RAF Carew Cheriton airfield

2000 (© Deric Brock)

RAF Carew Cheriton airfield

Agriculture, caravan site, events venue, light industry, Sunday market

1. The original Watch Office was the wheelhouse from the ship 'Montrose'! See below for more details, replaced in 1941 by;
2. Unique Watch Office built to a local design, see bottom of page for more info

1. Demolished
2. Carew Cheriton control tower museum, restored to original state as part of a community project

Other Buildings:

Main stores, workshops, bomb stores and fusing bay, Link trainer, gymnasium, Battle HQ, ablutions block & pillboxes

/39 to /45 'B' Flight 1 A.A.C.U. / 595 Sqn Target Towing Flight with Hawker Henleys.
/39 to /42 Coastal Command Sqns - 217, 48, 320, 321, 236, 248, 254, 500. Patrols over the Western Approaches, raids along the French coast, escort of Irish mail steamer and DC-3 passanger services.
/40 to /41 Coastal Command Development Unit. Carried out trials of new airborne radar equipment.
/42 to /45 No. 10 Radio School, training of wireless operators on the units Oxford and Anson aircraft.

RAF Carew Cheriton airfield

1980 (© Andrew Ayers)

RAF Carew Cheriton airfield

RAF Coastal and Training Command

3x - Bellman, 6x - Blister

Pembrokeshire, Wales

6 miles north of Tenby

All photographs copyright © as stated

RAF Carew Cheriton

Rob, here are some brief details about Carew Cheriton's Watch Office: Building No. 216
The control tower was built during 1941 by a local building contractor from Tenby. Built to a "local" design it follows no set pattern and is noted in books and articles about the period as an"unusual one-off" tower.

The building has some notable features such as the prominent bay window on the south elevation which holds a commanding view of the airfield. The structure is surrounded by a dry stone wall which rests against the brickwork giving good drainage. The limestone is then covered by the earth blast mound which give some protection to the tower.

Being single story apart from the brick constructed observation room the main entrance is on the eastern elevation leading into a corridor with rooms off either side. To the left of the entrance is the map and control rooms, opposite can be found the met office, flag store and toilets. At the end of the corridor a fixed steel ladder gives access to the observation room. The duty officer's rest room leads off the control room.

The current tower was built to replace the original Watch Office, which was situated 50 metres to the west on the opposite side of the taxiway. The brick and concrete base of the original building can still be seen today standing over a metre above ground level. Standing on this concrete base one can see the outline of the timber structure that formed the watch office. This structure was the wheelhouse that came from the ship "Montrose" remembered for its connection with Dr. Crippen and the radio message from the ship that sealed his fate. On the 1945 plan of the airfield this building with the reference number 64 is listed as the "duty crew room"... Regards Deric.

Thanks to Deric Brock for photos and information on this page.

RAF Carew Cheriton

RAF Carew Cheriton airfield

RAF Carew Cheriton airfield
Airfield:	RAF Coastal and Training Command
Opened:	04/1939
Closed:	11/1945
Code:	X7CC??
USAAF Station:	N/A
Runways:	3x concrete
Hangars:	3x - Bellman, 6x - Blister
County:	Pembrokeshire, Wales
Location:	6 miles north of Tenby
OS Ref:	SN055030
Links:	Carew Cheriton control tower museum
©:	All photographs copyright © as stated
RAF Carew Cheriton

RAF Carew Cheriton airfield
Airfield Today:	Agriculture, caravan site, events venue, light industry, Sunday market
Tower Type:	1. The original Watch Office was the wheelhouse from the ship 'Montrose'! See below for more details, replaced in 1941 by; 2. Unique Watch Office built to a local design, see bottom of page for more info
Tower:	1. Demolished 2. Carew Cheriton control tower museum, restored to original state as part of a community project
Other Buildings:	Main stores, workshops, bomb stores and fusing bay, Link trainer, gymnasium, Battle HQ, ablutions block & pillboxes
History:	/39 to /45 'B' Flight 1 A.A.C.U. / 595 Sqn Target Towing Flight with Hawker Henleys. /39 to /42 Coastal Command Sqns - 217, 48, 320, 321, 236, 248, 254, 500. Patrols over the Western Approaches, raids along the French coast, escort of Irish mail steamer and DC-3 passanger services. /40 to /41 Coastal Command Development Unit. Carried out trials of new airborne radar equipment. /42 to /45 No. 10 Radio School, training of wireless operators on the units Oxford and Anson aircraft.
RAF Carew Cheriton airfield

RAF Carew Cheriton control tower
Rob, here are some brief details about Carew Cheriton's Watch Office: Building No. 216 The control tower was built during 1941 by a local building contractor from Tenby. Built to a "local" design it follows no set pattern and is noted in books and articles about the period as an"unusual one-off" tower. The building has some notable features such as the prominent bay window on the south elevation which holds a commanding view of the airfield. The structure is surrounded by a dry stone wall which rests against the brickwork giving good drainage. The limestone is then covered by the earth blast mound which give some protection to the tower. Being single story apart from the brick constructed observation room the main entrance is on the eastern elevation leading into a corridor with rooms off either side. To the left of the entrance is the map and control rooms, opposite can be found the met office, flag store and toilets. At the end of the corridor a fixed steel ladder gives access to the observation room. The duty officer's rest room leads off the control room. The current tower was built to replace the original Watch Office, which was situated 50 metres to the west on the opposite side of the taxiway. The brick and concrete base of the original building can still be seen today standing over a metre above ground level. Standing on this concrete base one can see the outline of the timber structure that formed the watch office. This structure was the wheelhouse that came from the ship "Montrose" remembered for its connection with Dr. Crippen and the radio message from the ship that sealed his fate. On the 1945 plan of the airfield this building with the reference number 64 is listed as the "duty crew room"... Regards Deric. Thanks to Deric Brock for photos and information on this page.
RAF Carew Cheriton