Orkney Aviation, RAF and RNAS....

[Colin S-K]

Dear All,

Anyone willing to share information about this little known subject.....?

Suggestions, books, photos or references? Anything appreciated....

RAF and RNAS, or Royal Navy, aviation bias, wrecks would be good.

Just got back from Orkney, can thoroughly recommend it, fascinating place.... Inspired to look further.

Colin

[CliffB]

Colin

Our geographical tastes continue to be spookily similar - I was on Orkney first two weeks of June

I agree with you though - a great place.

Cliff

[Test Graham]

There are two books you really have to get:

Sky Over Scapa 1939-1945 by Gregor Lamb, from Bellavista Publications. ISBN 0 9550586 3 5. I picked mine up in Lerwick, but I have seen it further south. The publisher has an Orkney address - 5 Sabiston Crescent, Kirkwall, Orkney, KW15 1YT

Air Road to the Isles by Capt. E.E.Fresson. Second edition by Kea Publishing, ISBN 978 0 9518 958 9 4. Publisher's address 14 Flures Crescent, Erkine, Renfrewshire, PA8 7DJ. This is a classic tale of the problems first establishing air routes to the Islands.

Kea also publish a number of other books about civil flying in the area, of which Orkney By Air looks most promising but I haven't seen it.

[Test Graham]

By further south I don't mean Fair Isle!.

Wekusta, the story of Luftwaffe weather flying, shows a badge with Fair Isle lighthouse, which was used as a turning point.

Apologies for what turned out to be a double posting.

Edited July 17, 2010 by Graham Boak

[gengriz]

If you haven't already found it, this site is well worth a look:

FredT

Aviation Research Group Orkney & Shetland

[Dave Fleming]

Sky Over Scapa 1939-1945 by Gregor Lamb, from Bellavista Publications. ISBN 0 9550586 3 5. I picked mine up in Lerwick, but I have seen it further south. The publisher has an Orkney address - 5 Sabiston Crescent, Kirkwall, Orkney, KW15 1YT

I got mine from the Orcadian Bookshop in Kirkwall!

http://www.orcadian.co.uk/acatalog/Orcadia..._Scapa_333.html

[John]

There's also the Action Stations volume on Scotland and NE England:

D. Smith : Action Stations 7: Military airfields of Scotland, the North-East and Northern Ireland (Patrick Stephens, 1983)

John

[dambuster]

Also 'Scapa - Britain's Famous Wartime Naval Base' by James Miller has some aviation related photos and information.

Peter

[Seahawk]

I got mine from the Orcadian Bookshop in Kirkwall!

http://www.orcadian.co.uk/acatalog/Orcadia..._Scapa_333.html

Got mine at Hay-on-Wye so at least one has made it not just to the mainland but even south of Hadrian's wall. Highly recommended.

[Dave Fleming]

Almost worth the price for the Boston in TSS in colour on the cover!!

I'm in Orkney later this week, so will have a look in case anything else has come out recently!! :-)

Edited July 19, 2010 by Dave Fleming

[sloegin57]

Almost worth the price for the Boston in TSS in colour on the cover!!

I'm in Orkney later this week, so will have a look in case anything else has come out recently!! :-)

Spot on Dave, that photo gave me a surprise when I picked mine up in the shop earlier this year. A lot of useful information in that book. Needs more publicity

DR

[DCRanger]

Picked up a second hand copy and have to agree it is an excellent book. I was almost tempted to buy the revised edition just for the enlarged photo on the front cover. I'm sure I saw it in the Fleet Air Arm Museum shop last month but it's not included in their on line book shop which is a pity.