Full WW2 control tower details and photos for this wartime airfield are coming soon. Please check back later as this is work progress. If you would like to contribute information or photos please get in touch.
World War II story
RAF Trebelzue was a wartime airfield at near Newquay, Cornwall (later redesignated RAF St Mawgan). During the Second World War it served as a satellite field that evolved into a major ferry and transport staging airfield, supporting the movement of aircraft to overseas theatres. commandeered in 1941 as a satellite of RAF St Eval; transferred to Ferry Command as an Overseas Aircraft Despatch Unit; renamed RAF St Mawgan in 1943 after major runway construction.
Like most British wartime stations, RAF Trebelzue functioned as a small, self-contained town. Beyond the runways were technical areas for maintenance and armament, dispersed hardstandings to reduce losses during raids, and domestic sites where airmen, WAAFs or naval personnel lived, trained, and waited for the next tasking. On operational nights or intensive training days the routine revolved around briefings, meteorology, aircraft servicing, and a tight rhythm of take-off and recovery windows.
Who flew from here
Aircraft commonly associated with wartime flying here: Long-range USAAF and RAF transit aircraft (varied), Transport and ferry types associated with overseas dispatch.
Records for RAF Trebelzue show a mix of operational and support activity. Some units were long-term residents with a stable identity, while others arrived as detachments – often for conversion training, gunnery work-ups, dispersal, or to cover a specific operational requirement. That pattern is typical of the RAF’s wartime system: stations were constantly re-tasked as the air war shifted from defence to offence, from the Battle of the Atlantic to the bomber offensive, and later to preparations for the invasion of Northwest Europe.
- Ferry Command / Overseas Aircraft Despatch Unit activity moving aircraft onwards to operational theatres
- RAF and USAAF staging and transit operations as the airfield expanded during 1942-45
Key moments
Early runways proved inadequate, prompting new runways and expansion; the St Mawgan name was adopted in 1943.
In its first year under the new configuration, the station dispatched large numbers of USAAF aircraft onward to North Africa, illustrating its strategic logistics role.
How the station ‘worked’: aircraft were usually kept on dispersal pans connected by a perimeter track. Crews moved between briefing rooms, parachute/oxygen sections, and the flight line; ground crew handled refuelling, re-arming and engine changes. The watch office coordinated flying, and on busy days the airfield operated like a factory – turning time, fuel and maintenance hours into sorties.
After the war
Trebelzue’s identity is often ‘hidden’ under the later St Mawgan story; understanding the name change is key to tracing wartime documents and photos.
Landscape and flying conditions: RAF Trebelzue’s geography influenced operations. Prevailing winds dictated runway selection, while local terrain and weather shaped training and safety. In winter, short daylight and low cloud increased the workload; in summer, longer hours enabled intensive training programmes and high sortie rates. These practical factors are often reflected in accident reports and ORBs, which mention crosswinds, icing, fog, and diversion landings.