Shackleton Barracks

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RAF Ballykelly was a Royal Air Force station near Limavady, Northern Ireland. It is now used by the Army and known as Shackleton Barracks.

[edit] History

RAF Ballykelly opened in 1941 as a base for RAF Coastal Command. It was closed at the end of World War II, but re-opened in 1947 as the home of the RAF Joint Anti-Submarine School, a training flight flying Avro Shackleton aircraft.

Some Fleet Air Arm units, including 819 Sqn moved onto the station in 1962 and they referred to it as HMS Sealion. The runways were extended in 1963 to allow for potential dispersal of the V-bomber force.

By 1961 Ballykelly was home to three Squadrons flying Shackletons MR2's: 203, 204 and 210. No 203 Sqn later re-equipped with Mk3 Phase3 aircraft and the other squdrons with Mk2 phase 3s. (some of these Mk2s were later converted to the AEW function, becoming the last Shackletons in RAF Service) These three Squadrons were part of the ASW (Anti-Submarine Warfare) force. They also covered SAR (Search and Rescue) standby duties together with their counterparts at RAF Kinloss and RAF St. Mawgan.

In 1968 a 204 Sqn Shackleton flying from Ballykelly sufferred the last loss of a Shackleton when Sqn Ldr Clive Haggett and his crew, a total of 12 men, were killed when their aircraft flew into the Mull of Kintyre early one rainy morning.

[edit] Closure and current usage

RAF Ballykelly closed in 1971 and the site handed over to the Army, who renamed it Shackleton Barracks. The base was the HQ of 8 Infantry Brigade until it was disbanded in summer 2006. It is still (until summer 2008), home to an infantry battalion - 2 PWRR. Both the Army Air Corps and RAF use the airfield, but no aircraft are stationed there any more. The runways and taxiways remain well maintained and operational.

On March 29th 2006 an Airbus A320 aircraft operated by Eirjet on behalf on Ryanair landed at Ballykelly after the pilot mistook the runways for those at nearby City of Derry Airport. The 39 passengers who boarded the flight at Liverpool airport were unharmed and continued their journey to Derry by bus.