RNAS Pembroke/RNAS Milton/RAF Carew Cheriton

Military Drawdown (Surplus to requirements following the end of World War II)

The former airfield site is now a mix of industrial and agricultural use.
- The most prominent remaining feature is the original 1940s Control Tower, which has been restored and is now a museum and war memorial (Carew Cheriton Control Tower Museum), dedicated to the memory of those who served there.
- Several original hangars and other wartime buildings still stand and are used by various businesses as part of the Milton Industrial Estate.
- The original runways and taxiways are largely gone, having been broken up for aggregate or incorporated into local farm tracks and roads. Faint outlines of the airfield layout can still be seen from the air.

The site has a rich and varied military aviation history, operating under three different names across two World Wars.

**WWI - RNAS Pembroke (1915-1920):**
- Established in August 1915 as a Royal Naval Air Service (RNAS) Airship Station, it was one of the UK's main bases for non-rigid airships.
- Its primary mission was conducting anti-submarine patrols over the Western Approaches, the Bristol Channel, and the Irish Sea to protect vital shipping lanes from German U-boats.
- The station operated various classes of 'blimps', most notably the SSZ (Sea Scout Zero) class airships.
- After the formation of the Royal Air Force (RAF) in 1918, it became RAF Station Pembroke but was closed down in 1920 following the end of the war.

**WWII - RAF Carew Cheriton (1938-1942):**
- The site was reactivated and significantly expanded in 1938 as part of Britain's re-armament program ahead of World War II. It was renamed RAF Carew Cheriton.
- It served as a crucial station for RAF Coastal Command. Its squadrons flew maritime patrol and anti-submarine missions, playing a vital role in the Battle of the Atlantic.
- Aircraft based here included Avro Ansons, Bristol Beauforts, Lockheed Hudsons, and Vickers Wellingtons.
- The station was also used for training, particularly for Avro Anson crews.
- On 15 May 1940, the station's accommodation block was bombed by the Luftwaffe, resulting in significant casualties.

**WWII - RNAS Milton / RNAS Pembroke II (1942-1945):**
- In late 1942, control of the station was transferred back to the Royal Navy and it was commissioned as HMS Goldcrest II, an auxiliary of HMS Goldcrest (RNAS Dale).
- It was renamed RNAS Milton to avoid confusion with the nearby RNAS Pembroke Dock (a flying boat base). It was also known as RNAS Pembroke II.
- Its role changed to that of an Aircraft Receipt and Despatch Unit (ARDU). It became a major storage and maintenance facility, preparing aircraft for frontline Fleet Air Arm squadrons and for carrier embarkation.
- After the war ended, the need for the station diminished rapidly, and it was decommissioned in 1945, with the site being paid off (sold) by the Admiralty in 1948.

There are no known plans or prospects for reopening the site as a functional airport. The land has been extensively redeveloped for industrial and agricultural purposes, and the preservation of the control tower as a historical museum makes any future aviation use highly unfeasible.