RAF Headcorn
Encyclopedia
RAF Headcorn was a World War II airfield in Kent
, England. The airfield was located approximately 2 miles (3.2 km) east-northeast of Headcorn
; about 38 miles (61.2 km) southeast of London
Opened in 1943, Headcorn was a prototype for the temporary Advanced Landing Ground
airfields to be built in France after D-Day, when the need for advanced landing fields became urgent as the Allied forces moved east across France and Germany. It was used by the Royal Air Force
and the United States Army Air Force. It was closed in September 1944.
Today the airfield is a mixture of agricultural fields with no recognisable remains.
required several temporary Advanced Landing Ground
(ALG) along the channel coast prior to the June 1944 Normandy invasion
to provide tactical air support for the ground forces landing in France. Headcorn airfield was one of the second batch of first ALGs to he constructed in Kent.
Headcorn was a prototype for the type of temporary airfield which would be built in France after D-Day, when the need advanced landing fields would become urgent as the Allied forces moved east across France and Germany. It was originally planned to support light bombers and thereby would need a bomb store near the site. However, in a review of airfield building plans, this original requirement was dropped so Headcorn was of similar specification to other ALGs in the district.
The high water table of the pastureland slowed construction of the work, which started early in 1943. Although the two runways were available for use by the scheduled completion date of 1 June. In common with other ALGs, the two runways were surfaced with a steel wire surface on grass, although some areas were later reinforced with steel Marsden Matting
. The main runway was 4,140 ft running east/west at 09/27 and the auxiliary was 3,600 ft at 00/18.
Tents were used for billeting and also for support facilities; an access road was built to the existing road infrastructure; a dump for supplies, ammunition, and gasoline drums, along with a drinkable water and minimal electrical grid for communications and station lighting.
s around 20 August 1943. The Canadians remained until mid-October, by which time the runway surfaces had started to deteriorate through autumn rains.
An improvement programme was undertaken during the winter as the ALGs were to be made available for use by USAAF fighter units by 1 April 1944. This was undertaken mainly by Nos. 5003 and 5004 Airfield Construction Squadrons with additional work by US aviation engineers. Work involved overlaying the steel wire surface with steel matting at the runway intersection. The main runway was extended to 4,500 ft and the north/south to 3,900 ft as well as the perimeter.
Aircraft hardstands were increased to 80, using Pierced Steel Planking. A steel-frame, canvas-clad, hangar was put up and a few utility buildings plus sheet-metal protective structures for ammunition storage were also erected. Accommodation continued to be in commandeered dwellings and farm buildings but the majority of personnel had to rely on tents to live in during their tenure at Headcorn.
of the 448th Bombardment Group based at RAF Seething
which put down on 15 February 1944 with engine trouble.
The 362nd Fighter Group with some 75 Republic P-47 Thunderbolts moved in from RAF Wormingford
on 13 April as part of the movement of groups of the Ninth Air Force
's 100th Fighter Wing from the Colchester
area that month. The group consisted of the following squadrons:
The 362nd had been operational since February, chiefly on sweeps and escorts, but increasingly turning to fighter-bombing missions as spring approached. A variety of objectives were briefed, mostly road and rail targets. Close support of ground forces was to be the group's main mission once the invasion of the continent
had taken place.
Prior to D-Day
the 362nd's losses were a modest nine aircraft missing in action. but, in the weeks following, the attrition rate soared. In June alone, 24 P-47s failed to return. including four on the 14th and five on the 18th, highlighting the dangers of operations at low level.
The 362nd Fighter Group began its move to Normandy on July 2, relocating to Lignerolles, France (ALG A-12) with Headcorn continuing to he used for operations until the 7th. Two days later the last of the group's personnel had departed.
. Clearing and restoring the site for agricultural use took several months as metal runway surfaces were considerably more difficult to remove than lay, particularly when matted with vegetation and soil.
The temporary category for which the airfield had been constructed was honored in September when, along with several other ALGs in the area, Headcorn was returned to its civilian owners.
In 1983, Headcorn was selected for the erection of a memorial and plaque which was dedicated in September of that year. Confusingly, the former ALG at RAF Lashenden, which continues to be used for private flying, has also been called Headcorn since the 1960s. The airfield today is unrecognizable as a former airfield, fully returned to agriculture. The only way it can be positively located is by aligning the secondary roads in the area with those on aerial photographs of the airfield when it was active.
