Scatsta - The War Years
At intervals, detachments of Spitfires and the occasional Hurricane
were stationed at Scatsta to provide fighter cover for the flying
boats, camp facilities and Royal Naval Ships which were detached
to Sullom Voe throughout the war years. These fighters were scrambled
to engage the occasional universal enemy fighter/bomber which
had the habit of coming in at low level. The first enemy bombs
to fall on British soil were those in a raid on Shetland; four
bombs fell in a field at the village of Sullom, November 13th
1939. (The sole casualty was a rabbit, allegedly inspiring
the famous wartime song 'Run Rabbit Run'.)
The first official landing of an aircraft at Scatsta was a Hornet
Moth with Air Vice Marshall Breese Officer Commanding No 18 Group
RAF Coastal Command to carry out an inspection of Sullom Voe on
April 25th 1940. The following years saw various visits and stop
overs - including Anson, Dominies, Whitley, Hamden and a Walrus
amphibian aircraft on air sea rescue stand-by duties.
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| Photo courtesy Terry Mayes, taken 1978 |
At some time during the war years, a Spitfire silhouetted against
a sunset was painted on the wall of the old Scatsta Kirk building.
Other paintings were also present but sadly they have all succumbed
to the ravages of time.
Some time during the construction of the airfield
in 1940 Army Engineers laid pipe mines under the runways and associated
taxiways, known as Canadian Pipe mines. These steel tubes 6"
in diameter and up to 80' in length were laid at 50 yard intervals
and filled with gelignite explosive. Their purpose was in case
an invasion of Shetland took place and demolition of the runways
and associated perimeter tracks was necessary to prevent the airfield
being used by the enemy. The explosive contents of Scatsta's mine
were assumed to have been removed at the end of the war.
During the last three months of 1944 Scatsta was to get involved
in a series of operational missions as the RAF intensified its
efforts to sink the German Pocket Battleship 'Tirpitz'
moored in a Norwegian fjord. Squadron Leader GE Fawke of No 671
Squadron ('Dambusters' fame) and his crew arrived at
Scatsta September 2nd, 1944. This was in preparation for the forthcoming
raid later in the year.
A Photographic Reconnaissance Unit (PRU) Mosquito XVI of No 540
Squadron from RAF Benson also used Scatsta at that time, refuelling
during a high level reconnaissance sortie to photograph the 'Tirpitz'.
On October 29th 1944 thirty nine Lancasters of No 9 and No 617
Squadrons carried out an attack on the 'Tirpitz', code
named Operation Obviate. They left their bases at RAF Lossiemouth,
Kinloss and Milltown each carrying a single 12,000lb Tallboy bomb
- Scatsta was chosen as the emergency diversion airfield on their
route back. Low cloud prevented a successful attack and two Lancasters
from No 617 Squadron diverted to Shetland to refuel on the return
leg - one to Scatsta and one to Sumburgh.
The sortie was repeated under the code name Operation Catechism
and on November 12th thirty one Lancasters of No 9 and No 617
Squadrons were successful in sinking the 'Tirpitz'.
Other aircraft using Scatsta during the war years included Harrow
bombers, Hamden, Whitley, Mosquitoes, Dominie, Lockheed Hudson,
Grumman Goose, Blenheim, Mohawk, Liberator, Wellington, Dakota,
Warwick, Oxford, Proctor, Ventura, Fulmar, Corsair, Spitfire,
Sea Otter, Martinets, Anson, Beechcraft. See Terry
Mayes' book for more details and for post-war information
on Scatsta airfield up to 2006.
Please click on the pictures below for a larger
version.
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Station workshops crew RAF SV (Graven) 1945. Bertie Mouat
third in back row left. |
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Officer commanding (G/Capt Cahill DFL AFC) and officers
at Sullom Voe at cease fire at 9th May 1945. |
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