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RAF Kai Tak

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RAF Kai Tak
Summary
Airport typeMilitary, Defunct
OperatorRoyal Air Force
LocationKowloon Bay, Hong Kong
Elevation AMSL9 m / 28 ft
Coordinates22°19′43″N 114°11′39″E / 22.32861°N 114.19417°E / 22.32861; 114.19417
Map
Runways
Direction Length Surface
m ft
13/31 3,390 11,122 Asphalt

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

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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

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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)

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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

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

Aircraft

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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 Notes
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

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1983, a Westland Wessex HC.2 of No. 28 Squadron RAF, normally based at RAF Sek Kong, taking off from Kai Tak during "SAREX '83" – a search and rescue exercise.

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]

RAF detachments

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Kai Tak runway

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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

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Historic buildings

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Former Headquarters Building, along Kwun Tong Road.
Air-raid shelter in the former Officers' Quarters Compound.

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.

See also

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References

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Citations

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  1. ^ Hobbs 2007, p. 150.
  2. ^ Hobbs 2007, p. 151.
  3. ^ Ballance, Howard & Sturtivant 2016, p. 105.
  4. ^ Ballance, Howard & Sturtivant 2016, p. 262.
  5. ^ "Kai Tak". Royal Navy Research Archive - Fleet Air Arm Bases 1939 - present day. Retrieved 30 October 2024.
  6. ^ Ballance, Howard & Sturtivant 2016, p. 165.
  7. ^ Ballance, Howard & Sturtivant 2016, p. 130.
  8. ^ Ballance, Howard & Sturtivant 2016, p. 268.
  9. ^ Ballance, Howard & Sturtivant 2016, p. 226.
  10. ^ Air of Authority, RAF Kai Tak
  11. ^ Lake 1999, p. 17.
  12. ^ Kai Tak Airport Archived 28 August 2008 at the Wayback Machine
  13. ^ a b c d 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

Bibliography

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