RAF Stormy Down

Royal Air Force Stormy Down or more simply RAF Stormy Down is a former Royal Air Force station located near Pyle, Bridgend and opened in 1940.

RAF Stormy Down
Pyle, Bridgend in Wales
RAF Stormy Down Shown within Bridgend Show map of Bridgend RAF Stormy Down RAF Stormy Down (the United Kingdom) Show map of the United Kingdom
Coordinates	51°30′15″N 003°40′13″W
Type	Royal Air Force station
Site information
Owner	Air Ministry
Operator	Royal Air Force
Site history
Built	1939 (1939)
In use	1939-1947 (1947)
Airfield information
Elevation	97 metres (318 ft) AMSL
Runways Direction Length and surface 00  Grass field

History

It was an armament training school for the Royal Air Force (RAF) then after they departed the French took the station over and later American forces were also stationed at 'Stormy'. Flying ceased in August 1944 due to the dangerous grass landing strip. However the airfield continued to be used for occasional private aircraft and a glider club for a number of years.^[1]

Stormy Down parented the RAF marine base at Porthcawl harbour. Once Stormy Down closed, the sea rescue unit at Porthcawl was parented by St Athan. Known as 1105 Marine craft unit, it had three 43 ft range safety launches. It was still operating in 1958. Stormy Down ceased use as a flying station because the chalk was collapsing due to the rain. Once the RAF personnel left it became a French Air Force and Naval Aviation Initial Training school. The airfield continued in use by an Air Training Corps gliding school and then a gliding club. There was only one aircraft landing there after the field shut and the pilot was lucky to escape prosecution. The only American involvement was the garaging of two Piper Cub reconnaissance aircraft from Porthcawl.

Units

The following units were at Stormy Down at some point:^[2]

• No. 2 Service Flying Training School RAF
• No. 3 Service Flying Training School RAF
• No. 7 Air Gunners School RAF
• No. 7 Air Observers School RAF
• No. 7 Bombing & Gunnery School RAF
• No. 7 Service Flying Training School RAF
• No. 9 Armament Training Station RAF
• No. 9 Service Flying Training School RAF
• No. 14 Operational Training Unit RAF
• No. 23 (French) Initial Training Wing
• No. 32 (French) Personnel Reception Centre
• No. 68 Gliding School RAF

Current use

The site is now used by Cenin Renewables, as a research, development & production centre. The site is also the operating base for Bridgend Motorcycle Training Centre. The site is now an operational energy park, supplying green electricity to the local town Porthcawl. Stormy Down takes most of the food waste from South Wales into their food waste 3 mW anaerobic digestor which creates energy, heat and organic fertilizer for the local farmer. With the technologies on site, enough electricity is produced for the local town, Porthcawl with the technologies on site, a solar field of 735 kW, a 1.5 mW and 3.6 mW turbine and an ultra-low carbon cement factory.

References

Citations

1. Smith-Wales 1990, p. 00.
2. "Stormy Down (Newton Down) (Porthcawl)". Airfields of Britain Conservation Trust. Retrieved 29 March 2015.

Bibliography

• Smith, D J (1990). Action Stations: Vol 3. Military airfields of Wales and the North-West. Wellingborough: Patrick Stephens Limited. ISBN 1-85260-375-5.

External links

• Photos of the site