RAF Stormy Down

RAF Stormy Down
Pyle, Bridgend in Wales
RAF Stormy Down Shown within Bridgend
Coordinates	51°30′15″N 003°40′13″W
Type	Royal Air Force station
Site information
Owner	Air Ministry
Operator	Royal Air Force
Site history
Built	1939 (1939)
In use	1939-1947 (1947)
Airfield information
Elevation	97 metres (318 ft) AMSL
Runways Direction Length and surface 00  Grass field

Royal Air Force Stormy Down, or more simply RAF Stormy Down is a former Royal Air Force station located near Pyle, Bridgend and opened in 1940.

History

It was an armament training school for the Royal Air Force (RAF) then after they departed the French took the station over and later American forces were also stationed at 'Stormy'. Flying ceased in August 1944 due to the dangerous grass landing strip. However the airfield continued to be used for occasional private aircraft and a glider club for a number of years.

Stormy Down parented the RAF marine base at Porthcawl harbour. It ceased use as a flying station because the chalk was collapsing due to the rain. Once the RAF personnel left it became a French Air Force and Naval Aviation Initial Training school. The airfield continued in use by an Air Training Corps gliding school and then a gliding club. There was only one aircraft landing there after the field shut and the pilot was lucky to escape prosecution. The only American involvement was the garaging of two Piper Cub reconnaissance aircraft from Porthcawl.

Units

The following units were at Stormy down at some point:

• No. 2 Service Flying Training School
• No. 3 Service Flying Training School
• No. 7 Air Gunners School
• No. 7 Air Observers School
• No. 7 Bombing & Gunnery School
• No. 7 Service Flying Training School
• No. 9 Armament Training Station
• No. 9 Service Flying Training School
• No. 14 Operational Training Unit RAF
• No. 23 (French) Initial Training Wing
• No. 32 (French) Personnel Reception Centre
• No. 68 Elementary Gliding School
• No. 68 Gliding School RAF

Current use

The site is now used by Cenin Concrete Products Ltd, as a Research, Development & Production Centre. The site is also the operating base for Bridgend Motorcycle Training Centre. The site is also used for a weekly car boot sale. A proposal to site wind turbines on the disused airfield has been made and a solar energy facility built on the site.

References

Bibliography

• Smith, D J (1990). Action Stations: Vol 3. Military airfields of Wales and the North-West. Wellingborough: Patrick Stephens Limited. ISBN 1-85260-375-5.

External links

• Photos of the site