# RAF Cleave, North Cornwall



## Bloomers (Dec 7, 2008)

Visited back in March time, but never got round to doing a write up on it, or anything

Stolen from Wikipedia:
'RAF Cleave was conceived as housing target and target support aircraft for firing ranges along the north Cornwall coast and land was acquired from Cleave Manor.

In May 1939 two flights of 1 Anti-Aircraft Co-operation Unit (1 AACU) with the Westland Wallace and a naval steam catapult was soon erected near the cliffs for the pilotless Queen Bee aircraft due to be stationed there. Aircraft were initially housed in temporary Bessoneaux hangers (type H of World War 1 vintage) and later replaced by more permanent structures.

In December 1943, the 4 Flights were amalgamated into 639 Squadron, which served at Cleave for the remainder of the war.

The airfield was put under maintenance in April 1945 and later became a government signals station.'

Post war, the site became:
'GCHQ Bude, formerly called the GCHQ Composite Signals Organisation Station Morwenstow is a satellite ground station located on the north Cornwall coast between the small villages of Morwenstow and Coombe, UK operated by the British signals intelligence service'. 

It is therefore very live, so its not advisable to take snaps directly point at the place. they get a bit assey lol
http://maps.live.com/default.aspx?v=2&cp=50.886561~-4.556258&style=h&lvl=16&scene=175966






one of 5/6 pillboxes around the site




















A bleak view from the post










foundation for something?





mounting for something related to the steam catapult?





Steam catapult base, used for launching Queen Bee Drones





The view, fromt the Catapult base, Bude in the far distance





Access road that surrounds the site, and dish in the background





More perimeter road





AA gun hardstanding





Bunker/pillbox, a bit collapsed





Ramp, for a mobile RADAR array















the pillboxes on the south side of the base





Building foundations, north side of the base










Aerial footings










Pillbox on north side, now used as a fence post










Norcon defences? like a pill box or something?

There were a few other structures on site, but they are much closer to the live site perimeter, and i didn't feel like answering any questions lol


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## Foxylady (Dec 7, 2008)

Brilliant stuff, Bloomers. That's a really exciting site. Great find and research.


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## shatters (Dec 7, 2008)

Could the last picture be a LAA gun pit like this -






Phil


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