# HMS Jackdaw, Crail, Fife – WW1/ WW2 Aerodrome, April 2008



## wolfism

Crail is acknowledged to be the best-preserved abandoned airfield in Scotland, with unique designs of hangar, a military hospital, and a whole range of WW2-era buildings, including the stunning Torpedo Trainer, which is unlike anything left elsewhere. The North Sea storms and heavy salt-laden air have blown in for 60 years, corroding steel and peeling paint to create rich colours of decay. 

This report appeared elsewhere a wee while ago … but thanks to Gridnutter for lots of useful feedback and corrections, which have greatly improved the section on the Torpedo Trainer. 












The airfield was built on the very easternmost point of Fife, Fife Ness, and sits exposed to the North Sea on three sides. Construction began in March 1918, when John Laing & Son (now called Laing O’Rourke) were appointed as contractor. William Sirey was made site agent, and tradesmen were offered a then very substantial £5 10s for a 60-hour week: the long hours and unprecedented pay hint at how desperately needed the airfield was. Laings set down runways, complete with lighting, a small control tower, a network of taxiways, and several massive “Bellman” hangars with large span, steel lattice girder roof trusses.
















The real challenge for Laings was logistics: over one thousand men and one hundred horses were employed on the project, and they battled against the constant storms which blow in from the North Sea. However, the combination of high pay, and an exemption from conscription kept the workers’ morale high, so that the project was completed on time (August 1918) and on budget (£250,000). The Air MInistry rewarded Laings with further contracts for airfields at Cramlington and Hylton, both in the north-east of England. Crail aerodrome became No.27 Training Depot Station, forming around a range of fighter-reconnaissance aircraft like the Avro 504; shortly after that came air and ground crew belonging to the US Army Air Force’s 120 Aero Squadron. After all that effort, Crail was mothballed shortly after the Armistice, and closed in 1919 – then it was completely demolished!
















The airfield lay dormant for twenty years until it was requisitioned in 1938 and work began rebuilding it as a Royal Naval Air Station in September 1939. Crail was one of four airfields built for the RN in the early war period (the others were Condor at Arbroath, plus Yeovilton and St.Merryn) all of which have four relatively narrow tarmac-surfaced runways – the longest is 06/24, at almost 1100 metres, then 02/20, plus 12/30 and 16/34, both of which have their thresholds just yards from the sea shore. In fact, the deck markings and giant number on runway 12, coupled with sea spray at low altitude, must have done a good job in simulating a deck landing at sea!
















The base became HMS Jackdaw, and its main role was Torpedo Bomber training: 785 Squadron formed here in November 1940, using its Swordfish and Albacore aircraft to drop practice torpedoes in the Firth of Forth. Very quickly afterwards, 786 Squadron was formed, using the same type of aircraft for torpedo training; both units later progressed onto the Barracuda and the Avenger. After that, Crail hosted a vast number of different squadrons, including an FRU (Fleet Requirements Unit); and a Carrier Trials Unit which moved here from HMS Condor in Arbroath (Condor is still used by Royal Marines, and in fact it has a giant “ski jump” which was used for Harrier take-off practice in the 1980’s). Crail’s other deployed Squadrons included 711, 747, 770, 778, 780, 817, 820, 823, 832 … it was one of the Navy’s busiest airfields throughout the War.
















780 Squadron was Crail’s last flying unit, which carried out instrument training here in 1947, after which the airfield took on a different, covert role. Renamed HMS Bruce and designated an Air Apprentice School until 1949, it later became the “Joint Services Foreign Language School”. That innocuous name hides the fact that Crail taught spycraft to British agents, and it’s said that the Russians kept a close eye on this part of Fife throughout the 1950’s! The airfield’s domestic camp, to the north of Balcomie Road, was used as the school’s accommodation, and for a while it was also used as an army transit camp which received a battalion of the Black Watch, who were billeted here in 1952 before being sent to Korea. Later in the 1950’s, the last active flying at Crail was undertaken by St Andrews University Air Squadron and their Chipmunks. Parts of the site were taken over by Muir of Pert piggeries – the same fate befell RAF Tealing which I explored a while ago – several buildings have the remains of pig sty, feeding trough, and heater equipment. Part of one of the four runways is now used as a karting track, and another is used as a quarter mile dragstrip, where Fife’s Max Power devotees burn off their adrenaline and burn out their clutches.
















