80 Years ago from the Archives - August 1945

             R.A.F. Harrowbeer  has  been  reduced  to  " Care  and  Maintenance ".

                                 The  Aerodrome  is  no  longer  operational.

                                               From  the  Squadron  O.R.B.

No.691  ( A.A.C. )  Squadron :-

          1st August     No.691  ( A.A.C. ) Squadron moved from R.A.F. Harrowbeer to R.A.F. Exeter in accordance with No.11 Group instructions  ( Movement  Order  No.3 ).          The move was very successfully carried out.         One sortie was give while the move was in progress.          The weather was perfect.

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There was a small contingent of R.A.F. and W.A.A.F. personnel still present at R.A.F. Harrowbeer for a short time while the Aerodrome was being closed down.  All remaining stock and equipment had to be accounted for, documented, dismantled, packed and dispatched to R.A.F. Exeter.

The  President  of  America arrives  at  R.A.F. Harrowbeer.

On the 2nd August 1945 President Truman arrived at R.A.F. Harrowbeer instead of R.A.F. St. Mawgan as it was fog-bound.  The purpose of his visit was to meet King George VI  on H.M.S. Renown in Plymouth Sound to discus the outcome of the Potsdam Conference and the dropping of the atomic bomb on Japan.  His ' Welcoming Party ' at R.A.F. Harrowbeer were three  W.A.A.F.'s  -  W.A.A.F.  Section  Officer Evie Buckland-Jones of Swansea, L.A.C.W.  Audrey Bartlett of Tavistock and one other W.A.A.F.  unknown.  The President and his party were then taken by motorcade to Plymouth for the meeting with the King. The President then transferred to the U.S.S. Augusta to continue his journey back to America.

From the 15th December 1947 until 29th July 1948 No.19 Group Communications Flight were making landings at R.A.F. Harrowbeer although they were not actually operational from there.

When the W.A.A.F.  Site became vacant in 1945 the site was used to accommodate German Prisoners of War from the Liberation of the Channel Islands.  Some of these prisoners were repatriated and some settled in the local area.

Once the German Prisoners of War had vacated the old W.A.A.F.  Site buildings they were used to rehouse displaced persons from Latvia, Estonia and the Ukraine, etc.

From the 19th February 1948 until the 16th August 1950 the Aerodrome was being used by No.82 Gliding School and the Air Training Corps Cadets.

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     Copies of the Station and Squadron Operation Record Books are kept at the 

                " R.A.F. Harrowbeer Archives, Educational and Heritage Centre "  

                            and are available for viewing by appointment.

        Telephone :- 01822 853679     or      Email :- knightstonetea@yahoo.co.uk

                                              Michael  Hayes  -  Archivist