RAF Cleave
Encyclopedia
| RAF Cleave | |
|---|---|
| Command: | Fighter Command RAF Fighter Command RAF Fighter Command was one of three functional commands of the Royal Air Force. It was formed in 1936 to allow more specialised control of fighter aircraft. It served throughout the Second World War, gaining recognition in the Battle of Britain. The Command continued until 17 November 1943, when... |
| Function: | Army Cooperation |
| Runways: | 360 deg, 900yd 066 deg, 750yd |
| Runway surface: | Grass |
| Hangars: | Bellman x2, Blister x1 |
| Dispersals: | |
| Personnel: | Officers - 13 (inc 2 WAAF Women's Auxiliary Air Force The Women's Auxiliary Air Force , whose members were invariably referred to as Waafs , was the female auxiliary of the Royal Air Force during World War II, established in 1939. At its peak strength, in 1943, WAAF numbers exceeded 180,000, with over 2,000 women enlisting per week.A Women's Royal Air... ) Other Ranks - 486 (inc 78 WAAF Women's Auxiliary Air Force The Women's Auxiliary Air Force , whose members were invariably referred to as Waafs , was the female auxiliary of the Royal Air Force during World War II, established in 1939. At its peak strength, in 1943, WAAF numbers exceeded 180,000, with over 2,000 women enlisting per week.A Women's Royal Air... ) |
| Coordinates: |
RAF Cleave was an airbase just north of Bude
Bude
Bude is a small seaside resort town in North Cornwall, England, at the mouth of the River Neet . It lies just south of Flexbury, north of Widemouth Bay and west of Stratton and is located along the A3073 road off the A39. Bude is twinned with Ergué-Gabéric in Brittany, France...
in Cornwall
Cornwall
Cornwall is a unitary authority and ceremonial county of England, within the United Kingdom. It is bordered to the north and west by the Celtic Sea, to the south by the English Channel, and to the east by the county of Devon, over the River Tamar. Cornwall has a population of , and covers an area of...
, United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
from 1939 until 1945. Despite a few periods of intense activity it was one of Fighter Command's
RAF Fighter Command
RAF Fighter Command was one of three functional commands of the Royal Air Force. It was formed in 1936 to allow more specialised control of fighter aircraft. It served throughout the Second World War, gaining recognition in the Battle of Britain. The Command continued until 17 November 1943, when...
lesser used airfields.
History
RAF Cleave was conceived as housing target and target support aircraft for firing ranges along the north Cornwall coast and land was acquired from Cleave Manor.In May 1939 two flights of 1 Anti-Aircraft Co-operation Unit (1 AACU) with the Westland Wallace
Westland Wallace
The Westland Wallace was a British two-seat, general-purpose biplane of the Royal Air Force, developed by Westland as a follow-on to their successful Wapiti. As the last of the inter-war general purpose biplanes, it was used by a number of frontline and Auxiliary Air Force Squadrons...
and a naval steam catapult was soon erected near the cliffs for the pilotless Queen Bee aircraft due to be stationed there. Aircraft were initially housed in temporary Bessonneau hangar
Bessonneau hangar
The Bessonneau hangar was a portable timber and canvas aircraft hangar used by the Royal Flying Corps during World War I.-History:In about 1908, the Bessonneau hangar was designed and manufactured by the French rope and canvas manufacturer Etablissements Bessonneau, headed by Julien Bessonneau and...
s (type H of World War I vintage) and later replaced by more permanent structures.
In December 1943, the 4 Flights were amalgamated into 639 Squadron
No. 639 Squadron RAF
No. 639 Squadron RAF was an anti aircraft co-operation squadron of the Royal Air Force from 1943 to 1945.-History:The squadron was formed at RAF Cleave on 1 December 1943, from 1602 Flight, 1603 Flight, 1604 Flight and 1618 Flight for anti-aircraft co-operation duties with the Hawker Henley. The...
, which served at Cleave for the remainder of the war.
The airfield was put under maintenance in April 1945 and later became a government signals station.
