St Eval
St EVAL: Military aerodrome
Note: This picture (2017) was obtained from Google Earth ©
Military users: RAF Fighter Command Sector HQ
263 Sqdn (Westland Whirlwinds)
234 Sqdn (Vickers-Supermarine Spitfires)
*Battle of Britain Station
234 Sqdn (Vickers-Supermarine Spitfires)
(Bristol Blenheims, Hawker Hurricanes & Vickers-Supermarine Spitfires)
Note: 82 Squadron with their Blenheims, were breifly based here
RAF Coastal Command 19(GR) Group
22 & 86 Sqdns (Bristol Beauforts)
179 Sqdn (Avro Ansons, later Vickers Warwicks)
206 Sqdn (Consolidated B-24 Liberators)
217 Sqdn (Avro Ansons & Bristol Beauforts)
224 Sqdn (Lockheed Hudsons, later Consolidated B-24 Liberators)
236 Sqdn (Bristol Blenheims)
279 (ASR) Sqdn (Lockheed Hudsons)
282 (ASR?) Sqdn (Vickers Warwicks in 1944)
489 (RNZAF) Sqdn (Handley Page Hampdens)
502 (Ulster) Sqdn (Armstrong Whitworth Whitleys)
'B' Flight PRU (Photo Reconnaissance Unit) (PRU Vickers-Supermarine Spitfires)
USAAF Anti-submarine B-24 Liberator Squadrons. Probably from the 479th and 480th Group?
10 OTU (Armstrong Whitworth Whitleys)
Some claim that No. 1401 (Meteorological) Flight were based here flying Handley Page Hampdens in 1941. Can this be verified? In 1942 No.1404 ‘Met’ Flight were flying Lockheed Hudsons.
Also, 6 CPF were conducting local reconnaissance duties flying impressed DH87B Hornet Moths (and possibly other light aircraft types?) around the outbreak of WW2.
Post 1945: Maritime Reconnaisance 217 Sqdn (Lockheed Neptune MR.1, later Avro Shackelton MR.3s)
236 OCU (Neptunes)
Gliding: It appears that ATC gliders were in use here during the 1960s. Possibly for a longer period?
Location: NW of Higher Lannherp, S of St Eval, 6nm NNE of Newquay
Period of operation: 1939 to 1959
Runways: WW2: 08/26 1811x46 hard 02/20 1801x46 hard
14/32 1463x46 hard
NOTES:
To me it is simply astonishing but in the very early years of WW2 and even the period leading up to WW2 there was an incredible phase of “make do” involved. Here it seems Coastal Patrol Flights were flown in the relative comfort of “enclosed” cabins searching with Hornet Moths the off-shore waters for possible invasion forces, German U-boats and (allegedly) Irish spying missions for the Germans using fishing boats. The Irish Republic political leaders were staunch supporters of the Nazi regime according to many. It is claimed for example that the U-boats used to attack Atlantic convoys were often fuelled and fettled by the Irish.
On balance this seems true to some extent (?) but usually denied today. They certainly lit up their towns of the eastern side which obviously aided Luftwaffe bombing navigation on Liverpool for example. But, on the other hand – when Belfast was bombed, Irish firecrews sped north to assist. Hard to make sense of?
QUITE A SURPRISE?
It is often claimed that it came as quite a surprise to some aircrews, trained up for Bomber Command, to find themselves attached to Coastal Command. Some ‘bomber crews’ found themselves detailed to fly their obsolete Whitley ‘bombers’ out of St Eval, (in 1942 at least), to carry out daylight anti-submarine sweeps to the Bay of Biscay and the ‘Western Approaches’ over the Atlantic. This raises an interesting point. Without any doubt whatsoever RAF Bomber Command aircrews were mostly rubbish at navigation at the beginning of WW2. But here we see ‘rooky’ aircrews, three years later, being sent out on long sea patrols. There must be more to this than ‘meets the eye’. Can anybody explain?
