{{Short description|Former RAF base in Cornwall, England}} {{Use dmy dates|date=February 2023}} {{Use British English|date=May 2013}} {{Infobox military installation | name = RAF Perranporth | ensign = Ensign of the Royal Air Force.svg | ensign_size = 90px | native_name = | partof = <!-- for elements within a larger physical site --> | nearest_town = [[Perranporth]], Cornwall | country = England | image = | alt = | caption = | image2 = <!--secondary image, major command emblems for airfields --> | alt2 = | caption2 = | type = [[Royal Air Force station|Royal Air Force satellite station]] | coordinates = {{Coord|50|19|53|N|005|10|36|W|region:GB_type:airport|display=inline,title}} | pushpin_map = Cornwall#UK | pushpin_map_caption = Shown within Cornwall | pushpin_label = RAF Perranporth | pushpin_label_position = | ownership = [[Air Ministry]] | operator = [[Royal Air Force]] | controlledby = [[RAF Fighter Command]] 1941-44<br />* [[No. 10 Group RAF]]<BR>[[RAF Coastal Command]] 1944<br />* [[No. 19 Group RAF]]<BR>[[RAF Transport Command]] 1944-<br />* [[No. 46 Group RAF]] | open_to_public = <!-- for out of use sites/sites with museums etc --> | site_other_label = <!-- for renaming "Other facilities" in infobox --> | site_other = <!-- for other sorts of facilities – radar types etc --> | site_area = <!-- area of site m2, km2 square mile etc --> | code = PP | built = {{Start date|1940}}/41 | used = April 1941 – April 1946 | builder = | materials = | height = <!-- height of tallest part, not above sea level --> | length = <!-- for border fences or other DMZs --> | fate = <!--changed from demolished parameter--> | condition = | battles = [[European theatre of World War II]] | events = | past_commanders = <!-- past notable commander(s) --> | garrison = <!-- such as the 25th Bombardment Group --> | occupants = <!-- squadrons only --> | designations = | website = | footnotes = <!-- catchall in case it's needed to preserve something in infobox that doesn't work in new code --> <!-- begin airfield information --> | IATA = | ICAO = | GPS = | WMO = | elevation = {{Convert|320|ft|0}}{{sfn|Falconer|2012|p=160}} | r1-number = 05/23 | r1-length = <!-- {{Convert||m|0}} --> | r1-surface = Tarmac | r2-number = 09/27 | r2-length = <!-- {{Convert||m|0}} --> | r2-surface = Tarmac | r3-number = 18/36 | r3-length = <!-- {{Convert||m|0}} --> | r3-surface = Tarmac | h1-number = | h1-length = <!-- {{Convert| |m|0}} --> | h1-surface = | airfield_other_label = <!-- for renaming "Other facilities" in infobox --> | airfield_other = <!-- for other sorts of airfield facilities --> <!-- end airfield information --> }} '''Royal Air Force Perranporth''' or more simply '''RAF Perranporth''' is a former [[Royal Air Force]] [[Royal Air Force station|satellite station]] situated near [[Perranporth]], Cornwall, England.
==History==
The 330 acre (134 hectares) airfield was built as an RAF [[Fighter Command]] station in the [[World War II|Second World War]] in 1941 and is situated on Cligga cliffs in the north of Cornwall.