That said, the land shows the outline of the south end of the 18 runway as a single lane farm road with the edges of what would have been the taxiway visible as a disturbed area of landscape. No buildings or any other evidence of the airfield remains.
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...
, England. The airfield was located approximately 2 miles (3.2 km) east-northeast of Headcorn
Headcorn
Headcorn is a village and civil parish in the Maidstone District of Kent, England. The parish is located on the floodplain of the River Beult south east of Maidstone....
; about 38 miles (61.2 km) southeast of London
Opened in 1943, Headcorn was a prototype for the temporary Advanced Landing Ground
Advanced 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...
airfields to be built in France after D-Day, when the need for advanced landing fields became urgent as the Allied forces moved east across France and Germany. It was used by the Royal Air Force
Royal Air Force
The Royal Air Force is the aerial warfare service branch of the British Armed Forces. Formed on 1 April 1918, it is the oldest independent air force in the world...
and the United States Army Air Force. It was closed in September 1944.
Today the airfield is a mixture of agricultural fields with no recognisable remains.
Overview
The USAAF Ninth Air ForceNinth Air Force
The Ninth Air Force is a numbered air force of the United States Air Force's Air Combat Command . It is headquartered at Shaw Air Force Base, South Carolina....
required several temporary Advanced Landing Ground
Advanced 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...
(ALG) along the channel coast prior to the June 1944 Normandy invasion
Operation Overlord
Operation Overlord was the code name for the Battle of Normandy, the operation that launched the invasion of German-occupied western Europe during World War II by Allied forces. The operation commenced on 6 June 1944 with the Normandy landings...
to provide tactical air support for the ground forces landing in France. Headcorn airfield was one of the second batch of first ALGs to he constructed in Kent.
Headcorn was a prototype for the type of temporary airfield which would be built in France after D-Day, when the need advanced landing fields would become urgent as the Allied forces moved east across France and Germany. It was originally planned to support light bombers and thereby would need a bomb store near the site. However, in a review of airfield building plans, this original requirement was dropped so Headcorn was of similar specification to other ALGs in the district.
The high water table of the pastureland slowed construction of the work, which started early in 1943. Although the two runways were available for use by the scheduled completion date of 1 June. In common with other ALGs, the two runways were surfaced with a steel wire surface on grass, although some areas were later reinforced with steel Marsden Matting
Marsden Matting
Marsden Matting is standardized, perforated steel matting material originally developed by the United States at the Waterways Experiment Station shortly before World War II, primarily for the rapid construction of temporary runways and landing strips...
. The main runway was 4,140 ft running east/west at 09/27 and the auxiliary was 3,600 ft at 00/18.
Tents were used for billeting and also for support facilities; an access road was built to the existing road infrastructure; a dump for supplies, ammunition, and gasoline drums, along with a drinkable water and minimal electrical grid for communications and station lighting.
RAF Fighter Command use
Under RAF No. 11 Group control, the first flying occupants to be based at Headcorn were Nos. 403 and 421 Squadrons, RCAF, which moved in with Supermarine SpitfireSupermarine 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 around 20 August 1943. The Canadians remained until mid-October, by which time the runway surfaces had started to deteriorate through autumn rains.
An improvement programme was undertaken during the winter as the ALGs were to be made available for use by USAAF fighter units by 1 April 1944. This was undertaken mainly by Nos. 5003 and 5004 Airfield Construction Squadrons with additional work by US aviation engineers. Work involved overlaying the steel wire surface with steel matting at the runway intersection. The main runway was extended to 4,500 ft and the north/south to 3,900 ft as well as the perimeter.
Aircraft hardstands were increased to 80, using Pierced Steel Planking. A steel-frame, canvas-clad, hangar was put up and a few utility buildings plus sheet-metal protective structures for ammunition storage were also erected. Accommodation continued to be in commandeered dwellings and farm buildings but the majority of personnel had to rely on tents to live in during their tenure at Headcorn.
