THE Airfields of Britain Conservation Trust were in Folly Gate last Friday to commemorate the airfield once sited there.

A memorial stone at Folly Gate Parish Hall was unveiled by the director general of the ABCT, Kenneth Bannerman, dedicated to all the units and personnel based at the airfield and marking the community's involvement.

The event was attended by Okehampton mayor Maureen McDonald and Central Devon MP Mel Stride.

Mr?Bannerman said: 'The unveiling went marvellously well. For this quieter part of Devon and a small community such as Folly Gate, the turnout for the event was quite fantastic.

'We reckon there were over one hundred people at the parish hall at the unveiling. This included war veterans, locals and air enthusiasts. The local community were very accommodating and really helped the day.

'The hall, which itself was a former Air Force building, held a wonderful display of interesting artefacts and historical documents that told not only about the history of the Folly Gate airfield but the temporary airfield that was in the area before the Folly Gate site opened.'

As well as the unveiling, the occasion was marked with a flyby from two vintage aircraft — Mr?Bannerman said the weather almost ruined the flyby: 'The unveiling of the memorial was planned for noon, with a flyby from two vintage aircraft.

'However, it was pouring down with rain, and with these planes being vintage aircraft, the pilots have to be very careful when to take them out.

'The rain passed and we got a belated phone call from the pilots, asking if we could stall the unveiling. We did so and the two aircraft — one an American Piper Cub, known as a Grasshopper, and a British Oster — performed a wonderful fly-over, doing several circuits over the hall.

'It was nice that these two aircraft, which flew from Eggesford, were the same type as many which flew from the Folly Gate airfield.

'In its own quiet way, Folly Gate was an extremely important airfield.'