Royal Naval Air Station Culham (RNAS Culham, also known as HMS Hornbill) is a former Royal Navy, Naval Air Station, near Culham, Oxfordshire. It opened in 1944 as an All-Weather Airfield for the Royal Navy. The naval air station was used by 739 Photographic Trials and Development Unit and was later and home to 1832 RNVR (Air) Squadron. Receipt and Despatch Unit No.2 and No.1 Ferry Flight were also based here.

The airbase is situated around south of the city of Oxford, with the village of Culham lying to west. The notable landmarks include the city of Oxford where through it runs The Isis, which then forms a loop around the airfield to the north, west and south as it flows south east. The market town of Abingdon-on-Thames is about to the north west. Didcot junction, where a line running north/south, intersects the Great Western Main Line, is situated south, with Culham railway station, on the north/south Oxford-Didcot line, at the south west corner of the airfield.

Royal Naval Volunteer Reserve

Royal Naval Volunteer Reserve (RNVR) Pilots and Observers needed to have completed between seventy-five and 125 flying hours per year. This included non-continuous flying hours of training drills and fourteen days continuous training in air warfare and weapons, per year. Flying was mainly done during weekends, as there was a requirement for twelve weekends on squadron duty.

The Royal Naval Reserve Air Branch was reorganised into five air divisions on 1 June 1952. HMS Hornbill was home to the Southern Air Division which was initially formed of only 1832 Naval Air Squadron. On 1 October, 1832A and 1832B RNVR fighter Squadrons were formed, and then in March 1953 these became 1836 and 1835 Naval Air Squadrons respectively. The pooled aircraft, comprising Supermarine Seafire and Hawker Sea Fury, of the Southern Air Division was divided between the three squadrons. It was equipped with six Fairey Firefly FR.4, a carrier-borne fighter and anti-submarine aircraft and two North American Harvard T.2b advanced trainer aircraft. The squadron remained at HMS Hornbill for just over two months and moved to RNAS Ford (HMS Peregrine) on 30 June 1951.

Other Units

Station Flight

thumb|A Dominie in the markings of Royal Naval Air Station Culham, an example of the type used by the Station Flight

The Station Flight at RNAS Culham flew a number of different aircraft types, including:

  • Stinson Reliant, a single-engine four- to five-seat liaison and training monoplane (March 1945)
  • de Havilland Dominie, a short-haul biplane airliner, capable of accommodating 6–8 passengers (January - August 1959)
  • Avro Anson I, a British twin-engine, multi-role aircraft (January 1949 - July 1950)

Units

During the course of the operation of the airbase, the following Fleet Air Arm units were at sometime based at RNAS Culham:

  • No. 1 Ferry Flight
  • 739 Naval Air Squadron
  • 812 Naval Air Squadron - 12/09/49 to 26/09/49, re-equipped with Fairey Firefly FR.5
  • 1830 Naval Air Squadron - 12/05/53 to 15/05/53, 1830 RNVR (Air) Anti-Submarine Squadron, with Fairey Firefly AS6

References

Citations

Bibliography

  • Culham Ticket Office - HMS Hornbill
  • a page entitled A visit to Culham from an issue of The Aeroplane, 12th November 1948