THREE veterans of world war two helped to unveil interpretation boards at a former RAF airfield in West Devon on the 63rd anniversary of VE-Day. The boards at the former RAF Harrowbeer at Yelverton were unveiled last Tuesday by Mrs Pam Fendall, widow of the founder of RAF Harrowbeer Interest Group, and three veterans, Frank Mares DFM, Richard Vavrecka and George Finegan — a combined age of 268 years! All three served together at Harrowbeer in 1942. Despite the wet and misty evening the unveiling was attended by 80 supporters from schools, parishes and tourist organisations. Also there were many individuals who had supported the community project to install the boards. The occasion was given a military flavour by the attendance of a Flight from 2312 (Tavistock) Squadron Air Training Corps, Officer Commanding Flt Lt Phil Newcombe, and by former Royal Marine bugler Tony Holder, of Princetown. The board will give visitors to the former RAF Harrowbeer site information of what they are seeing now and what was there 60 years ago when, between 1941 and 1946, it was an active airfield. Flying from Harrowbeer were many types of planes and nationalities — British, Canadians, Americans, French, Czech and Polish — mostly RAF Squadrons but also Fleet Air Arm and US Navy. The airfield existed virtually intact for a long time after the war but the runways and airfield buildings were demolished in 1961 following the decision that Harrowbeer would not become the 'new' Plymouth Airport. Today, visitors will be mostly aware of the airfield's existence, alongside the A386 at Yelverton, by the taxiways and aircraft bays that are virtually as they were 60 years ago. Thanks to Lottery 'Awards for All', West Devon Borough Council Community Fund, Dartmoor National Park, Buckland Monachorum Parish Council, WestDen Community Chest and individuals, enough funds were raised by the RAF Harrowbeer Interest Group to provide the boards at key locations. Two have been installed: one at 'the Rock' and the other at Leg O' Mutton, close to the RAF Harrowbeer Memorial Stone that was erected in 1981. A third board is planned to be placed in the vicinity of Pound Lodge crossroads — the former airfield main gate — once planning permission has been granted.
