RNAS Longside at Lenabo
This was a Great War airship station also known as Lenabo Forest / RAF Longside / RNAS Longside, the station was in use from 1916-18
Royal Naval Air Station (RNAS) Longside, was a World War I airship station which was located approximately six miles (10 km) west of Peterhead at Longside. The station was also known as Lenabo. The station was in use from 1916-18.
There were 1500 personnel based at the station and the facilities included a swimming pool, shops, a theatre and Church. There was also a gas works within the site.
Longside had three hangars, which would have been able to accommodate the largest airships being developed at the time, from the larger coastal or North Sea types of nonrigid craft, and those of the developing rigid fleet. From the memorial picture, it can be seen that airship accommodation at Longside followed the standard patter, with a large rigid airship shed flanked on each side by a smaller coastal shed, which were stepped forward forward to provide a sheltered area to the front of the rigid shed.
The sheds were aligned with the direction of the prevailing wind. The rigid shed at Longside was 45.87 metres (150 ft 6 in) wide, and could therefore accommodate two of the earlier 23-class rigids. The largest shed was 150 metres long and 30 metres high.
After the War, RNAS Longside served no useful purpose and, in 1920, the Air Ministry transferred the site to the Disposals Board.
Closure of the Lenabo Section and lifting of the rails has been stated to be at various dates between 1919 and 1923. However, the earlier dates may be dismissed, because there was a Fatal Accident on the line on 15 August 1923, when an empty train – being propelled by its engine – and a motorcar collided at a still-ungated level crossing, killing Mr. and Mrs. Patterson, the unfortunate occupants of the car. Given that Grouping was on 1 January 1923, this also means that closure was under the aegis of L&NER
A memorial to the men who served there was erected in 2003 by the Longside Community Council, fixed on to the remains of a building which is thought to have been part of the officers’ mess (at circa NK 0288 4285). The memorial plaque reads: ‘ROYAL NAVAL AIRSHIP STATION LONGSIDE This memorial marks the site of RNAS Longside, which was Britain’s most northerly airship station.
From Lenabo, three classes of ship, with ranges from 200 to 1000 miles, flew long sorties over the North Sea acting as escorts to northern shipping convoys. Visible for miles, the large buildings housing the airships extended to 150 metres long by 30 metres high. Concrete foundation, anchoring blocks and various ruins are still visible, this building is thought to have been part of the officers’ mess.
ERECTED BY LONGSIDE COMMUNITY COUNCIL 2003′. There is also a memorial in St John’s Church, Longside (NK04NW0092) to one of the air crews lost when an airship crashed into the North Sea in 1918. The memorial is former from the propeller from C25, the airship which crashed, and is the only piece of the aircraft ever found after the crash.
The memorial stood within one of the buildings of the airship station, but was moved to the church in March 1919. A rededication service was held at the church in march 2019.
Remains of World War I airship station. The station was built on the site of a peat bog in the early months of 1915 by Tawse of Aberdeen. Although most wartime camps were of a flimsy nature, RNAS Longside, as it was known as, was seemingly built to stand for eternity. A powerhouse, gasworks, water works, steam generators, engineering shops, canteens, church, messes and living quarters were all built of solid brick with connecting avenues. The camp was surrounded by a steel spike fence with main entrance adorned with pseudo classical pillars.
Sources of Information:
- Wikipedia
- http://www.canmore.org.uk
- https://www.airshipsonline.com
- https://online.aberdeenshire.gov.uk
