Torquay and two World Wars.

[Daveg4otu]

During the summer of 1918 the Royal Naval Air Service operated a fleet of Short 184 seaplanes from a base at Beacon Quay shown in the upper picture.The station operated under the command of RNAS Cattewater (Plymouth). With the amalgamation of the RFC and RNAS the unit became 239 Squadron RAF.

The three pictures below show Beacon Quay then and now. The hangar area is now covered by an elevated carpark, the harbour masters office and various shops and eateries.

http://i26.photobucket.com/albums/c118/daveg4otu/tqy.jpg
http://i26.photobucket.com/albums/c118/daveg4otu/bea2.jpg
http://i26.photobucket.com/albums/c118/daveg4otu/bea1.jpg

Close to the landward end of Beacon Quay are the two ramps constructed for D-Day embarkation(The Hotel Regina in the first photo is visible in the 1918 photo above just above the canvas hangar. http://i26.photobucket.com/albums/c118/daveg4otu/DSCF9939Large.jpg
http://i26.photobucket.com/albums/c118/daveg4otu/DSCF9940Large.jpg

This view underneath shows the massive construction....

http://i26.photobucket.com/albums/c118/daveg4otu/ram1.jpg

Close by is a memorial ,It is set in the retaining wall of the road just to the left of the unfinished hangars in the 1918 picture.....

http://i26.photobucket.com/albums/c118/daveg4otu/MEM1.jpg
http://i26.photobucket.com/albums/c118/daveg4otu/mem3.jpg
http://i26.photobucket.com/albums/c118/daveg4otu/mem2.jpg

Although a small number of Sunderlands operated from the harbour in WW2 ( from a pontoon moored close by Haldon Quay ) there are no visible signs on these activities.

[PETERTHEEATER]

Thank you Dave, very nice. I'm a sucker for the old B&W photographs such as your Image 1.

[Richard Drew]

5181518251835184Wn5 Utah Beach http://www.atlantikwall.co.uk/atlantikwall/bayeux_Utah/wn0501/html/page01.htm I have nearly all the Defences from Omaha to Cherbourg on my website.
The Americans miss landed south of their target and hit Wn5 which had less Defences than the proposed beachhead which was very strongly defended with the latest bunkers with 7.5cm & 8.8cm A/T guns and many shelters for troops to live and stay safe from bombing or bombardment from the sea. Wn5 had earlier shelters and no large bunkers. The bombing by the USAAF was very accurate on the day and killed and wounded more than half of Lt Jahnke's men. The remainder fought a brave but hopeless battle only to be captured and sent back to England as POW's. For them the war was over but for the American soldiers a bloody slog through the Bocage continued until the breakout.

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Richard

[jimdumo]

I really enjoyed your pictures. I am doing a research project on my father's service with the RCAF in WWII. Based on info I have received from other RCAF personnel, most RCAF personnel were shipped home out of Torquay. My dad came home in late 1945. Do you have any pictures of what Torquay looked like around the WWII war years. I also understand that there was a RAF base nearby and that was probably where they were temporarily posted while waiting to embark. Do you have any photos or comments on that senario?

Any assistance would be appreciated.

Jim

[Daveg4otu]

The nearest RAF base of any size would have been Exeter. Altho' there were RAF/RN stations at Bolt Head and Haldon these were very small and had little accomodation.

During WW2 a number of hotels in Torquay had been used to accomodate RAF personnel but I have no idea whether this was still the case by 1945.

[PETERTHEEATER]

Some images here:

http://www.clique.co.uk/coloptics/luftwaffe/TORQUAY.htm

[jimdumo]

Many thanks gentlemen. The info on accomodations and the link to the pictures were greatly appreciated.

[Daveg4otu]

This site has some info on hotels, bombing etc
http://www.devonheritage.org/Places/Torquay/CiviliancasualtiesofthebombingofTorquay.htm

If you put "Torquay WW2 Images" into Google you will get a lot of photos , including one of subs tied up at Beacon Quay.