RAF Cleave
RAF · Cornwall · England · United Kingdom
RAF Cleave
RAF Cleave around 400 ft (125 m) above sea level sitting right on the top of a cliff.
RAF Cleave
RAF Cleave
Now owned by GCHQ.
23 March 2004
RAF Cleave
Army & RAF Camps
RAF Cleave north of the airfield with two Bellman hangars and four grass runways.
Cleave Anti-Aircraft training camp taking up all the south side.
www.cornwall.gov
RAF Cleave
RAF Camp Site Plan
RAF Cleave: -
Opened 1939 and closed 1945.
Control Tower - TB HOL.39/43.
4 x grass runways of all around 1000yds long.
Accommodation - Temporary.
Hangars - two Bellman, one Blister hangar.
Before the RAF camp was built, up to three Bessoneau hangars were used.
RAF - Officers - 11.
SNCO's -
28.
Other ranks - 380.
WAAF - Officers - 2.
SNCO's - 4.
Other ranks - 74.
Air Ministry 5101/45
RAF Cleave
Anti-Aircraft Training Camp
This is an early picture of the AA camp and the new airfield not yet extended. The white marks are where hedges have been grubbed out to make way for the extended grass runways. The army camp has a lot of tents and showing a very temporary look to it. Later wooden huts replaced the tents.
1939 and two flights of No.1 Anti-Aircraft Co-operation moved in with Westland Wallace aircraft.
1939
RAF Cleave
A good air photo of the camp taken in the late 40's when the war had ended and the camp was not needed anymore as an AA camp. Along the western side are the remains of the gun positions for training on 3.7 & 4.5 inch AA guns.
Later 1940's
RAF Cleave
A 1965 map of the camps showing most of the buildings plus some more that were built post war on the runway extension in the N/E. I believe the camp became a radio monitoring camp.
OS, SS21 & Part of SS11 - C (includes: Morwenstow; Welcombe) Publication date: 1965
RAF Cleave
Possibly a Type24.
One of the very many pill boxes around the airfield. This pill box was constructed and sighted to cover the airfield. If an enemy was to parachute in or use a glider force. They would have been very vulnerable to being attacked the instant they landed and consolidating. The defenders could pour automatic fire down on an enemy forming up to take the airfield.
Behind post war RAF Ministry housing for the camp.
10 May 2003
RAF Cleave
96 & 97 Ammunition Store.
There are two ammunition stores which I would think its was small arms ammunition for airfield defence.
10 May 2003
RAF Cleave
Another Type 26 covering the valley to the north west of the airfield. This pill box covers an attack from the beach and up a ravine, which would be an easy way onto the airfield without being seen.
10 May 2003
RAF Cleave
The entrance.
10 May 2003
RAF Cleave
Looking inside at the rear door.
10 May 2003
RAF Cleave
Machine gun emplacement.
10 May 2003
RAF Cleave
View down the valley.
10 May 2003
RAF Cleave
In the gully is a concrete tie down, a five gallon drum filled with concrete and a ring set into it to tie to light aircraft down in windy weather.
10 May 2003
RAF Cleave
Defence position
Two concrete drain pipes sunk into the ground and this one looks like they are joined by a trench.
10 May 2003
RAF Cleave
Defence position
Two more drain pipe defence positions.
23 January 2005
RAF Cleave
Defence position
These were used a lot in early built airfields.
23 January 2005
RAF Cleave
You have been Warned
Typical over stating the obvious. There are two Stanton shelters here with Void signs on them and would you believe it they are totally sealed up anyway!!!!!!!!!!.
23 January 2005
RAF Cleave
Motor Transport
9 - M.T. Sheds - T - 7274/39.
(9. = on the plan).
('T'= timber hutting).
10 May 2003
RAF Cleave
Motor Transport
The remains of concrete blocks to stop a driver reversing into the door post. .
23 January 2005
RAF Cleave
Officers Mess
Building foundations. You can just make out the roundabout that was in front of the Mess.
