Burscough. WW2.

Does anyone know anything about Burscough it was used in WW2 i believe as a camp do any photos exist of it i wonder..


Thanks Caterina..:)

I have been told yes there was a Camp at Burscough but is no more in fact a Housing Estate so don,t think ther is much chance of any Photos,..


Caterina..

Hi Caterina

I've had a look on Google and found this:

Quote:

---

This is an aerial Photo of Burscough airfield which was situated 2 miles north of Ormskirk in Lancashire, England.

It was a Royal Naval Air station and the last to be built during WWII.It is believed that this airfiled was earmarked for the RAF however it was built with the normal Navy plan incorporating 4 runways and not 3 as was normal for an RAF station. The runways were also only 30 yards wide as opposed to an RAF runway which were usually 50 yards wide.
The base was designed to accomodate 80 aircraft.
Like all Fleet Air Arm (FAA) bases Burscough was named after a bird and formally commisioned as HMS Ringtail on 1st Sept 1943.
Its role was to accomodate day and night fighter, torpedo fighter, fleet requirement units and a radar school.
The first unit to arrive there was 808 Squadron from the carrier HMS Hunter who had been involved at the battle of Salerno whilst being embarked on HMS Battler. 808 Sqdn were equipped with Seafires.
The base was eventually closed in 1957 but was not completely demolished until 2004.

Source (with aerial photos, as it was, and as it is now)

---

There were references also to a munitions store:

Quote:

---

6th September, 2001
On the English coast near Southport today, a British bomb-disposal unit blew up over 100 live First World War naval shells which had been found by contractors excavating an old munitions store at Burscough in Lancashire. The largest of the shells was a 16-inch (40.5 cm).

Source

---

Hope these help :)

And even better...

RNAS BURSCOUGH (HMS RINGTAIL) Website

Lots and lots there including photos and maps :D

Iain thank you so much for all the info you have given me. I will say it again this is a brilliant site with smashing members Thas Great you Lot.......


Caterina...

No problemo :PDT1

Another great thing about this site is that you get to learn about things you didn't know were there to learn!

If you find a book called Lancashire airfields in the second world war by Aldon p. ferguson there is a section about hms ringtail in it. well worth a read.
Also the MTT, s fleet of ex Liverpool buses are stored in 4 of the aircraft hangers on the site a t Burscough
cheers peter

Thanks 0683 all this information will keep me out of mischief for a while..