Today there are no buildings surviving from the WW1 era – the massive Bellman hangars have gone (they were demolished in the 1950’s) although their concrete floors, and the iron tracks of their doors are still evident, along with their earth blast walls. The remaining hangars include a derelict one to the north, and two unusual gabled hangars which were used for sugar beet storage after the War. The control tower is a three-storey Naval type, with substantial balconies and parapets plus a penthouse on the roof; it isn’t in great condition. However, the highlight of our exploration was the Torpedo Attack Trainer: a large brick-built building which has a complete ferro-cement bowl inside it, with a faded sky and horizon line painted on it which acted as a target screen.
















The first picture showing the Torpedo Trainer’s screen also shows the remains of the circular lighting array which used to hang above it – it accommodated lights and screens which combined to simulate sunrise, sunset and other lighting conditions. Above it was the access platform which carried an epidiascope, which in turn projected an image of a model ship onto the screen. The greenhorn torpedo-bomber pilot practiced target acquisition and boming runs in the trainer. It was used to simulate the Fairey Barracuda aircraft which was introduced into service at the start of 1943, so I’d presume the T.A.T. or “Link” trainer as it was also known, dates from that time, too. In simple terms, a ship target was projected onto the horizon, and the simulator pilot “flew” the link to attack the ship: the instructor could alter the course of the ship, to simulate evasive action. The pilot used the link’s F sight to get the correct bearing, and compensate for drift, before dropping the torpedo – which in real life was a 1620 pounder. When the torpedo was launched, the ship on the screen stopped, and a white line was projected to represent its track through the water; the ship began moving again as the torpedo made its “run”, and finally stopped when the run was complete. If it stopped on the line of light, then the pilot scored a hit.

Enough of the machinery remains to give you an idea how it operated – but the strongest impression of this early flight simulator is that it looks like something from Terry Gilliam’s film “Brazil”. The acoustics of the space are amazing, too.
















Crail is used by Satans’ Slaves; karters; drag racers; farming types – it’s an active place. As far as we understand, the Torpedo Trainer is unique, and is one of the reasons why Crail has been protected as an Ancient Monument by a Grade A listing, as it’s a unique survivor of a Royal Naval Air Station. In a strange way, its post-war occupation by pigs may have saved it from a far worse fate.


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## ashless

Great photos, comprehensive report, nice potted history......10/10!


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## krela

Superb report on a superb place, thank you.


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## Foxylady

Wow, what an amazing place! Great report. I never knew about the torpedo trainer, and have learnt a lot from this...excellent research and history.


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## zimbob

Cracking report Wolfism !!

Great history, some good pics - not much I can add to this, except a few pics of my own...

Lavvies were in good shape 






Looking out :






Torpedo Trainer - this was an ace find :






Bryag getting a different perspective on the Torpedo Trainer 






One down :icon_evil






The Fuse-boxes came in handy for IDing the rooms 






Unusual mix of decay and preservation at this site :
















Nice signage :






A good explore this one, good to meet you guys ( Wolfism & Delonghid95) too


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## Bishop

FL wrote.



> Wow, what an amazing place! Great report. I never knew about the torpedo trainer, and have learnt a lot from this...excellent research and history.



Seconded. This thread is superb. Fine work fellas.

B


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## wolfism

Cheers for adding your photos, and it was good to meet you, too. I should have said initially that this explore came courtesy of Zimbob and Bryag, as well as myself and the "Delongoid".


