RAF St Davids

Royal Air Force St Davids or more simply RAF St Davids is a former Royal Air Force station, near the city of St Davids, Wales, in the community of Solva.

RAF St Davids
St Davids, Pembrokeshire in Wales
RAF St Davids Shown within Pembrokeshire
Coordinates	51°53′10″N 005°12′45″W
Type	Royal Air Force station
Site information
Owner	Air Ministry
Operator	Royal Air Force
Site history
Built	1942 (1942)/3
In use	1943-1958 (1958)
Airfield information
Elevation	76 metres (249 ft) AMSL
Runways Direction Length and surface 04/22 976 metres (3,202 ft) Asphalt 08/26 1,802 metres (5,912 ft) Asphalt 13/31 1,088 metres (3,570 ft) Asphalt

History

The station was built in 1942/3 during the Second World War and was used by RAF Coastal Command.

Squadrons

Sqn	Aircraft	Posted from	Posted to	From > To	Notes
53	Consolidated Liberator VIII & VI	1 June 1945	17 September 1945	RAF Reykjavik > RAF Merryfield	Squadron move.[1]
58	Handley Page Halifax II	6 December 1943	1 September 1944	RAF Holmsley South > RAF Stornoway	Squadron move.[2]
220	Consolidated Liberator VI & VIII	1 June 1945	22 September 1945	RAF Lagens > RAF Waterbeach	Squadron move.[3]
502	Handley Page Halifax II	10 December 1943	14 September 1944	RAF Holmsley South > RAF Stornoway	Squadron move.[4]
517	Handley Page Hampden Handley Page Halifax V Boeing Fortress F	25 November 1943	1 February 1944	RAF St Eval > RAF Brawdy	Squadron move. United States Army Air Forces (USAAF) aircraft attached.[4]

Post war

After the Second World War the airfield was further used by Airwork Services Ltd until 1958 and the RAF Tactical Weapons Unit used one runway from 1974 - 1992 then parts of the airfield were finally sold off by the government in the mid-nineties. The area was the subject of an archaeological survey in 2000.[5]

References

Citations

1. Jefford 1988, p. 42.
2. Jefford 1988, p. 43.
3. Jefford 1988, p. 72.
4. Jefford 1988, p. 95.
5. "Dyfed Archaeological Trust: St David's Airfield". Retrieved 18 June 2020.

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.