RAF Rivenhall
Encyclopedia
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 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...
, 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 airfield is located approximately 4 miles (6.4 km) south-southeast of Braintree
Braintree, Essex
Braintree is a town of about 42,000 people and the principal settlement of the Braintree district of Essex in the East of England. It is northeast of Chelmsford and west of Colchester on the River Blackwater, A120 road and a branch of the Great Eastern Main Line.Braintree has grown contiguous...
; about 40 miles (64.4 km) northeast of London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
Opened in 1942, it was used by both 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 United States Army Air Force. During the war it was used primarily as a combat airfield with various fighter and bomber units. After the war it was closed in 1946 and kept in reserve until 1956.
Today the remains of the airfield are located on private property with the northern half being turned into a quarry.
Overview
Construction was begun in early 1943 with the runways, perimeter and hard standings being built by Messrs W. & C. French and the buildings by Bovis Limited. Building progress was slow during the autumn and winter of 1943, so much so that much of the accommodation and support installations were uncompleted when the first units of the USAAF arrived. The airfield, like others in the grouping, had first been allocated to the Eighth Air ForceEighth 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....
for heavy bomber use and eventually re-assigned to the 3rd Bombardment Wing
98th Bombardment Wing (World War II)
The 98th Bombardment Wing is an inactive United States Air Force unit. Its last assignment was with the United States Air Force Reserve, based at Bedford Field, Massachusetts...
which became the nucleus of IX Bomber Command.
The airfield was built to the Class A airfield
Class A airfield
Class A airfields were military installations originally built for the Royal Air Force in the Second World War. Several were transferred to the U.S...
standard consisting of three runways of 6,000 ft (10/28), 4,200 ft (04/22), and 4,200 ft (16/34). 51 "Loop" type hardstands were constructed connecting to an enclosing perimeter track, of a standard width of 50 feet.
The ground support station was constructed largely of Nissen hut
Nissen hut
A Nissen hut is a prefabricated steel structure made from a half-cylindrical skin of corrugated steel, a variant of which was used extensively during World War II.-Description:...
s of various sizes mostly on the south side of the airfield. The support station was where the group and ground station commanders and squadron headquarters and orderly rooms were located. Also on the ground station were where the mess facilities; chapel; hospital; mission briefing and debriefing; armory and bombsite storage; life support; parachute rigging; supply warehouses; station and airfield security; motor pool and the other ground support functions necessary to support the air operations of the group. These facilities were all connected by a network of single path support roads.
The technical site, also on the south side of the airfield, was connected to the ground station and airfield consisted of at least two T-2 type hangars and various organizational, component and field maintenance shops along with the crew chiefs and other personnel necessary to keep the aircraft airworthy and to quickly repair light and moderate battle damage. Aircraft severely damaged in combat were sent to repair depots for major structural repair. The Ammunition dump was located on the north side of the airfield, outside of the perimeter track surrounded by large dirt mounds and concrete storage pens for storing the aerial bombs and the other munitions required by the combat aircraft.
Various domestic accommodation sites were constructed dispersed away from the airfield on the south side, but within a mile or so of the technical support site, also using clusters of Maycrete or Nissen huts. The Huts were either connected, set up end-to-end or built singly and made of prefabricated corrugated iron with a door and two small windows at the front and back. They provided accommodation for 2,594 personnel, including communal and a sick quarters.
USAAF use
Rivenhall was known as USAAF Station AAF-168 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 "RL".363d Fighter Group
On 22 January 1944, a squadron of the 363d Fighter Group arrived from RAF KeevilRAF Keevil
RAF Keevil is a former World War II airfield in England. The field is located 4 miles east of Trowbridge, Wiltshire.The airfield was built on a site previously ear-marked for the purpose in the mid 1930s...
where it had been awaiting equipment. The group had been selected as the third in the European Theatere to be equipped with the new North American P-51B Mustang
P-51 Mustang
The North American Aviation P-51 Mustang was an American long-range, single-seat fighter and fighter-bomber used during World War II, the Korean War and in several other conflicts...
. The group consisted of the following operational squadrons:
- 380th Fighter Squadron (A9)
- 381st Fighter Squadron (B3)
- 382d Fighter Squadron (C3)
The first of its squadrons to arrive at Rivenhall, the 382nd, received Mustangs with which to begin training two days later. The other two squadrons of the group, the 380th and 381st, had arrived by the end of the first week of February.
