RAF Brenzett
Encyclopedia
RAF Brenzett was a Royal Air Force station close to the village of Brenzett
near Romney Marsh
in Kent
during the Second World War
. It was used as an airfield in 1944 for the Mustang Wing which comprised three squadrons including two Polish squadrons in exile and operated patrols against V-1 flying bomb
s.
in July 1942 and construction work on the 300 acres (1.2 km²) site of flat marshland commenced in 1943, it was due to open on 1 March 1943 but was not ready for occupation until September and the airfield opened as RAF Brenzett as part of RAF Fighter Command
on the 14 September 1943 with two Sommerfeld Tracking
runways. The locals referred to the airfield as Ivychurch
after the nearest village. The airfield eventually had five blister hangar
s for the aircraft but most of the personnel were housed in a tented camp.
The first unit to use the airfield was 122 Sqn with Supermarine Spitfire
s in August 1943 who used it relieve pressure on their home airfield of RAF Kingsnorth five miles (8 km) to the north. The airfield was not used to support the D-Day landings but in July 1944 a Mustang Wing (No 133 Polish Fighter Wing) with three squadrons was based there, mainly on anti-flying bomb patrols.
The United States Army Air Corps
designated the airfield Station Number 438. The main American unit was Battery C, 635 AAA (Anti-aircraft Artillery), Automatic Weapons Bn, IX Air Defence Command.
The Mustang wing left in October 1944 and the airfield was no longer needed, and closed on 13 December 1944, returning to agricultural use. In 1972 the Brenzett Aeronautical Museum, a military and aviation museum, was opened near the site in buildings formerly occupied by the Women's Land Army
.
Brenzett
Brenzett is a village and civil parish in the Shepway District of Kent, England. The village lies on the Romney Marsh, three miles west of New Romney....
near Romney Marsh
Romney Marsh
Romney Marsh is a sparsely populated wetland area in the counties of Kent and East Sussex in the south-east of England. It covers about 100 mi ² .-Quotations:*“As Egypt was the gift of the Nile, this level tract .....
in Kent
Kent
Kent is a county in southeast England, and is one of the home counties. It borders East Sussex, Surrey and Greater London and has a defined boundary with Essex in the middle of the Thames Estuary. The ceremonial county boundaries of Kent include the shire county of Kent and the unitary borough of...
during the Second World War
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
. It was used as an airfield in 1944 for the Mustang Wing which comprised three squadrons including two Polish squadrons in exile and operated patrols against V-1 flying bomb
V-1 flying bomb
The V-1 flying bomb, also known as the Buzz Bomb or Doodlebug, was an early pulse-jet-powered predecessor of the cruise missile....
s.
History
The site was chosen for an advanced landing groundAdvanced Landing Ground
Advanced Landing Ground was the term given to the temporary advance airfields constructed by the Allies during World War II in support of the invasion of Europe...
in July 1942 and construction work on the 300 acres (1.2 km²) site of flat marshland commenced in 1943, it was due to open on 1 March 1943 but was not ready for occupation until September and the airfield opened as RAF Brenzett as part of RAF Fighter Command
RAF Fighter Command
RAF Fighter Command was one of three functional commands of the Royal Air Force. It was formed in 1936 to allow more specialised control of fighter aircraft. It served throughout the Second World War, gaining recognition in the Battle of Britain. The Command continued until 17 November 1943, when...
on the 14 September 1943 with two Sommerfeld Tracking
Sommerfeld Tracking
Sommerfeld Tracking, named after German expatriate engineer, Kurt Joachim Sommerfeld, then living in England, was a lightweight wire mesh type of prefabricated airfield surface. First put into use by the British in 1941, it was a wire netting stiffened laterally by steel rods...
runways. The locals referred to the airfield as Ivychurch
Ivychurch
For Ivychurch, Wiltshire, see Ivychurch PrioryIvychurch is a village and civil parish in the Shepway District of Kent, England. The village is located on the Romney Marsh, three miles north-west of New Romney. The parish council consists of five members.The village has a public house but has...
after the nearest village. The airfield eventually had five blister hangar
Hangar
A hangar is a closed structure to hold aircraft or spacecraft in protective storage. Most hangars are built of metal, but other materials such as wood and concrete are also sometimes used...
s for the aircraft but most of the personnel were housed in a tented camp.
The first unit to use the airfield was 122 Sqn with Supermarine Spitfire
Supermarine Spitfire
The Supermarine Spitfire is a British single-seat fighter aircraft that was used by the Royal Air Force and many other Allied countries throughout the Second World War. The Spitfire continued to be used as a front line fighter and in secondary roles into the 1950s...
s in August 1943 who used it relieve pressure on their home airfield of RAF Kingsnorth five miles (8 km) to the north. The airfield was not used to support the D-Day landings but in July 1944 a Mustang Wing (No 133 Polish Fighter Wing) with three squadrons was based there, mainly on anti-flying bomb patrols.
The United States Army Air Corps
United States Army Air Corps
The United States Army Air Corps was a forerunner of the United States Air Force. Renamed from the Air Service on 2 July 1926, it was part of the United States Army and the predecessor of the United States Army Air Forces , established in 1941...
designated the airfield Station Number 438. The main American unit was Battery C, 635 AAA (Anti-aircraft Artillery), Automatic Weapons Bn, IX Air Defence Command.
The Mustang wing left in October 1944 and the airfield was no longer needed, and closed on 13 December 1944, returning to agricultural use. In 1972 the Brenzett Aeronautical Museum, a military and aviation museum, was opened near the site in buildings formerly occupied by the Women's Land Army
Women's Land Army
The Women's Land Army was a British civilian organisation created during the First and Second World Wars to work in agriculture replacing men called up to the military. Women who worked for the WLA were commonly known as Land Girls...
.
Units and aircraft
| Unit | Dates | Aircraft | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| No 122 Squadron RAF | 1943 | Supermarine Spitfire Supermarine Spitfire The Supermarine Spitfire is a British single-seat fighter aircraft that was used by the Royal Air Force and many other Allied countries throughout the Second World War. The Spitfire continued to be used as a front line fighter and in secondary roles into the 1950s... IX |
Detachments from RAF Kingsnorth |
| No 129 Squadron RAF | 1944 | North American Mustang III | Part of No 133 Wing RAF |
| No 306 (Polish) Squadron RAF | 1944 | North American Mustang III | Part of No 133 Wing RAF |
| No 315 (Polish) Squadron RAF | 1944 | North American Mustang III | Part of No 133 Wing RAF |
Further reading
- Moor, Anthony John. Mustang Wing : RAF Brenzett Advanced Landing Ground, Romney Marsh, Kent, 1942-44. St Leonards-on-Sea : HPC, 1999
- Delve, Ken. The Military Airfields of Britain. Southern England. Kent, Hampshire, Surrey and Sussex. Crowood Press. 2005 ISBN 1-86126-729-0