USAAF use
Headcorn was known as USAAF Station AAF-412 for security reasons by the USAAF during the war, and by which it was referred to instead of location. It's USAAF Station Code was "HC".362d Fighter Group
The first USAAF aircraft to land on Headcorn's runway was believed to he incidental: a B-24 LiberatorB-24 Liberator
The Consolidated B-24 Liberator was an American heavy bomber, designed by Consolidated Aircraft of San Diego, California. It was known within the company as the Model 32, and a small number of early models were sold under the name LB-30, for Land Bomber...
of the 448th Bombardment Group based at RAF Seething
RAF Seething
RAF Seething is a former World War II airfield in England. The field is located 9 miles SE of Norwich in Norfolk.-Overview:Seething airfield was built in 1942-43 by John Laing & Son Ltd., to the standard Class A requirement for heavy bombers, the airfield had a main runway 6,000 ft. long...
which put down on 15 February 1944 with engine trouble.
The 362nd Fighter Group with some 75 Republic P-47 Thunderbolts moved in from RAF Wormingford
RAF Wormingford
RAF Station Wormingford is a former World War II airfield in Essex, England. The airfield is located approximately northwest of Colchester....
on 13 April as part of the movement of groups of the Ninth Air Force
Ninth Air Force
The Ninth Air Force is a numbered air force of the United States Air Force's Air Combat Command . It is headquartered at Shaw Air Force Base, South Carolina....
's 100th Fighter Wing from the Colchester
Colchester
Colchester is an historic town and the largest settlement within the borough of Colchester in Essex, England.At the time of the census in 2001, it had a population of 104,390. However, the population is rapidly increasing, and has been named as one of Britain's fastest growing towns. As the...
area that month. The group consisted of the following squadrons:
- 377th Fighter Squadron (E4)
- 378th Fighter Squadron (G8)
- 379th Fighter Squadron (B8)
The 362nd had been operational since February, chiefly on sweeps and escorts, but increasingly turning to fighter-bombing missions as spring approached. A variety of objectives were briefed, mostly road and rail targets. Close support of ground forces was to be the group's main mission once the invasion of the continent
Operation Overlord
Operation Overlord was the code name for the Battle of Normandy, the operation that launched the invasion of German-occupied western Europe during World War II by Allied forces. The operation commenced on 6 June 1944 with the Normandy landings...
had taken place.
Prior to D-Day
D-Day
D-Day is a term often used in military parlance to denote the day on which a combat attack or operation is to be initiated. "D-Day" often represents a variable, designating the day upon which some significant event will occur or has occurred; see Military designation of days and hours for similar...
the 362nd's losses were a modest nine aircraft missing in action. but, in the weeks following, the attrition rate soared. In June alone, 24 P-47s failed to return. including four on the 14th and five on the 18th, highlighting the dangers of operations at low level.
The 362nd Fighter Group began its move to Normandy on July 2, relocating to Lignerolles, France (ALG A-12) with Headcorn continuing to he used for operations until the 7th. Two days later the last of the group's personnel had departed.
Post Invasion use
During August, much of the metal runway surface was removed by US engineers and transported from the site for shipment to NormandyNormandy
Normandy is a geographical region corresponding to the former Duchy of Normandy. It is in France.The continental territory covers 30,627 km² and forms the preponderant part of Normandy and roughly 5% of the territory of France. It is divided for administrative purposes into two régions:...
. Clearing and restoring the site for agricultural use took several months as metal runway surfaces were considerably more difficult to remove than lay, particularly when matted with vegetation and soil.
The temporary category for which the airfield had been constructed was honored in September when, along with several other ALGs in the area, Headcorn was returned to its civilian owners.
Civil use
With the facility released from military control, the land was returned to agricultural uses.In 1983, Headcorn was selected for the erection of a memorial and plaque which was dedicated in September of that year. Confusingly, the former ALG at RAF Lashenden, which continues to be used for private flying, has also been called Headcorn since the 1960s. The airfield today is unrecognizable as a former airfield, fully returned to agriculture. The only way it can be positively located is by aligning the secondary roads in the area with those on aerial photographs of the airfield when it was active.
That said, the land shows the outline of the south end of the 18 runway as a single lane farm road with the edges of what would have been the taxiway visible as a disturbed area of landscape. No buildings or any other evidence of the airfield remains.