RAF Kai Tak

RAF Kai Tak
RAF Kai Tak
	Station badge
	IATA: HKG; ICAO: VHHH/VHKT;
Summary
Airport type	Military, Defunct
Operator	Royal Air Force
Location	Kowloon Bay, Hong Kong
Elevation AMSL	9 m / 28 ft
Coordinates	22°19′43″N 114°11′39″E / 22.32861°N 114.19417°E
Runways

RAF Kai Tak was a Royal Air Force (RAF) station in Hong Kong, based at Kai Tak Airport. It was opened in 1927 and used for seaplanes. The RAF flight operated a few land based aircraft as well as having spare aircraft for naval units.

History

From 1968 to 1978 it was used by various RAF helicopter units, as well as the Royal Hong Kong Auxiliary Air Force and Hong Kong Volunteer Defence Corps Air Unit. The RAF left Kai Tak and moved most other operations to Sek Kong Airfield.

From 1993 onwards the civilian Government Flying Service replaced the Royal Hong Kong Auxiliary Air Force at Kai Tak, thus ending the RAF presence at the airport.

The apron and the old NCO Mess areas were used by the Royal Hong Kong Police Force as the Police Driving School premises for a number of years until re-sited.

Royal Navy

HMS Nabcatcher was a Royal Navy (RN), Mobile Operational Naval Air Base (MONAB) which was located at Kai Tak airfield. HMS Nabcatcher was also known as MONAB VIIII and Royal Naval Air Station Kai Tak (or RNAS Kai Tak).

On 26 September, MONAB VIII was established at Kai Tak airfield as RNAS Kai Tak, HMS Nabcatcher. This unit was designed to operate in a manner akin to those in Australia, providing shore facilities for disembarked squadrons and ultimately overseeing a Fleet Requirements Unit. Concurrently, the Royal Air Force began its operations at this site. It was decided that the station would be used collaboratively, comprising two separate camp and maintenance areas. The airfield was partitioned, with the RAF occupying the eastern section, which contained pre-war airfield infrastructure, while the Royal Navy utilised the western, undeveloped area for the deployment of MONAB equipment. Additionally, it was established that the RAF would retain sole authority over Air Traffic Control.^[1]

On 27 August 1946, Mobile Operational Naval Air Base VIII (MONAB VIII) ceased to be acknowledged as an independent command and was reclassified to the status of RN Air Section Kai Tak. Subsequently, on 1 April 1947, Nabcatcher was decommissioned, leading to the re-commissioning of the Air Section as HMS Flycatcher. Later that year HMS Flycatcher was officially decommissioned on 31 December. Subsequently, the Royal Navy Air Section facilities at Kai Tak were reduced to a 'care and maintenance' status, with an 18-month notice period set for a possible reopening. Despite this provision, the option was ultimately not acted upon, although the rights for Royal Navy squadrons to disembark at the airfield were retained.^[2]

Lodger facilities (1948-1978)

The initial deployment of a Royal Navy squadron ashore following the transfer of the airfield to the Royal Air Force occurred during the Malayan Crisis. On 5 November 1949, 800 Naval Air Squadron, which was equipped with Supermarine Seafire FR Mk.47 fighter aircraft, disembarked from the Colossus-class light fleet carrier HMS Triumph and re-embarked on 3 December. The squadron made a subsequent return on 13 March 1950, remaining on land for a duration of one month before re-embarking on 10 April.^[3]

891 Naval Air Squadron disembarked its de Havilland Sea Venom FAW.22 jet fighter from the Centaur-class light fleet aircraft carrier HMS Bulwark on 17 May 1958. The squadron remained deployed until 3 June before returning to the carrier.^[4] Notably, this deployment marked the sole occasion when Royal Navy jet aircraft utilised the historic runway 12/30. Subsequently, a new runway, designated 13/31, was inaugurated in September 1958, extending 2,800 yards into Kowloon Bay on reclaimed land. This new runway was situated on the southeastern side of the airfield, distinct from the other two runways.^[5]

In December 1958, two squadrons from the Centaur-class light fleet carrier HMS Albion deployed detachments to Kai Tak. On 12, three Westland Whirlwind HAS.7 anti-submarine helicopters from 820 Naval Air Squadron were deployed,^[6] followed by five de Havilland Sea Venom FAW.21 jet fighter aircraft from 809 Naval Air Squadron on the 19. Both groups rejoined HMS Albion on 5 January 1959.^[7] Subsequently, HMS Albion returned in July 1960, during which a detachment of four de Havilland Sea Venom FAW.22 jet fighter aircraft from 894 Naval Air Squadron was disembarked for a week-long stay.^[8] Later that same year, several Westland Whirlwind HAS.7 anti-submarine helicopters from 848 Naval Air Squadron were landed from HMS Bulwark on 9 November and they re-embarked on 21.^[9]

Non-military users

It was the main airfield in Hong Kong housing other non-military users:

Far East Flying Training School founded in the 1920s – later changed its name to Far East Flying and Technical School.
The Hong Kong Flying Club 1927
Aero Club of Hong Kong 1962.
offices of various airlines including:

Aircraft

During the Japanese occupation from 1941 to 1945, Japanese A6M Zero fighters were based at Kai Tak.