25 January 2005
RAF Cleave
Boundary Stone
A War Department boundary stone No.11. This must have been part of the army camp as if it was the airfield then it would have been an AM Air Ministry stone. Originally they were made of Bath stone, but this one replaces bath stone with reinforced concrete.
23 January 2005
RAF Cleave
Another stone, not exactly what this one was for.
10 May 2003
RAF Cleave
This is a stand for an anti-aircraft mobile radar.
Radar, Gun Laying, Mark III, or GL Mk. III for short, was a radar system used by the British Army to directly guide, or lay, anti-aircraft artillery (AA). The GL Mk. III was not a single radar, but a family of related designs that saw constant improvement during and after World War II. These were renamed shortly after their introduction in late 1942, becoming the Radar, AA, No.3, and often paired with an early warning radar, the AA No. 4, which was also produced in several models.
Wiki
10 May 2003
RAF Cleave
Ramp the radar would have been pushed up.
10 May 2003
RAF Cleave
Two mounting bolts to hold down the radar.
10 May 2003
RAF Cleave
A standard 3.7 inch British anti-aircraft hold fast.
10 May 2003
RAF Cleave
Tywyn Camp
4.5 inch Vickers gun line.
Internet ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Fairey Battle damaged.
RAF Cleave
AA gun hold fast
10 May 2003
RAF Cleave
Where ever you find AA mountings, these fittings are always the same. In fact the 3.7inch and the 4.5inch but also I am believe the Bloodhound AA guided ground to air missile used the same types of fittings. Need to check that.
10 May 2003 ----------------------------------------------------------------------- 22 November 2008
RAF Cleave
Defended bank
No real idea what this was, it could be for ready ammunition or a position for a command post.
10 May 2003
RAF Cleave
Pill box
A rather smashed up pill box.
10 May 2003
RAF Cleave
Queen Bee
de Havilland DH-82B Queen Bee was certainly the first truly successful pilot less aircraft with nearly 400 being manufactured over several years. The Queen Bee’s ability to fly without a pilot was indeed high technology at the time and it was demonstrated for dignitaries on many occasions. ©1936.
The basic idea was to be able to shoot at a plane and not killing the pilot, but I am not sure if the idea was to shoot it down or just near miss. More research needed. The Queen Bee was very successful for the period of pre computerisation
Many of the Queen Bees were flown more than just the single time, some operating for months. Bad shots.
23 January 2005 ------------------------------------------ Possibly 1936 Watchet, Somerset trials
RAF Cleave
Queen Bee
The base of the steam catapult like the type that was used on capital ships of the Royal Navy.
Most AA gun practice was to fire at a drogue, a tube of cloth towed behind a usually out of front line service aeroplane.
23 January 2005 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- AM
RAF Cleave
Queen Bee
"it was only an aeroplane used for towing air-borne targets. they were flown for the anti-aircraft training base. So that was everlasting flying up parallel to the beach, two or three miles out, maybe a bit more. And that was being everlasting shot at, you know. So there we are, that used to go up and down. It was just there, you know, eventually it was just part of the scenery again". From 'An aeroplane on the beach! Ynyslas, June 1940'.
He is talking about the AA camp at Tywyn, in Wales. But very relevant to here.
10 May 2003
RAF Cleave
10 May 2003
RAF Cleave
The Army camp
Site of several huts.
10 May 2003
RAF Cleave
The Army camp
Bases of more huts.
10 May 2003
RAF Cleave
The Army camp
Large wooden hut base.
23 January 2005
RAF Cleave
Remains lying around in a hollow.
10 May 2003
RAF Cleave
Pill box facing out to sea.
10 May 2003
RAF Cleave
Another covering the valley.
10 May 2003
RAF Cleave
RAF Cleave
Coombe Valley
23 March 2004
RAF Cleave
Coombe Valley
Anti-tank obstacles 'Dragons Teeth' in the river bed.
28 April 2012
RAF Cleave
Coombe Valley
Anti-tank obstacles in the river bed. I am not sure that tanks would ever have landed here.
28 April 2012
RAF Cleave
23 January 2005