Map of RAF Tain

Tain Range was constructed between the wars and used by both the RAF. and FAA. aircraft. There was also a small landing area and this was blocked with coils of barbed wire, old cars and tractors during an invasion scare in May 1940. The landing area which had served the Tain ranges was developed and opened on Septernber 16th 1941 as a fighter sector station to bridge the gap between Scapa Flow in the North and Turnhouse in the South.

Crest for 254 Squadron

At the end of October 1942 a party of American engineers arrived to make extensions to the north-east & south-west runways. F.A.A. aircraft were now using the airfield for night flying and servicing. On 22nd February 1943 the station was transferred to Coastal Command. No Squadrons were stationed there permanently but the station was used as an advanced base for attacking shipping in the Norwegian area. These Squadrons included Beaufighters of 254 Squadron, Wellingtons of 311 and 347, Hamptons of 405 and Beaufighters of 404.

Tain Range

On March 27th 1942 the Halifaxes of 76 Squadron landed at Tain. After some preparation they took off for Norway on the evening of March 30th. One aircraft failed to return. After five days they left and Tain had no more operational flights until late April when the Halifaxes came back. These made bombing raids against the Tirpitz and other German warships in Norwegian waters. Four hundred pound bombs were dropped on the Tirpitz but no hits could be seen because of the smoke screen.

On April 29th 801 Squadron left for Turnhouse and the following day 76 Squadron followed. Tain was now without operational aircraft. The first American aircraft to land here was a Vindicator on April 23rd 1942. The pilot had lost his way flying from Hatston to Longman. In May a Liberator landed in Tain. This was a taste of the aircraft to be stationed here later in the war.

During 1944 Tain was home to a lot of detachments from other airfields and in June another runway was extended. Also at this late date in the war it was decided to build two T2 hangars on the south side of the airfield. From this time until the end of the war Tain airfield continued to be in use.

A Halifax Mk VII makes a demonstration supply drop

Crest for 311 Squadron

No. 311 Squadron was the only Czech bomber squadron. It formed at Honington in No 3 Group on 29 July 1940 and was equipped with Vickers Wellington MkICs going into action almost immediately on night raids on Germany and the occupied countries. It suffered heavy casualties but was fully occupied in these raids until April 1942, when it was transferred to Coastal Command for anti-submarine duties, still with its Wellingtons. It was based at Aldergrove in Northern Ireland, then at Talbenny covering the Western Approaches. In May 1943 it moved to Beaulieu where it re-equipped with Consolidated Liberator Mk VIs in the summer of 1943.

These flew out over the western end of the English Channel for long patrols over the Bay of Biscay to intercept U-boats coming in and out of the French Atlantic ports. This work continued until after D-Day, the Squadron then transferring to Tain in Scotland for work off the Norwegian coast for the rest of World War 2.

In June 1945 the squadron transferred to Transport Command and began a schedule between England and Czechoslovakia, being based in Prague. It was disbanded there, as an RAF unit, on 15 February 1946.

Armstrong Whitworth Albemarie

Although not renowned for being one of the more famous military aircraft the ‘Armstrong Whitworth Albemarie’ made its mark in more ways than one. In October 1942 an Albemarie allegedly of Coastal Command crash landed at Tain and as no Albemarie’s were deployed yet to any RAF squadrons it was probably a prototype on test trials.

In April of 1943 Beaufighters of the 404 Squadron made their first sorties from Tain, in North of Scotland attacking shipping off the Norwegian coast. In the same month Beaufighters from 144 Squadron arrived from Leuchars and made many operational flights.

Throughout the duration of World War II many RAF Squadrons came and went from RAF Tain with many types of aircraft. There are at least 12 different Squadrons ranging from 'Bomber Command' to 'Coastal Command' The aircraft were mostly British made. There were Hurricanes, Wellingtons, Beaufighters, Spitfires, and Liberators , to mention a few.

One in particular was on the 8th April when four Beaufighters took off on a patrol and sighted a ship of 4,000 Tons with two escorts alongside her. The ship was listing heavily and covered in smoke, and the two escort ships were badly damaged.

Two more Beaufighters went out again in the afternoon but were intercepted by German aircraft. One of the Beaufighters, too late to make cloud cover was hit badly, the radio being wrecked and the navigator wounded limped back to Tain. The undercarriage collapsed on landing and the crew managed to escape before the aircraft was ablaze.

Tain was already a designated advanced base for Bomber Command and the USAAF was now allowed to use it if necessary. In October 1942, a party of American engineers arrived to extend the runway. Maintenance of FAA aircraft was carried out here until Fearn Aerrodrome was fully developed.

Many other RAF Squadrons used Tain as a base during the war. One of these was No 417 Squadron which became operational in 1942, moved from Charmy Down to Tain and one month later prepared itself to be deployed overseas. The Squadron was equipped with Spitfire Mkll's.

No. 417 Squadron formed at Charmy Down on 27 November 1941 and was equipped with Supermarine Spitfire Mk IIs in the following month. Although it became operational in February 1942, it then moved to Tain in Scotland and a month later was prepared for overseas deployment.

In a small copse about a mile from the airfield is an impressive and atmospheric survival-the operations block. It was originally intended to control the Tain Sector and the usual miniature theatre with raised balcony was provided. Surprisingly, it is unvandalised. One enters through a door marked 'All Aircrew' and an arrow points down the steps. Other readable inscriptions include 'Tactical Library'. A good torch is essential to penetrate the gloom as no windows were provided of course. The trunking for the gas filtration and air supply is all still in place.

One feels an intruder in this building; it seems like a piece of history suspended in time. It needs to be preserved as a memorial to all the Beaufighter and Liberator crews who jostled through its doors with their charts and wind forecasts and flying gear to the waiting truck for the dispersal point. So many never saw Scotland – or anywhere again.

A plane crash at Inver
April 30TH 1942
Map Ref. O.S pathfinder sheet 124 885833

Early in the morning, a Whitley bomber Z6641 from No. 19 Operational Training Unit at Kinloss crash landed on a sandbank at Inver near Tain because of engine trouble. This area is known locally as The Eash. The crew were unharmed and having launched their emergency dinghy, they paddled ashore and found their way to the village shop on Main St. which was the only place in the vicinity with a telephone. When the owner “Jimsie’’ arrived he found the whole aircrew outside waiting for him!

The next thing to be considered was how to remove the aircraft from the sandbank which was separated from the mainland by sea and mud. It was decided that the only way would be to dismantle it and bring it across in bits. In the words of the official report:

"Salvage conditions were rendered extremely difficult owing to the strong current ( 10 - 12 Knots) in the channel between the mainland and the sandbank ; to the considerable rise and fall of the tide in this area and to the strong winds prevailing at the time".

Salvage was successfully completed, the aircraft being dismantled on site and floated across to the mainland on a raft constructed of 24 fifty gallon drums and plank secured to a rope on the shore which was used to pull it backwards and forwards.

Each day the parts were taken away on a long low-loader lorry known as a "Queen Mary" and these activities provided entertainment for the villagers and at times as many as 30 people would gather on the shore to watch the activities. The aircraft parts were dragged up the slope, now concrete but then just a sandy cart track.

Three men working on the crashed plane were billeted with Jock and Annie Moore at Summerton farm. A Mr. Len Harvey kept in touch with them for several years and I am indebted to him for much of this history and extracts from his diary. The pilot was a Sgt. Einarson but no other crew has been traced.

It is rather ironic that having survived at least twelve bombing raids over Germany, it was transferred to a training unit at Kinloss and within a few months it ended up on a sandbank at Inver!

The End