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RAF Harrowbeer 70th Anniversary Celebrations
Page last updated on Monday, 10-Oct-2011
RAF Harrowbeer officially opened on the 15th August 1941, and to celebrate the 70th Anniversary of the opening of the airfield, the RAF Harrowbeer Interest Group and the RAF Harrowbeer Archives, held a two-day event over the weekend of the 13th & 14th August 2011 at (and around) Knightstone Tearooms, Yelverton.
To launch the weekend of celebration events, Roborough Rotary Club held a 1940s style Dinner/Dance at the Moorland Links Hotel on Friday 12th August.
Musical entertainment was provided by Dave Hankin and his Band and with the majority of the guests wearing period costume, there was real 40s atmosphere!
On the Saturday morning (13th) a Remembrance Service was held at the RAF Harrowbeer Memorial Stone at Leg O' Mutton where those who had lost their lives whilst serving at RAF Harrowbeer or in accidents in the surrounding area, were commemorated.
After the service, the Plymouth Pipe Band led a parade back to Knightstone Tea Rooms where Air Vice-Marshal C B Morris officially opened the event.
Following this, Keith Bannerman of the Airfields of Britain Conservation Trust unveiled a memorial stone dedicated to RAF Harrowbeer.
The Trust is determined to commemorate every wartime airfield in Britain and the RAF Harrowbeer memorial is one of the first to be placed.
Over the two days of the event, visitors were treated to many displays and attractions and one of these was a full-size replica Spitfire with working Merlin engine that was parked in the recently restored dispersal bay in front of Ravenscroft.
When this was started up, it was the first time that Harrowbeer had reverberated to the sound of a Merlin engine in over 60 years. Visitors also had the opportunity to see inside the Bay’s air-raid shelter for the first time on over fifty years.
Also to be seen were many military vehicles, classic cars, re-enactors in period costume plus displays by various cadet teams from the RAF and Marines.
The Airfix Roadshow was on hand to encourage the young and not so young to take up model-making and was so popular that they had to order in extra kits for the Sunday!
On Saturday afternoon, a Sea King helicopter from ‘A’ Flight at RAF Chivenor landed on the airfield to give visitors a first-hand view of the iconic Air Sea Rescue aircraft.
Following a flying display by a Fairey Swordfish from the Royal Naval Historic Flight at Yeovilton, the Sea King took off and gave a search and rescue demonstration.
The Sea King returned on the Sunday to give another rescue demonstration and then the weekend was rounded off by a Spitfire and Hurricane from the Battle of Britain Memorial Flight, which evoked memories of the airfield in its heyday with a superb and thrilling display.
Gallery
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