HMS Ringtail II.

In April 1945 the nearby RAF airfield at Woodvale was handed over to the Royal Navy and became a satellite (tender) to RNAS Burscough and was known as “HMS Ringtail II”, the Navy stayed at Woodvale until January 1946 when the airfield was handed back to the RAF.

Below follows a list of squadron movements through Woodvale, actual unit histories are under construction.

 

SQUADRON/FLIGHT No DATE IN DATE  OUT COMMENTS

776

 07/05/1945 30/09/1945  
889 01/06/1945 10/08/1945 Reformed at Woodvale
736 28/06/1945 20/07/1945 "B" Flight
816 01/07/1945 11/08/1945  
736 17/08/1945 23/09/1945 "B" Flight, Disbanded at Woodvale
889 28/08/1945 10/09/1945  

Actual unit histories and a more detailed history are under construction.

The following incidents are related to Woodvale/Ringtail II, follow the links to learn more.

DATE TYPE SERIAL No UNIT
29/06/1942 Blackburn Roc L3119 No 776 Squadron
26/08/1942 Blackburn Skua L2933 No 776 Squadron
04/12/1942 Fairey Fulmar N4072 No 776 Squadron
14/12/1942 Vought Sikorsky Chesapeake AL913 No 776 Squadron
02/02/1943 Blackburn Skua L2892 No 776 Squadron
23/02/1943 Blackburn Roc L3117 No 776 Squadron
16/06/1943 Vought Sikorsky Chesapeake AL946 No 776 Squadron
23/09/1943 Vought Sikorsky Chesapeake AL919 No 776 Squadron
30/09/1943 Vought Sikorsky Chesapeake AL950 No 776 Squadron
17/11/1943 Vought Sikorsky Chesapeake AL946 No 776 Squadron
21/12/1943 Blackburn Skua L3004 No 776 Squadron
08/03/1944 Blackburn Skua L3008 No 776 Squadron
04/07/1944 Hawker Hurricane LF601 No 776 Squadron
03/01/1945 Boulton Paul Defiant T3984 No 776 Squadron
23/06/1945 Hawker Hurricane LF656 No 776 Squadron
25/06/1945 Hawker Hurricane LF694 No 776 Squadron
03/07/1945 Stinson Reliant FK162 Woodvale Station Flight
03/07/1945 Stinson Reliant FK972 Woodvale Station Flight
09/07/1945 Grumman Hellcat FN377 No 889 Squadron
28/07/1945 Fairey Firefly MB690 No 816 Squadron
28/07/1945 Fairey Firefly MB678 No 816 Squadron
09/08/1945  Miles Martinet - No 776 Squadron
28/08/1945  Miles Martinet PW958 No 776 Squadron
11/07/1945 Hawker Hurricane LF690 No 776 Squadron

Below follow some photographs of Woodvale during the Navies occupation

 

 
1945 Aerial shot, note deck landing markings on Runways (Via Aldon Ferguson)
 1945 oblique shot, note Swordfish aircraft (Aldon Ferguson)