| Ross Marven's Modelling Pages |
RAF Predannack
History
Opened: May 1941 - Closed: 1/6/46 (as RAF station).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 |
| 247 Sqdn. | 18/6/41 | 17/5/42 | Hurricane IIA,B,C | |
| 600 Sqdn. | Jun 41 | 2/9/42 | Beaufighter I, II | |
| 118 Sqdn. det. | 1941 | 1941 | Spitfire | autumn 1941 |
| 1457 Flt. | 15/11/41 | 8/9/42 | Havoc, Boston | Turbinlite, became 536 Sqdn. |
| 234 sqdn. | 24/12/41 | 31/12/41 | Spitfire | |
| 310 sqdn. | 9/2/42 | 11/2/42 | Spitfire | |
| 25 Sqdn. det. | 1942 | 1942 | Havoc | summer 1942 |
| 120 Sqdn. det. | 1942 | 1942 | Liberator | summer 1942 |
| 165 Sqdn. det. | 1942 | 1942 | Spitfire | summer 1942 |
| 406 Sqdn. | 8/9/42 | 8/12/42 | Beaufighter | |
| 536 Sqdn. | 8/9/42 | 27/10/42 | Havoc, Hurricane | Turbinlite squadron |
| 66 Sqdn. | 26/9/42 | 29/9/42 | Spitfire | |
| 236 Sqdn. det. | 1942 | 1943 | Beaufighter | from late 1942 |
| 604 Sqdn. | 7/12/42 | 18/2/43 | Beaufighter | |
| 64 Sqdn. | 9/12/42 | 2/1/43 | Spitfire | |
| 263 Sqdn (det) | 2/1/43 | 24/1/43 | Whirlwind | Four aircraft |
| 248 Sqdn. | 18/1/43 | 17/2/44 | Beaufighter, Mosquito | |
| 141 Sqdn. | 18/2/43 | 30/4/43 | Beaufighter | |
| 263 Sqdn (det) | 20/3/43 | 23/3/43 | Whirlwind | Nine aircraft, attacks on Morlaix and Ponthou viaducts |
| 307 Sqdn. | Apr 43 | 9/11/43 | Mosquito | |
| 264 Sqdn. | 30/4/43 | 7/11/43 | Mosquito | |
| 410 Sqdn. det. | 1943 | 1943 | Mosquito | |
| 85 Sqdn. det. | 1943 | 1943 | Mosquito | summer 1943 |
| 456 Sqdn. det. | 1943 | 1943 | various | summer 1943 |
| 266 Sqdn. det. | 1943 | 1943 | Typhoon | autumn 1943 |
| 618 Sqdn. det | 1943 | 1944 | Mosquito | from autumn 1943 |
| 183 Sqdn. | 14/10/43 | 1/2/44 | Typhoon | |
| 157 Sqdn. | 9/11/43 | 7/5/44 | Mosquito | |
| 414 Sqdn. det. | 1943 | 1943 | Mustang | winter 1943 |
| 304 Sqdn. | 13/12/43 | 19/2/44 | Wellington | |
| Station Flt. | 1944 | 1946 | various | |
| 311 Sqdn. | 23/2/44 | 7/8/44 | Liberator | |
| 165 Sqdn. | 2/4/44 | 20/6/44 | Spitfire | |
| 152 (GR) Wing | 15/4/44 | 7/9/44 | none ? | Wing HQ (179, 311, 524 Sqdns) |
| 179 Sqdn. | 28/4/44 | 6/9/44 | Wellington | |
| 1 Sqdn. | 29/4/44 | 20/6/44 | Spitfire | |
| 234 Sqdn. | 19/6/44 | 28/8/44 | Spitfire | |
| 611 Sqdn. | 3/7/44 | 17/7/44 | Spitfire | |
| 604 Sqdn | 24/9/44 | 5/12/44 | Mosquito XIII | |
| 264 Sqdn. | 25/9/44 | 30/11/44 | Mosquito XIII | |
| 33 Sqdn. | 15/12/44 | 21/2/45 | Typhoon | |
| 222 Sqdn. | 15/12/44 | 21/2/45 | Spitfire, Tempest | |
| 349 Sqdn. | 16/2/45 | 19/4/45 | Spitfire LF.IXe, Typhoon FR.Ib, Tempest V | re-equipment with Tempest never completed |
| 485 Sqdn. | 25/2/45 | 19/4/45 | Spitfire, Tempest | |
| 151 Sqdn. | 17/5/45 | 19/4/46 | Mosquito XXX | |
| 406 Sqdn. | 14/6/45 | 1/9/45 | Mosquito XXX | |
| Vickers | Oct 1954 | experimentals | Barnes Wallis Goose & Swallow swing-wing projects | |
| FAA | 15/12/54 | Satellite for Culdrose - current (2007) | ||
| 626 VGS | Oct 68 | 1990 | various | Volunteer Gliding School |
| 626 VGS | Jul 91 | Vigilant | current (2007) |
References
- 304 Squadron (a Mushroom Model Magazine Special) - Author: Mariusz Konarski, Publisher: Stratus - includes their time at Predannack
Modelling Notes for individual aircraft
- Flypast magazine October 2003 p38 has an article about a Mosquito NFII (DZ727) of 157 Sqdn shooting down an He177 over the Bay of Biscay. The Mosquito is shown in a painting as RS.T but I don't entirely trust this.
