Knightstone RAF Harrowbeer Archive
Knightstone RAF Harrowbeer Archive
  • Home
  • News And Events
  • About Us
  • Educational Visits
  • History of Harrowbeer
  • Squadrons and other Units
  • Airfield Buildings & Site
  • Airfield Buildings Cont
  • The archives 80 years ago
    • From the Archives
    • May 1945
    • April 1945
    • March 1945
    • February 1945
    • January 1945
  • Operational Claims
  • Roll of Honour
  • Service Personnel Stories
  • Local Memories & Stories
  • Vehicle Restorations
  • Contact Us
  • Useful Links

Squadrons and other Units

R.A.F. Harrowbeer Squadrons / Units associated with and operating from there from 1941 - 1950

No.    Code      Arrived        Departed        Aircraft                From                       To            

  1         JX      20/06/44      12/04/44      Spitfire IX       Predannack              Detling


  2        XV      10/04/44      12/04/44      Mustang            Gatwick                 Gatwick

  2        XV      28/04/44     28/04/44      Mustang            Gatwick                 Gatwick

  2        XV      01/05/45     04/05/45      Mustang            Gatwick                 Gatwick


 16       UG      31/08/41      31/08/41       Mustang      Weston Zoyland     Weston 

                                                                                                                                 Zoyland

 16       UG     28/05/42     28/05/42       Mustang      Weston Zoyland     Weston 

                                                                                                                                 Zoyland

 16       UG     23/06/42     28/06/42       Mustang      Weston Zoyland     Weston 

                                                                                                                                  Zoyland

 16       UG     31/08/42      31/08/42       Mustang      Weston Zoyland     Weston 

                                                                                                                                 Zoyland


 19       RM     22/06/42     22/06/42       Spitfire            Perranporth      Perranporth

 19       RM     03/10/42      08/10/42       Spitfire            Perranporth      Perranporth


 26       XC      07/01/45      22/01/45     Mustang IV            Exeter          North Weald

 26       XC     03/04/45      13/04/45     Spitfire  XIV      North Weald             Cognac

 26       XC     23/05/45      23/05/45     Spitfire XIV           Cognac             Chilbolton

 41       EB      07/06/44      07/06/44       Spitfire                Bolt Head          Bolt Head


 64      SH      22/06/44      30/08/44      Spitfire VB           Deanland     Bradwell Bay

                                                                      Spitfire IX


 65      YT      04/04/43        4/4/43         Spitfire               Perranport   Perranporth


126      5J       03/07/44     29/08/44        Spitfire IX           Culmhead     Bradwell Bay


129     DV      15/03/43      18/03/43        Spitfire VB              Ibsley                  Ibsley

129     DV      19/03/43      19/03/43        Spitfire VB              Ibsley                  Ibsley


130     PJ        25/10/41       30/11/41         Spitfire  II              Portreath   Perranporth


131      NX     24/03/44     24/05/44         Spitfire VII             Colerne          Culmhead


165     GT     20/06/44     22/06/44         Spitfire IX           Predannack         Detling


175     HH      10/10/42      09/12/42      Hurricane  IIb        Warmwell          Gatwick


183     HF     05/06/43    04/08/43        Typhoon Ia             Colerne           Tangmere


193     DP      18/12/42      17/08/43        Typhoon Ib           ( Formed )        Gravesend

193     DP      17/09/43     20/02/44       Typhoon Ib          Gravesend             Fairlop


197     OV     29/04/44     30/04/44        Typhoon Ib    Needs Oar Point Needs Oar

                                                                                                                                     Point


257    FM     29/03/44     30/03/44        Typhoon Ib   Needs Oar Point  Needs Oar

                                                                                                                                     Point

263    HE    20/02/43      15/03/43          Whirlwind           Warmwell        Warmwell

263    HE    09/04/43     09/04/43          Whirlwind           Warmwell        Warmwell

263    HE     19/03/44     19/06/44           Typhoon              Warmwell        Bolt Head

 

266    ZH     21/09/43     07/03/44          Typhoon Ib            Exeter            Bolt Head

( Rhodesia )

