RAF Ridgewell
Encyclopedia
RAF Ridgewell is a former World War II
airfield in England
. The field is located 7½ miles NW of Halstead
in Essex
. During the war, the airfield was used by the Royal Air Force
and the United States Army Air Forces
Eighth Air Force
.
until May 1943, the station being at the time a satellite of RAF Stradishall
.
. For USAAF use, the number of hardstands was increased to the fifty required by a US bomb group. The station was part of the 1st Combat Wing establishment of the 1st Division and was the furthest east of its thirteen heavy bomber stations. It was assigned USAAF designation Station 167, station code "RD".
, Colorado
. Its tail code was Triangle-L.. The 381st Bomb Group consisted of the following operational squadrons and fuselage codes:
After V-E Day, the 381st Bomb Group returned to Sioux Falls AAF, South Dakota
in July 1945 and was deactivated on 28 August.
retained the old aircraft hangars which were used by units from nearby RAF Wethersfield
and RAF Alconbury
for storage until both bases were closed in the early 1990s.
Recently part of the airfield has been purchased by the Essex gliding club and is their home base for gliding throughout the summer months.
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...
airfield in England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
. The field is located 7½ miles NW of Halstead
Halstead
Halstead is a town and civil parish located in Braintree District of Essex, England, near Colchester and Sudbury. It has a population of 11,053. The town is situated in the Colne Valley, and originally developed on the hill to the north of the river...
in Essex
Essex
Essex is a ceremonial and non-metropolitan county in the East region of England, and one of the home counties. It is located to the northeast of Greater London. It borders with Cambridgeshire and Suffolk to the north, Hertfordshire to the west, Kent to the South and London to the south west...
. During the war, the airfield 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 Forces
United States Army Air Forces
The United States Army Air Forces was the military aviation arm of the United States of America during and immediately after World War II, and the direct predecessor of the United States Air Force....
Eighth Air Force
Eighth Air Force
The Eighth Air Force is a numbered air force of the United States Air Force Global Strike Command . It is headquartered at Barksdale Air Force Base, Louisiana....
.
Overview
Ridgewell airfield was an early example of stations completed to Class A heavy bomber airfield design for the RAF, and had three intersecting runways of 6,500 ft each in length, thirty-six hardstands, two T-2 hangars and accommodation for 2,900 men in temporary buildings.RAF Bomber Command use
The airfield was opened in December 1942 and was first used by the RAF Bomber Command 90 squadron with Short Stirling BombersShort Stirling
The Short Stirling was the first four-engined British heavy bomber of the Second World War. The Stirling was designed and built by Short Brothers to an Air Ministry specification from 1936, and entered service in 1941...
until May 1943, the station being at the time a satellite of RAF Stradishall
Stradishall
Stradishall is a village and civil parish in the Borough of St Edmundsbury in the English county of Suffolk.The Royal Air Force operated an airfield near Stradishall, RAF Stradishall, which was operational between 1938 and 1970. The former airfield is now the site of two category C prisons: HMP...
.
USAAF use
Ridgewell was the only long-term heavy bomber base of the Eighth Air Force in EssexEssex
Essex is a ceremonial and non-metropolitan county in the East region of England, and one of the home counties. It is located to the northeast of Greater London. It borders with Cambridgeshire and Suffolk to the north, Hertfordshire to the west, Kent to the South and London to the south west...
. For USAAF use, the number of hardstands was increased to the fifty required by a US bomb group. The station was part of the 1st Combat Wing establishment of the 1st Division and was the furthest east of its thirteen heavy bomber stations. It was assigned USAAF designation Station 167, station code "RD".
381st Bombardment Group
From 30 June 1943 the airfield was used by the USAAF 381st Bombardment Group (Heavy), arriving from Pueblo AABPueblo, Colorado
Pueblo is a Home Rule Municipality that is the county seat and the most populous city of Pueblo County, Colorado, United States. The population was 106,595 in 2010 census, making it the 246th most populous city in the United States....
, Colorado
Colorado
Colorado is a U.S. state that encompasses much of the Rocky Mountains as well as the northeastern portion of the Colorado Plateau and the western edge of the Great Plains...
. Its tail code was Triangle-L.. The 381st Bomb Group consisted of the following operational squadrons and fuselage codes:
- 532d Bombardment Squadron (VE)
- 533d Bombardment Squadron (VP)
- 534th Bombardment Squadron534th Bombardment SquadronThe 534th Bombardment Squadron is an inactive United States Air Force unit. It was last assigned to the 381st Bombardment Group, stationed at Sioux City Army Air Base, Iowa. It was inactivated on 27 June 1949.-History:...
(GD) - 535th Bombardment Squadron535th Bombardment SquadronThe 535th Bombardment Squadron is an inactive United States Air Force unit. It was last assigned to the 381st Bombardment Group, stationed at Sioux Falls Army Air Field, South Dakota. It was inactivated on 28 August 1945-History:...
(MS)
After V-E Day, the 381st Bomb Group returned to Sioux Falls AAF, South Dakota
South Dakota
South Dakota is a state located in the Midwestern region of the United States. It is named after the Lakota and Dakota Sioux American Indian tribes. Once a part of Dakota Territory, South Dakota became a state on November 2, 1889. The state has an area of and an estimated population of just over...
in July 1945 and was deactivated on 28 August.
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Air Ministry use
After the war, Ridgewell was used for bomb storage from 15 July 1945 to 31 March 1957. It was then disposed of and sold. The United States Air ForceUnited States Air Force
The United States Air Force is the aerial warfare service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the American uniformed services. Initially part of the United States Army, the USAF was formed as a separate branch of the military on September 18, 1947 under the National Security Act of...
retained the old aircraft hangars which were used by units from nearby RAF Wethersfield
RAF Wethersfield
MDPGA Wethersfield is a Ministry of Defence facility in Essex, England; it is located north of the village of Wethersfield—about north-west of the town of Braintree...
and RAF Alconbury
RAF Alconbury
RAF Alconbury is an active Royal Air Force station in Cambridgeshire, England. The airfield is adjacent to the Stukeleys [Great and Little] and located about northwest of Huntingdon; about north of London....
for storage until both bases were closed in the early 1990s.
Civil use
With the end of military control, the majority of the base was returned to agriculture, with the buildings and control tower being torn down. The concrete runways and hardstands were removed for hardcore, although much of the perimeter track was reused for country roads, albeit at a reduced width.Recently part of the airfield has been purchased by the Essex gliding club and is their home base for gliding throughout the summer months.