A report dated for the year 1937 shows that three sites were looked at: Chelson Meadow, Roborough, and Harrowbeer. The report suggests that Chelson Meadow was not suitable as it lay in a 'hollow', and would therefore be awkward for planes landing and taking off. Roborough was felt to be unsuitable because the main runway would be too short and there was no easy way to extend it. (a very familiar argument!). Finally, Harrowbeer, although not ideal, was suggested as the preferred option due to the nature of the land on which it would be built. The only drawback that could be foreseen was the probability of fog.
Airfield construction – 1940/1941At the beginning of the Second World War it was assumed that towns in the South West were too far from enemy air bases to be under threat of aerial bombardment. However, the fall of France meant that Channel air bases were now in enemy hands and it is presumed that a call went out for potential airfield sites so the report on Harrowbeer was put forward.
In late 1940, land was requisitioned for the new airfield and construction began. Mine waste and rock from quarries near Tavistock was used to form the base for the runways and new roads in the area. After Plymouth was subjected to air raids in March and April 1941 the rubble from the blitzed buildings was transported out to Harrowbeer in lorries to be used in the construction as well. The airfield comprised three runways in an 'A' shaped layout, and there were two Bellman hangars, eight smaller blister hangars and twelve dispersal pens. The work provided welcome employment for local people, as Yelverton became a hive of activity while the work progressed.
The area around the new airfield saw many changes. Yelverton’s shops were reduced to single-storey and several roads were diverted, new ones were built and the present roundabout installed. A number of properties near the airfield were demolished and others requisitioned for accommodation for airfield personnel.
Harrowbeer becomes operational – August 1941RAF Harrowbeer officially opened on the 15th August and the first aircraft to land was a Blenheim 1F bomber. The first operational unit to use RAF Harrowbeer was No.500 Squadron, flying Bristol Blenheim fighter-bombers which were used for anti-shipping and intruder operations over the Channel and France.
In October, No.130 (Punjab) Squadron, flying Spitfire Mk II fighters, enjoyed a brief stay until November, when they were replaced by No.302 (City of Poznan) Squadron. This Polish Squadron flew Hurricanes but converted to flying Spitfire VBs whilst at Harrowbeer. Also at this time, No.276 Squadron formed at the airfield to undertake air sea rescue duties, flying Lysanders, Spitfires and Walruses and rescuing many pilots who had bailed out over the Channel.
Harrowbeer expands - 1942-1943
Although fully operational, building construction continued at Harrowbeer into 1942. The Poles were replaced by No.312 (Czech) Squadron, flying Spitfire VCs and early missions involved shipping reconnaissance and protecting the South Hams from ‘tip and run’ raids from the new German fighter, the Focke Wulf 190.
In December 1942, No.193 Squadron was formed at Harrowbeer and equipped with the new Hawker Typhoon fighter. The new aircraft initially suffered from reliability problems but it was to play an effective part in the battle for Normandy in 1944 when it was used principally in the ground attack role against German armour.
In February 1943, No.263 Squadron arrived flying the twin-engined Whirlwind fighter-bomber which was used effectively in strikes on enemy shipping. In May, No.414 Squadron of the Royal Canadian Air Force commenced flying operations in Mustangs, a supremely effective fighter used, like the Typhoon, in a ground attack role.
Harrowbeer, as with all other RAF stations, was to play a key role in the forthcoming invasion of occupied Europe. The Typhoons were replaced by many squadrons of Spitfires, whose function would be to defend the invasion force against enemy air attacks. As D-Day approached, operations from the station increased rapidly, leading one person to write “Someone’s in a Hurry!” in the Airfield’s ORB.
However, the end of Operation Overlord marked the start of the demise of Harrowbeer as an RAF fighter station, because as the war in Europe moved further in-land, it took longer to fly from Harrowbeer to the front line. By August 1944, the station became a satellite of Exeter and the Free French No.329 Squadron was the last operational unit to use the field, flying Spitfire IX fighters until June 1945. The airfield officially closed on the 31st July 1945, although two days later, President Harry Truman made an unscheduled visit to Harrowbeer on his way to meet King George VI on HMS Renown in Plymouth Sound.
RAF Harrowbeer closes - post-war developmentsWith the end of the war in Europe, RAF Harrowbeer had fulfilled its invaluable role and was no longer required as a fighter station. The Air Ministry decided in 1950 that it no longer required the airfield and a meeting was held with regard to de-requisitioning the land. Initially only hangars, huts and fences were removed while the runways were left intact. In 1960, Plymouth Corporation proposed that Harrowbeer should become the city's airport but there was strong local opposition and in 1961, the proposal was rejected. The rest of the airfield was subsequently demolished, the runways removed and a road constructed across the former air base.
For some time after the war, the dispersed sites (used as billets by the station's aircrews) were used as temporary accommodation for local families, with some still occupied in the 1970s. Today, although some of the picket posts and toilet blocks remain standing, all the accommodation huts have been demolished and all but a few of the hut bases removed and all that now remains of RAF Harrowbeer are the vestiges of runways and hangar bases. However, the blast pens on the perimeter of the airfield still form a prominent feature of an air base which had played such a crucial role in the allied victory in the Second World War.
In 2004, a group of enthusiasts formed the RAF Harrowbeer Interest Group, (HIG) to better record the airfield’s history. A website was created, www.rafharrowbeer.co.uk, three interpretation boards were erected at strategic points around the airfield and a new, revised, edition of Dennis Teague’s original history book on Harrowbeer was published. Each year in August, the HIG organises the RAF Harrowbeer 1940s Weekend, to commemorate the anniversary of the opening of the airfield.
This year’s RAF Harrowbeer 1940s Weekend will be held on 12 & 13 August - see the What’s On Extra section for more details or visit www.rafharrowbeer1940s.co.uk.
Stephen Fryer