266    ZH     12/03/44     15/03/44           Typhoon Ib         Bolt Head       Acklington

( Rhodesia )


275     PV     10/01/45     14/02/45       Walrus / Spitfire      Exeter  ( Disbanded at )

( Air Sea Rescue Squadron )                           Anson                     ( R.A.F. Harrowbeer )


276    AQ     21/10/41     03/04/44    Lysander / Defiant     ( Formed )       Bolt Head

( Air Sea Rescue Squadron )               Spitfire II / Walrus     ( at R.A.F. Harrowbeer )

                                                                         Anson


277    BA    26/09/42     30/09/42      Defiant / Walrus      Martlesham    Shoreham

( Air Sea Rescue Squadron )            


279   OS    09/06/43      14/12/43                Hudson II     Davidstow Moor    Bircham

( Air Sea Rescue Squadron )                                                                                 Newton


286  NW    01/05/42     26/05/42     Defiant / Miles Master      Ludgate    Colerne

( Army Co-operation Squadron )           Oxford / Spitfire

286  NW    01/08/42     31/08/43          Defiant / Oxford            Colerne        Exeter

( Army Co-operation Squadron )                 Hurricane

302  WX     11/10/41      26/04/42             Spitfire VB                 Ibsley         Warmwell

( Polish )                      &  07/05/42            Hurricane                        

( Most of No.302 Squadron was sent to R.A.F. Warmwell on a air firing course. They left there on the 06/05/42 for R.A.F. Heston. The rest of the Squadron left R.A.F. Harrowbeer for R.A.F Heston on the 07/05/42 ).


306   UZ    21/10/42          ?     ?                   Spitfire VB                Northolt         Northolt

( Polish )          ( Thirteen aircraft landed to carry out an offensive operation as escort )

                         ( The Squadron returned in December, dates unknown at present )


310    NN    25/6/42        25/6/42               Spitfire                      Exeter              Exeter 

( Czechoslovakian )       ( ' A '  Flight, 3 sections flew to R.A.F. Harrowbeer

                                         for readiness duties, taking of at 1615 hours ).

310    NN    06/8/42        06/8/42                Spitfire                     Exeter              Exeter

( Czechoslovakian )       ( Five sections flew to R.A.F. Harrowbeer for practice

           formation flying ten miles off the French Coast, taking of at 1420 hours ).

310    NN    07/9/42        07/9/42                 Spitfire                     Bolt Head          Exeter

( Czechoslovakian )         ( Eight aircraft took off from R.A.F. Bolt Head

            to carry out three separate shipping convoy patrols. One at 1340 hours, 

              one at 1600, and one at 1620 hours.  All aircraft returned to Exeter ).   

310    NN    07/11/42       07/11/42                  Spitfire                      Exeter              Exeter

( Czechoslovakian )

    ( Twelve Spitfires arrived during the morning and took part in an attack on Brest )


312   DU   02/05/42      10/10/42             Spitfire VB          Fairwood Common

( Czechoslovakian )                                     Hurricane                             Churchstanton


313    RY    13/10/42      13/10/42                Spitfire               Churchstanton

( Czechoslovakian )  ( Six aircraft carried out convoy patrols )         Churchstanton

                      ( The Squadron returned in December 1942 and January 1943, 

                                           exact dates unknown at present )


329    5A    25/05/45     16/06/45               Spitfire IX                Skaebrae         Dreux 

( Free French )

329    5A    19/06/45      14/07/45               Spitfire IX    Dreux     Fairwood Common

( Free French )


331    FN    17/5/43         17/5/43                 Spitfire         North Weald    North Weald

( Norway )             ( Landed to re-fuel, on operation from R.A.F. Bolt Head ).


332   AH    17/5/43         17/5/43                 Spitfire  IX   North Weald     North Weald

( Norway )             ( Landed to re-fuel, on operation from R.A.F. Bolt Head ).


