RAF Davidstow Moor

Royal Air Force Davidstow, or more simply RAF Davidstow Moor, is a former Royal Air Force station located 2.9 miles (4.7 km) north east of Camelford, Cornwall and 11.5 miles (18.5 km) west of Launceston, Cornwall, England. It was used from late 1942 until 1945, and despite a few periods of intense activity it was one of Coastal Command's lesser used airfields. History The land was acquired in 1941, and a three-runway airfield with extensive dispersal areas was constructed in the first half of 1942. Despite the moorland conditions, construction was reasonably straightforward, although it did involve the removal of various field boundaries, the closure of minor roads and some drainage work. RAF Davidstow Moor closed in December 1945 at the end of World War II and many of the buildings, including the hangars were soon removed. It became a motor racing circuit, known as Davidstow Circuit and in the early 1950s, three Formula One races were held there (the Cornwall MRC Formula 1 Races) including the first success for the Lotus marque. Posted units A number of RAF Regiment units were also posted here at some point: Wings; 1329, 1330 & 1331 Squadrons; 2708, 2731, 2738, 2743, 2748, 2776, 2778, 2786, 2792, 2793, 2796, 2802, 2810, 2886, 2889, 2954 & 2955 Current use The disused former watch office/air traffic control tower is clearly visible on the airfield. The airfield is still partly used by microlights and motor gliders with three runways in use. The runway lengths and directions are: 02–20, 395m, 06–24, 489m, 12–30, 1,450m. PPR (prior permission required) is essential for this site. It is currently run by Davidstow Flying Club. Davidstow Airfield and Cornwall at War Museum The Davidstow Airfield and Cornwall at War Museum has been set up to commemorate the work and people of RAF Davidstow Moor. It is located next to a creamery where Davidstow and Cathedral City cheeses are produced. Many exhibits cover life in the Second World War in Cornwall, including other airfields along the North Cornwall coast, the Royal Navy, Army and civilian services, and life on the home front. Other exhibits include artifacts from the Royal Observer Corps and the Light Infantry, vehicles and weapons. A new hangar was completed in 2016 and now houses a growing collection of larger exhibits including a Fairey Gannet and Hawker Hunter F.6 aircraft, the cockpit section of a de Havilland Vampire T.11 as well as a number of rare airfield and military vehicles. Davidstow Moor RAF Memorial Museum The adjacent yet separate Davidstow Moor RAF Memorial Museum is located in the former sergeants' shower block and focuses on the airfield's history during the Second World War using archive photographs and memorabilia. Unauthorised festival An unauthorised open-air music and dance event was held on the site in June 2022. See also List of former Royal Air Force stations References Citations Bibliography Ordnance Survey: Landranger map sheet 200 Newquay & Bodmin ISBN 978-0-319-22938-5 Falconer, Jonathan (2012). RAF Airfields of World War 2. UK: Ian Allan Publishing. ISBN 978-1-85780-349-5. Ashworth, Chris (1990) [1982]. Action stations 5; military airfields of the South-West (2 ed.). Wellingborough: Patrick Stephens. ISBN 1-85260-374-7. Further reading Delve, Ken The Military Airfields of Britain, South-Western England: Channel Islands, Cornwall, Devon, Dorset, Gloucestershire, Somerset, Wiltshire. ISBN 1-86126-810-6 A Guide to Airfields of South Western England. Baron Jay Publishers Keast, David C. Memories and Records of RAF Davidstow Moor, Cornwall [Camelford: the Author?] Knight, Rod & Anne (2016, 2nd edition) RAF Davidstow Moor 1942 to 1945. A Wartime History [CAWM Publishing, Cornwall at War Museum, Davidstow] ISBN 978-0-9576112-0-7 External links www.rafdavidstowmoor.com RAF Davidstow Moor Cached Version of the above websites homepage Davistow Airfield and Cornwall at War Museum Davidstow Moor RAF Memorial Museum www.controltowers.co.uk RAF Davidstow Moor www.wartimememories.co.uk RAF Davidstow Moor Peter Ascott's recollections of the aerodrome