Perranporth Aerodrome - Airfield Timelime

March:

Captain J V Holmes starts operating his Avro 504 from the site which is now Perranporth Airfield, taking to the skies for aerial joy-riding.

May:

France falls to Nazi occupation, bringing Hitler’s Luftwaffe within range of the British coast and enabling them to disrupt Allied naval activities in the channel.

July:

Perranporth Airfield is scouted by the Air Ministry to assess its suitability as a military installation.

7th July:

A lone German aircraft attacks Penhale Camp, killing 15 troops who had just returned from the battle of Dunkirk. Had Perranporth Airfield been an operational fighter station at this time, this raid could have been averted.

28th April:

Perranporth Airfield opens, with one runway and few unfinished buildings. 66 Squadron (Spitfire Mark IIA) moved from Exeter and based themselves at Perranporth.

September:

An emergency detachment of Spitfires from Ibsley (118 Squadron) joins 66 at Perranporth.

5th December:

130 Squadron (Spitfires) establishes itself at Perranporth. The Squadron stayed based at the airfield for the next 15 months; longer than any individual Squadron of Spitfires.

Christmas:

The Czechs arrive at Perranporth.

Spitfires from Perranporth are used in bomber protection missions and convoy protection operations in the Southwest Approaches and the Channel.

Summer:

the control tower is built on Perranporth Airfield. Prior to this, a “watch office” near the entrance to the facility was being used for administrative functions. The control tower is still in use to this day, construction number: 7358/42

September:

66 Squadron returns to Perranporth. The squadron had been operating over the UK and on their return they carry out bomber support, convoy patrols and offensive sweeps.

8th of October:

453 Squadron (Australian) shoots down five Messerschmitt 110s in a single mission. One pilot was lost during the operation: Flying Officer Parker.

23rd of October:

66 Squadron shoots down two German FW 190s over Biscay. ON their return, two of the squadron’s Spitfires are destroyed in a mid-air collision during a fly-by of the control tower. Flight Lieutenant Baker and Warrant Officer Mace are killed in the disaster.

April:

With D-Day imminent most of the Spitfire Squadrons still based at Perranporth departed for Chichester in preparation for a European assault. They were replaced by Swordfish: rocket-firing Swordfish biplanes deployed to take out German E-Boats; and Avengers, American aeroplanes used as bombers, carrying a devastating payload of 2000lb of bombs. These Fleet Air Arm planes were operated under Coastal Command.

28th of July:

Observer, Lieutenant Nixon of 849 Squadron is killed by enemy action in the Avenger flown by Sub Lt. White.

1945 - 1957:

Perranporth airfield, still under the control of the Air ministry, is used for military glider training. It has also been suggested that aircraft at the facility were used in the creation of Decca Charts: maps acquired by aeroplanes and used by shipping and yachtsmen on the Cornish coast. During this period VIPs were flown from Perranporth Airfield to Holman’s in Camborne, a major engineering works at the time. The airfield also received occasional private flying visits by aeroplanes from Plymouth and District Aero Club.

The Perranporth Gliding and Flying Club is formed.

The first memorial event at Perranporth Airfield is organised to commemorate British pilots killed while defending our freedom.