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- HMS Gannet / RAF Eglinton during the Second World War -


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World War 2 Two II WW2 WWII 1939 1945

HMS Gannet / RAF Eglinton



   RAF Eglinton situated near Lough Foyle seven miles north east of Londonderry in Northern Ireland. The base opened as an RAF station in 1941. In May 1943 the site became home to HMS Gannet, a Royal Navy Fleet Air Arm station.

Today the site is the City of Derry Airport.

Squadrons stationed at RAF Eglinton / HMS Gannet:

  • No. 133 (Eagle) Squadron October 1941 - January 1942
  • No. 134 Squadron January - March 1942
  • No. 152 Squadron January - August 1942
  • No. 41 Squadron September 1942
  • No. 1847 Fleet Air Arm Squadron from May 1943.


 

25th October 1941 Move to Northern Ireland

30th November 1941 US pilot interned in the Irish Republic

6th January 1942 Spitfire lost off Rathlin Island

15th January 1942 Move to Lincolnshire

17th January 1942 Relocated to Northern Ireland

15th February 1942 Two Spitfires written off - one pilot killed

20th February 1942 New Spitfire V arrives

24th February 1942 Killed in flying accident

1st March 1942 Posting

11th March 1942 Postings

19th March 1942 Bad weather

25th March 1942 Training

26th March 1942 Stood down from ops

30th March 1942 Farewell party

1st April 1942 Departure of the C/O

3rd April 1942 New C/O

9th April 1942 Crash on practice flight

19th April 1942 Trip into Eire

22nd April 1942 False alarms

26th April 1942 New aircraft arrive

28th April 1942  More Postings

5th May 1942 New buildings

7th May 1942 P/O killed on exercise

10th May 1942 German aircraft got away

12th May 1942 Funeral

16th May 1942 Queen Mary escort

18th May 1942 Lucky escape

27th May 1942 8 new pilots arrive from Training Units

29th May 1942 Spitfires grounded

1st June 1942 RAF visit to submarine

7th June 1942 Spitfire collides with ambulance

9th June 1942 Queen Elizabeth escorted

12th June 1942 Army cooperation exercise

16th June 1942 Missing aircraft found

23rd June 1942 Training role

24th June 1942 Royal protection

28th June 1942 Inexperienced pilots returned

1st July 1942 US pilots arrive for training

8th July 1942 Postings

11th July 1942 US troop ship escorted

12th July 1942 US troopship fired on escort

18th July 1942 More transports escorted

30th July 1942 Pilot lost at sea

3rd August 1942 Army cooperation exercise

8th August 1942 Exercise successful

11th August 1942 Move planned

12th August 1942 Change of plan

16th August 1942 Move to Wales

22nd September 1942 On the move


If you can provide any additional information, please add it here.



Those known to have sailed in

HMS Gannet / RAF Eglinton

during the Second World War 1939-1945.

The names on this list have been submitted by relatives, friends, neighbours and others who wish to remember them, if you have any names to add or any recollections or photos of those listed, please Add a Name to this List

Records of HMS Gannet / RAF Eglinton from other sources.



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Want to know more about HMS Gannet / RAF Eglinton?


There are:49 items tagged HMS Gannet / RAF Eglinton available in our Library

  These include information on officers, regimental histories, letters, diary entries, personal accounts and information about actions during the Second World War.


CPO. Lawrence Oliver MID. HMS Indomitable

My father, Lawrence Oliver, served in WW2 and joined the Royal Navy on 12th October 1939. He was discharged with VG conduct on 3rd July 1946.

Alan Oliver







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