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## zimbob

> the "Delongoid".



That did make me laugh


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## Bryag

wolfism said:


> ....as well as myself and the "Delongoid".



If he wanted it pronounced correctly he should have hyphenated it. 

A very comprehensive report, Wolfism. Not much to add, except a few of my pics from the day.






One of the torpedo trainer






























Zimbob, nice effort at obscuring both my face and belly!


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## wolfism

Cheers for adding your pics, Bryag. Where else did you visit after we said farewell?


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## Bryag

wolfism said:


> Cheers for adding your pics, Bryag. Where else did you visit after we said farewell?



It was good to meet you and "delongi-d95", Wolfism. We didn't do anything else that day, but we did visit, amongst others: 
Cults lime and brick
Crawford Priory
Earlsferry Battery
The Secret Bunker (always a must)
Elie ROC
RAF Dunino

We also took in a castle and folly or too (not to mention the occasional live hostelry). Hopefully we will get them posted at some point.


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## Neosea

Cool place, thanks


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## dr1fter

Very nice pictures

I was there last weekend, but missed the Torpedo Training facility, here are my pictures:
http://www.dr1ft.org/index.php?option=com_rsgallery2&gid=9&Itemid=53


I have to go back another day and make some more pictures...


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## BigLoada

Thats a cool looking place and great bit of history too. Love the building in the first photo.


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## wolfism

Cheers mate – I like your new avatar!


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## swanseamale47

Great explore and lovely set of pics, thanks for sharing with us. Wayne


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## Bloomers

Very good report, bud.


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## Random

An absolutely top report, nice one.

I visited Crail in the late 80s and saw the torpedo trainer then, but for some reason the whole building was pitch black. Nice to see what it actually looks like properly.


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## Conntrary

*Torpedo Attack Trainer*

I am brand new to this site (which is tremendous). This is a brilliant thread.

My interest is in the Torpedo Attack Trainer (TAT) which is a legendary piece of kit amongst ageing theatre lighting bods. The lighting and servo lens system system and all the lights and projections, which are well described here, were made by Strand Electric. I have most of the operating manual and some of the kit.

I would like to correspond with anyone who has pictures of the Crail TAT, which was the first made and therefor the best documented. Maybe the official manual that I have would be of interest to you?


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## foz101

Conntrary said:


> I am brand new to this site (which is tremendous). This is a brilliant thread.
> 
> My interest is in the Torpedo Attack Trainer (TAT) which is a legendary piece of kit amongst ageing theatre lighting bods. The lighting and servo lens system system and all the lights and projections, which are well described here, were made by Strand Electric. I have most of the operating manual and some of the kit.
> 
> I would like to correspond with anyone who has pictures of the Crail TAT, which was the first made and therefor the best documented. Maybe the official manual that I have would be of interest to you?



Are you local?


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## Conntrary

foz101 said:


> Are you local?



I'm in Suffolk and unlikely to journey that far north for a while.


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## wolfism

Hi Conntrary, glad you liked the report. Yes, having sight of the TAT manual would be of interest, definitely. 

I have lots of photos, if they're of interest, and I'll also need to figure out why my photos have disappeared from this thread ... I must have rearranged them in Photobucket ...


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## Conntrary

wolfism said:


> Hi Conntrary, glad you liked the report. Yes, having sight of the TAT manual would be of interest, definitely.
> 
> I have lots of photos, if they're of interest, and I'll also need to figure out why my photos have disappeared from this thread ... I must have rearranged them in Photobucket ...



Hi wolfism, thanks, your photos would be of great interest. The only TAT I've found so far is a dome and structurally this is quite different from Crail. Also, each TAT was very job specific and your photos might help me to identify what was used for which job. I have a drawing of a pilot training session and a schematic of the way the different elements interacted to creat the environmental immersion.


