Dates: 1942 - 1958
RNAS Stretton was originally planned as a Royal Air Force night fighter station to protect Liverpool and Manchester from German air raids during World War II. However changes in German tactics meant that the airfield was not required so was transferred to the Admiralty on completion.
HMS Blackcap was commissioned on 1st June 1942 and forty-one Fleet Air Arm Squadrons were based here for periods as aircraft were flown directly to and from aircraft carriers based at Liverpool.
Fairey Aviation used the airfield for flight-testing Barracudas, Fireflies and Fulmars before they were despatched to their operational squadrons. In 1944 the air station was also used as an Aircraft Maintenance Yard.
At the end of the war American Naval Aircraft were flown into Blackcap to be broken up for disposal. The Aircraft Maintenance Yard at Blackcap meant that the airfield continued to operate and, at is peak, handled one third of all Fleet Air Arm Aircraft and all its spare engines.
In 1947 the Admiralty’s decided to form Royal Naval Reserve Squadrons. The first to be based at Stretton was 1831 Naval Air Squadron, a fighter squadron. It which was formed on the 1st June 1947. It was joined on the 18th August 1952 by 1841 Naval Air Squadron, an anti-submarine squadron. Both these Squadrons formed the Northern Air Division which was disbanded in March 1957.
The last squadron based at Blackcap was 728B Naval Air Squadron, formed in January 1958. The squadron was relocated on 15th February 1958 to HMS Falcon, Hal Far, Malta.
The airfield was closed down on 4th November 1958.
