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HMS Siskin

HMS Siskin

1914-1956

UK 2nm NW of Gosport, Hampshire, Gosport, Hampshire, England

50.8, -1.166667 · 16 feet
Location C/N Tracking

Lizard Close, Privett, Gosport, Hampshire, England, PO13 8NH, United Kingdom

Nearby Locations

Km
HMS Sultan 0.6 041°
Stokes Bay 2.9 190°
Lee-on-Solent EGHF 3.0 308°
Fareham Creek 3.2 051°
Upper Harbour Ammunitioning Facility UHAF 3.6 069°
Fort Blockhouse 3.8 108°
Opened in 1914 after runways were laid to the north and west of Fort Grange and Fort Rowner. After brief naval occupancy, it became a Royal Flying Corps base in Jan 1915. It was under RAF control from Apr 1918 when the service formed. Its original (short) runways were laid during the early 1930s for deck landing practice but were extended in 1940.

After WWII, it transferred from RAF 16 Group and commissioned as HMS Siskin (RNAS Gosport) on 1 Aug 1945, although an FAA maintenance unit had been based here since May 1940. At this time, the Aircraft Handling, Safety Equipment and Firefighting School was established here. It became famous in May 1947 as the location of the first Royal Navy exclusively helicopter equipped squadron. The airfield closed on 31 May 1956 and by 1985 the runways had been dug over and covered by housing.
HMS Sultan (qv) opened on 1 Jun 1956 in the north east corner of the old RNAS Gosport airfield, immediately south of Fort Rowner.

Units

AbrevNick
??-1956 Naval Aircraft Trials Installation UnitNATIU NATIU
1947-1955 705 Squadron705 NAS 705 Naval Air Squadron 705 NAS
1952 848 Squadron848 NAS 848 Naval Air Squadron 848 NAS
1953 706 Squadron706 NAS 706 Naval Air Squadron 706 NAS
1954 845 Squadron845 NAS 845 Naval Air Squadron 845 NAS