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## foz101

Was there not a similar find in a derelict scout hut in edinburgh or something? I can't for the life of me find an online reference.


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## wolfism

Yes, IIRC, it was a Miles "Link" trainer, which is a glorified cockpit in a plywood box.


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## zimbob

Conntrary said:


> I am brand new to this site (which is tremendous). This is a brilliant thread.
> 
> My interest is in the Torpedo Attack Trainer (TAT) which is a legendary piece of kit amongst ageing theatre lighting bods. The lighting and servo lens system system and all the lights and projections, which are well described here, were made by Strand Electric. I have most of the operating manual and some of the kit.
> 
> I would like to correspond with anyone who has pictures of the Crail TAT, which was the first made and therefor the best documented. Maybe the official manual that I have would be of interest to you?



I've a few shots too, drop me a line


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## wolfism

OK Conntrary, that's me fixed the errant photos … hope they're of interest.


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## Conntrary

wolfism said:


> Yes, IIRC, it was a Miles "Link" trainer, which is a glorified cockpit in a plywood box.



Thanks Wolfism for re-posting your photos. They (and many other posted pictures on DP) have a quality that takes the recording of the structures far beyond the level of documentary & into celebration. I have learnt that the wrap-round cyclorama (in theatre terms) is not plastered straight onto a dome structure, as it was in some installations. 

The lighting gallery access ladder is great and I think the circular metal on the floor is the lighting bar that held the projectors, spots and floods at high level.

I have seen inside an empty dome installation, which appears to be smaller than Crail. It was derelict but amazingly it may have a future. When I've learnt how to, I can upload some pictures. I'm sure it will be easy, I've just never done it.

Strand Electric made about 50 dimmer banks and controls for these installatons. Some were in use till the mid 1960s at least. Strand employee's memoirs report the trainer as being modelled on the Fairey Barracuda in some cases. Cockpit size & layout and visibility around the wing were critical.


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## Conntrary

zimbob said:


> I've a few shots too, drop me a line



Great, zimbob, I'd love to see them. I'm mostly away for a week but after that will get a friend to help me with my first uploads ever. They will be of a dome structure, believed to be built for air gunner training. It too has a centre position for the trainee, a wrap-round sea, horizon & sky. The position for a technical and a control/observation area can be recognised.


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## wolfism

Conntrary said:


> Thanks Wolfism for re-posting your photos.


No problem, happy to help. I see that Photobucket is playing silly beggars though, and has rotated some of them randomly.


Conntrary said:


> The lighting gallery access ladder is great and I think the circular metal on the floor is the lighting bar that held the projectors, spots and floods at high level.


There is/ was a photo somewhere on the web (taken by Norwich Paul IIRC?) which showed the lighting/ projectors/ epidiascope(?) still attached to the circular framework.


Conntrary said:


> Strand employee's memoirs report the trainer as being modelled on the Fairey Barracuda in some cases.


That makes sense, as Crail was a Barracuda base, and the Barracuda was the Navy's standard torpedo bomber for a while, effectively the Swordfish replacement.


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## Conntrary

wolfism said:


> No problem, happy to help. I see that Photobucket is playing silly beggars though, and has rotated some of them randomly.
> 
> There is/ was a photo somewhere on the web (taken by Norwich Paul IIRC?) which showed the lighting/ projectors/ epidiascope(?) still attached to the circular framework.
> 
> That makes sense, as Crail was a Barracuda base, and the Barracuda was the Navy's standard torpedo bomber for a while, effectively the Swordfish replacement.



Thanks, wolfism. If someone could direct me to the photo of the lighting gallery as rigged, even if it's not the Crail installation, that would be wonderful. I have a good artist's impression, so we could compare when I am able to scan & post.

Everyone remembers the Swordfish! Has it ever been replaced as a sinker of Battleships?


