'Commemorating 75 Years Since the Opening of Harrowbeer RAF Station, Yelverton'

When: 01 April 2016 to 28 October 2016
Suitable for: Any age

'Commemorating 75 Years Since the Opening of Harrowbeer RAF Station, Yelverton' is an exhibition about the WW2 airfield which was opened in August 1941.   Located near Yelverton the airfield was called 'Harrowbeer' to distinguish it from the similarly sounding RNAS Yeovilton in Somerset. It was operational as a fighter station for the rest of the war under the control of 10 Group Fighter Command which was responsible for the South West of England. It was also headquarters to the First Air Sea Rescue Squadron and reported to be a staging point for secret operations in Europe.

The airfield had three tarmac runways, the foundations for these, and some of the buildings, being rubble from Plymouth after the 'blitz' of March / April 1941. RAF Harrowbeer played a vital role during the war by providing air cover for merchant shipping in the English Channel watching for enemy E-boats and U-boats, operational sorties in the Cherbourg area, and later escort duties to bombers flying on their mission to and from targets in Europe. It was closed as an operational airfield at the end of July 1945. The museum is grateful to Mike Hayes who has put together an impressive exhibition of model aircraft, photographs and memorabilia .