RAF Kirkistown
# RAF Kirkistown

Royal Air Force Kirkistown or more simply RAF Kirkistown is a former Royal Air Force satellite airfield located 6.3 miles (10.1 km) of Ballyhalbert, County Down, Northern Ireland.

It was a satellite to the RAF Fighter Command airfield at Ballyhalbert on the Ards Peninsula.

## History

RAF Ballyhalbert opened officially on 28 June 1941 and the Kirkistown satellite airfield opened in July 1941. On 22 January 1942, No. 504 Squadron RAF moved to Kirkistown. In 1945, Ballyhalbert Airfield was designated a Royal Naval Air Station as "H.M.S. Corncrake", and Kirkistown Airfield was known as "H.M.S. Corncrake II". The following units were here at some point:

* No. 485 Squadron RNZAF (1942)
* 808 Naval Air Squadron
* 818 Naval Air Squadron
* 835 Naval Air Squadron
* 881 Naval Air Squadron
* 885 Naval Air Squadron
* 887 Naval Air Squadron
* No. 1493 (Target Towing) Flight RAF (April – May 1942) became No. 1493 (Fighter) Gunnery Flight RAF (May – November 1942)
* No. 2898 Squadron RAF Regiment
* No. 4117 Anti-Aircraft Flight RAF Regiment

## Current use

Today the site is home to Kirkistown Circuit, a regular venue for car and motorcycle races. The circuit utilises the northern parts of the former air base's runways and perimeter roadways.

