RAF Harrowbeer 70th Anniversary Weekend Event

A special community event is being held to commemorate the opening of this former RAF airfield and the history of its vital role during WWII.

The main focus of the event will be the archives and history of the airfield and there are plans to include:
• RAF/wartime displays and exhibits
• a static full size replica Spitfire with Merlin engine
• the full size replica Joseph Kennedy Memorial Hurricane
• the Military Vehicle Trust
• we have applied for an aerial display/flypast by the Battle of Britain Memorial Flight
• and music provided by well known local jazz bands: Jazzacadabra and Roger Marks' Spitfire Five

Plans to make it a fun family event include:
• a charity dog show organised by Children's Hospice South West raising funds for their new hospice which will serve families in this area
and much, much more!
Plans include a Remembrance Service at the Memorial Stone at Leg o' Mutton Corner. Poppy wreaths and tributes will be laid in memory of all those who died on active service as well as all those who served at the airfield.

We hope that veterans and their families will attend the service; alongside serving members of the Forces; and representatives from the Royal British Legion, Air Training Corps etc. If you would like to come to the service, please feel free to attend - it is open to everyone.

The City of Plymouth Pipe Band will lead the parade back to the main event which will be centred around the Knightstone Tearooms, the former Watch Office of RAF Harrowbeer.

Keep checking the website for updates as the plans come together and bookings are confirmed!

The RAF Harrowbeer airfield was located about nine miles north of the city of Plymouth and six miles south of Tavistock in Devon. The site is on Roborough Common within the boundary of Dartmoor National Park at grid reference SX513680. Based near the village of Yelverton, the airfield was called ‘Harrowbeer’ to distinguish it from the similar-sounding RNAS Yeovilton in Somerset. RAF Harrowbeer, officially opened on 15th August 1941, was operational as a fighter station for the remainder of WWII under the control of 10 Group Fighter Command. It was also Headquarters to the first Air Sea Rescue Squadron and reputed to be a staging point for Secret Operations Europe (SOE).