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RAF (Royal Air Force) St. Mawgan is located on the southwest coast of England just ten minutes north of the popular seaside town of Newquay (pronounced ‘Newkey’). Originally a civilian airfield, it was “requisitioned” at the outbreak of World War II as a satellite base of nearby RAF St. Eval. During the period 1940 to 1941, the Germans bombed St. Eval because of its strategic importance.

In June 1943 the U.S. Army Air Force took over the base and carried out a number of major improvements. A new control tower was built and the main runway was widened and extended, turning it into one of the widest runways in England. Reopened as a Coastal Command base in 1951, it was used for maritime reconnaissance, flying Lancaster and Schackleton aircraft.

Beginning in 1956, the Vulcan, a jet-powered, delta wing strategic bomber, was flown by the RAF, then replaced in 1962 by a more improved Vulcan B2. The new aircraft featured more powerful engines, a larger wing, an improved electrical system, and ECM (electronic countermeasures). The Vulcan was the backbone of the United Kingdom’s airborne nuclear deterrent.

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