RAF Perranporth

RAF Perranporth was an RAF airfield situated near Perranporth, Cornwall, in the United Kingdom.

RAF Perranporth
IATA: none ICAO: none
Summary
Airport type	Military
Owner	Air Ministry
Operator	Royal Air Force
Location	Perranporth
Built	1940
In use	1941-1945
Elevation AMSL	318 ft / 97 m
Coordinates	50°19′53″N 005°10′36″W
Map
RAF Perranporth Location in Cornwall
Runways
Direction Length Surface ft m 05/23 0 0 Concrete 09/27 0 0 Concrete 18/36 0 0 Concrete

History

The 330 acre (134 hectares) airfield was built as an RAF Supermarine Spitfire station in World War II in 1941 and is situated on Cligga cliffs in the north of Cornwall.

Rare 1942 film footage of RAF pilots and Spitfires at RAF Perranporth is shown on the BBC website.[1]

Units

• No. 19 Squadron RAF[2]
• No. 65 Squadron RAF[3]
• No. 66 Squadron RAF[3]
• No. 118 Squadron RAF[4]
• No. 130 Squadron RAF[5]
• No. 132 Squadron RAF[5]
• No. 183 Squadron RAF[6]
• No. 234 Squadron RAF[7]
• No. 276 Squadron RAF[8]
• No. 286 Squadron RAF[9]
• No. 302 Polish Fighter Squadron[10]
• No. 310 Squadron RAF[11]
• No. 317 Polish Fighter Squadron[12]
• No. 329 Squadron RAF[13]
• No. 340 Squadron RAF[13]
• No. 341 Squadron RAF[14]
• No. 412 Squadron RAF[15]
• No. 453 Squadron RAF[16]
• No. 602 Squadron RAF[17]
• No. 610 Squadron RAF[18]
• No. 639 Squadron RAF[19]

Current use

The airfield was later converted to civilian use as Perranporth Airfield; it currently has three hard surface runways and two grass strips.

References

Citations

1. BBC news - 2009-Nov-06 - Spitfire pilot hi-jinks found on film Archived 7 November 2009 at the Wayback Machine
2. Jefford 1988, p. 30.
3. Jefford 1988, p. 45.
4. Jefford 1988, p. 57.
5. Jefford 1988, p. 59.
6. Jefford 1988, p. 66.
7. Jefford 1988, p. 75.
8. Jefford 1988, p. 82.
9. Jefford 1988, p. 83.
10. Jefford 1988, p. 84.
11. Jefford 1988, p. 85.
12. Jefford 1988, p. 86.
13. Jefford 1988, p. 87.
14. Jefford 1988, p. 88.
15. Jefford 1988, p. 90.
16. Jefford 1988, p. 93.
17. Jefford 1988, p. 98.
18. Jefford 1988, p. 99.
19. Jefford 1988, p. 101.

Bibliography

• Jefford, C G (1988). RAF Squadrons. A comprehensive record of the movement and equipment of all RAF squadrons and their antecedents since 1912. Shrewsbury: Airlife. ISBN 1-85310-053-6.

External links