The Amiens Prison Raid – February 18th 1945

February 18, 2025April 9, 2024 / Aviationtrails / 2 Comments

There are multiple stories of heroism and daring stemming from the Second World War, each and everyone pushing man and machine beyond their boundaries. Many daring missions were flown in which crews performed and completed their task with extraordinary bravery and at great cost to both themselves, and to those on the ground.

Stories such as the ‘Dambusters’ have become famous and commemorated year on year, and yet another daring raid is barely mentioned or even considered by those outside of aviation history. The details of the raid remained secret for years after the event and even now, factual evidence is scarce or difficult to find; even the name of the operation can cause heated debate. The merits of the operation continue to be debated and many are still divided as to what the true purpose of the operation really was.

Whatever the reason behind it however, the historical fact is that the operation was a daring, low-level raid that helped many prisoners of war escape captivity and probably death, and one that was carried out in very difficult circumstances by a group of extremely brave young men.

It was of course the raid on the Amiens prison on February 18th 1944, by nineteen Mosquitoes of 140 Wing based at RAF Hunsdon.

As a new wing, it was formed at RAF Sculthorpe, and would consist of three multinational squadrons, a ‘British’, Australian and New Zealand unit, and all would be based at Hunsdon as part of the RAF’s Second Tactical Air Force (2TAF) designed to support ground troops in the forthcoming invasion of Europe.

Operation ‘Fuller’ – “The Channel Dash”.

February 12, 2025May 29, 2024 / Aviationtrails / 6 Comments

The Second World War was full of extraordinary operations many of which succeeded in their aim resulting in great jubilation on home shores, whilst others will always be remembered for their catastrophic fail and loss of life. In these operations, and even though the mission may have failed, those who took part went far beyond the ‘call of duty’, showing incredible bravery and self sacrifice for the better good.

One such operation took place on February 12th 1942.

Up until now, German warships had been causing havoc in the waters around Britain, sinking in excess of 100,000 tons of allied shipping since the opening days of the war; their ‘trophies’ including the aircraft carrier HMS Glorious and the battleship HMS Hood. In January 1942, three of those German warships responsible the Gneisenau, Scharnhorst (Gluckstein and Salmon as the ships were known by bomber command crews) and Prinz Eugen, all heavily armed and battle hardened, were laying in the port of Brest. Even by remaining there, they were causing the Royal Navy an immense headache, as they were diverted from other important tasks, including operations in the Middle East against German supply ships supplying Rommel, and the valuable protection of allied shipping crossing the Atlantic. The small fleet were a major thorn in the Royal Navy’s side and had to be dealt with.

Coastal Command had been closely monitoring the vessels over a period of months, but information had led to little more than that. With the aim of sinking these ships, the RAF became involved undertaking a total of 299 attacks against them whilst docked in the port. During these attacks, forty-three aircraft were lost along with 247 brave airmen. Included in these raids, were in December 1941, ten such operations by Bomber Command which resulted in the loss of some twenty aircraft and seventy airmen. On the 8th of that month, forty-seven bombers escorted by ten fighter squadrons also attacked the docks. Whilst the three ships remained intact, three enemy fighters were claimed to have been shot down but with with the loss of four Stirlings.

During this time though, the ships were indeed hit, and in the case of Scharnhorst, damaged badly, but none ever badly enough not to be beyond repair.

The decision was eventually made therefore, to move the ships, Hitler’s fear of a second front being opened in Scandinavia proving to be the deciding factor. On that decision two routes were considered, the northern route around Scotland which would take the small, but powerful fleet in range of British carriers and warships at Scapa Flow, a fight the Germans did not want to engage in. Alternatively, they could attempt a daring dash through the narrow and well defended English Channel. It was a difficult decision to make.

The presence of the ship and their likely move to safer harbours prompted William Helmore (one of those behind the Turbinlite project) to go to the Alan Muntz Company with an idea as to how to sink them. In conjunction with GEC, RAE Farnborough, Dowty and Stones of Deptford to name but a few, the idea of a radio controlled, 5 ton torpedo with a diameter of 39 inches able to fit a Lancaster bomber, was devised.