Many of the Mustangs had already seen service with the 354th Fighter Group at RAF Boxted
RAF Boxted
RAF Boxted is a former World War II airfield in Essex, England. The airfield is located approximately north-northeast of Colchester; about northeast of London...
, having been withdrawn for modification and re-issued. The early model Mustangs had been employed in a tactical fighter reconnaissance role by the RAF and USAAF, and the same task was planned for the new P-51B. However, its exceptional endurance and good performance made the type ideal for long-range bomber escort duties which was the pressing need of the USAAF in Britain at this time.
Bad weather caused the 363rd FG's first combat mission to be abandoned, but this was achieved two days later on 24 February when 24 P-51Bs took off from Rivenhall for Belgium
Belgium
Belgium , officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a federal state in Western Europe. It is a founding member of the European Union and hosts the EU's headquarters, and those of several other major international organisations such as NATO.Belgium is also a member of, or affiliated to, many...
on bomber support. Thereafter, there was no gentle introduction to operations for the remainder of the Rivenhall pilots: this inexperienced organisation had some painful lessons ahead.
On 4 March, while supporting a raid over Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
, the group was surprised by an experienced Luftwaffe
Luftwaffe
Luftwaffe is a generic German term for an air force. It is also the official name for two of the four historic German air forces, the Wehrmacht air arm founded in 1935 and disbanded in 1946; and the current Bundeswehr air arm founded in 1956....
unit. This was probably the Luftwaffe's most successful interception of P-51s and 11 Mustangs failed to return to Rivenhall.
The 363rd continued to provide escort for Eighth Air Force heavy bombers, but prepared to go over to fighter-bomber work. This included dive-bombing and several practice sorties were dispatched to dive-bomb targets in the Stour estuary
River Stour, Suffolk
The River Stour is a river in East Anglia, England. It is 76 km long and forms most of the county boundary between Suffolk to the north, and Essex to the south. It rises in eastern Cambridgeshire, passes to the east of Haverhill, through Cavendish, Sudbury and the Dedham Vale, and joins the...
. On two occasions, the Mustangs involved broke up attempting to pull out of the dive which led to re-examination of the technique employed.
During its stay at Rivenhall the 363rd flew 20 missions, had 16 aircraft missing in action, and was credited with shooting down 13 of the enemy. On 14 April 1944 as part of a general movement of 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....
fighter units in 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 to the advanced landing grounds, the 363rd moved to RAF Staplehurst
RAF Staplehurst
RAF Staplehurst is a former World War II airfield in Kent, England. The airfield is located approximately northeast of Staplehurst; about southeast of London...
. The actual movement of all elements had begun two days previously.
397th Bombardment Group
On the day following the departure of the 363d, the first Martin B-26 MaraudersB-26 Marauder
The Martin B-26 Marauder was a World War II twin-engine medium bomber built by the Glenn L. Martin Company. First used in the Pacific Theater in early 1942, it was also used in the Mediterranean Theater and in Western Europe....
of the 397th Bombardment Group arrived from RAF Gosfield
RAF Gosfield
RAF Station Gosfield is a former World War II airfield in Essex, England. The airfield is located approximately north of Braintree; about north-northeast of LondonOpened in 1943, it was used by both the Royal Air Force and United States Army Air Force...
. The group consisted of the following operational squadrons:
- 596th Bombardment Squadron596th Bombardment SquadronThe 596th Bombardment Squadron is an inactive United States Air Force unit. It was last assigned to the 2d Bombardment Wing. It was inactivated at Barksdale Air Force Base, Louisiana on 1 September 1991.-History:...
(X2) - 597th Bombardment Squadron597th Bombardment SquadronThe 597th Bombardment Squadron is an inactive United States Air Force unit. It was last assigned to the 397th Bombardment Group. It was last stationed at Camp Kilmer, New Jersey, and was inactivated on 22 December 1945-History:...
(9F) - 598th Bombardment Squadron598th Bombardment SquadronThe 598th Bombardment Squadron is an inactive United States Air Force unit. It was last assigned to the 397th Bombardment Group. It was last stationed at Camp Kilmer, New Jersey, and was inactivated on 22 December 1945-History:...
(U2) - 599th Bombardment Squadron599th Bombardment SquadronThe 599th Bombardment Squadron is an inactive United States Air Force unit. It was last assigned to the 397th Bombardment Group. It was last stationed at Camp Kilmer, New Jersey, and was inactivated on 22 December 1945-History:...
