RNAS Whitley Bay

Location : North of Whitley Bay
OS Ref : NZ 346 747

Map showing where RNAS Whitley Bay was located.

The Royal Naval Air Service constructed coastal landing grounds to operate with and support Royal Navy surface vessels. Its main role was fleet reconnaissance, patrolling coasts for enemy ships/submarines, attacking enemy coastal territory and defending Britain from enemy air-raids. RNAS Whitley Bay became operational in late 1914 to perform this duty. It operated a detachment of four Bristol TB.8 's which had originally been sent from Gosport to RNAS Gosforth Dukes Moor as part of an advanced base for 'C' Flt of 1Sqn RNAS. It later operated BE.2c's, a Bristol Scout C, two Caudron G.III's and 3 Avro 504C's. Hangarage was provided by two wooden aeroplane sheds.

It had ceased operating as a RNAS station by July 1916

As the table below shows, accidents at the station were common -

Date Serial No. Type Incident
05/05/1915 1100 BE.2c Damaged in forced landing near the aerodrome
13/05/1915 971 BE.2c Wrecked in landing crash
17/05/1915 1099 BE.2c Damaged in forced landing
01/06/1915 1227 Bristol TB.8 Wrecked in landing crash
07/06/1915 1099 BE.2c Damaged in forced landing
15/06/1915 1915 BE.2c Wrecked on landing - had damaged u/c on take off
29/06/1915 3865 Caudron G.III Damaged on landing
12/08/1915 972 BE.2c Ditched in North Sea and sank
04/09/1915 1133 BE.2c Damaged in landing crash
07/09/1915 3866 Caudron G.III Wrecked in crash
19/09/1915 1133 BE.2c Lost in North Sea - FSL DS Hay killed (the station's only Fatality)
24/09/1915 1119 BE.2c Damaged in landing crash
20/12/1915 1099 BE.2c Lost in North Sea
28/01/1916 1114 BE.2c Damaged in forced landing
05/03/1916 1115 BE.2c Damaged in forced landing
25/04/1916 1143 BE.2c Wrecked in take-off crash

Unit Arrived From Arrival Date Dept Date Departed To Aircraft
HD War Flt RNAS Gosforth (Dukes Moor) 01/1915 05/1916 (Disbanded) Various