The idea was that a Mosquito would control the torpedo once it had been dropped from the Lancaster, and a mast would rise to maintain radio contact with the controlling aircraft. The torpedo would have a range of 25 miles with a warhead weighing 1 ton, limited only by the size of the Lancaster. While tests were carried out, many issues raised their heads including an air supply for the engine, (a Meteor Tank engine) which all proved too complicated and the project was eventually shelved*⁴.

However, following a meeting on January 12th, 1942 between many top ranking German officials including Hitler, Raeder (the C In C of the Navy), Vice-Admiral Ciliax and Adolf Galland as commander of the Luftwaffe in the Channel area, a decision was finally made, the shorter English Channel route would be the one to take and so Operation Cerberus, (the breakout) was born.

The decision raised great concerns though. Both Galland and other Luftwaffe officials knew that there were too few available fighters in the region – just some two groups and a few training units – to be able to provide the 24 hour protection the ships needed as they dashed through the straits. Night fighters were especially needed, a decision which was affirmed and granted by Major General Jeschonnek, the Luftwaffe Chief of Staff; but the numbers of aircraft available to Galland would still remain greatly inferior to those on British soil ready to attack.

So, Operation Thunderbolt (Donnerkeil ) was put in place, the air umbrella that would protect the ships as they sailed northward. Operation Cerebus (the breakout) was affirmed with February 11th chosen as ‘X’ day, and a sailing time set at 8:00pm. In the weeks leading up to the ‘dash’, German transmitting stations based at both Calais and Cherbourg, began a cat and mouse game transmitting a series of elaborate but false messages to interfere with British radar stations along the south coast. They provided a cover story, suggesting that the fleet would set sail but head toward the Pacific in support of the Japanese and not north to Scandinavia. In preparation, trial runs were made to test engines, guns and communications. The British, still monitoring their actions, began a series of raids on the port, none of which achieved any great success.

During these attacks, which had been occurring regularly since early January, several aircraft were lost including: three Manchesters from 61 Squadron; two Hampdens from 144 Sqn; three Wellingtons, one each from 12, 142 and 300 Sqns and on the 10th February, another Manchester from 61 Sqn.

To meet the anticipated challenge, Galland had some 252 fighters, including a mix of 109s, 190s and some thirty 110 night fighters at his disposal, but he argued, it was still not enough to provide the cover he wanted.

As ‘X’ day approached, the radars went wild with false readings and interference. But the British, now aware of an impending escape, were on high alert, additional Motor Torpedo Boats (MTBs) were docked at Dover and Swordfish aircraft were drafted in to RAF Manston in Kent. Some 1,100 magnetic mines were laid along the projected route and Dover command was put on standby. At 8:00pm on February 11th, the flotilla began to assemble outside of Brest harbour, just as a routine air raid was launched, and so the port was shut down. Although only one aircraft was lost, a Wellington from 150 Sqn, the raid proved no more than a nuisance, only delaying the fleet’s departure by two hours.

Now temporarily blinded by false radio measures, the British were unable to ‘see’ the mighty armada as it finally slipped out into the open waters of the Channel. Their escape had been a success.

During the night, good progress was made by the fleet and the lost time was made up quickly. Meanwhile, the skies remained quiet, the British not yet realising the ruse. The early morning remained dark, night fighters patrolled along side the fleet at wave top level, thus avoiding detection by British radar. Day fighters joined them in a relay operation that would be held below the cloud ceiling of 1,500 feet.

At 11:00 am on the 12th, the Germans intercepted a British message signalling that the fleet had been spotted. But it remained another hour before further RAF aircraft were seen, the British being wary and unsure of the message’s accuracy. Even though for months the British Command had been monitoring the fleet, those in command failed to act on valuable information, a mistake that led to a vital delay in operations.

Then, in the early hours of the afternoon, as the fleet approached the narrowest point of the Channel, British defences at Dover opened fire. A sea battle then raged between German warships and British MTBs, but for all their valiant efforts they failed to achieve their goal.

At 13:20 A group of sixteen Spitfires took off from Kenley on a Beaufort escort mission that were sent out to search for, and attack the fleet. They initially rendezvoused with twelve more Spitfires from 602 Sqn, but then failed to meet the Beauforts over Manston. The formation then continued on to the target area looking for the convoy and its escort. Soon after arriving over the Channel, 485 (NZ) Sqn’s leader, Group Captain, Francis V. Beamish DSO and Bar, DFC, AFC, spotted six destroyers, two E-Boats and two German Battle cruisers. At his altitude there was no fighter escort, the mix of Bf109s and FW190s remaining firmly below radar level at 600ft.

