Pembrey Sands Air Weapons Range
Pembery Sands Air Weapons Range | |||||||
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Part of Defence Training Estate | |||||||
Near Pembrey, Carmarthenshire in Wales | |||||||
Location in the Carmarthenshire | |||||||
Coordinates | 51°42′52″N 4°22′01.3″W / 51.71444°N 4.367028°W | ||||||
Type | Air weapons range | ||||||
Area | 1,112 hectares (11 km2; 4 sq mi) | ||||||
Site information | |||||||
Owner | Ministry of Defence | ||||||
Operator | Defence Infrastructure Organisation | ||||||
Controlled by | Defence Training Estate | ||||||
Open to the public | Yes, unless red warning flags or red lights are shown | ||||||
Condition | Operational | ||||||
No. of targets | Four | ||||||
Website | GOV.UK (Air weapons ranges activity times) | ||||||
Site history | |||||||
In use |
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Designations | |||||||
Airfield information | |||||||
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Pembrey Sands Air Weapons Range is a Ministry of Defence air weapons range located near the village of Pembrey, Carmarthenshire, 3 miles (4.8 km) northwest of Burry Port and 10.3 miles (16.6 km) south of Carmarthen, Wales. Adjacent to the weapons range site is a former Royal Air Force station known as Royal Air Force Pembrey, or more simply RAF Pembrey, which closed in 1957 and of which part is now in civilian use as Pembrey Airport.
History
RAF Pembrey
RAF Training Command
The site for Pembrey was acquired in 1937. The airfield was allocated to No. 25 Group RAF, of RAF Training Command during its construction, and it officially opened on the 6 May 1940.[1] The site was known as Towyn Burrows and was only just higher than the high tide level. Situated between Burry Port and Kidwelly, it was on a marshy area of coastline, the Cefn Sidan Sands and Pembrey Forest were between the shoreline and the airfield.[2]
The airfield opened in March 1939,[3] and by September 1939 No. 2 Air Armament School RAF was the first unit to be stationed at the airfield,[4] indeed, from September 1939 to June 1940 the airfield was used to train armourers and air mechanics by No.2 AAS.[5]
RAF Fighter Command
From the 20 June 1940, the airfield was transferred to No. 10 Group RAF of RAF Fighter Command. Pembrey was used throughout the Battle of Britain to rest squadrons from the defending against the Blitz, and also to provide air defence for South Wales and to protect convoys.[6]
From January to March 1941, 256 Squadron operated from Pembrey.[12] In early 1941, No. 316 Polish Fighter Squadron was formed at Pembrey, inflicted losses on enemy aircraft, and moved on to RAF Colerne in June.[13]
RAF Fairwood Common and RAF Angle had taken over the air defence of the South Wales area by the middle of 1941 and RAF Pembrey was allocated to RAF Flying Training Command.[14]
RAF Flying Training Command
Between 1941 and 1945 Pembrey was host to the RAF's No. 1 Air Gunners School, involving
Operational Conversion Unit
No 233 OCU formed in September 1952, at RAF Pembrey.[18] The OCU's Badge featured the head of a Wildcat, indicative of the fierce fighting spirit. The OCU's Welsh motto was Ymlaen; The English translation is 'Forward'.[19]
The OCUs de Havilland Vampire aircraft displayed the badge below the front quarter-light of the cockpit and was the OCUs aircraft's only markings. The Station badge was also the No 233 OCU badge during this period, and was displayed on all the RAF Pembrey vehicles.[20]
The Operational Conversion Unit disbanded in September 1957 and the station closed soon afterwards.[1]
Incidents
- In June 1942, a Group Captain David Atcherley for interrogation.[22] Faber was piloting the latest Luftwaffe fighter aircraft, the Focke-Wulf Fw 190A-3, a type the RAF had only seen flying over France. The depths of Faber's despair at providing his enemy with an intact Focke-Wulf Fw 190 can be gauged by the fact that he subsequently attempted to commit suicide. As news broke of his landing in Pembrey, RAF Fighter Command dispatched pilots to photograph and move the aircraft to the Royal Aircraft Establishment at Farnborough. The RAF finally had an Focke-Wulf Fw 190 to compare with its V.S Spitfire IX and Hawker Typhoon Ia aircraft.[23]
- In September 1953, a Pilot Officer Frederick William Rupert Vernon Jacques when he ejected at low level; the aircraft crashed into Kidwelly railway station.[25][26] Both airmen were buried in St Illtyd Churchyard, Pembrey, along with 32 wartime RAF casualties, including seven from the Polish Air Force.[27]
- In 1968, a bomb exploded at the airfield, seriously injuring a Prince of Wales should come to Wales.[28]