340  GW    10/03/44     12/03/44               Spitfire IX      Perranporth   Perranporth 

( Free French )


401   YO    26/09/42     27/09/42                Spitfire                Bolt Head     Bolt Head

( Canadian )                ( Three aircraft landed ?     ? )


414   RU    25/05/43     04/06/43                Mustang Ib  Middle Wallop     Portreath

( Canadian )                                Tomahawk IIb / Miles Master III 

                                                                           Tiger Moth


486   SA    08/02/44     08/02/44               Typhoon             Beaulieu         Beaulieu

( New Zealand )

486   SA     24/02/44     24/02/44               Typhoon             Beaulieu          Beaulieu

( New Zealand )


500   MK    15/09/41      30/10/41                Blenheim       Bircham Newton      

( ' B ' Flight )                                                                                             Bircham Newton


501     SD    31/07/42       31/07/42               Spitfire VB             Ibsley                Ibsley


504    TM   15/03/43      17/03/43                Spitfire VB             Ibsley                Ibsley

504    TM   19/03/43      19/03/43               Spitfire VB             Ibsley                Ibsley

504    TM  08/04/43     08/04/43               Spitfire VB              Ibsley               Ibsley

602   LO    08/03/43     08/03/43            Spitfire              Perranporth  Perranporth

602   LO    04/04/43     04/04/43            Spitfire              Perranporth  Perranporth



610   DW    24/05/44     02/07/44          Spitfire XIV           Bolt Head   West Malling


611    FY      23/06/44     03/07/44         Spitfire VB LF       Deanland      Predannack


616   YQ      15/03/43     17/03/43              Spitfire                     Ibsley                Ibsley  

616   YQ      19/03/43     19/03/43             Spitfire                     Ibsley                Ibsley


691    5S      21/02/45     01/08/45     Oxford / Vengence       Roborough       Exeter

                                                               Barracuda / Defiant

                                                                       Hurricane


834 FAA     14/04/43     15/04/43       Fairey Swordfish             Exeter             Exeter

( Fleet Air Arm )                 ( Seconded to Coastal Command on night patrols )


838 FAA     20/04/44    08/08/44   Fairey Swordfish   Machrihanish Worthy Down 

( Fleet Air Arm )    ( This Squadron was used on operations in the English Channel to seek out U -boats and E-boats. It was a General Reconnaissance Wing which was formed at Knightstone House on the 22/04/44 under the control of No.19 Group. 838 FAA Squadron was joined to No.156 Wing Coastal Command ).


No.19 Group Communications Flight

        G2      15/12/47      29/07/48           Dominie / Anson   Roborough        St. Eval

  ( Not sure they were actually stationed at R.A.F. Harrowbeer as I can only find 

              mentions in the Operation Record Books of routine landings ).


No.78 Signals Wing Calibration Flight

       EY       11/10/41      09/06/43      Blenheim IVL   ( Reformed )   Davidstow Moor

                                                                     Hornet Moth

  ( Coastal Command set the Flight up in September 1941 from No.500 Squadron ).

No.1697 Flight A.D.L.S.

                  16/05/44    23/06/44               Hurricane II             Northolt        Northolt

     ( Air Despatch Letter Service )  

     ( Not stationed at R.A.F. Harrowbeer, only mail flights in and out ).


No.82  Gliding School

                  19/02/48    16/08/50                                     Roborough    ( Disbanded )     

         Cadet / Sedbergh / Prefect Gliders            ( Used by the Air Training Corps ).


United States Navy / Army Air Force

                   ? / ? /42      ? / ? / ?      PBY5A / Oxford / Spitfire       ?     ?           ?     ?

  (  This is a huge black hole, information is difficult to obtain at the present moment.

      I would think that the U.S. Navy had a presence on the Airfield in the early days to receive and dispatch V.I.P.'s to the Naval Dockyard in Plymouth.        After D-day the U.S.A.A.F. took over the Airfield from the end of August 1944 until January 1945, so I would think they were re-supplying the troops in Normandy ).

( Any information regarding the U.S.Navy and the U.S.A.A.F. would be gratefully appreciated, thank you ). 

