalnavyresearcharchive.org.uk/WRNS_McCormick.htm Anne McCormick pictures]

References

Need for re-assessment

This article has been expanded and improved, with additional references and now merits a review for 'Start' or above () 21:43, 30 September 2008 (UTC)