RAF Harrowbeer was a WWII Fighter Station, (opened in 1941 and closed in 1950s) built on land at Yelverton, north of Plymouth.
The 1940s event took place over the weekend of the 17th & 18th August 2013 on land alongside Knightstone Tea Rooms, Yelverton, (the original Control Tower). It is organised by the RAF Harrowbeer Archives, the RAF Harrowbeer Interest Group, the 1940s Roadshow and the Royal British Legion Riders.
The inspiration for a 1940s Event was born from the success of the RAF Harrowbeer 70th Anniversary celebrations in 2011. So many people enjoyed that event (about 15,000) that we have been bombarded with 'When are you going to do it again?' questions ever since.Putting on that event took about two years planning and needed about £15,000 to be raised to pay for all the flying displays, attractions and other ancillary items needed for such an event. Clearly, to do that every year would be nigh on impossible for a small team of volunteers.The Harrowbeer Archives at Knightstone Tea Rooms have, for a number of years, held successful weekend events over Bank Holiday weekends and the like, (even these take time and volunteers to organise and put on). The Harrowbeer Interest Group open the restored Dispersal Bay for these events and also on other occasions.
All this developed into the idea for the 1940s Event, which would be held annually on the weekend nearest to the 15th August, which is the official opening date of RAF Harrowbeer. with the wrlcome of the 1940s roadshow with the singer eva