Rare 1942 film footage of RAF pilots and Spitfires at RAF Perranporth is shown on the [[BBC]] website.<ref>[http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/8347063.stm BBC news – 2009-Nov-06 – Spitfire pilot hi-jinks found on film] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20091107102141/http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/8347063.stm |date=7 November 2009 }}</ref> ===Squadrons=== {{columns-list|colwidth=25em| * [[No. 19 Squadron RAF]]{{sfn|Jefford|1988|p=30}} * [[No. 65 Squadron RAF|No. 65 (East India) Squadron RAF]]{{sfn|Jefford|1988|p=45}} * [[No. 66 Squadron RAF]]{{sfn|Jefford|1988|p=45}} * [[No. 118 Squadron RAF]]{{sfn|Jefford|1988|p=57}} * [[No. 130 Squadron RAF|No. 130 (Punjab) Squadron RAF]]{{sfn|Jefford|1988|p=59}} * [[No. 132 Squadron RAF|No. 132 (City of Bombay) Squadron RAF]]{{sfn|Jefford|1988|p=59}} * [[No. 183 Squadron RAF|No. 183 (Gold Coast) Squadron RAF]]{{sfn|Jefford|1988|p=66}} * [[No. 234 Squadron RAF|No. 234 (Madras Presidency) Squadron RAF]]{{sfn|Jefford|1988|p=75}} * [[No. 276 Squadron RAF]]{{sfn|Jefford|1988|p=82}} * [[No. 286 Squadron RAF]]{{sfn|Jefford|1988|p=83}} * [[No. 302 Polish Fighter Squadron]]{{sfn|Jefford|1988|p=84}} * [[No. 310 (Czechoslovak) Squadron RAF]]{{sfn|Jefford|1988|p=85}} * [[No. 317 Polish Fighter Squadron]]{{sfn|Jefford|1988|p=86}} * [[No. 329 Squadron RAF|No. 329 (GC I/2 'Cicognes') Squadron RAF]]{{sfn|Jefford|1988|p=87}} * [[No. 340 Squadron RAF|No. 340 (GC IV/2 Île-de-France) Squadron RAF]]{{sfn|Jefford|1988|p=87}} * [[No. 341 Squadron RAF|No. 341 (GC III/2 'Alsace') Squadron RAF]]{{sfn|Jefford|1988|p=88}} * [[412 Transport Squadron|No. 412 Squadron RCAF]]{{sfn|Jefford|1988|p=90}} * [[No. 453 Squadron RAAF]]{{sfn|Jefford|1988|p=93}} * [[No. 602 Squadron RAuxAF|No. 602 (City of Glasgow) Squadron AAF]]{{sfn|Jefford|1988|p=98}} * [[No. 610 Squadron RAuxAF|No. 610 (County of Chester) Squadron AAF]]{{sfn|Jefford|1988|p=99}} * [[No. 639 Squadron RAF]]{{sfn|Jefford|1988|p=101}} }} ===Units=== {{columns-list|colwidth=25em| * No. 18 Terminal Staging Post<ref name="ABCT">{{cite web|url=https://www.abct.org.uk/airfields/airfield-finder/perranporth/ |title=Perranporth |publisher=[[Airfields of Britain Conservation Trust]]|access-date=1 October 2021}}</ref> * No. 19 Terminal Staging Post<ref name="ABCT"/> * No. 92 Staging Post<ref name="ABCT"/> * [[No. 95 Gliding School RAF]]<ref name="ABCT"/> * No. 120 (Major) Staging Post<ref name="ABCT"/> * No. 122 (Major) Staging Post<ref name="ABCT"/> * No. 123 (Major) Staging Post<ref name="ABCT"/> * [[No. 145 Airfield Headquarters RAF|No. 145 (French) Airfield Headquarters RAF]]<ref name="ABCT"/> * [[No. 1602 (Anti-Aircraft Co-operation) Flight RAF]]<ref name="ABCT"/> * [[No. 2828 Squadron RAF Regiment]]<ref name="ABCT"/> * Air Sea Rescue Flight RAF, Perranporth (1941) became 'C' Flight, No. 276 Squadron RAF{{sfn|Lake|1999|p=22}} }}
==Current use== The airfield was later converted to civilian use as [[Perranporth Airfield]]; it currently has three hard surface runways and two grass strips.
==References== ===Citations=== {{Reflist}}
===Bibliography=== *{{cite book |last1=Falconer|first1=Jonathan|title=RAF Airfields of World War 2 |year=2012 |publisher= Ian Allan Publishing|location= UK|isbn=978-1-85780-349-5}} *{{cite book |last1=Jefford |first1= C G |title= RAF Squadrons. A comprehensive record of the movement and equipment of all RAF squadrons and their antecedents since 1912 |year=1988 |publisher= Airlife |location= [[Shrewsbury]] |isbn= 1-85310-053-6 }} *{{cite book |last1=Lake |first1=A |title= Flying units of the RAF |year=1999 |publisher= Airlife |location= [[Shrewsbury]] |isbn= 1-84037-086-6 }}
{{Royal Air Force}} {{Royal Air Force stations in Cornwall}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Perranporth}} [[Category:Royal Air Force stations in Cornwall]] [[Category:Military history of Cornwall]] [[Category:Military airbases established in 1941]] [[Category:Military airbases closed in 1946]]
{{Cornwall-stub}} {{RAF-stub}}