In this photo you can view a seaplane in the foreground and the tower of the Pennsylvania House in the background, the initial home of the Hampton Roads Naval Museum in 1979. |
The site selected was
a plot of 150 acres on the former Jamestown Exposition, located in the northeastern
corner of the Naval Operating Base at Norfolk, Virginia. With seven seaplanes,
five officers, and 20 mechanics on board, the Navy constructed several canvas
hangars to house aircraft, framed buildings for repair, smith, and fabric
shops, and erected three two-story barracks, along with mess halls. By the end
of 1917, the Navy added two H-12, one H-16 seaplane, and one Sopwith Speed Scout to the inventory of planes
assigned to the unit. Other aircraft assigned included R-6 and R-9 seaplanes
and the HS-2 flying boat. As the result of increased operations, four hangars,
an administrative building, a lighter-than-air hydrogen plant, and a dispensary
were also constructed.
P. N. L. Bellinger |
By the end of the war, the air detachment was recognized as one of the most important sources of trained naval aviators. In recognition of its importance, on August 27, 1918, the detachment became Naval Air Station Hampton Roads, a separate station under its own commanding officer, Lt. Cmdr. Patrick N. L. Bellinger. The Naval Air Station existed as a separate command until the Navy consolidated it with Naval Station Norfolk in 1999.
(This blog post was written by HRNM Education Director Lee Duckworth.)
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