Seizing his chance, Beamish then attacked one of the destroyers raking it with gunfire along the length of its deck, a Spitfire’s guns were no match for the destroyer though and little damage was done. The remaining aircraft of the two squadrons then took on the enemy who were forming a low level protective umbrella, achieving a greater rate of success with several ‘kills’ being reported back at Kenley.

Now fully aware of the situation, the RAF and Navy were called into action. At RAF Manston, eighteen young men began to prepare for take off, their target, the escaping German fleet of some sixty-six surface vessels including the warships Gneisenau, Scharnhorst and Prinz Eugen, now sailing almost unopposed through the English Channel.

The six Fairy Swordfish of 825 Naval Air Squadron were ageing biplanes, they were no match for Galland’s fast and more dominant fighters, nor the defensive guns of the mighty German fleet they were hoping to attack. To pitch a handful of biplanes with torpedoes against such a heavily armed and well prepared armada, turned out to be no less than suicide.

In front of their Swordfish, Lieut Cdr E Esmonde, RN, (2nd Left) on board HMS Ark Royal, October 1941. This photo was taken after the attack on the Bismark, and includes the various aircrew who received decorations as a result of that daring attack. (Left to right: Lieut P D Gick, RN, awarded DSC; Lieut Cdr E Esmonde, RN, awarded DSO; Sub Lieut V K Norfolk, RN, awarded DSC; A/PO Air L D Sayer. awarded DSM; A/ Ldg Air A L Johnson, awarded DSM). (© IWM A 5828)

The winter of 1942 was very cold, but the Swordfish were kept ready, engines warmed and torpedoes armed, now they could no longer wait, and instead of attacking as planned at night, they would have to attack during the day, and so the order to go was given. The crews started their engines and set off on their daring mission in what was appalling weather.

Shortly after take off, the escort arrived, merely ten Spitfires from No. 72 Squadron RAF, led by Squadron Leader Brian Kingcombe, and not the five Spitfire squadrons promised. The six Swordfish, led by Lt. Cdr. Eugene Esmonde, dived down to 50 feet and began their attack. Hoping to fly below the level of the anti-aircraft guns each of the six Swordfish flew gallantly toward their targets. Eventually, and even though they were hit and badly damaged, they pressed home their attacks, but they were out-gunned, and out performed, and just twenty minutes after the attack began, all six had fallen victim to the German guns. No torpedoes had struck home.

Of the eighteen men who took off that day, only five were to survive.

Leading the attack, Lt. Cdr. Esmonde (an ex-Imperial Airways captain) was warded the V.C. Posthumously, he had previously been awarded the Distinguished Service Order for his part in the attack on the Battleship Bismark; an award that also went to: S/Lt. B Rose, S/Lt. E Lee, S/Lt. C Kingsmill, and S/Lt. R Samples. Flying with them, L/A. D. Bunce was awarded the Conspicuous Gallantry Medal and twelve of the airmen were mentioned in dispatches.

The attack became known as ‘The Channel dash’ officially called Operation Fuller, and in honour of the brave attempt to hit the German fleet that day, a memorial was erected in Ramsgate Harbour, the names of the eighteen Swordfish crew are listed where their story is inscribed for eternity.

Operation Fuller was a disaster not only for the Royal Navy and Coastal Command who had been monitoring the fleet for many months, but also for the Royal Air Force. A force of some 100 aircraft made up from almost every Group of Bomber Command had made its way to the Channel. By the time evening had dawned, it had become clear that some sixteen aircraft from the force had been lost. The loss of life from those sixteen aircraft totalled sixty-four, with a further five being captured and incarcerated as prisoners of war.*¹

