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RAF Roborough - Plymouth City Airport
History
Opened: May 1942 (15/7/31 as civil airport, September 1939 requisitioned by Admiralty, May 1942 control passed to RAF) - Closed: May 1946 (continued as civil airport until 23/12/2011).The official opening of Plymouth Airport was carried out by the then Prince of Wales who had arrived in the city by train for a number of civic events before declaring the airport open and departing in Westland Wessex G-ABEG. Also involved was an HP.42 - G-AAGX "Hannibal" - which flew journalists down from London for the day as well as giving a flight to local councillors and others gave demonstration flights including a Redwing, Vickers Viastra, Saro Windhover, Avro Avian, DH Moth and Westland Widgeon. There was also a formation display by three Fairey IIIFs of the Coastal Defence Co-operation Flight which was having it's summer camp on the airfield at the time.
In 1937 the Devon Air Race was held alongside Air days at Roborough, Haldon and Exeter. Starting and finishing at Roborough and flying around a triangular course turning at Haldon and Exeter airfields the event was won by Captain Percival Phillips in an Avro 504N with Miss Constance Leathart second in her Comper Swift. Alex Henshaw was sixth overall and took the Teignmouth Tropy for fastest time in his Mew Gull. Displays for the Air Day included Saro Londons from Mountbatten and Gauntlets from 54 Squadron at Hornchurch.
In 1966 the first round of the National Air Races was held at Roborough, Paul Bannister winning in a Nipper 2.
Again in 1967 the first round of the National Air Races was held at Roborough, Charles Masefield winning in his Mustang. Some film of the event can be found here https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lXrAsWwlswY
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 |
| Coastal Defence Co-operation Flight | 11/7/29 | 2/8/29 | Various | Summer camp |
| Coastal Defence Co-operation Flight | 20/6/30 | 31/7/30 | Various | Summer Camp |
| Coastal Defence Co-operation Flight | 5/6/31 | ? | Fairey IIIF | Summer camp ? |
| 56 Sqdn. | 9/5/32 | 23/5/32 | Siskin IIIA | Affiliation with flying boats based at Mount Batten |
| No.1 Coastal Defence Training Flight | 9/6/33 | 30/6/33 | Fairey IIIF | on exercise |
| 56 Sqdn. | 2/10/33 | 14/10/33 | Bulldog IIA | Affiliation with 204 (FB) Squadron |
| 54 Sqdn. | 6/5/35 | 21/5/35 | Bulldog | Fighter affiliation with 204 Sqdn. Southamptons |
| FAA | 26/7/37 | 9/8/37 | Osprey | 801 Sqdn. |
| FAA | 27/7/38 | 6/8/38 | Swordfish | 810 Sqdn. |
| 15 Group Comms Flight | 13/6/39 | 1/2/41 | various | |
| 46 ERFTS | 1/8/39 | 3/9/39 | Hart, Audax | Elementary & Reserve Flying Training Squadron |
| FAA | 28/8/39 | 10/2/40 | Swordfish | 814 Sqdn. |
| FAA | 27/5/40 | 21/6/40 | Swordfish | 819 Sqdn. |
| FAA | 12/6/40 | 21/6/40 | Swordfish | 815 Sqdn. |
| ‘B’ Flight 2 AACU | 1940 | 13/2/43 | various | Anti-Aircraft Cooperation Unit, became 1623 Flt. |
| Station Flt. | ? | ? | various | |
| 247 Sqdn. | 1/8/40 | 10/2/41 | Gladiator II | re-equipped with Hurricane I Jan/Feb 41 |
| 19 Group Comms Flight | 5/2/41 | 15/12/47 | various | |
| 10 Group ASR Flight (1 of 4) | 14/5/41 | 21/10/41 | Lysander | Absorbed into 276 Sqdn. |
| 16 Sqdn. det. | 1941 | 1942 | Lysander | autumn 1941 |
| 276 Sqdn. det. | 1941 | 1944 | various | late 1941 |
| 1623 Flt. | 14/2/43 | 1/12/43 | various | Anti-Aircraft Cooperation, became 691 Sqdn. |
| 82 GS | Oct 43 | 19/2/48 | Cadet, Sedbergh | Gliding School |
| 691 Sqdn. | Dec 43 | Feb 45 | various | Anti-Aircraft Cooperation |
| 19 Group Comms Flight | 27/8/51 | 1/4/60 | various | |
| FAA | 1961 | 5/12/01 | Tiger Moth, Chipmunk | Air Experience Flight operated by Airwork under various names |
| Army & Marines (dets) | Apr 67 | 1972 | Sioux | various helicopter units |
| FAA | 6/12/01 | current | Grob Tutor | 727 Sqdn. |
References
- Roborough: Plymouth City Airport 1929-1989 - Author: Dennis C. Teague, Publisher: self published ?
- Flight magazine July 24th 1931 and July 29th 1937
Modelling Notes for individual aircraft
- Scale Aircraft Modelling covered 691 Sqdn
- At the time of their visit in May 1935 54 Squadron Bulldogs carried the yellow bar marking. K-1641 (note the - in fuselage and underwing serials) with red Flight colour spinner and propeller boss and K-1653 with blue are possibilites, Model Alliance sheet has K-1641 but I think struts should be silver and there should not be rudder stripes nor fin badge - ref photo in Fighter Squadrons of the RAF.
- Photo of DH Heron Srs2 XH375 of the Royal Flight at Roborough 24/5/55. Flown to Hendon at 1615hrs by Duke of Edinburgh. Note the cheatline is Edinburgh Green (RAL 6001 - Tamiya XF05 or Humbrol 101)
- More when I get a chance !
| Pictorial References For Modellers | |||||||
| Type | Mark | Unit | Code | Serial | Reference | Page | Resident/Visitor |
| Anson | C19 | 19 Gp CF | C | TX222 | Action Stations Revisited 4 | 251 | R |
| Gladiator | II | 2 AACU | JQ.M | N2308 | Devon Aerodromes | 128 | R |
| Gladiator | II | 247 Sqdn | HP.B | N2306 | Devon Aerodromes | 124 | R |
| Hector | I | 2 AACU | JQ.M | K9783 | Devon Aerodromes | 129 | R |
| Oxford | 1623 Flt | A (?) | N6275 | Devon Aerodromes | 130 | R | |