RAF in Essex, A-G

The county is believed to be the home to Britain’s first ever airfield, South Fambridge, established early in 1909 by aviation pioneer Noel Pemberton-Billing, located around seven miles north of Southend. The region played a crucial role in both world wars, several airfields created to defend the capital from the threat of German Zeppelins in the 1914-18 conflict, with the Royal Naval Air Service (RNAS) also utilising a number of sites during WWI, among them a location in Clacton to operate seaplanes from, and another at Widford on the southern outskirts of Chelmsford. When the might of the Luftwaffe threatened Britain during WWII, Essex again came to the fore, many locations protecting London and the surrounding region with around 30 military airfields created in the county, a number allocated to US forces as the Allies fought back against Nazi aggression. Most of sites were wound down post conflict, the last remaining active RAF station, Wethersfield, handed over to the MoD in the early 1990s.

Located around 15 miles north of Chelmsford, the station was originally named Great Saling, but retitled RAF Andrews Field after USAAF General Frank Andrews, killed in an air crash in Iceland in May 1943, the station immediately handed over to US forces when it opened. Assigned to VIII Bomber Command of the Eighth Air Force, B-17 Flying Fortresses and Martin B-26 Marauders among the aircraft operating. The station returned to RAF Fighter Command in October 1944, North American Mustangs flying out to escort Bomber Command daylight operations, and in February 1945, No. 616 Squadron arrived operating the RAF’s first jet, the Gloster Meteor.

(Construction of RAF Andrews Field by the 819th Engineer Battalion (Aviation) of the United States Army during 1942.)

The station was also home for a time to the Air Sea Rescue Supermarine Walruses of 276 Squadron RAF Coastal Command, Andrews Field becoming a satellite for RAF Great Sampford at the end of hostilities.

A Home Defence Landing Ground (HDLG) was established near Beaumont-cum-Moze in the Tendring district, around five miles north of Clacton, the aircraft of No. 37 Squadron operating for several months during 1916, including Royal Aircraft Factory BE12s. 

It was the summer of 1942 when Birch was allocated to the USAAF 8th Air Force with plans to develop the site into a heavy bomber station, but delays in construction saw the location around ten miles south west of Colchester not in use until early in 1944 with three concrete runways built. However, by this time, most of the aircraft of the RAF and USAAF had been allocated locations across the eastern side of southern Britain, with Birch becoming a reserve airfield, with two RAF Transport squadrons, Nos. 233 and 437, flying Dakotas out of the station.

A HDLG was established at Blackheath Common, near Monkwick, on the southern outskirts of Colchester, No. 37 Squadron utilising the airfield with Sopwith Camels among the aircraft operating.

                           

                 RAF Blackheath             

Handed over to the USAAF upon opening in 1944, the airfield four miles north east of Chelmsford was used primarily for bombing operations and transporting paratroops, the 394th Bombardment Group and the 315th Troop Carrier Group among the units using Boreham, with a range of aircraft operating including B-26 Marauders and C-47 Skytrains. The site was more recently used by the helicopters of Essex Police and Essex and Herts Air Ambulance. 

Designated Station 150, Boxted was handed over to the USAAF with 386th Bombardment Group the first arrival, B-26 Marauders operating out of the site four miles north east of Colchester. The 386th were replaced by the 354th Fighter Group in November 1943, providing escorts for heavy bombers, in turn being replaced by the 56th Fighter Group flying the P-47 Thunderbolt. Post war, Boxted was handed over to RAF Fighter Command, with Mosquitos and Gloster Meteors based there before its closure. 

                             RAF Boxted                             

A grass landing ground was used prior to the outbreak of WWII for the nearby Dengie Flats firing range off the coast, allowing aircraft to refuel and re-arm. The remote location around ten miles east of Maldon was upgraded with concrete runways, the station becoming part of Fighter Command with No. 418 Squadron one of the early fighter units to arrive. Bradwell Bay was noted for being the only fighter station where FIDO (Fog Investigation and Dispersal Operation) was used, a method that involved burning fuel in rows and dispersing fog to allow aircraft to land in poor visibility. 

The exact location of what was initially RFC Braintree is contentious, as there was a number of civilian and military landing grounds in the vicinity of the Essex town during the 1910s, No. 37 Squadron using RFC Braintree to operate a range of aircraft including Royal Aircraft Factory BE12s.

                                   

No. 37 Squadron used a landing ground at Broomfield on the northern outskirts of Chelmsford from midway through WWI, a range of aircraft operating including BE12s. The location continued to be used as a civilian airfield after the military departed, the site still in operation until the mid-1930s. 

The station opened under the control of the Royal Navy Air Services (RNAS), the location around 13 miles north east of Southend on the north side of the River Crouch used by fighter aircraft on defensive sorties. The Royal Flying Corps took over in 1916, No. 37 Squadron having the site available to them as a HDLG, by 1918 the airfield solely used by Sopwith Camels.

Located around seven miles north of Southend, east of the village, Canewdon was one of the first Chain Home Radar Stations set up in Britain, sites across the country that would detect enemy aircraft and estimate their distance from Britain, relaying that information to sister stations. The original radar tower was relocated to Great Baddow on the outskirts of Chelmsford when the station closed, and is now located on the site of BAE Systems Applied Intelligence Laboratories having been granted Grade II listed status.

• Opened: 1943
• Closed: 1948

• Opened: 1937
• Closed: 1974

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