Royal Air Force
| Unit | Dates Stationed | Aircraft Used | Duties |
| 1 AACU (D, G & O Flights) | - 31 October 1942 | Hawker Henley Hawker Henley -See also:-References:NotesBibliography* Cooper, H.J.,O.G. Thetford and C.B. Maycock. Aircraft of the Fighting Powers - Volume II. Leicester, UK: Harborough Publishing, 1942.... , Westland Wallace Westland Wallace The Westland Wallace was a British two-seat, general-purpose biplane of the Royal Air Force, developed by Westland as a follow-on to their successful Wapiti. As the last of the inter-war general purpose biplanes, it was used by a number of frontline and Auxiliary Air Force Squadrons... |
Target towing |
| 1602 (AAC) Flt | 1 November 1942 - 1 December 1943 | Hawker Henley Hawker Henley -See also:-References:NotesBibliography* Cooper, H.J.,O.G. Thetford and C.B. Maycock. Aircraft of the Fighting Powers - Volume II. Leicester, UK: Harborough Publishing, 1942.... |
Formed from D Flight 1AACU, Target towing |
| 1603 (AAC) Flt | 1 November 1942 - 1 December 1943 | Hawker Henley Hawker Henley -See also:-References:NotesBibliography* Cooper, H.J.,O.G. Thetford and C.B. Maycock. Aircraft of the Fighting Powers - Volume II. Leicester, UK: Harborough Publishing, 1942.... , Fairey Battle Fairey Battle The Fairey Battle was a British single-engine light bomber built by the Fairey Aviation Company in the late 1930s for the Royal Air Force. The Battle was powered by the same Rolls-Royce Merlin piston engine that gave contemporary British fighters high performance; however, the Battle was weighed... |
Formed from G Flight 1AACU, Target towing |
| 1604 (AAC) Flt | 1 November 1942 - 1 December 1943 | Hawker Henley Hawker Henley -See also:-References:NotesBibliography* Cooper, H.J.,O.G. Thetford and C.B. Maycock. Aircraft of the Fighting Powers - Volume II. Leicester, UK: Harborough Publishing, 1942.... , de Havilland Tiger Moth De Havilland Tiger Moth The de Havilland DH 82 Tiger Moth is a 1930s biplane designed by Geoffrey de Havilland and was operated by the Royal Air Force and others as a primary trainer. The Tiger Moth remained in service with the RAF until replaced by the de Havilland Chipmunk in 1952, when many of the surplus aircraft... |
Formed from O Flight 1AACU, Target towing |
| 1618 (AAC) Flt | 1 November 1942 - 1 December 1943 | de Havilland Tiger Moth De Havilland Tiger Moth The de Havilland DH 82 Tiger Moth is a 1930s biplane designed by Geoffrey de Havilland and was operated by the Royal Air Force and others as a primary trainer. The Tiger Moth remained in service with the RAF until replaced by the de Havilland Chipmunk in 1952, when many of the surplus aircraft... , de Havilland Queen Bee |
Target towing & pilotless targets |
| 639 Sqn No. 639 Squadron RAF No. 639 Squadron RAF was an anti aircraft co-operation squadron of the Royal Air Force from 1943 to 1945.-History:The squadron was formed at RAF Cleave on 1 December 1943, from 1602 Flight, 1603 Flight, 1604 Flight and 1618 Flight for anti-aircraft co-operation duties with the Hawker Henley. The... |
1 December 1943 - 30 April 1945 | Hawker Henley Hawker Henley -See also:-References:NotesBibliography* Cooper, H.J.,O.G. Thetford and C.B. Maycock. Aircraft of the Fighting Powers - Volume II. Leicester, UK: Harborough Publishing, 1942.... , Hawker Hurricane Hawker Hurricane The Hawker Hurricane is a British single-seat fighter aircraft that was designed and predominantly built by Hawker Aircraft Ltd for the Royal Air Force... |
Formed from 1602, 1603 & 1604 Flts |