RAF Penrhos

For the site demolished to make way for bombing school, see Penyberth.

Royal Air Force Penrhos, or more simply RAF Penrhos, is a former Royal Air Force airfield located near Penrhos, Gwynedd and 14.7 miles (23.7 km) west of Porthmadog, Gwynedd, Wales, in the community of Llanbedrog.

RAF Penrhos
Located next to Penrhos, in the community of Llanbedrog, Gwynedd Near Pwllheli, 3 miles (5 km) to the east, in Wales
Site information
Type	Royal Air Force station Observers Advanced Flying Unit
Owner	Air Ministry
Operator	Royal Air Force
Controlled by	RAF Flying Training Command
Location
RAF Penrhos Shown within Gwynedd Show map of Gwynedd RAF Penrhos RAF Penrhos (the United Kingdom) Show map of the United Kingdom
Coordinates	52°52′26″N 004°28′26″W
Site history
Built	1936 (1936)
In use	1937–1946 (1946)
Battles/wars	European theatre of World War II
Garrison information
Occupants	1944 Officers – 117 (11 WAAF) Other Ranks – 1,134 (245 WAAF)[1]
Airfield information
Elevation	16 metres (52 ft) AMSL
Runways Direction Length and surface NE/SW 860 yards (786 m) Grass strip NW/SE 700 yards (640 m) Grass strip E/S 700 yards (640 m) Grass strip

The former RAF Penrhos viewed from Foel Fras, Mynytho. The airfield site is the large flat area behind the trees. The northern part of the site is occupied by a caravan park

It was operational from 1 February 1937 to 21 October 1946 for armament training, air observer, bombing and gunnery schools.^[2]

History

In 1936 a decision was taken to establish an RAF bombing school at Penyberth, a farm of about 250 acres (101 ha) for RAF Penrhos which was purchased by the Air Ministry,^[3] including the area of the low plateau in the bend of the river where the Afon Penrhos joins the Afon Geirch. Opposition was strongly felt, particularly as it was perceived that the sixteenth century house, Penyberth was, in Saunders Lewis’ words, 'one of the essential homes of Welsh culture, idiom and literature'.^[4] As work proceeded, an arson attack was carried out on 8 September 1936^[3] after which the arsonists gave themselves up at Pwllheli Police Station. Despite this the base came into operation in February 1937.^[2]

In December 1940 a detachment from No. 312 (Czechoslovak) Squadron was moved to protect Penrhos from German attack.^[5] This association led in later years to the Polish Resettlement Corps using the site to house Polish soldiers, sailors and airmen who chose not to return to communist Poland. To this day, part of RAF Penrhos is in use as an old people's home for elderly Poles.

RAF Hell's Mouth, 5 miles (8 km) to the south west, was commissioned in February 1937 as a Relief Landing Ground, later an Emergency landing Ground, for RAF Penrhos.

Units

During the course of the operation of the station, the following units were at sometime based at RAF Penrhos:

• 'C' Flight of No. 1 Anti-Aircraft Co-operation Unit RAF (1 AACU)^[2]
• 'J' Flight of No. 1 Anti-Aircraft Co-operation Unit RAF (1 AACU)^[2]
• No. 1 Air Observers School RAF^[2]
• No. 2 Air Crew Holding Unit RAF^[2]
• No. 2 Service Flying Training School RAF.^[2]
• No. 5 Armament Training Camp RAF with Westland Wallaces^[6]
• No. 5 Armament Training Station RAF^[2]
• No. 5 Flying Training School RAF^[2]
• No. 5 Service Flying Training School RAF^[2]
• No. 6 Flying Training School RAF^[2]
• No. 6 Service Flying Training School RAF^[2]
• No. 9 Air Observers School RAF with Handley Page Harrows and Fairey Battles the unit was renamed No. 9 Bombing & Gunnery School two months later^[6]
• No. 9 (Observers) Advanced Flying Unit RAF^[2]
• No. 9 Service Flying Training School RAF^[2]
• No. 10 Flying Training School RAF^[2]
• No. 10 Service Flying Training School RAF^[2]
• No. 11 Service Flying Training School RAF^[2]
• No. 12 Flying Training School RAF^[2]
• No. 12 Operational Training Unit RAF^[2]
• No. 12 Service Flying Training School RAF^[2]
• No. 63 Squadron RAF^[7]
• No. 258 Squadron RAF^[8]
• A detachment of No. 312 (Czechoslovak) Squadron RAF with Hawker Hurricanes until April 1941^[9]
• No. 2780 Squadron RAF Regiment^[2]
• Signals Instructor School RAF^[2]

During the late 1980s privately owned aircraft used to land here during the summer on a 400-yard tarmac strip.^[9]

Current use

Part of the site is now Pen-y-berth caravan park.