Visiting

             Aircraft  that  flew  into  R.A.F. Harrowbeer  for  various  reasons    


 Unit  or  Squadron                          Arrived          Departed

No.1 Ferry Unit  -  Pershore          22/05/44      ?  /  ?  /  ?        Wellington X  - 521

               ( This aircraft had to make a forced landing )


No.135  Force Signals  ( formed for the Liberation of the Channel Islands )

                                                           20/02/45         ? /  ? /  ?

     ( Mentioned in the Station Operation Record Book  -  no other details )


No.144     PL                                       19/05/44         19/05/44            Beaufighter

  ( This aircraft was from Davidstow Moor and had to make a forced landing )


No.173      ?  ?                                    22/04/44        ? /  ?  /  ?             Wellington

               ( Landed on a familiarisation flight )


No.234      AZ                                    19/08/44       19/08/44        Spitfire

     ( Four aircraft from R.A.F. Predannack were used to escort the Duke of         Gloucester from Pembroke to R.A.F. Mount Batten. The aircraft waited at 

     R.A.F. Harrowbeer before carrying on their flight to R.A.F. Polebrook ).


No.271   BJ    Various dates from :- 16/08/42  to 18/08/43  Harrow & Dominie

     ( The aircraft flew from and too  various R.A.F. Stations depending on the

     requests made upon the Squadron. Their main tasks were the movement

     and transportation of personnel, kit and equipment from one Station to

     another.  Thirty three movements are listed in the Squadron's Operation

              Record Book, a copy is held in the R.A.F. Harrowbeer Archives ).


No.304     NZ                                      06/12/42       06/12/42             Wellington

( Polish )         ( This aircraft landed after carrying out a submarine sweep ? )


No.402     AE                                       15/04/42  for one day only       Spitfire VB     

     ( There was a detachment at R.A.F. Exeter from R.A.F. Fairwood Common,

     four Spitfires were sent to cover readiness for No.302 ( Polish ) Squadron

     while they were on other duties from R.A.F. Harrowbeer.    The four

                     aircraft returned to R.A.F. Exeter later in the day ).


No.421     AU                                        31/07/42  for one day only         Spitfire  VB

      ( Seven aircraft of " A " Flight flew from R.A.F. Fairwood Common and

         acted as rear cover to Boston aircraft returning from a raid over 

        St. Malo. All seven aircraft returned to R.A.F. Fairwood Common ).


No.421     AU                                       23/12/42  for one day only          Spitfire  VB

     ( Six Spitfire VB aircraft flew from R.A.F. Angle to cover readiness at R.A.F.

     Harrowbeer and carry out two convoy shipping patrols. The six Spitfires

                    flew back to R.A.F. Angle on completion of their duty ).


No.453    ?  ?                                        19/08/43       19/08/43                Spitfire

    ( One arrived from R.A.F. Perranporth at 1755 hours with fuel tank trouble 

           which was fixed and the aircraft returned to R.A.F. Perranporth ) 


No.453    ?  ?                                        09/10/43       10/10/43                 Spitfire         

          ( Five aircraft landed after an operation due to weather conditions 

                                            and stayed overnight ).


No.575     I9      Various dates from 19/06/44  to  23/06/43       Dakota  MKIII

        ( The Squadrons role at this time was the movement and transportation 

         of personnel, kit and equipment from one R.A.F. Station to another. 

         The Dakota's operated out of R.A.F. Boadwell.     Four movements are

         recorded in the Squadron's Operation Record Book for this period of    

         time, the Squadrons noted are :- No.1, 610 and 611.  

                   A copy of these movements are held in the Archives ). 


No.849   ?   ?                                        27/04/44      ?  /  ?  /  ?                Avenger

                   ( Landed on a familiarisation flight )

Pre R.A.F. Harrowbeer Operational Squadron Detachments

                                          These Squadrons are unconfirmed


 It is my belief ( The Archivist ) that there was a small airfield on the site before R.A.F. Harrowbeer was built.                

