Author Topic: Hells Mouth RAF Base, Wales  (Read 1950 times)

Offline Deslaw

  • RootsChat Member
  • ***
  • Posts: 109
    • View Profile
Hells Mouth RAF Base, Wales
« on: Friday 11 November 05 09:03 GMT (UK) »
My father did most of his WW2 service at an airbase called Hells Mouth in Wales.  All that I know is that it had been a gunnery range that was associated with the base at RAF Penrhos.

Does anyone have information/photographs of this base?  It was a big part of my father's life that I know very little of.

Thanks
Des
Researching - Lawton in Cheshire, Staffordshire & Lancashire; Bissette in Ireland; Bannigan in Scotland & Ireland: Goodwin in Cheshire & Staffordshire.

Offline David Poole

  • RootsChat Extra
  • **
  • Posts: 13
    • View Profile
Re: Hells Mouth RAF Base, Wales
« Reply #1 on: Saturday 12 November 05 16:21 GMT (UK) »
Hello ,
I  was  just  browsing  and Hells Mouth  caught  my  eye  because  I  spent  five  of  my boyhood  years  living  just  down  the  road from  there .  Then  years  later  in  the  60's  and  70's  working for  a  contractor  to the MOD  that  maintained  and  operated  a  small  radar and radio  communication  unit  on  top  of  a  hill known  as  Rhiw  Mountain that  is  next  to  Hells  Mouth .
Hells  Mouth  being  a  south west  facing  bay , about  2 miles west  of  Abersoch on  the  NW  coast  of wales ,  that  is  flanked by  cliffs  and  dangerous  rocky outcrops  in  the sea that  have been the  cause  of  many  a  shipwreck  in  the  past .
Because  the  top of  the  hill  commands  a  wiew of  most  of  the  coastline  of NW  Wales , it  was  a  good  location  from  which  the  RAF could monitor  and  control aircraft  from RAF  Penrhos  that  were used  to  tow  targets  for  the  targets  for the  ground  to  air  gunnery  army training unit  at Tywyn  on the  west coast  of  Cardigan  Bay .
In  the  1950's  RAF  Penrhos  closed  . After  which  the  Royal  Aircraft  establishment  at  Llanbedr near Harlech  took  on a  similar  role  that developed into  a provider  of  targets  for the  air  to  air  and  sea  to  air  missile  practice  range  in  the Cardigan  bay  , which  was  monitored  by the  radar  unit  at  Rhiw  mountain , Hells Mouth , till  just  a  few  years  ago .
I  do  hope  this  has  been  of  interest  .
Regards  Dave .

Offline Deslaw

  • RootsChat Member
  • ***
  • Posts: 109
    • View Profile
Re: Hells Mouth RAF Base, Wales
« Reply #2 on: Saturday 12 November 05 16:37 GMT (UK) »
Hi Dave,

thanks for the information.

Des
Researching - Lawton in Cheshire, Staffordshire & Lancashire; Bissette in Ireland; Bannigan in Scotland & Ireland: Goodwin in Cheshire & Staffordshire.