RAF Carew Cheriton

RAF Carew Cheriton
Carew, Pembrokeshire in Wales
RAF Carew Cheriton Shown within Pembrokeshire
Coordinates	51°41′23″N 004°48′39″W / 51.68972°N 4.81083°WCoordinates: 51°41′23″N 004°48′39″W / 51.68972°N 4.81083°W
Type	Royal Air Force station
Site information
Owner	Air Ministry
Operator	Royal Air Force
Site history
Built	1938
In use	1938-1945
Airfield information
Elevation	28 metres (92 ft) AMSL
Runways Direction Length and surface 06/24 965 metres (3,166 ft) Asphalt 12/30 1,040 metres (3,412 ft) Asphalt 16/34 765 metres (2,510 ft) Asphalt

RAF Carew Cheriton is a former Royal Air Force airfield of Coastal and Training Command near Carew, Pembrokeshire. It was sited 4.7 miles (7.6 km) miles north west of Tenby. It was built on the site of RNAS Pembroke (aka RNAS Milton) from the First World War, which had been decommissioned and sold off in the inter war years.

History

First World War

Royal Naval Air Station Pembroke or Milton as it was known then opened in August 1915. The base operated SS-class (Submarine Scout or Sea Scout), SSZ-class (Sea Scout Zero) and C-class (Coastal-class or 'Coastals') non-rigid airships which operated over the Irish Sea, Bristol Channel and Western Approaches on anti-submarine patrols. In April 1917 the base began operating Sopwith 1½ Strutter and Airco D.H.6 biplanes.

Upon the formation of the Royal Air Force (RAF) on 1 April 1918, the Royal Naval Air Service (RNAS) ceased to exist. The location acquired the dual designation of RAF Pembroke^[1][2] and Royal Naval Airship Station Pembroke. Use of the designation "RN Airship Station" was entirely valid, because the airships remained the property of the Admiralty, never being transferred to the Air Ministry.^[3]

RAF Pembroke was part of No.14 Group, RAF, successor to the RNAS "Milford Haven Anti-Submarine Group". No.14 Group included No.255 Squadron, RAF. The entire site closed in March 1920.

SSZ-class airship SSZ17 Landing at Royal Naval Air Station Pembroke 1917. The hangars in the background are no longer standing.

Avro Anson Mk.I K6285/MW-F foreground and Avro Anson Mk.I N9742/MW-Y background of No.321 (Dutch) Squadron RAF.

Second World War

Carew Cheriton was recommissioned in 1938, initially with grass runways. From the early 1940s there were three concrete runways, making the station a Class A airfield. The airfield was used as a support station for the flying boat operations at RAF Pembroke Dock. Operational flying ceased in 1942. On 15 April 1941 12 airmen were killed in a Luftwaffe air raid which hit the station's sickbay. In 1942 the station became No. 10 Radio School, a training camp for aircrew wireless operators. RAF Carew Cheriton closed in 1945.

Based squadrons

Squadron	Aircraft	From	To	To	Notes
32	Hawker Hurricane I	17 April 1941	1 June 1941	RAF Angle	Detachment from RAF Pembrey.[4]
48	Bristol Beaufort I	16 July 1940	3 August 1941	RAF Stornoway	Detachment from RAF Hooton Park.[5]
75	Vickers Wellington I	14 September 1939	8 April 1940	Disbanded	Detachment from RAF Harwell.[6]
217	Avro Anson I Bristol Beaufort I	2 October 1939	29 October 1941	RAF Thorney Island	Detachment from RAF St Eval.[7]
236	Bristol Blenheim IVF Bristol Beaufighter IC	21 March 1941	9 February 1942	RAF Wattisham	A detachment was at RAF St Eval.[8]
238	Hawker Hurricane IIA	1 April 1941	16 April 1941	RAF Chilbolton	Detachment from RAF Pembrey.[9]
254	Bristol Blenheim IVF	11 February 1942	1 June 1942	RAF Dyce	[10]
286	Hawker Hurricane IIC	April 1942	April 1944	RAF Zeals	Detachment from RAF Lulsgate Bottom.[11]
320	Lockheed Hudson I	18 January 1941	21 March 1941	RAF Leuchars	Absorbed 321 Squadron.[12]
321	Avro Anson I	24 June 1940	18 January 1941	RAF Carew Cheriton	Absorbed by 320 Squadron.[12]
500	Bristol Blenheim IV	30 May 1941	22 March 1942	RAF Stornoway	Detachment from RAF Bircham Newton.[13]
587	Hawker Henley I Hawker Hurricane IV Miles Martinet Hawker Hurricane IIC	10 April 1944	1 October 1944	RAF Weston Zoyland	Detachment from RAF Culmhead.[14]

Postwar

The base was used as an emergency landing site on two occasions after its closure. A de Havilland Vampire FB.5 from Anglesey made a successful emergency landing on the old runway after experiencing mechanical problems. A Bristol Beaufighter in a separate incident also attempted an emergency landing but sadly crashed short of the runway with no survivors.

Current use

The site is no longer used as an airfield though much remains including the runway and the Second World War control tower (adjacent to the Carew Cheriton Showground) has been restored by the Carew Cheriton Control Tower Group, and turned into a museum which is open to the public. The airfield is also used for various events and activities including car boot sales, auctions and part of the airfield has been converted for use as a go-cart track.

Other Information

In 1962 Airfix released a 1/72 scale plastic model kit of Avro Anson Mk.I RAF serial: N9742, squadron code: MW-Y of No.321 (Dutch) Squadron RAF which was stationed at RAF Carew Cheriton August–November 1940. It has been rereleased several times since.

References

Citations

1. Bones Aviation Page, "UK Airfields Macmerry to Syerston" downloaded 09 June 2014.
2. Dyfed Archeological Trust. "Twentieth Century Military Sites: Airfields. A threat-related assessment 2011-2012, p.29.
3. Turpin, B. British Naval Airships 1909-1921, to be published 2015. Pers Corr with the author.
4. Jefford 1988, p. 35.
5. Jefford 1988, p. 41.
6. Jefford 1988, p. 48.
7. Jefford 1988, p. 71.
8. Jefford 1988, p. 75.
9. Jefford 1988, p. 76.
10. Jefford 1988, p. 79.
11. Jefford 1988, p. 84.
12. Jefford 1988, p. 86.
13. Jefford 1988, p. 94.
14. Jefford 1988, p. 97.

Bibliography

• Jefford, C.G, MBE,BA ,RAF (Retd). RAF Squadrons, a Comprehensive Record of the Movement and Equipment of all RAF Squadrons and their Antecedents since 1912. Shrewsbury, Shropshire, UK: Airlife Publishing, 1988. ISBN 1-84037-141-2.

External links

• BBC article
• The control tower restoration project
• Historic Landscape Characterisation