- Mosquito NFXXX NT306/G DZ.O is shown crashed at Odiham on 11th September 1946 on p46 of Mosquito, An Illustrated History by Stuart Howe. It would have served with 151 Squadron at Predannack from May 1945 to April 1946 (with excursions to Lubeck in January and March 1946) when it probably carried the same code ?
- See my 600 Sqdn. Beaufighter II build.
- The Typhoon & Tempest Story by Chris Thomas & Chris Shores has a photo of a 349 Sqdn Typhoon FR.IB at Predannack on p137 but no code/serial details are visible. Chris Thomas very kindly posted the following in reply to a query on Britmodeller : "As you probably know, 349 Sqn only had some Typhoons as an interim measure while awaiting re-equipment with Tempest Vs - which never came about. Their ORB never mentions more than 3 Typhoons at a time but I have found allocations for 4 aircraft - they were all Typhoon FR.IBs, surplus to requirements at 84 GSU. They were on short term loan so it is unlikely that they ever carried squadron or individual codes; the serials were EK196, '240, '492 and '512. EK240 had an engine failure and the pilot baled out over the sea off Predannack.
Standard DG/OG/MSG camouflage, black spinners, Sky fuselage band probably painted over. 3 cannons (port inner removed), camera apertures under port wing (cameras probably removed)." - This article from Peter Harvey details his father's victory over a Ju88 after taking off from Predannack and returning to Portreath
- More when I get a chance !
| Pictorial References For Modellers | |||||||
| Type | Mark | Unit | Code | Serial | Reference | Page | Resident/Visitor |
| Beaufighter | VIC | 248 Sqdn | G | JL447 | IWM online | HU 91923 | R |
| Beaufighter | VIF | 600 Sqdn | BQ.I | X8023 | IWM online | CH 17800 | R |
| Havoc | II Turbinlite | 536 Sqdn | H | AH497 | Ducimus Camouflage & Markings RAF Fighter Command 1939-45 | 228,238/9 | R |
| Huricane | IIc | 247 Sqdn | ZY.S | BD936 | Action Stations Revisited 4 | 243 | R |
| Hurricane | IIC | 247 Sqdn | ZY.S | BD936 | IWM online | CH 5487 | R |
| Hurricane | IIc | 247 Sqdn | ZY.V | BE634 | Action Stations Revisited 4 | 243 | R |
| Hurricane | IIC | 247 Sqdn | ZY.V | BE634 | Cornish Skies | 57 | R |
| Mosquito | FBVI | 151 Sqdn | DZ.P | HR250 | Osprey Aircraft of the Aces69 | 67 | R |
| Mosquito | NFII | 157 Sqdn | RS.T | W4092 | IWM online | HU 93019 | R |
| Mosquito | NFII | 264 Sqdn | PS.D | DD636 | Osprey Aircraft of the Aces 69 | 10 | R |
| Mosquito | NFII | 264 Sqdn | PS.D | DD636 | Osprey Combat Aircraft 9 | 39 | R |
| Mosquito | NFII | 264 Sqdn | PS.D | DD636 | SAM Combat Colours No6 | 6 | R |
| Mosquito | NFII | 264 Sqdn | PS.G | DD724 | Osprey Aircraft of the Aces 69 | 10 | R |
| Wellington | GRXIV | 179 Sqdn | P | NB772 | Coastal Command (Ashworth) caption incorrect - 36 Sqdn Chivenor? | 130 | R |