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Towyn Airfield;Morfa Town Airfield;Morfa RAF Base, Tywyn

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NPRN309967
Map ReferenceSH50SE
Grid ReferenceSH5800001300
Unitary (Local) AuthorityGwynedd
Old CountyMerioneth
CommunityTywyn
Type Of SiteAIRFIELD
PeriodModern
Description
The airfield opened on 8 September 1940 and consisted of a grass landing area, Nissen and Maycrete huts, and two Besonneau canvas hangars. Two Bellman hangars and two Blister hangars were later added with concrete aprons. The control tower was built to the specification 952/40. Most of the wartime buildings have been demolished and only parts of the concrete aprons remain.

Event and Historical Information:
Towyn was established as an air-cooperation base for the Royal Artillery Anti-Aircraft Practice Camp at Tonfanau. U Flight (equipped with Queen Bees/radio controlled Tiger Moths) and C Flight (equipped with Hawker Henleys) of 1 Anti-Aircraft Co-operation Unit arrived in the Autumn of 1940. C Flight became 1625 Flight and joined with 1628 Flight to form 631 Squadron in December 1943 using Henleys as target tugs. In May 1945, 631 Squadron were deployed to to Llandbedr and Towyn was transferred to 22 Group Technical Training Command. The airfield's personnel assisted the emergency services dealing with aircraft crashes throughout northwest Wales. The aerodrome closed on 25 July 1945 and became an army camp and then an Outward Bound School, the landing ground being used as a sports field.

Sources include:
Defence of Britain Project
Jones, I, 2008, Airfields and Landing Grounds of Wales: North, pg11-21
Phillips, Alan, 2006, Military Airfields Wales, pg 241-3
Sloan, Roy, 1991, Wings of War over Gwynedd, pg131-7
Smith, David J 1982 Action Stations 3: Military Airfields of Wales and the North West, pg 195-6

RCAHMW, June 2008.
Resources
DownloadTypeSourceDescription
application/pdfUSAA - U.S.A.A.F. Aircraft Accident ReportsDigitised air accident report,produced by the U.S. War Department during World War II, relating to the crash of a U.S.A.A.F. B-17G Flying Fortress at R.A.F. Towyn, 8/07/1944.