| RAF Ballyhalbert RNAS Ballyhalbert (HMS Corncrake)
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| Ballyhalbert, County Down in Northern Ireland | |||||||||||
Squadron photo taken on RAF Ballyhalbert in 1945
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  RAF Ballyhalbert Shown within Northern Ireland Show map of Northern Ireland RAF Ballyhalbert RAF Ballyhalbert (the United Kingdom) Show map of the United Kingdom | |||||||||||
| Coordinates | 54°29′50″N 5°28′14″W / 54.49722°N 5.47056°W / 54.49722; -5.47056 | ||||||||||
| Type | Royal Air Force Sector Station | ||||||||||
| Code | YB[1] | ||||||||||
| Site information | |||||||||||
| Owner | Air Ministry Admiralty | ||||||||||
| Operator | Royal Air Force Royal Navy | ||||||||||
| Controlled by | RAF Fighter Command 1941-45 * No. 13 Group RAF * No. 82 Group RAF Fleet Air Arm 1945-46 | ||||||||||
| Site history | |||||||||||
| Built | 1940 (1940) | ||||||||||
| In use | June 1941 – 1946 (1946) | ||||||||||
| Battles/wars | European theatre of World War II | ||||||||||
| Airfield information | |||||||||||
| Elevation | 8 metres (26 ft)[1] AMSL | ||||||||||
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Royal Air Force Ballyhalbert or more simply RAF Ballyhalbert is a former Royal Air Force stationatBallyhalbert on the Ards Peninsula, County Down, Northern Ireland
RAF Kirkistown was a satellite to the larger Ballyhalbert.
Construction began in 1940.[2]
It opened provisionally in May 1941, prior to completion of the works, as a RAF Fighter Command base where the primary weapon was the Supermarine Spitfire, and officially on 28 June of that same year.[2] The base provided local protection from Luftwaffe raids on Belfast and the rest of the province. Other aircraft operated from the base were the Hawker Hurricane, Bristol Beaufighter, North American Mustang and Boulton Paul Defiant night fighter. During its lifetime, Ballyhalbert was home to RAF, Women's Auxiliary Air Force (WAAF), British Army, Royal Navy and United States Army Air Forces (USAAF) personnel. Servicemen from Australia, New Zealand, Canada and Poland also saw duty at Ballyhalbert.[2]
In 1942, a request for lodger facilities and a Royal Naval Air Section at RAF Ballyhalbert was granted by RAF Northern Ireland. On 14 July 1945 the airbase was transferred by RAF Northern Ireland on loan to the Admiralty and known as Royal Naval Air Station Ballyhalbert (RNAS Ballyhalbert). On 17 July it was commissionedasHMS Corncrake with Captain G.N.P. Stringer as commanding officer.[20]
AsHMS Corncrake the airfield was used by the Fleet Air Arm for squadrons working up for carrier duty. On 13 November 1945 the airfield was closed and placed on Care and Maintenance. By 1947, with no further use made of the site it was abandoned. The airfield was sold to developers in March 1960, and is in use for several popular caravan parks.
