Winkleigh Airfield Today Industry Local Businesses - Companies| Images and photographs, Memorial Stone,

Final note: The closure of Winkleigh Airfield:

Following the end of the war and the disappearance of the Norwegians, the Winkleigh airbase was run down and held in care and maintenance before being declared a 'Greenfield' site by the Air Ministry with no servicemen to be stationed there again.

The now empty military base, housed displaced individuals for a while, many of whom came from the Eastern bloc, all with the dream of a new life and having lost everything in their own struggle for freedom.

By 1958, much of the airfield had been sold off to private individuals who converted some of the military site and its buildings to industrial usage. This included a poultry farm, Ashton and Wonham's saw mills, a caravan site, with part of the aerodrome runways supporting a flourishing Go Cart track. many of the other buildings were dismantled or demolished

For a while between 1975 and 1978, the airfield reverted to minor military usage again, with the Army Air Corps using it for Lynx and Gazelle helicopter training. All in all, some 40 choppers were in service there for a period of time.

Sadly, little remains of the aerodrome and its buildings today, just the ghostly shadows of the once proud and strategically important station and a few rapidly deteriorating buildings.

But when you stand alone at the end of one of the deserted runways of Winkleigh airbase on a foggy Devon morning, just as the sun finally appears over the distant Dartmoor hills. Listen to the wind.

I am sure that you can hear the drone of aircraft engines as they pull away hard into the expectant sky in defence of a nation.

RAF Winkleigh Memorial Stone

On May 12th. 1995 on the occasion of its fiftieth anniversary, a monument dedicated to all of the fine representatives of the countries who were based at RAF Winkleigh during its operational years was unveiled in the presence of old comrades,

local councilors and villagers alike.

Through the graciousness of Ron Cottey who donated the land upon which the monument is erected

& the Torridge District Council who financed the monument and interpretation board, the memory of all those who served

at Winkleigh in the war years and beyond will always remain.

Herr Johan Lovik & John Hall DFC

Regeneration: Businesses now operating on the old Winkleigh Airfield include:
D & S Supplies:	Operated by Steve & Shirley Leahy who have take over the role of the Old Winkleigh Corner shop: "An Emporium that sells everything from babies bottles to nails."
Reynolds Boughton Ltd	Main East West Runway Site
Bedwells Removals & Storage	"
Taw Mix Timber products	"
L&M Agriculture	"
Devon Plant Services
Rangemoors - Stoves	South West Wood Burning Centre
Surf Bay Leisure	Mobile Home sales
Airfield Plant Services
Zukis Restaurant	On the site of the original mess hall
Freebird South West Conversions
Winkleigh Car Sales
Winkleigh Pine Furniture
Winkleigh Timber
Forthglade Ltd	Animal Foods
Everbuild Building Supplies
Acrofast-Roofing and Cladding
Final note: The closure of Winkleigh Airfield: Following the end of the war and the disappearance of the Norwegians, the Winkleigh airbase was run down and held in care and maintenance before being declared a 'Greenfield' site by the Air Ministry with no servicemen to be stationed there again. The now empty military base, housed displaced individuals for a while, many of whom came from the Eastern bloc, all with the dream of a new life and having lost everything in their own struggle for freedom. By 1958, much of the airfield had been sold off to private individuals who converted some of the military site and its buildings to industrial usage. This included a poultry farm, Ashton and Wonham's saw mills, a caravan site, with part of the aerodrome runways supporting a flourishing Go Cart track. many of the other buildings were dismantled or demolished For a while between 1975 and 1978, the airfield reverted to minor military usage again, with the Army Air Corps using it for Lynx and Gazelle helicopter training. All in all, some 40 choppers were in service there for a period of time. Sadly, little remains of the aerodrome and its buildings today, just the ghostly shadows of the once proud and strategically important station and a few rapidly deteriorating buildings. But when you stand alone at the end of one of the deserted runways of Winkleigh airbase on a foggy Devon morning, just as the sun finally appears over the distant Dartmoor hills. Listen to the wind. I am sure that you can hear the drone of aircraft engines as they pull away hard into the expectant sky in defence of a nation. RAF Winkleigh Memorial Stone On May 12th. 1995 on the occasion of its fiftieth anniversary, a monument dedicated to all of the fine representatives of the countries who were based at RAF Winkleigh during its operational years was unveiled in the presence of old comrades, local councilors and villagers alike. Through the graciousness of Ron Cottey who donated the land upon which the monument is erected & the Torridge District Council who financed the monument and interpretation board, the memory of all those who served at Winkleigh in the war years and beyond will always remain. Herr Johan Lovik & John Hall DFC


	CONTACT	The writer thanks and acknowledges the help of Steve & Shirley Leahy Watch: MY ENGLAND VIDEO
WEB Design and Graphics: WinkWEB
Copyright:/ 2008 \| David Freeman & Jackie Freeman Photography - Grays Cross - Winkleigh - Devon - England. All rights reserved Unauthorized use of the text and images illustrated is prohibited and protected under international laws of copyright.
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