 The St Merryn feast day had been changed to the Sunday nearest to 7 July, Saint Thomas of Canterbury's feast day, when the church was rededicated to "The Blessed Meran and St. Thomas à Becket" during Henry VII's rule.RNAS St Merryn operated from 1937 to 1956 was also known as HMS "Vulture" and HMS "Curlew".Initially the airfield was built with an airstrip and one hangar for civil purposes.