RAF Heathfield

RAF Heathfield, sometimes known as RAF Ayr/Heathfield due to its proximity to Glasgow Prestwick Airport, which was also used by military flights, is a former Royal Air Force station.

RAF Heathfield RNAS Ayr (HMS Wagtail) USAAF Station 570
Near Prestwick, South Ayrshire in Scotland
RAF Heathfield Shown within South Ayrshire
Coordinates	55°29′10″N 004°35′56″W
Type	Royal Air Force station
Site information
Owner	Air Ministry
Operator	Royal Air Force Royal Navy United States Air Force
Site history
Built	1940 (1940)
In use	1941-1957 (1957)
Airfield information
Elevation	14 metres (46 ft) AMSL
Runways Direction Length and surface 00/00  Concrete 00/00  Concrete 00/00  Concrete

Like many other wartime airfields, its runways were of the triangular layout.

History

Royal Air Force use

The following units were posted here at some point:

• No. 1 Squadron RAF[1]
• No. 3 Squadron RAF[1]
• No. 18 Squadron RAF[1]
• No. 26 Squadron RAF[1]
• No. 56 Squadron RAF[1]
• No. 64 Squadron RAF[1]
• No. 72 Squadron RAF[1]
• No. 81 Squadron RAF[1]
• No. 130 Squadron RAF[1]
• No. 141 Squadron RAF[1]
• No. 165 Squadron RAF[1]
• No. 169 Squadron RAF[1]
• No. 186 Squadron RAF[1]
• No. 219 Squadron RAF[1]
• No. 222 Squadron RAF[1]
• No. 232 Squadron RAF[1]
• No. 239 Squadron RAF[1]
• No. 241 Squadron RAF[1]
• No. 278 Squadron RAF[1]
• No. 281 Squadron RAF[1]
• No. 282 Squadron RAF[1]
• No. 289 Squadron RAF[1]
• No. 312 (Czechoslovak) Squadron RAF[1]
• No. 313 Squadron RAF[1]
• No. 322 (Dutch) Squadron RAF[1]
• No. 329 Squadron RAF[1]
• No. 340 Squadron RAF[1]
• No. 345 Squadron RAF[1]
• No. 402 Squadron RCAF[1]
• No. 406 Squadron RCAF[1]
• No. 410 Squadron RCAF[1]
• No. 438 Squadron RCAF[1]
• No. 439 (Fighter Bomber) Squadron RCAF[1]
• No. 440 (Fighter Bomber) Squadron RCAF[1]
• No. 485 Squadron RNZAF[1]
• No. 486 Squadron RNZAF[1]
• No. 488 Squadron RNZAF[1]
• No. 516 Squadron RAF[1]
• No. 602 Squadron RAF[1]
• No. 611 Squadron RAF[1]
• No. 651 Squadron RAF[1]
• No. 652 Squadron RAF[1]
• No. 8 Gliding School RAF[1]
• No. 13 Group AAC Flight[1]
• No. 22 (RCAF) (Fighter) Wing[1]
• No. 58 Operational Training Unit RAF[1]
• No. 143 (RCAF) Airfield[1]
• 415th Night Fighter Squadron[1]
• No. 1490 (Fighter) Gunnery Flight then No. 14 Armament Practice Camp[1]
• No. 1497 (Target Towing) Flight[1]

Royal Navy use

On 6 September 1944 Heathfield was handed over to the Royal Navy and was designated as HMS Wagtail. One runway was redesigned and used by the Royal Navy's Fleet Air Arm to practice aircraft carrier landings.

The following units were posted here at some point:

• 730 Naval Air Squadron[1]
• 740 Naval Air Squadron[1]
• 768 Naval Air Squadron[1]
• 770 Naval Air Squadron[1]
• 772 Naval Air Squadron[1]
• 800 Naval Air Squadron[1]
• 802 Naval Air Squadron[1]
• 808 Naval Air Squadron[1]
• 812 Naval Air Squadron[1]
• 815 Naval Air Squadron[1]
• 819 Naval Air Squadron[1]
• 821 Naval Air Squadron[1]
• 824 Naval Air Squadron[1]
• 825 Naval Air Squadron[1]
• 835 Naval Air Squadron[1]
• 837 Naval Air Squadron[1]
• 846 Naval Air Squadron[1]
• 848 Naval Air Squadron[1]
• 853 Naval Air Squadron[1]
• 860 Naval Air Squadron[1]
• 882 Naval Air Squadron[1]
• 885 Naval Air Squadron[1]
• 886 Naval Air Squadron[1]
• 889 Naval Air Squadron[1]
• 896 Naval Air Squadron[1]
• 899 Naval Air Squadron[1]
• 1770 Naval Air Squadron[2]
• 1771 Naval Air Squadron[3]
• 1840 Naval Air Squadron[4]
• 1841 Naval Air Squadron[5]
• 1843 Naval Air Squadron[6]
• 1845 Naval Air Squadron[7]
• 1846 Naval Air Squadron[7]
• 1850 Naval Air Squadron[8]

The site was used by the United States Air Force between 1951 and 1957 for storage.[1]

Current use

The site is now a mixture of housing, farmland and a golf club.[1]

See also

• List of former Royal Air Force stations

References

Citations

1. "Ayr II (Heathfield)". Airfields of Britain Conservation Trust. Retrieved 23 November 2014.
2. Sturtivant & Ballance 1994, p. 338.
3. Sturtivant & Ballance 1994, p. 339.
4. Sturtivant & Ballance 1994, p. 352.
5. Sturtivant & Ballance 1994, p. 353.
6. Sturtivant & Ballance 1994, p. 355.
7. Sturtivant & Ballance 1994, p. 357.
8. Sturtivant & Ballance 1994, p. 359.

Bibliography

• Berry, P (2005) Prestwick Airport and Scottish Aviation - Although this book covers mainly the history of Prestwick Airport, it also refers to RAF Heathfield on many occasions.
• Sturtivant, R; Ballance, T (1994). The Squadrons of The Fleet Air Arm. Tonbridge, Kent, UK: Air-Britain (Historians) Ltd. ISBN 0-85130-223-8.
• RAF Ayr entry at Air of Authority - A History of RAF Organisation
• Ayr (HMS Wagtail) entry in Index of Naval Air Stations