Many members of the Coads Green WI have passed the signs for the Davidstow Moor RAF Memorial Museum on the A39 but not all of them have visited this rich source of local history.

The museum was the venue of this year’s August social, which included an open invitation for husbands and partners.

The events that took place at the airfield, during World War Two, are within the living memory of the curator and founder of the museum, David Keast, who welcomed and guided the group around the site.

Most of the huts that remained, after the war, are now full of the most fascinating collection of exhibits, from newspaper cuttings, model aircraft, photographs, flight logs, maps, clothing and equipment, to a Hercules engine of a Bristol Beaufighter. There are detailed records of the personnel who were stationed there at the time, both British and Canadian.

The Memphis Belle also landed there, due to poor weather, and it is reported that the American crew were not too happy as the nearest pub was too far away.

The airfield was the highest in the country at 970 feet and was prone to mist with crews trying to avoid the high ground of Rough Tor when taking off and landing. In fact, a visiting German tourist, in more recent times, told a local garage proprietor that, as an airman in the war, he had been sent on three missions to bomb Davidstow airfield but could never find the place!

In 1950, the WAAF communal site was sold to Cow and Gate to open a creamery as building materials were in short supply.

David and a small group of volunteers opened the museum in 2004 and, continually, add to the collection.

The evening finished with a meal at the Wilsey Down.

The next meeting will be held at Coads Green Chapel Parlour on Wednesday, September 14, at 7.30pm when guest speaker, Ali Fenn will be giving a talk entitled “From Warmonger to Charity Chugger”.