(6B)
The group's identification marking was a yellow diagonal band across both sides of the vertical tailplane.
Over the next few days, more than 60 'bare metal' B-26s were to be seen on the Rivenhall hardstands. Although fresh from the training grounds in south-eastern United States, and having only reached the UK early in April. the 397th undertook its first combat mission on 20 April: an attack on a Pas de Calais V-1 site.
During its tenure of Rivenhall the 397th undertook 56 bombing missions, 32 of them attacks on bridges. Other targets were enemy airficlds, rail junctions, fuel and ammunition stores, V-weapon sites and various military installations in France and the Low Countries. During these missions a total of 16 B-26s were missing in action and several others wrecked in crash-landings at the base.
Early in August, officially on the 5th, the 397th transferred from Rivenhall to RAF Hurn
RAF Hurn
RAF Station Hurn is a former World War II airfield in Dorset, England. The airfield is located approximately north east of Christchurch; about southwest of LondonOpened in 1941, it was used by both the Royal Air Force and United States Army Air Force...
in Hampshire
Hampshire
Hampshire is a county on the southern coast of England in the United Kingdom. The county town of Hampshire is Winchester, a historic cathedral city that was once the capital of England. Hampshire is notable for housing the original birthplaces of the Royal Navy, British Army, and Royal Air Force...
, to give the Marauders a better radius of action as the break-out of the Allied forces from the Normandy
Normandy
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:...
beachhead meant that potential targets were receding.
RAF Bomber Command use
In early October, Short StirlingShort 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...
s of the RAF's No. 295 Squadron
No. 295 Squadron RAF
No 295 Squadron RAF was an airborne forces and transport squadron of the Royal Air Force during World War II. It was the first unit to be equipped with the Armstrong Whitworth Albemarle transport and glider tug aircraft.-With the Airborne Forces:...
took up residence with most of its operations consisting of supply drops to Norwegian resistance forces and similar activities over Holland and Denmark
Denmark
Denmark is a Scandinavian country in Northern Europe. The countries of Denmark and Greenland, as well as the Faroe Islands, constitute the Kingdom of Denmark . It is the southernmost of the Nordic countries, southwest of Sweden and south of Norway, and bordered to the south by Germany. Denmark...
. On 24 March 1945, the unit took part in Operation Varsity
Operation Varsity
Operation Varsity was a successful joint American–British airborne operation that took place toward the end of World War II...
, the crossing of the Rhine.
Early in April another Stirling squadron arrived. No. 570
No. 570 Squadron RAF
No. 570 Squadron RAF was a bomber unit active within No. 38 Group RAF as an airborne, bomber support and special operations squadron during World War II.-History:...
, which joined No. 295 in night operations in support of resistance forces in occupied countries. Both squadrons were disbanded at Rivenhall in January 1946 whereupon the station was held on a care and maintenance basis.
Rivenhall continued to be one of the busiest airfields in the UK until January 1946 when its squadrons moved to RAF Shepherds Grove
RAF Shepherds Grove
RAF Shepherds Grove is a former Royal Air Force base in Suffolk England 9 miles NE of Bury St Edmunds.The base was built for the United States Army Air Force Eighth Air Force during World War II. However the facility was not used by the USAAF and was opened by 3 Group, RAF on 3 April 1944...
, situated 12 miles northeast of Bury St. Edmunds
Bury St. Edmunds
Bury St Edmunds is a market town in the county of Suffolk, England, and formerly the county town of West Suffolk. It is the main town in the borough of St Edmundsbury and known for the ruined abbey near the town centre...
.
After its usefulness as a flying airfield ended, Rivenhall was used to house Polish servicemen released from PoW camps who did not want to return to their homeland.
Civil use
Upon its release from military use, in June 1956, Marconi leased part of the airfield and within ten years had taken over most of the surviving buildings. Today, the northern half of the former airfield has been turned into a quarry, with the vast majority of the land in the northwest of the airfield being excavated.The perimeter track of the airfield has been reduced to a single track agricultural road, however some of the loop hardstands still remain in the southwestern quadrant of the field. All three runways either have been quarried, or substantially reduced in width, with agriculture fields taking over the grass areas of the former airfield. A very small portion of the 28 end of the main runway still exists at full width. Both T-2 hangars remain, along with a scattering of buildings. An automobile salvage yard has taken over some of the hardstands in the east end of the airfield, where once C-47s and gliders were stored.