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Originally opened in September 1929 as a civil aerodrome
situated on open moorland at Little Haldon, Haldon was
requisitioned by the Air Ministry shortly after the start of
World War Two. This was a very small aerodrome, the landing
area was approximately 900 X 145 yards oriented N/S, one
hanger is known to have been built on the site but this is
not marked on military plans of the airfield (but may
described as a storage shed).
The airfield was extended by the requisitioning of land to
the north and south, this expansion resulted in the landing
areas cutting across two roads the in the south evolved
taking over a small portion of the Teignmouth golf course.
Two Nissen huts were added, one for use as a crew room the
other an ammunition store. A 5,000 gallon storage tank was
provided for aviation petrol along with three 500 gallon
tanks for M/T petrol. There was no control tower but ground
signals were laid out in an area east of the sheds, Visual
flying rules applied, communications would be via aldis lamp
signals and arrangements for refuelling would be telephoned
from Yeovilton in advance. There were no night flying
facilities. Accommodation for the airfield guard was
provided by the acquisition of Haldon Tea House while other
billets where found for personnel in Haldon and Teignmouth.
RN use of the airfield
The RAF made little use of the field, the Research
Development Flight, from RAF Boscombe Down , engaged in
developing balloon cable cutters and airfield rocket
defences, arrived to make use of the facilities and
communications aircraft from Boscombe Down used the field
while armament trials were conducted on the Lyme Bay ranges.
The airfield was transferred to the Admiralty in August 1941
as a Relief Landing Ground and tender to RNAS Yeovilton. The
station was commissioned as HMS HERON II on August18th.
The main role for RNAS Haldon was that of a relief landing
ground and a refuelling stop for Air Towed Target aircraft
operating from Yeovilton; these aircraft provided targets
for ships in the Lyme Bay area and air-to-air live firing
practice for pilots from the Fleet Fighter School (759 7 761
squadrons) flying from RNAS Yeovilton.
Operations from the aerodrome proved very difficult, there
were few permanent buildings and the grass surface was
poorly drained; work began in 1942 to improve the drainage
and install a tarmac hard standing, and some areas of the
field had sections of Somerfield pierced steel tracking
laid. In April of that year the near by Haldon Army Camp was
released by the War Office and the Admiralty took charge of
the facilities as additional accommodation; it is unclear as
to whether any use was actually made of the camp.
On December 31st 1942 the station's status was changed when
it lost its commissioned name; the newly acquired station at
Charlton Hawthorne became H.M.S. HERON II from knew Year's
Day 1943. From this date the station was carried 'on the
books of HERON'. Four months later the station was slated
for closure and it was reduced to Care & Maintenance status
in May 1943.
During August 1944 the RAF established No. 84 Gliding School at
Haldon, equipped with a Dagling Primary, 3 Cadets and a
Sedbergh.
Post War use and closure
The Admiralty officially closed and paid off RNAS Haldon on February 17th 1946. The Gilding School left for Exeter
in June 1946 and was the last military flying unit to operate from the
site.
Click here for a list of
Primary sources
Additional sources:
The Airfield Information Exchange - AiX ARG. 2012.
Haldon. [ONLINE] Available at:
http://www.airfieldinformationexchange.org/community/showthread.php?1537-Haldon-Teignmouth-HMS-Heron-II&highlight=Haldon.
[Accessed 15 November 13].
DEVON AIRFIELDS. 2013. HALDON Teignmouth Aerodrome.
[ONLINE] Available at:
http://devonairfields.hampshireairfields.co.uk/hald.html.
[Accessed 15 November 13].
Britain from Above . 2013. The Haldon Aerodrome, Little
Haldon. [ONLINE] Available at:
http://www.britainfromabove.org.uk/image/epw0334766.
[Accessed 15 November 13].
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