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Royal Air Force Kirkistown or more simply RAF Kirkistown is a former Royal Air Force satellite airfield located 6.3 miles (10.1 km) of Ballyhalbert, County Down, Northern Ireland.

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RAF Kirkistown HMS Corncrake II
Portavogie, County Down in Northern Ireland
RAF Kirkistown Shown within Northern Ireland Show map of Northern Ireland RAF Kirkistown RAF Kirkistown (the United Kingdom) Show map of the United Kingdom
Coordinates	54°27′18″N 005°27′57″W
Type	Satellite station
Code	IK[1]
Site information
Owner	Air Ministry Admiralty
Operator	Royal Air Force Royal Navy
Controlled by	RAF Fighter Command 1941-44 RAF Northern Ireland 1944-45 Fleet Air Arm
Site history
Built	1940 (1940)/41
In use	July 1941 - 1952 (1952)
Battles/wars	European theatre of World War II
Airfield information
Elevation	6 metres (20 ft)[1] AMSL
Runways Direction Length and surface 00/00  Tarmac 00/00  Tarmac 00/00  Tarmac

It was a satellite to the RAF Fighter Command airfield at Ballyhalbert on the Ards Peninsula.

History

RAF Ballyhalbert opened officially on 28 June 1941 and the Kirkistown satellite airfield opened in July 1941. On 22 January 1942, No. 504 Squadron RAF moved to Kirkistown.[2] In 1945, Ballyhalbert Airfield was designated a Royal Naval Air Station as "H.M.S. Corncrake", and Kirkistown Airfield was known as "H.M.S. Corncrake II".[3] The following units were here at some point:[4]

• No. 485 Squadron RNZAF (1942)[5]
• 808 Naval Air Squadron
• 818 Naval Air Squadron
• 835 Naval Air Squadron
• 881 Naval Air Squadron
• 885 Naval Air Squadron
• 887 Naval Air Squadron
• No. 1493 (Target Towing) Flight RAF (April - May 1942) became No. 1493 (Fighter) Gunnery Flight RAF (May - November 1942)[6]
• No. 2898 Squadron RAF Regiment
• No. 4117 Anti-Aircraft Flight RAF Regiment

Current use

Today the site is home to Kirkistown Circuit, a regular venue for car and motorcycle races. The circuit utilises the northern parts of the former air base's runways and perimeter roadways.

See also

• List of former Royal Air Force stations

References

Citations

Bibliography

• Falconer, J (2012). RAF Airfields of World War 2. UK: Ian Allan Publishing. ISBN 978-1-85780-349-5.
• Jefford, C.G. (1988). RAF Squadrons. A comprehensive record of the movement and equipment of all RAF squadrons and their antecedents since 1912. Shrewsbury: Airlife. ISBN 1-85310-053-6.
• Sturtivant, R; Hamlin, J; Halley, J (1997). Royal Air Force flying training and support units. UK: Air-Britain (Historians). ISBN 0-85130-252-1.

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