The square ' Watch Office ' was built on the side of ' Knightstone House ' early in 1939, at the same time that other buildings were being demolished ( rumour has it, " to make way for runways " ). A  W.A.A.F. I spoke to traveled several times a week from R.A.F. St. Eval, Cornwall to work in the ' Watch Office ' in 1939 after war was declared " doing paperwork ".

It is possible there were overflow flights of the following Squadrons stationed in Yelverton as their own station was too small for them to operate efficiently.   


No.   Code      Arrived        Departed        Aircraft                 From               To  

  247    HP       01/08/40      15/01/41      Gladiator II       Roborough        Roborough 


   16     UG      03/08/40      14/08/40     Lysander II      Okehampton   Okehampton  

   16     UG       15/10/40       04/11/40   Lysander I /II   Okehampton   Okehampton 

   16     UG     04/06/41    06/06/41  Lysander III / IIIa Okehampton   Okehampton  


    Other  Units  and  Servicing  Echelons  at  R.A.F. Harrowbeer

  

                      Maintenance  Units  and  Air  Stores  Parks 

 No.            Arrived    Departed                                            From              To

229  M.U.  25/09/42    19/04/43   Maintenance  Unit    Quedgely    Brasted, 

    ( This  Unit became  No.401  Air  Stores  Park  in April 1943 ).            Kent.                                    

           

No.401  Air  Stores  Park

             This  Unit was formed at R.A.F. Harrowbeer on the 19/04/1943.

               They moved to Sunbridge, Brasted, Kent on the 20/04/1943.

              This was a Motor  Transport  Unit used for moving stores and

                           equipment from Aerodrome to Aerodrome.

                                           

                                        ~      ~      ~      ~      ~      ~      ~


                                               Servicing  Echelons 

No.        Arrived        Departed      Aircraft            From                To              Sqn.

 303

 

1026

 

3013      18/12/42      17/08/43       Typhoon            Zeals       Gravesend   ( 193 Sqn. )


 3013      18/09/43     15/02/44       Typhoon       Gravesend  Disbanded  ( 193 Sqn. )


 3031      15/03/43     18/03/43        Spitfire            Exeter            Ibsley    ( 616 Sqn. )


 3036      14/11/41       30/11/41         Spitfire           Formed     Warmwell   ( 130 Sqn. )


 3040


 3043     21/09/43     12/03/44     Typhoon           Exeter     Disbanded  ( 266 Sqn. )


 3055


 3093


 6001     20/06/44     22/06/44        Spitfire        Predannack       Detling    ( 1 Sqn. )


 6026     03/04/45     22/05/45        Spitfire    North Weald   Chilbolton  ( 26 Sqn. )


 6064     23/06/44     29/08/44        Spitfire      Deanland    Bradwell Bay ( 64 Sqn. )


 6126      03/07/44     28/08/44        Spitfire     Culmhead   Bradwell Bay ( 126 Sqn. )


 6131      24/03/44      24/05/44        Spitfire         Colerne      Culmhead   ( 131 Sqn. )


 6135


 6165     20/06/44     22/06/44         Spitfire        Predannack     Detling  ( 165 Sqn. )


 6236


 6263     22/03/44     19/06/44         Typhoon        Formed     Bolt Head  ( 263 Sqn. )


 6345


 6610     24/05/44      19/06/44         Spitfire     Culmhead  West Malling ( 610 Sqn. )


 6611      24/06/44     03/07/44          Spitfire       Deanland   Predannack ( 611 Sqn. )



No.1007   Servicing Wing


RAF Harrowbeer Archives, Education & Heritage Ctr

Knightstone, Crapstone Road, Yelverton, Devon, PL20 6BT GB

Archivist - Michael Hayes 01822 853679

All images copyright of :-  PHL Archives,  R.A.F. Harrowbeer Archives,   Graham Buchan Innes or HIG

© 2020 RAF Harrowbeer Archive - All Rights Reserved.

Powered by

This website uses cookies.

We use cookies to analyze website traffic and optimize your website experience. By accepting our use of cookies, your data will be aggregated with all other user data.

Accept