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.
RAF Perranporth, originally opened in April 1941 (first known as ‘Trevellas’), was built on Cornwall’s north coast as part of Britain’s rapid airfield expansion to defend the Western Approaches. The airfield began as a satellite of nearby RAF Portreath, but its location gave it an outsized strategic value: it sat on the edge of the Atlantic-facing coastline, well placed for fighter cover, air-sea rescue support, and the protection of coastal waters threatened by German aircraft, submarines and raiders.
Although designed for a modest fighter complement, Perranporth quickly hosted more. In the early years it frequently operated Supermarine Spitfire squadrons – often in short rotations – reflecting the need to keep defensive fighter strength moving around the country in response to threats. Among the wartime squadrons recorded at Perranporth were RAF units such as No. 19, 65, 66, 118, 130, 132, 183 and 234 Squadrons, and international and Allied units including No. 302 and 317 (Polish) Squadrons, No. 310 (Czechoslovak) Squadron, Free French units such as No. 329, 340 and 341 Squadrons, and Commonwealth squadrons such as No. 412 (RCAF) and No. 453 (RAAF). The common denominator across these postings was fighter operations centred on Spitfires, with the station’s task being to keep the air picture secure along an exposed coastal sector.
As the war developed, RAF Perranporth’s functions broadened beyond pure fighter defence. Air Sea Rescue elements were present in 1941 and later evolved into ‘C’ Flight of No. 276 Squadron, reflecting how rescues of downed aircrew and sailors were a constant reality in coastal operations. Anti-aircraft co-operation and ground defence also featured: units such as 1602 (Anti-Aircraft Co-operation) Flight and RAF Regiment elements appear in station histories, underlining the integrated nature of airfield defence and training.
Perranporth’s physical form also tells a wartime story. The airfield’s dispersals, hard standings and fighter pens were designed for survivability – spreading aircraft out to reduce vulnerability to attack – and its defences and perimeter layouts speak to the urgency of 1941 construction. Coastal weather could be harsh; operating Spitfires and service vehicles in wind, rain and sea mist was itself a demanding part of the job, and it shaped the daily rhythm of readiness, scrambles and maintenance.
While Perranporth did not become famous for one single dramatic raid, it mattered because it was the kind of station that made the wider system work: it offered flexible basing for fighter squadrons, sustained air-sea rescue coverage, and helped deny the enemy easy access to Britain’s coastal waters. Today, remembering RAF Perranporth is to remember the relentless, often unglamorous, defensive work that protected shipping lanes and coastal communities through the middle years of the war.
WW2 units, roles and aircraft:
- Fighter rotations: multiple RAF and Allied Spitfire squadrons (e.g., Nos. 19, 65, 66, 118, 130, 132, 183, 234; Polish, Czech, Free French and Commonwealth units)
- Air Sea Rescue: local ASR flight; later linked to No. 276 Squadron
- Other elements: anti-aircraft co-operation and RAF Regiment/ground defence presence
- Primary aircraft association: Supermarine Spitfire