A list of British aircraft stationed there:

Aircraft	Type	Number	Dates
Gloster Meteor	fighter		– 1962
de Havilland Vampire	fighter		– 1962
de Havilland Venom	fighter		– 1962
Fairey Flycatcher	fighter		1927–?
Hawker Horsley	bomber	3	1935–1937
de Havilland Tiger Moth	trainer	2	1935–1937
Chance-Vought Corsair (Fleet Air Arm)	fighter		1950s
Bristol Beaufighter	fighter-bomber		1950s
de Havilland Hornet	fighter		1950s
Hawker Hunter	fighter		1962–1967
Gloster Javelin Mk 9FW	Interceptor		1966–1967

Squadrons

The Japanese were stationed at Kai Tak during World War II and extended the runway at the base.

A list of RAF units at Kai Tak:^[10]

Air Headquarters Hong Kong Communication Squadron RAF (12 September 1945 – 15 January 1947)^[11]
No. 132 Squadron RAF (15 September 1945 – 15 April 1946)
No. 209 Squadron RAF (17 September 1945 – 28 April 1946)
No. 681 Squadron RAF (27 September – 23 December 1945)
No. 200 Staging Post RAF (October 1945 – June 1946)
No. 1331 Wing RAF Regiment (xxx xxxx – May 1946)
No. 96 Squadron RAF (16 April – 1 June 1946)
No. 110 Squadron RAF (1 June 1946 – 15 September 1947)
Japan Force Communications Flight RAF (28 April 1946 – xxx xxxx)?
No. 1430 (Flying Boat Transport) Flight RAF (5 August – 1 September 1946)
No. 88 Squadron RAF (1 September 1946 – 24 June 1951)
No. 1903 Air Observation Post Flight RAF, No. 656 Squadron RAF (15 July 1948 – 17 August 1949)
Royal Hong Kong Auxiliary Air Force (1 May 1949 – 1 April 1993)
No. 28 Squadron RAF (11 May 1949 – 1 May 1950; 7 October 1950 – 28 March 1951; 15 August – 5 December 1955; 14 June 1957 – 2 January 1967; 1 March 1968 – 17 May 1978; 1 November 1996 – 4 June 1997)
No. 80 Squadron RAF (20 August 1949 – 3 January 1950; 1 February – 7 March 1950; 28 April 1950 – 1 May 1955)
Hong Kong Auxiliary Flight RAF (October 1949 – 1 October 1950)
Hong Kong Auxiliary Squadron RAF (1 October 1950 – 24 November 1953)
Hong Kong Auxiliary Air Force Wing RAF (24 November 1953 – xxx 1954)
Hong Kong Fighter Squadron RAF (24 November 1953 – xxx 1954

RAF detachments

No. 215 Squadron RAF (October 1945 – February 1946)
No. 209 Squadron RAF April 1946 – January 1955)
No. 81 Squadron RAF (October 1947 – April 1958)
No. 205 Squadron RAF (September 1949 – March 1958)
No. 88 Squadron RAF (June 1951 – October 1954)
No. 60 Squadron RAF (July 1961 – May 1968)
No. 103 Squadron RAF (August 1963 – March 1969)
No. 110 Squadron RAF (January 1964 – March 1969)
No. 45 Squadron RAF (June 1965 – February 1970)

Kai Tak runway

Kai Tak's first runway was a grass strip and the first tarmac, an east–west runway, was 457 metres long in 1939. A series of extensions were added over the years:

1940s – 1,371 metres runway added by the Japanese
1956 – 2,194 metres north–south runway added
1970 – 2,541 metres
1975 – 3,358 metres
post 1975 – single asphalt runway 13/31 – 3,390 metres (or 11,122 feet)

Facilities

Hangar for aircraft at Choi Hung Road used to store Supermarine Spitfires.^[12]

Historic buildings

Several buildings of the former station remain. Three of them, built in 1934,^[13] are Grade I historic buildings: the Headquarters Building, the Officers Mess and an Annex Block.^[14]

