Royal Air Force Skitten or more simply RAF Skitten is a former Royal Air Force satellite station directly east of the village of Killimster, located 5.1 miles (8.2 km) north east of Watten, Caithness, Scotland, and 4.7 miles (7.6 km) northwest of Wick, Caithness, Scotland. On 19 November 1942, Operation Freshman departed from RAF Skitten.[2]
RAF Skitten | |||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Killimster, Caithness in Scotland | |||||||||||
  RAF Skitten Shown within Caithness  RAF Skitten RAF Skitten (the United Kingdom) | |||||||||||
| Coordinates | 58°29′45″N 003°09′50″W / 58.49583°N 3.16389°W | ||||||||||
| Type | Royal Air Force Satellite Station | ||||||||||
| Code | NS[1] | ||||||||||
| Site information | |||||||||||
| Owner | Air Ministry | ||||||||||
| Operator | Royal Air Force | ||||||||||
| Controlled by | RAF Fighter Command 1940-41 RAF Coastal Command 1941-45 | ||||||||||
| Site history | |||||||||||
| Built | 1940 | ||||||||||
| In use | December 1940 - May 1945 | ||||||||||
| Battles/wars | European theatre of World War II | ||||||||||
| Airfield information | |||||||||||
| Elevation | 20 metres (66 ft)[1] AMSL | ||||||||||
| |||||||||||
History
edit- Squadrons
- No. 48 Squadron RAF[3]
- No. 86 Squadron RAF[4]
- No. 144 Squadron RAF[5]
- No. 172 Squadron RAF[6]
- No. 179 Squadron RAF[6]
- No. 217 Squadron RAF[7]
- No. 232 Squadron RAF[8]
- No. 260 Squadron RAF[9]
- No. 404 Squadron RCAF[10]
- No. 407 Squadron RCAF[10]
- No. 489 Squadron RNZAF[11]
- No. 519 Squadron RAF[12]
- No. 607 Squadron RAF[13]
- No. 608 Squadron RAF[13]
- No. 612 Squadron RAF[14]
- No. 618 Squadron RAF[15]
- 804 Naval Air Squadron[16]
- Units
Current use
editThe site is now used for quarrying and as farmland.[16]
See also
editReferences
editCitations
edit- ^ a b Falconer 2012, p. 178.
- ^ Otway 1990, p. 72.
- ^ Jefford 1988, p. 41.
- ^ Jefford 1988, p. 51.
- ^ Jefford 1988, p. 61.
- ^ a b Jefford 1988, p. 65.
- ^ Jefford 1988, p. 71.
- ^ Jefford 1988, p. 74.
- ^ Jefford 1988, p. 80.
- ^ a b Jefford 1988, p. 89.
- ^ Jefford 1988, p. 94.
- ^ Jefford 1988, p. 95.
- ^ a b Jefford 1988, p. 99.
- ^ Jefford 1988, p. 100.
- ^ Jefford 1988, p. 101.
- ^ a b c d e "Skitten". Airfields of Britain Conservation Trust. Retrieved 18 October 2013.
- ^ Sturtivant, Hamlin & Halley 1997, p. 145.
Bibliography
edit- 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.
- Otway, Lieutenant-Colonel T.B.H. (1990). The Second World War 1939–1945 Army - Airborne Forces. London: Imperial War Museum. ISBN 0-901627-57-7.
- Sturtivant, R; Hamlin, J; Halley, J (1997). Royal Air Force flying training and support units. UK: Air-Britain (Historians). ISBN 0-85130-252-1.