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## wolfism

The photos were here – 

http://photobucket.com/guestlogin?albumUrl=http://s133.photobucket.com/albums/q51/norwichpaul/

- but seem to be password protected now. That's unfortunate, but the guy who took them may be a member on here, hopefully?

I guess today's battleship-sinker is the Exocet missile …


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## RichardB

We had an epidiascope at our primary school, I've never seen another one before or since. We used to use it to project pictures from books onto a piece of paper, then we would draw around them. 

It had a 1000W bulb in it, I dread to think what size of bulb a military spec one would have.


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## wolfism

We had one at art college … it also had an incandescent bulb like an Ostrich egg!

Not a problem if Strand made it, as their theatrical follow spots are 2kW or even bigger. This is an interesting site – http://www.strandarchive.co.uk/index.shtml


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## foz101

wolfism said:


> The photos were here –
> 
> http://photobucket.com/guestlogin?albumUrl=http://s133.photobucket.com/albums/q51/norwichpaul/
> 
> - but seem to be password protected now. That's unfortunate, but the guy who took them may be a member on here, hopefully?



NorwichPaul is a member ( and maybe Moderator?) on here - http://www.airfieldinformationexchange.org/community/

A site which may help you further if you haven't found it already.


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## wolfism

Cheers for that, Foz - [ame="http://www.airfieldinformationexchange.org/community/showthread.php?t=344"]here[/ame] are Norwich Paul's photos of Crail.

And it's only right to link to them, as some kind soul has linked to this page!


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## V70

Every time a thread like this bumps back to the top, then coincides with a visit to this forum.. I realise how much I keep missing !! 

I've heard and read about Crail airfield many a time and always fancied having a look but never get round to it. Another "definite must look" site to add to the ever growing list!

Super report Wolfism which, as always, is communicated so much better by your in depth research. Always makes the photos more than just photos!

Nice work with the other photos too guys, between the lot of you've captured the place pretty well


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## V70

foz101 said:


> Was there not a similar find in a derelict scout hut in edinburgh or something? I can't for the life of me find an online reference.



This is the one you refer to I think 

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/scotland/edinburgh_and_east/7541358.stm

and.... argh !!... every time a thread like this bumps back to the top, then coincides with a visit to this forum.. I realise how much I keep missing !! 

I've heard and read about Crail airfield many a time and always fancied having a look but never get round to it. Another "definite must look" site to add to the ever growing list!

Super report Wolfism which, as always, is communicated so much better by your in depth research. Always makes the photos more than just photos!

Nice work with the other photos too guys, between the lot of you've captured the place pretty well


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## oldscrote

Great photos of a fascinating site I have wondered what it looks like since I picked up the guy who runs the drag strip in my cab a while ago to take him out to Bristol airport,He seemed a real nice guy and I have a business card from him if anybody needs to contact him about visits,


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## Conntrary

RichardB said:


> We had an epidiascope at our primary school, I've never seen another one before or since. We used to use it to project pictures from books onto a piece of paper, then we would draw around them.
> 
> It had a 1000W bulb in it, I dread to think what size of bulb a military spec one would have.



 Hi RichardB, I'm just getting back into things having incurred a slipped disc. I think the Epidiascope had a number of 500W photoflood lamps. You are bombarding the target with light from all angles as the target (usually a tiny battleship on a long stalk) is being gently turned by the plotter/controller to avoid being torpedoed! There are even rates of turn per second on a chart to correspond with the height of the link & the speed of the ship!! You want to keep the target fairly free of heavy shadows.

The greatest problem with the epidiascope was to achieve a zoom of better tha 10 to 1 in each dimension, motorise it in such a way that the image stayed sharp over the attack height range and then to link all that servo mechanism into the presumed attack criteria.

After much toil, Strand had the prototype lensing made... that very evening their demonstration studio in King St London was bombed out and the perfect lensing was under all that rubble. Amazingly it had been blown into a door lobby and was protected. Just one slight chip!


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## Home Guard

Nice report


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