Caernarfon airfield was developed on the site of an older tank training ground. The three runways, all 150ft wide, are organised into a triangle each measuring 944m( 3100ft), 911m (2990ft) and 914m (3000ft) long respectively. There were formerly two T type 1 hangars and a Bellman hangar, plus 6 blister hangars along the northern perimeter track. These have all been taken down. The technical, administration and hospital areas were on the south side of the runways. Around the perimeter facing the sea, a dyke was constructed. The airports defences included two `seagull' trenches. All the buildings were demolished and removed in the 1950s. Although, the control tower (NPRN 421250) remains and has been renovated. The airfield was heavily defended and many of the pillboxes are still extant. There is a Battle Headquarters just to the south of the approach to the east-west runway.

Event and Historical Information:
The airfield has important associations with the Mountain Rescue Service. In 1942, ten downed aircraft in the Snowdonia area accounting for 40 dead and 8 injured convinced Fl Lt George Graham, the Medical Officer at Llanwrog, that a special unit was required. The first trials in February 1943 consisted of a Jeep and a Humber 4-wheel drive ambulance for transport and search parties equipped with radios, compasses, maps, ropes, weather-proof clothing, soon followed by a lightweight General Service Stretcher. The first unit based at the airfield was the 9 Air Gunnery School equipped with Armstrong Whitworth Whitleys and Avro Ansons. In June 1943, Llandwrog became a satellite airfield to Penrhos for the 9 Observers Advanced Flying Unit (O AFU). The station eventually moved to Llandwrog to make most efficient use of concrete runways. Navigation and gunnery training continued until 14 June 1945, when the buildings were used to accommodate 2 Air Crew Holding Unit (ACHU). The number of personnel at the end of the war totalled some 1313 - 134 officers and 4 WAAF, 298 NCOs and 5 WAAF, and 713 airmen with 159 WAAF. The airfield was placed into a care and maintenance on 29 July 1945, but was chosen to become the base of 277 Maintenance Unit (Explosive Disposal Unit) in the Autumm of 1946 when over 71,000 250kg bombs were transported from Newport Docks to Llandwrog from German stockpiles. Twenty-one Bellman hangars were built on the runways, and to the bombs was added 14,000 tons of Tabun nerve gas. The gas was later transported to Belan Fort to be ultimately transferred to cargo vessel to be sunk in the Atlantic. At the end of the operation in October 1956, all the hangars and buildings had been cleared for safety. The site is now used as Caernarfon airport and is the home of the Airworld Museum.

Sources include:
Defence of Britain Project
Jones, I, 2008, Airfields and Landing Grounds of Wales: North, pg60-9
Phillips, Alan, 2006, Military Airfields Wales, pg 129-134
Sloan, Roy, 1991, Wings of War over Gwynedd, pg79-105
Smith, David J, 1982, Action Stations 3: Military Airfields of Wales and the North West, pg 116-9

RCAHMW, June 2008.