Crab, thanks for your thoughts, but why change history..........
RAF Sumburgh was located on the southern tip of the mainland island of the Shetland Islands, and was home to half of No. 404 Squadron RCAF, (Royal Canadian Air Force).
At the outbreak of World War II the airstrip at the Sumburgh Links was taken over by the Air Ministry.[1] By 1941 there were 3 operational runways at Sumburgh Aerodrome from which a variety of RAF aircraft operated.[1]
The former RAF Sumburgh airfield had two runways,[citation needed] the longest being 800 yards, and the shorter running a length of 600 yards from shore-line to shore-line. No. 404 Squadron operated Beaufighter Mark VI and X aircraft from this station on coastal raids against Axis shipping off the coast of Norway and in the North Sea.
RAF Stornoway was a Royal Air Forcestation near the burgh of Stornoway, on the Isle of Lewis, in the Western Isles of Scotland.
The station was founded in World War II on the site of a former golf course. It was home to various Coastal Command squadrons patrolling the North Atlantic for U-Boats. In late 1940, a detachment of Avro Anson aircraft arrived from No. 612 (County of Aberdeen) Squadron, Royal Auxiliary Air Force. The Ansons operated from the site of RAF Stornoway while it was still under construction. By November 1940, the aircraft from 612 Squadron had been posted to RAF Wick and were gradually replaced by Ansons from 48 Squadron RAF, based at RAF Hooton Park.
In March 1940, No. 827 Squadron RNAS operated Fairey Albacore aircraft from Stornoway in conjunction with the Ansons of 48 Squadron on maritime patrols across the Atlantic. This continued until the station was completed at which point they moved away. RAF Stornoway was officially constituted on 1 April 1941 as part of 15 Group, RAF Coastal Command.
During the Cold War the station was home to an RAF signals unit whose purpose was classified. The station was also subject to upgrading during this time, including the extension of the main runway to accept Panavia Tornado aircraft.