The former Headquarters Building is located at No. 50 Kwun Tong Road. It housed the Kai Tak Vietnamese Refugee Camp (啟德越南難民營) from 1979 to 1981, and was used for detaining Vietnamese refugees until 1997. It has been housing the Caritas Family Crisis Support Centre (明愛向晴軒) since 2002.^[13]
The former Officers' Quarters Compound, which includes the RAF Officers' Mess and an Annex Block, is located at No. 51 Kwun Tong Road. It was handed over to the Government in 1978 and converted into a Detective Training School of the Hong Kong Police Force, and remained in use until 2001. It has later been refurbished as the new Kai Tak campus of Hong Kong Baptist University, housing its Academy of Visual Arts (視覺藝術院).^[13]^[15] Other remaining structures in the compound include a former barrack office, a squash court, an air-raid shelter, a dust bin store, a Nissen hut, a mini-range, a latrine block, basketball court and an incinerator.^[13] The restoration and adaptive reuse of the Officers' Mess received an Honourable Mention at the 2009 UNESCO Asia-Pacific Heritage Awards.^[16]
The Gray Block (克拉克樓), located at No. 2 Kwun Tong Road, was built in 1973. It has been converted into the New Horizons Building (新秀大廈), used by Christian Action.

References

Citations

^ Hobbs 2007, p. 150.
^ Hobbs 2007, p. 151.
^ Ballance, Howard & Sturtivant 2016, p. 105.
^ Ballance, Howard & Sturtivant 2016, p. 262.
^ "Kai Tak". Royal Navy Research Archive - Fleet Air Arm Bases 1939 - present day. Retrieved 30 October 2024.
^ Ballance, Howard & Sturtivant 2016, p. 165.
^ Ballance, Howard & Sturtivant 2016, p. 130.
^ Ballance, Howard & Sturtivant 2016, p. 268.
^ Ballance, Howard & Sturtivant 2016, p. 226.
^ Air of Authority, RAF Kai Tak
^ Lake 1999, p. 17.
^ Kai Tak Airport Archived 28 August 2008 at the Wayback Machine
^ ^a ^b ^c ^d Brief Information on Proposed Grade II Items. Items #365, 367, 369 Archived 23 February 2013 at the Wayback Machine
^ "List of the 1,444 Historic Buildings in Building Assessment (as of 27 December 2013)" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 18 June 2018. Retrieved 1 January 2021.
^ "Getting to HKBU – Kai Tak Campus". Hong Kong Baptist University. Retrieved 16 January 2012.
^ 2009 UNESCO Asia-Pacific Heritage Awards Winners

Bibliography

Ballance, Theo; Howard, Lee; Sturtivant, Ray (2016). The Squadrons and Units of the Fleet Air Arm. Air Britain Historians Limited. ISBN 978-0-85130-489-2.
Hobbs, David (2007). Moving Bases Royal Navy Maintenance Carriers and MONABs. Liskeard, Cornwall, UK: Maritime Books. ISBN 978-1-904459-30-9.
Lake, A (1999). Flying units of the RAF. Shrewsbury: Airlife. ISBN 1-84037-086-6.

External links

[FOOTNOTEHobbs2007150-1] Hobbs 2007, p. 150.

[FOOTNOTEHobbs2007151-2] Hobbs 2007, p. 151.

[FOOTNOTEBallanceHowardSturtivant2016105-3] Ballance, Howard & Sturtivant 2016, p. 105.

[FOOTNOTEBallanceHowardSturtivant2016262-4] Ballance, Howard & Sturtivant 2016, p. 262.

[rnra-kaitak-5] "Kai Tak". Royal Navy Research Archive - Fleet Air Arm Bases 1939 - present day. Retrieved 30 October 2024.

[FOOTNOTEBallanceHowardSturtivant2016165-6] Ballance, Howard & Sturtivant 2016, p. 165.

[FOOTNOTEBallanceHowardSturtivant2016130-7] Ballance, Howard & Sturtivant 2016, p. 130.

[FOOTNOTEBallanceHowardSturtivant2016268-8] Ballance, Howard & Sturtivant 2016, p. 268.

[FOOTNOTEBallanceHowardSturtivant2016226-9] Ballance, Howard & Sturtivant 2016, p. 226.

[10] Air of Authority, RAF Kai Tak

[FOOTNOTELake199917-11] Lake 1999, p. 17.

[12] Kai Tak Airport Archived 28 August 2008 at the Wayback Machine

[grade_II-13] Brief Information on Proposed Grade II Items. Items #365, 367, 369 Archived 23 February 2013 at the Wayback Machine

[14] "List of the 1,444 Historic Buildings in Building Assessment (as of 27 December 2013)" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 18 June 2018. Retrieved 1 January 2021.

[15] "Getting to HKBU – Kai Tak Campus". Hong Kong Baptist University. Retrieved 16 January 2012.

[16] 2009 UNESCO Asia-Pacific Heritage Awards Winners

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