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RNAS Rattray (HMSMerganser)
Crimond,Aberdeenshire in Scotland
View of the airfield
Site information
Type	Royal Naval Air Station
Owner	Ministry of Defence
Operator	Royal Navy
Location
RNAS Rattray Shown within Aberdeenshire
Coordinates	57°36′44″N01°53′01″W / 57.61222°N 1.88361°W /57.61222; -1.88361
Site history
Built	March 1943 (1943)
In use	July 1943-present
Airfield information
Elevation	13 metres (43 ft)AMSL
Runways Direction Length and surface 06/24 1,000 metres (3,281 ft) Concrete 11/29 1,000 metres (3,281 ft) Concrete 15/33 900 metres (2,953 ft) Concrete 02/20 900 metres (2,953 ft) Concrete
Commissioned	3 October 1944

Royal Navy Air Station Rattray, (RNAS Rattray; orHMSMerganser) and also known asCrimond Airfield,Crimond Aerodrome orRattray Aerodrome was aRoyal Naval Air Station nearCrimond,Aberdeenshire.

The station started to be built from March 1943, with774 Naval Air Squadron moving in from July 1943 forTelegraphist Air Gunners training but the site was not commissioned until 3 October 1944.

The base then switched to trainingTorpedo Bombing Reconnaissance crews.

The following units were here at some point:

• 708 Naval Air Squadron:^[1]
• 714 Naval Air Squadron (May 1944-unknown)^[2]
• 717 Naval Air Squadron (November 1944-unknown)^[2]
• 753 Naval Air Squadron^[1]
• 766 Naval Air Squadron^[1]
• 769 Naval Air Squadron^[1]
• 774 Naval Air Squadron (July 1943-August 1945)^[2]
• 815 Naval Air Squadron^[1]
• 817 Naval Air Squadron^[1]
• 818 Naval Air Squadron^[1]
• 821 Naval Air Squadron^[1]
• 825 Naval Air Squadron^[1]

The base was closed in 1946, being moved into a state of care & maintenance. It was also used as a Royal Naval Wireless Station until 2004.

The site is home to ahigh frequency transmitter station forming part of theDefence High Frequency Communications Service. The station is operated byBabcock International Group on behalf of theMinistry of Defence.^[3]

• List of air stations of the Royal Navy
• 24 February – Royal Navy submarineHMS Vandal is lost with all 37 crew on sea trials in theSound of Bute; she would not be located until 1994.^[4][5]
• 27 March –Royal Navyescort carrierHMS Dasher (D37) is destroyed by an accidental explosion in theFirth of Clyde, killing 379 of the crew of 528.
• 30 May – Royal Navy submarineHMS Untamed (P58) is lost with all hands on a training exercise in the Firth of Clyde.
• 30 November –HMS Vanguard (23) is launched atJohn Brown & Company's shipyard atClydebank bythe Princess Elizabeth. TheRoyal Navy's largest, fastest and lastbattleship, she was laid down in October 1941 and will be in commission from 1946-60.^[6]

• Smith, D J (1983).Action Stations: Vol 7. Military airfields of Scotland, the North-East and Northern Ireland.Cambridge: Patrick Stephens Limited.ISBN 0-85059-563-0.

Wikimedia Commons has media related toRNAS Merganser.

• WWII base information

• Transport in Aberdeenshire
• Royal Naval Air Stations in Scotland
• Buildings and structures in Buchan
• 1943 establishments in Scotland

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