Bomber Command were not without their terrible stories either. The sad loss of W/C. R MacFadden DFC and his six crew who remained in their dingy after their Wellington from 214 Sqn ditched in the cold waters of the Channel. Over a period of 72 hours all but Sgt. Murray, slowly died from the cold, he being rescued at the last minute and incarcerated by the Germans. Of all the RAF squadrons that took part that day, their losses amounted to: 49 Sqn (4 x Hampdens); 50 Sqn (1 x Hampden); 103 Sqn (1 x Wellington); 110 Sqn (1 x Blenheim); 114 Sqn (1 x Blenheim); 144 Sqn (2 x Hampdens); 214 Sqn (1 x Wellington); 419 Sqn (2 x Wellingtons); 420 Sqn (2 x Hampdens) and 455 Sqn (1 x Hampden)*²

February 12th had been a disaster, so bad that The Daily Mirror reported on February 16th 1942 under the headline “9 Lost Hours in the Channel“, that a demand had been put forward to Parliament for a complete statement on Naval strategy during the event. It also questioned the “suitability of Admiral Sir Dudley Pound”, in fulfilling his role. The paper goes onto say that a lag of some nine hours had largely been ignored by officials, that being the time between the first notice and when action was finally taken against the fleet. It also says that although the initial sighting was no earlier than 10:42 am, it took another hour before it too was responded to. The public had been mislead it believed.

The entire operation has been badly organised by those in command, with little or no cohesion nor coordination between this various forces involved. As a result, the entire operation was a catastrophe with a major loss of life and no real result. The entire operation was seen by some as akin to a “Gilbert and Sullivan” comedy*³.

However, from that disaster came stories of untold heroism, bravery and self sacrifice by a group of men that have turned this event into one of Britain’s most remarkable and incredible stories of the war.

*¹ To read more about Bomber Commands part in operation Fuller and a German film of the event, see the Pathfinders Website.

*² Chorley, W.R., “Bomber Command Losses of the Second World War – 1942” 1994, Midland Counties publications.

*³ Bennet, D “Pathfinder“, Goodall, 1998

*⁴ McCloskey, K., “Airwork – A History.” The History Press, 2012

A German account of the ‘dash’ is given in “The First and the Last” by Adolf Galland published in 1955 by Meuthuen & Co.. Ltd.

Smith. G., “Heroes of Bomber Command – Cambridgeshire“. Countryside Books (2007)

National Archives AIR 27/1933/20, AIR 27/1933/21

RAF East Kirkby – Part 3 – the End of an Era.

February 1, 2025December 22, 2024 / Aviationtrails / 8 Comments

In Part 2, we saw how crews at East Kirkby took a battering over Germany and how the Allies turned their attention to the forthcoming invasion.

In this, the final part, the war finally comes to an end and RAF East Kirkby eventually closes, but not without making its mark.

With spring at an end, thoughts turned back to the impending invasion and the bombing of pinpoint targets in France: Railways, munitions factories, troop concentrations and transport links became the focus for Harris’s Air Force. Throughout the month of April both East Kirkby squadrons were in operations, and whilst not significantly high, a number of aircraft were lost adding to the lengthening list of casualties and those now missing.

The end of this period of the war was remarkable for several reasons, notably when Wing Commander Leonard Cheshire of 617 Sqn, flew a Mosquito at low level and marked the target, a factory in Toulouse, with great success. This delighted Harris, who gave the all clear to 5 Group to operate independently of the Pathfinders of 8 Group, a decision that did little to heal the growing rift between Don Bennett and Ralph Cochrane who had taken the idea to Harris in the first place.

Other targets then became the focus for 5 Group including the railway yards at La Chapelle. In the operation Cheshire put this method to the test once more. with 617 Sqn again to marking the target in conjunction with 8 Group’s Pathfinders. In the operation, 247 Lancasters from 5 Group were ordered to attack a pin point target. In the attack, 57 Sqn lost two aircraft. Of these two Lancasters the first, LL893 ‘DX-J’ was lost with all seven lives over St-Omer whilst the second, Lancaster MK. III ND582 ‘DX-S’ crashed after attempting a landing at Croydon. After overshooting the runway the aircraft, piloted by Canadian F.O. H. Young, struck at least three homes in Lavender Vale, a street adjoining the airfield. Three of the crew died immediately and a further one died from his injuries in hospital.

RAF East Kirkby – Part 2 – a Relentless Slog.

January 25, 2025December 22, 2024 / Aviationtrails / 5 Comments

In Part 1 we saw how East Kirkby came about, how its one main unit was used to create further units and how the war had taken its toll on those stationed here. In this part, we end 1943, but the high hopes of better things are far, far away.

The opening of September 1943, was however, the tip of the iceberg, for on the night of 23rd – 24th, three more aircraft were lost whilst on operations to Mannheim; all but five of the twenty-one men involved being killed, with those surviving five being incarcerated by the German forces. The operation had seen almost 630 aircraft take part in a raid that resulted in huge devastation with over 25,000 people being bombed out of their homes.

With the loss of two further aircraft in the closing days of September, the total dead or captured stood at seven Lancasters (forty-nine crewmen) with only four airmen returning to their Lincolnshire home. It had been a devastating start for the squadron at their new home in Lincolnshire.

October 1943 was much the same, major battles over the German Reich took further tolls with another four Lancasters falling from the skies. Most of these crews were also killed with just a handful surviving to be taken prisoner. The numbers of experienced crews on roll were quickly dwindling and replacements were now urgently needed.

The Lancaster ‘DX-F’ at East Kirkby, paying tribute to all those who flew from the airfield and in Bomber Command.

Then in mid November, 57 Sqn would be split for a second time to form yet another new squadron. This time, ‘B’ Flight were taken out and re-designated 630 Sqn. Initially being given the designation of an auxiliary squadron, it was however, a status that was never achieved. The entire flight consisting of nine crews and 106 ground staff, were led by the American, Sqn. Ldr. Malcom Crocker DFC, who simply moved across the airfield locating to new quarters and new dispersals, thus creating two operational squadrons at the site. Being battle hardened already, it took less than three days to complete the move before operations for them began once again.

November also saw Bomber Command enter its fourth month of the ‘Battle of Berlin‘, a period that saw intense bombing of the German capital with repeated raids on the city by heavy bombers of the RAF. It was also a time when the ill-fated Stirlings were finally pulled out of front line bombing campaigns, their losses becoming insurmountable. The decision to do so however, would put further pressure on the Lancaster and Halifax crews who were then left to complete the job with fewer aircraft and increasingly tired crews.

This period would become one of the RAF’s most testing times, and for the next four and a half months, Bomber Command, led by Sir Arthur Harris, would continue to pound Berlin and other major cities deep inside Germany. The winter would be harsh, flights would be long, and it would be a gruelling time for the crews of Bomber Command.

The void left by the Stirlings was filled by the Halifaxes, and their loses now also soared. The battle for Berlin was a battle that would quickly diminish the capability of the RAF if loses were to continue at their current pace.

As the war entered 1944, the crews of Bomber Command became weakened and tired. Extensive battles had taken their toll and a rest was much needed. With poor weather dominating January that rest came, as crews were grounded unable to fly in the appalling winter weather.

The new year would see 617 Squadron dominate the way for 5 Group, their fame and successes taking a large chunk of the new reels. However, at East Kirkby, 630 Squadron would take on a new commander with the arrival of Wing Commander Deas in early February, taking over from Wing Commander J. Rollinson. Deas would continue to lead the squadron for the next five months, as it battled its way through the harsh winter period into spring and onto summer.

The pressure was however on Harris. He was now ordered to turn his men away from Berlin and help the Americans with the invasion plans supporting them in Operation Argument, otherwise known as ‘Big Week’. The operation was designed to weaken the German aircraft industry to prevent reinforcements of aircraft in the build up and launch of Operation Overlord.

In one last vain attempt to hit the capital, Harris planned four nights of raids in February, but poor weather curtailed these allowing only one raid to take place that on the night of the 15th – 16th February.

In the raid, which proved to be Bomber Command’s penultimate flight over the city, both 57 and 630 Squadrons would be involved. A mix of almost 900 Halifaxes and Lancasters saw losses amounting to over forty aircraft, one of these coming from 57 Sqn and another from 630 Sqn with the loss of all crewmen.

In order to lower losses, the formations would be concentrated, dropping 2,600 tonnes of bombs in just twenty minutes, a rain-storm of explosives that would see forty-five aircraft bomb every minute.*²

With that the Battle of Berlin came to an end, fizzling out as operations turned to The Rhine and its heavily defended industrial infrastructure.

The first area targeted was Leipzig, on the night of February 19th-20th. Here another 800 plus aircraft flew to Germany and back. They met determined German fighters as soon as they crossed the coast after which ensued a relentless air battle all the way to the target. Once there, it was completely covered in cloud and sky marking by the Pathfinders was the only possible method of identifying the target. In the operation, 630 Sqn put up nineteen aircraft and 57 Sqn, twenty; all but three returned home that night.

The Leipzig attack would prove to be a disaster for Bomber Command, strong winds meaning some bombers had arrived before the Pathfinders, and then had to circle the target for some considerable time before the markers arrived. This resulted in many of them being shot down by flak with some colliding in the dark, night sky. A loss of seventy-five aircraft that night led to the withdrawal of the second of the heavies – the Merlin powered Halifaxes – from front line operations; like the Stirlings before them, their loses had become unsustainable. This move put yet another heavy burden on the Lancasters crews, as it became the main heavy bomber now able to carry the war into Germany,

The night also proved to be an important one for one East Kirkby Pilot, W.O. J. White, whose determination to get the ‘job done’ and come home, led to him receiving the award of a DFM. In the attack, his rear gunner was mortally wounded, and the aircraft badly shot up with both hydraulics and an outer engine rendered unserviceable. Undeterred, W.O. White carried on to the target, dropping the bombs and then returning to England. On arrival, he managed to negotiate landing the crippled aircraft at an unfamiliar airfield away from home. His courage and determination being more than worthy of the award he received for his actions.

With no break nor time to rest, another operation was ordered the following night, and although the 20th-21st attack on Stuttgart was a clear scoreboard for 57 Sqn, 630 lost another two; one of these ‘ND563’ swinging violently to port after travelling three-quarters of the way along the main runway. After crashing through a boundary fence and crossing a road on its belly, the bomb load exploded before anyone could escape. It was a tragic loss of life for those based at East Kirkby.

BBC war correspondent Richard North interviews the crew of Lancaster “S -Sugar” of No. 630 Squadron RAF on their return to East Kirkby, after bombing the marshalling yards at Juvisy-sur-Orge, France. IWM (CH 12778)

February closed with operations to Schweinfurt and Augsburg, an enquiry into the crash of ND5663 and the funerals of those who had lost their lives that day. With one squadron each losing a further crew, losses were continuing to mount for the two squadrons.

The early spring months would finally draw to a close over two disastrous nights. The first, on 24th – 25th March, saw Harris send his men back to Berlin one more time. In a last effort to bomb the capital, the RAF sent another 800 plus aircraft to the German capital, it would prove to be one of the worst for 630 Sqn, when three aircraft, including that of W.O. J. White who had just been awarded the DFM, were lost.

It was a dramatic figure that would be repeated on the last night of the month, when almost another 800 aircraft made up of Lancasters, Halifaxes and Mosquitoes were sent to Nuremberg. Weather reports from a Meteorological Mosquito were ignored and whist the operation should have been cancelled, it went ahead. In a moon-filled sky, the result was carnage.

By the time all aircraft had returned, losses stood at 95 crews, almost 12% of the entire force sent out, and the biggest loss for the Command of the war so far. The weather experienced had caused the biggest problems, not only for the main bomber-stream, but also for the Pathfinders, with strong winds blowing many aircraft widely off track causing them to bomb Schweinfurt, some 50 miles away, by mistake. Of those that did bomb the correct target, many reported that they were unable to see it due to heavy cloud, which combined with the strong winds, forced both them and the Pathfinders to mark and bomb the wrong area. As a result, little damage was done to the city, and dropping bombs too early, caused ‘creep back’ to extend for some 10 miles ahead of the target. All-in-all more crews were lost that night then there were casualties on the ground, losses that were totally unsustainable for the command.

The German defences on both nights had been extensive and determined. Tame Boar and Wild Boar tactics along with Schrage Musik, the upward firing cannons, had devastated formations who were scattered far and wide. Harris had gambled with his crews and lost.

The disastrous nights of Berlin and Nuremberg led to a short pause in operations in much the same way as the dreaded raid on Schweinfurt did for the Americans. A new focus would take no chances, and precise bombing became the order of the day.

After devastating operations over the German cities, thoughts turn to the invasion and supporting the ground forces. A choice that did not agree with Harris, but one the crews would take in their stride…

The full page can be read in Trail 1 – Lower Lincolnshire.

RAF East Kirkby – Part 1 – A new Station emerges.

January 18, 2025December 22, 2024 / Aviationtrails / 5 Comments

In the heart of Lincolnshire lies a former wartime bomber base that holds a particular and unique item dedicated to those who served in Bomber Command. The airfield where it is housed, was only used for a relatively short period of time, and by two main operational squadrons, yet it was one which saw the greatest number lost in the whole command.

In the next part of the trail, we travel away from Woodhall Spa to a former airfield synonymous with the Lancaster – RAF East Kirkby.

RAF East Kirkby

RAF East Kirkby is one of many Bomber Command airfields located in the Eastern county of Lincolnshire, a region that known as ‘Bomber County’. During its life it was home to two main front line squadrons along with a handful of other support units.

The airfield sits some 4 miles south-west of Spilsby and 12 miles north of Boston, in an area strongly associated with the Romans. Indeed, Lincoln – or Lindum Colonia as the Romans called it – became one of the largest and most influential Roman towns in England. Later, this area was where many invading Vikings settled, providing the local towns with examples of their own Nordic names, many of which can still be seen today. As time passed, both the Normans and the armies of Cromwell played their own part in the development of Lincolnshire, meaning the region has been left littered with several hundred monuments and numerous sites of archaeological and historical interest to offer the visitor.

Being in the lower regions of Lincolnshire, parts of it are only 40 feet above sea level meaning it is an area with a rich agricultural history as well; some areas being used to grow crops and of course tulips, bringing a wealth of colour and a wide range of crop to the area. It is all this that gives Lincolnshire both its beauty and its wide ranging historical interest.

Initially, East Kirkby airfield was built as a decoy site for nearby Coningsby and Manby, the site, complete with decoy wooden Whitley bombers, was decommissioned on June 27th 1941 and the area designated for a class A airfield – RAF East Kirkby. Following requisition of the farmland in 1942, construction began by the building company John Laing & Sons Ltd., which included, amongst others, the first flushing toilets in the area. The airfield was finally completed in 1943, opening on August 20th that same year under the control of Bomber Command.

Located to the south-east of the village that gave it its name, the apex of the ‘A’, formed by the three standard runways, pointed westward with the main runway approximately north-south and the two subsidiaries west to north-east and west to south-east, each being the standard 2,000 and 1,400 yards in length and 50 yards wide.

As a bomber airfield the much needed runways would be of a concrete construction, and the airfield would boast six T2 hangars and a single B1 for maintenance and storage; a technical area stood to the north-west, with accommodation and the bomb store, spread around the area away from the main airfield site. Dispersals for aircraft storage and preparation consisted of twenty-seven spectacle hardstands along with five loop hardstands, all located around the extensive perimeter track.

As a decoy site, it had been bombed on several occasions, and having accommodation and high explosives near to the airfield was not a good combination. These accommodation blocks were of a ‘temporary’ construction, very different to the luxury of Scampton, from where the first residents would come. At its height RAF East Kirkby could cater for 1,965 RAF personnel with a further 482 WAAFs all of mixed rank.

Initial ownership went to 5 Group Bomber Command, whose headquarters were at the time at Morton Hall near Swinderby, in the North Kesteven district of Lincolnshire, and would operate as 55 Base, the parent station of sub-stations Spilsby and Strubby.

A somewhat posed photo of Flt. Sgt. J Morgan, the rear gunner of a 630 Sqn. Lancaster at East Kirkby. @IWM (CH 12776)

The first resident unit was that of 57 Squadron who took it on immediately upon its opening, bringing both the Lancaster MK.I and MK.III with them.

After forming in 1916, they were, like many other squadrons at that time, disbanded after the war’s end in 1919, but then, as similar events unfolded on the continent once more, they were reformed (in 1931) to run continuously to the end of the Second World War. With further breaks post-war, they would continue to operate up to the current day, flying a wide range of aircraft from Victor tankers in the Falklands to their current model the Prefect T1 trainer at RAF Cranwell.

57’s history goes far deeper than that though, for it was whilst at Scampton, their previous home before East Kirkby, that ‘C’ Flight was separated from the main squadron to form the basis of 617 Squadron, better known as ‘The Dambusters‘; the Flight Commander, Sqn. Ldr. ‘Dinghy’ Young only being appointed to 57 Sqn a matter of weeks before the transfer took place.

However, it was at East Kirkby that 57 Squadron were now based. On August 27th 1943, just after the split, the advanced party arrived at East Kirkby to start what would be three days of moving and settling in. The first section of the main party arrived on the 28th with the remainder joining them on the 29th. During this time all flying operations were understandably cancelled and the time was allocated to the huge task of moving men and equipment over to their new base.

Operations commenced quickly on the 30th, when fourteen aircraft were detailed for operations to Munchen-Gladbach. All aircraft except one, completed the operation in which ground defences were ‘light’ and bombing was recorded as being ‘good’ with a large explosion seen in the target area. The only casualty of the flight being Lancaster MK.III ‘ED655’ which returned early with an engine failure. Thankfully though, there were no injuries nor any further problems incurred.

On the following night another fourteen aircraft were detailed to attack Berlin, the ‘big city’, an operation which brought August to an end and a total of twelve operations (179 sorties) amounting to over 940 hours flying time for the month.

It wouldn’t be long though before the first causalities would arise at the new station. On the night of September 3rd 1943, Lancaster ‘JA914’ DX-O was part of another fourteen flight raid on Berlin. On board that night was Australian Pilot Flt. Sgt. W. Grindley and his crew, which included one other Australian and a New Zealander.

After departing East Kirkby at 19:30 hrs, the aircraft made its way toward the capital. As it neared the target, search lights managed to cone the bomber, allowing a German night fighter (FW190) flown by pilot Unteroffizier Fritz Brinkmann of the Stab/JG 300, to attack the aircraft, bringing it down at Zehrensdorf with the loss of all seven crewmen on board.

Three of the crew were recovered and remained buried in the Berlin 1939-1945 War Cemetery whilst the remaining four were not. They have been commemorated on the Runnymede Memorial. The remains of the bomber were themselves discovered in a lake, and recovered on September 29th 1997; a large section of wing which is now displayed in the Deutsches Technik Museum, in Berlin.*¹

On the 22nd September, a further crew were lost when an intruder, since known to be Major Wolf Dietrich Meister of the Stab V./KG 2, flying an Me 410 A-1 from Schiphol airfield, followed the bomber home and intercepted it near to the airfield. As it fell from the sky both the Flight Engineer and the Bomb Aimer managed to escape the burning wreck, both parachuting to safety, but the other five failed to get out and were killed in the resultant crash and fire.

In Part 2, we continue with the ups and downs of life in Bomber Command, seeing how the airfield continues to develop and how the war affects those based at the Lincolnshire airfield.

The full page can be read in Trail 1 – Lower Lincolnshire.

P.O William Davis (Eagle Sqn) – March 18th 1941

November 27, 2024 / Aviationtrails / 4 Comments

RAF Sutton Bridge, was a small airfield on the Norfolk / Lincolnshire border a few miles from the Wash off the north Norfolk coast. Before, during and after the war it served as training camp for new pilots, training them in the art of gunnery, utilising a firing range that had been in situ since 1926.

Many airmen of the RAF passed through Sutton Bridge, many of these were Commonwealth aircrew, some from Czechoslovakia and a few from the United States.

In the church yard behind the church of St. Matthew in the village, lie almost 60 graves of those who died in the fight for freedom, they are also joined by a German airman, foe united in death.

One such airmen is that of American Airman Pilot Officer William Lee Davis s/n: 61459 (RAFVR) who joined as part of the famed ‘Eagle’ Squadron, a group of volunteer American flyers.

P.O. Davis was from St. Louis and graduated at Central High School, before going on to attend Washington University. He was the son of William J. Davis of 4500 Arsenal Street, and a salesman in a cork and insulation firm in the area, when he joined up at the age of 25.

He left his job, signing with the Clayton-Knight Committee, a recruitment company for the Canadian and British Air Forces operating in the United States. He was initially stationed at Love Field in Dallas, where he received four weeks of intensive training in aerobatics, gunnery and combat flying. After qualifying here, he transferred to Ottawa, where he was commissioned and then sent onto England to further his training. He was the first person from St. