Mona
MONA: Military aerodrome with later limited civil use. Originally RLG for RAF VALLEY
(First known as RAF HENEGLWYS)
Note: This picture (2018) was obtained from Google Earth ©
Military users: WW2: RAF Flying Training Command 25 Group
3 AGS (Avro Ansons & Blackburn Bothas)
8 AFU (Ansons)
Operated by: 1980s to 2000: Relief aerodrome for RAF VALLEY
Flying club/school: Weekends: From 1980s (?): Club Hedfan Mona Flying Club, The Mona Flying Club
2000: Mona Aviation
Gliding: 1970s only?
Location: Originally part of RNAS LLANGEFNI. N of A5, SW of Boddford, roughly 3nm W of Llangefni
Period of operation: 1942 to -
Note: This map is reproduced with the kind permission of Pooleys Flight Equipment Ltd. Copyright Robert Pooley 2014.
Runways: WW2: 05/23 1646x46 hard 18/36 1006x46 hard
13/31 1006x46 hard
1990/2000: 04/22 1666x46 hard
NOTES: In WW2 a dummy airfield was constructed nearby (1941) to lure German bombers and it appears that in 1943 the runway lights lured a RAF night fighter to its doom when it attempted to land on it.
Up to the 1980s, and up to 2000 and possibly beyond (?), a RLG (Relief Landing Ground) for RAF VALLEY
In WW2 this aerodrome was on the edge of a very interesting area. The Irish government, (if not most of the Irish people), who were, it is alledged, somewhat pro-Nazi and lit up their towns at night to provide navigation beacons for Luftwaffe bombers attacking airfields and especially cities such as Liverpool. I think this accusation is perhaps rather unfair simply because, as a neutral country, they had every right to continue living peacably, and lighting up their towns. The fact that this must have helped German bombers navigate, is just another consequence of war as it was then.
SOMETHING NOT MUCH KNOWN ABOUT?
However, it is also alledged, and there does appear to be some truth in this; that to aid the German bombers Welsh Nationals, (also pro-Nazi), lit beacons all along the coast to guide German bombers to Liverpool and surrounding industrial areas. All this was seen by RAF aircrews in training on night navigation exercises. I wonder how they felt about being at war and yet seeing all this going on?
How did this feel for RAF aircrews stationed out here for example? People, mostly men of course, poured into England and Scotland from around the world and especially from British Dominions and occupied countries, (and to fight the Nazi regime but in this hinterland of the UK the war was being aided by some of the Welsh locals. This situation must have been very confusing to say the least for foreigners intent on waging war on the Nazis.
“These people are fighting us…but you can’t attack them…as we still pretend they’re on our side”. In the early part of WW2 my father was based in Wales, undergoing training for RAF Flight Engineer duties. As he told me, the biggest enemy was the Welsh people not the Germans. Not all of them by any means - but you couldn’t tell them apart! Once or twice year the Germans would bomb you, but the Welsh farmers would nearly always open fire with shotguns whenever you got near them to recover the bodies from crashed aircraft. These retrieval crews, often consisting mostly of RAF aircrew, had to be escorted by armed members of the RAF regiment to try and scare the farmers off.
SPOTTERS NOTES
In 1977 it seems five GA types were based here: Tipsy T.66 Nipper 2 G-ARBP, Cessna 150F G-ATHG, PA-28 Cherokee 180 G-ATUL and Cessna F.150Js G-AWXU & G-AXNK both of Mona Aviation Ltd, presumably for flying school duties?
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