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RAF Templeton
Royal Air Force Templeton, or more simply RAF Templeton, is a former Royal Air Force station located 9.75 miles (15.69 km) south east of Haverfordwest, Pembrokeshire and 10 miles (16 km) north east of Pembroke Dock, Pembrokeshire, Wales.
Situated near Templeton, 2 miles (3.2 km) south of Narberth, Pembrokeshire. It was operational between December 1942 and July 1945, as a satellite airfield for RAF Haverfordwest. It remains in use, under Defence Training Estate Pembrokeshire, as Templeton Dry Training Area.
Templeton airfield was constructed during 1942, waste from Reynalton Colliery being utilised in the build, and was officially opened in January 1943. In the middle of the triangular runway layout was a hill limiting all-round vision. This posed a danger to aircraft using the runways. A lookout was regularly posted and used flag signals to warn of aircraft movements.
Many of the dispersal pans were located to the north and west of the runways. The three runways were constructed of concrete and tarmac: 12/30 1,006 m (3,300 ft) long, 18/36 914 m (3,000 ft) long, and 07/25 1,463 m (4,800 ft) long. The airfield had a single T2 Hangar. Workshops, offices and classrooms were built close by, with a standard RAF Watchtower. The A4115 road ran between these and the airfield’s No. 1 site. Accommodation for the Airmen and WAAF were located in adjoining fields.
RAF Templeton initially formed part of No. 17 Group RAF, the training organisation within RAF Coastal Command, and had a particular role in training for the defence of the oil installations in Milford Haven. No. 306 Ferry Training Unit (Bristol Beaufort) formed at the station in January 1943, later departing to Maghaberry in Northern Ireland. The Observer training flight, "O" Flight, of No. 3 (Coastal) Operational Training Unit RAF (Avro Anson) moved in from nearby Haverfordwest, staying until December 1943.
From December 1943 to May 1944, the station hosted an American unit, using British-built aircraft, 1st Gunnery and Tow Target Flight, VIII USAAF, (Westland Lysander and Miles Master) towing targets for the fighters at the American training base at RAF Atcham, Shropshire.
During the latter part of 1944, anti-aircraft target-towing Miles Martinets and Supermarine Spitfires of No. 595 Squadron RAF, based at Aberporth, used the airfield. In January 1945, No 8 OTU moved into Haverfordwest, and "A" Flight was detached to Templeton, training aircrew on photo-reconnaissance aircraft including the Supermarine Spitfire and de Havilland Mosquito. They only stayed until March but a small engineering unit remained at Templeton to carry out aircraft repairs. They moved to Benson, Oxfordshire, in June.
In July 1945, the RAF closed RAF Templeton although No 74 Gliding School Air Training Corps continued to use part of the airfield as they had done since 1944.
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RAF Templeton
Royal Air Force Templeton, or more simply RAF Templeton, is a former Royal Air Force station located 9.75 miles (15.69 km) south east of Haverfordwest, Pembrokeshire and 10 miles (16 km) north east of Pembroke Dock, Pembrokeshire, Wales.
Situated near Templeton, 2 miles (3.2 km) south of Narberth, Pembrokeshire. It was operational between December 1942 and July 1945, as a satellite airfield for RAF Haverfordwest. It remains in use, under Defence Training Estate Pembrokeshire, as Templeton Dry Training Area.
Templeton airfield was constructed during 1942, waste from Reynalton Colliery being utilised in the build, and was officially opened in January 1943. In the middle of the triangular runway layout was a hill limiting all-round vision. This posed a danger to aircraft using the runways. A lookout was regularly posted and used flag signals to warn of aircraft movements.
Many of the dispersal pans were located to the north and west of the runways. The three runways were constructed of concrete and tarmac: 12/30 1,006 m (3,300 ft) long, 18/36 914 m (3,000 ft) long, and 07/25 1,463 m (4,800 ft) long. The airfield had a single T2 Hangar. Workshops, offices and classrooms were built close by, with a standard RAF Watchtower. The A4115 road ran between these and the airfield’s No. 1 site. Accommodation for the Airmen and WAAF were located in adjoining fields.
RAF Templeton initially formed part of No. 17 Group RAF, the training organisation within RAF Coastal Command, and had a particular role in training for the defence of the oil installations in Milford Haven. No. 306 Ferry Training Unit (Bristol Beaufort) formed at the station in January 1943, later departing to Maghaberry in Northern Ireland. The Observer training flight, "O" Flight, of No. 3 (Coastal) Operational Training Unit RAF (Avro Anson) moved in from nearby Haverfordwest, staying until December 1943.
From December 1943 to May 1944, the station hosted an American unit, using British-built aircraft, 1st Gunnery and Tow Target Flight, VIII USAAF, (Westland Lysander and Miles Master) towing targets for the fighters at the American training base at RAF Atcham, Shropshire.
During the latter part of 1944, anti-aircraft target-towing Miles Martinets and Supermarine Spitfires of No. 595 Squadron RAF, based at Aberporth, used the airfield. In January 1945, No 8 OTU moved into Haverfordwest, and "A" Flight was detached to Templeton, training aircrew on photo-reconnaissance aircraft including the Supermarine Spitfire and de Havilland Mosquito. They only stayed until March but a small engineering unit remained at Templeton to carry out aircraft repairs. They moved to Benson, Oxfordshire, in June.
In July 1945, the RAF closed RAF Templeton although No 74 Gliding School Air Training Corps continued to use part of the airfield as they had done since 1944.