COASTAL COMMAND
Patrick Bishop in his excellent book Wings says this about Coastal Command at the start of WW2: “Bases were scattered around the fringes of Scotland, England, Wales and Northern Ireland. It had been estimated that 261 shore-based aircraft would be needed to secure Britain’s maritime defence; 165 for convoy escort duty and 96 for reconnaissance. When war broke out, there were 259, which seemed to bode well.” Other experts disagree; one report states Coastal Command had 298 aircraft and only 171 were operational.
“However, the paper strength disguised a fundamental weakness. At this stage Coastal Command was the ‘Cinderella Service’, jostled aside in the rush for resources by the demands of Fighter and Bomber Commands. Only one of the aeroplane squadrons had an aeroplane that was up to the job: the American-manufactured Lockheed Hudson. Eight of the rest had Ansons, and two had torpedo-carrying and obsolescent Vildebeests. The crews called the Anson ‘Faithful Annie’ and it was as dependable and unexciting as the nickname suggests.” This said, the Avro Anson stayed on, typically in training and communication roles with the RAF until 1968. And, it was still being produced by Avro at WOODFORD (CHESHIRE) for the RAF until March 1952.
“It had been built as a six-seater passenger plane (My note: The Avro 652 which first flew on the 24th March 1935) with a maximum speed of about 190 mph. Despite this, its reach was inadequate for its function. An Anson was incapable of getting all the way to the Norwegian coast – a vital area of naval activity – and back.” This is being a bit unfair. The Anson had a still-air range of about 790 miles and the distance from, for example, Sumburgh in the Shetlands to Bergen is about 320 miles. From Wick in Scotland to Stavanger is about 230 miles. The problem is, that from top to bottom, the Norwegian coast is over 1,000 miles long and therefore the Anson had limited, if any, capability to patrol having got there. Plus, as far as I can see, Coastal Command never tried to use the type on these missions anyway. See my list of Coastal Command Stations under SULLOM VOE (SHETLAND).
“It also posed very little threat to any enemy vessel it might encounter. ‘The Anson was quite useless in any active wartime role, except a limited anti-submarine patrol to protect shipping, and was really obsolete before 1939,’ judged Wing Commander Guy Balland, who commanded Coastal Command’s 217 Squadron, based at St Eval. ‘The performance bomb load and armament were totally inadequate’. "
I could also take issue, playing the devil’s advocate, with the claim made by Patrick Bishop that the Lockheed Hudson was “up to the job”. Based on the Model 14 Super Electra airliner it was vastly superior to the Anson, capable of 246 mph and a range of 1,960 miles. It was also claimed to be the first aircraft operating from the British Isles to shoot down an enemy aircraft, on the 8th October 1939 off Jutland. It did indeed have a distinguished record for a time. But, (isn’t there always a but?), if attacked by a really good Luftwaffe pilot flying an aircraft equipped with cannons, it was pretty much a ‘sitting duck’. As of course were all RAF Bomber Command aircraft. It really was a problem for Hudson crews. Given its capabilities the Hudson was very often given duties which placed it well within range of Luftwaffe fighters.
THE NEPTUNE ‘MYSTERY’
I have to readily admit that until researching this ‘Guide’ I had never heard of RAF Coastal Command operating the Lockheed P2V-5 Neptune. But, it now appears the Americans supplied 53 Neptune MR.1s, operated by four Coastal Command Squadrons, between 1952 and 1956 to fill the gap before Avro Shackletons took over. This period was of course the start of the ‘Cold War’ and a considerable degree of secrecy surrounded the deployment of these Neptunes, to the extent it seems quite difficult to find who the other three Neptune squadrons were, and, where they were based. To date all I can find is that 236 OCU was based here together with 217 Sqdn. Can anybody tell us about the other three squadrons?
A VISIT IN APRIL 2023
This brief visit, in typical Cornish weather, low dense cloud and raining, revealed the memorial outside St Eval church and displays of squadron badges within.
Note: The remains of runway 02/20 was taken at the northern end from the public road, although it did once extend further north.
Note: The view of runway 08/26 was taken from the western end, and, looked useable. So, has it been used in recent years?
Ray Terry
This comment was written on: 2021-06-10 14:57:07No mention of Lancasters. Based there in 44-46, 47-52 & 46-52. Sqns 179, 203 & 210
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