RAF Modelling Davidstow Page

History

Opened: November 1942 - Care & Maintenance: 20 September 1944 - Closed: December 1945 .

Units

Information derived from RAF Squadrons (Jefford), RAF Flying Training & Support Units (Sturtivant et al), Military Airfields of Britain - South Western England (Delve) and other books.
N.B. (det) means only a part of the unit was detached to here from its main base, and possibly only for part of the period noted.

Unit	Arrival	Departure	Aircraft	Notes
1603 Flight	16/12/42	27/1/43	Henley
Station Flt.	?	?	various inc Spitfire II, Tiger Moth & Beaufort
53 Sqdn.	1/1/43	18/2/43	Hudson V
279 Sqdn (det)	5/2/43	9/6/43	Hudson
612 Sqdn.	12/4/43	25/5/43	Whitley VII & Wellington XIII	both types at the same time !
192 Sqdn. (det)	summer 43	summer 43	some or all of Mosquitos, Wellingtons and Halifaxes
547 Sqdn.	31/5/43	25/10/43	Wellington XI
304 Sqdn.	7/6/43	13/12/43	Wellington X then XIII then XIV	re-equipped Jun 43 & Sept 43
281 Sqdn.(dets)	Dec 43	Feb 45 ?	Warwick I
269 Sqdn.	8/1/44	8/3/44	Hudson IIIA, Martinet, Walrus, Spitfire VB
282 Sqdn.	1/2/44	19/9/44	Warwick I
206 Sqdn.	18/3/44	12/4/44	Liberator VI	re-equipping from Fortress II
524 Sqdn.	7/4/44	1/7/44	Wellington XIII
404 Sqdn.	8/5/44	1/7/44	Beaufighter X	then dets to Sept 44
144 Sqdn.	10/5/44	1/7/44	Beaufighter X
236 Sqdn	6/8/44 ?	25/8/44 ?	Beaufighter	just a detachment ?

References

R.A.F. Davidstow Moor; Coastal Command 1942-1945 - Author: David Keast, Published by Camelfield
RAF Davidstow Moor 1942 to 1945 - Authors: Rod & Anne Knight, Publisher: CAWM
Memories and Records of RAF Davidstowe Moor Cornwall - Author: D.C.Keast, Publisher: self published ?
304 Squadron (a Mushroom Model Magazine Special) - Author: Mariusz Konarski, Publisher: Stratus - has many pages and photos on their time at Davidstow
Dinghy Drop - the history of 279 Sqdn.- Author: Tom Docherty, Publisher: Pen & Sword - gives details of the detachments. The Davidstow detachment was the result of a move of the St.Eval detachment and was notable foir the first operational search (not dropped) with a lifeboat on 17/2 by F/O Crawford in S (AE519?).
There is a small museum on the site of Davidstow Moor (adjacent to the Dairy Crest factory), open from Easter to the end of October. There is also the Cornwall at War museum adjacent to this. They seem to be separate entities!
The RAF Davidstow moor website www.rafdavidstowmoor.org
Operational Record Book (ORB) references in the National Archives are AIR28/181, AIR28/184, AIR28/185 & AIR28/186, not available online.

Also the general references listed on the RAF in Devon & Cornwall home page

Note the 236 Squadron assignment/detachment in August 1944 is not listed in the published squadron history books but is in the airfield history books. It also appears in the Squadron ORB - thanks to Terry at Aviaeology for this information.

Modelling Notes for individual aircraft

Aviaeology produce a 404 Sqdn Beaufighter decal sheet which I highly recommend that includes examples from Davidstow.
An interesting variation -due presumably to a hasty transfer of an aircraft originally in Bomber Command colours - Wellington X HZ258 'S' of 304 Sqdn appears in colour photos in the Mushroom Publications 304 Squadron book with Dark Green / Dark Earth upper sufaces and white below. The photo also appears on this page.
The 304 Sqdn book also has photos of Coastal Wellingtons in invasion stripes.

Pictorial References For Modellers
Type	Mark	Unit	Code	Serial	Reference	Page	Resident/Visitor
Beaufighter	TF.X	404 Sqdn	EE.H	NE355	Action Stations Revisited 4	102	R
Beaufighter	X	404 sqdn	EE.H	NE355	Coastal Command (Ashworth)	115	R
Beaufighter	X	404 Sqdn	2.H	NE355	Cornish Skies	62	R
Warwick	I	282 Sqdn	K	HF944	Action Stations Revisited 4	103	R
Wellington	GR.XIII	304 Sqdn	2.J	HX577	304 Squadron (Mushroom)	42	R
Wellington	GR.XIII	304 Sqdn	2.D	HZ635	304 Squadron (Mushroom)	43	R
Wellington	GR.XIII	304 Sqdn	2.E	HZ744	304 Squadron (Mushroom)	44	R
Wellington	GR.XIII	304 Sqdn	2.G	HZ762	304 Squadron (Mushroom)	45	R