RNAS Portland

6th April 2008

RNAS Portland was an air station of the Royal Navy from 1917.

The site was first built in 1917 as HMS Serepta, within the confines of Portland Harbour as a seaplane base; the aircraft operating from the base's slipways. In 1919, No. 241 Squadron RAF (formed from RNAS flights operating there in 1918) was disbanded and aviation operations ceased.

In 1946, Hoverfly R-4Bs moved in and the base's playing fields were taken over as a landing ground and became the site of the modern heliport. 815 Naval Air Squadron flew its 12 Whirlwinds in from RNAS Eglinton on 14 April 1959 and the station was formally commissioned as HMS Osprey on 24 April 1959.

The base was gradually improved over the years, with the addition of a (short) main runway and landing spots. It has been the home of the small ships' flight Wasp, Wessex and Lynx fleet and at one point, the slipway was used by hovercraft.

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