Final planning is underway for the RAF Harrowbeer 1940s Weekend, which is all set to wow the crowds again, with two days of events on the former WWII airfield at Yelverton, on the 22nd & 23rd August, from 10am to 5pm daily. Organised by the RAF Harrowbeer Interest Group, (HIG) the event will be centred around the Dispersal Bay at Axtown, Yelverton. Entry and parking to the event are free but it does need financial support so please help by making a donation. Full details on how to do this are on the show’s website, www.rafharrowbeer1940s.com.

RAF Harrowbeer
(RAF Harrowbeer)

This year’s event commemorates the 85th Anniversary of the opening of the Airfield in August 1941 and will commence with a Service of Remembrance for the 72 personnel lost while serving at Harrowbeer in WWII. This will be held by the Airfield’s memorial stone in front of Knightstone Tea Rooms at 11am on the Saturday.

Attractions at the 2026 event include regular runs of a Rolls Royce Merlin engine, as used on Spitfires, Hurricanes and Lancasters. There will be WWII re-enactors and living history displays, along with military vehicles who will recreate an Army Camp of the sort seen locally prior to D-Day.

There will also be vintage vehicles, classic cars, plus stalls selling vintage items and memorabilia, along with lots of other displays and exhibits. There will be plenty of on-site catering too, with a hog roast, burgers, pasties, sandwiches & jacket potatoes, plus plenty of tea and coffee from the ‘NAAFI’ tent plus a bar.

Musical entertainment is provided by Fine Whines Jazz duo, Mood Swings with Bernard Stewart and the inimitable Dave Dawes from the online 1940s Radio station, 1940sradio.com.

RAF Harrowbeer
(RAF Harrowbeer)

The HIG will have their Airfield photographs on display and visitors will be able to see inside the Dispersal Bay Air-Raid Shelter. The Robey Trust will be giving steam engine trips around the Airfield and a vintage double-decker bus will be running a shuttle service from Yelverton Parade so all in all, this is going to be a great weekend for the whole family to enjoy!

With special thanks to the supports of this feature:

Hearn’s Dartmoor Butchery - https://www.dartmoormeatbox.co.uk/