The base was built during 1943 as a staging post for flights between Aden and India, its most important function being that of a refuelling point.

Masirah was at least 1,200 miles (1,900 km) distant from Aden, so was a good location to refuel before the next leg in either direction.

[3] During 1942, the Catalinas of 209 Sqn used the seaplane store to refuel, giving them greater reach across the Gulf region whilst on anti-submarine patrol.

[4][5] The anchorage location for seaplanes was at Umm Rusays, a small village on the western side of the island close to Masirah.

To speed up the offloading process, and also because the engineering team lacked the right materials to make a road, a section of Decauville track was laid from the shore onloading point to the RAF base.

[20][21] Some RAF personnel transiting through had to spend some time at Masirah, however, the climate was cooler than at Aden and the small base was said to have fostered a "community spirit".

[24] During the 1950s, the RAF participated in the Jebel Akhdar War against people supportive of Ghalib al-Hinai in the interior of Oman.

Shackletons were flown from RAF Masirah to drop 1,000 pounds (450 kg) bombs on the water supply and irrigation systems inland.

[28][29] The withdrawal from Aden in the late 1960s was detailed by the then Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs (Mr George Brown), who announced the outbasing of the V-bomber force at Masirah for a period of six months from 1 January 1968.

[33] This led to a belief that the Royal Air Force had helped Israel to bomb Egypt during the Six-Day War.

[34] During the Indo-Pakistani War of 1971, Masirah was again used as a staging post when RAF Hercules aircraft evacuated 280 people from the shelling of Karachi in early December 1971.

229 Operational Conversion Unit, flew 4,200 miles (6,800 km) non stop from RAF Coningsby to Masirah to partake in Exercise Saif Sareea, being refuelled seven times by Tristar tanker aircraft on the ten-hour flight.

[40] The station badge was awarded in 1962, and depicted a loggerhead turtle coloured blue (azure in heraldic terms).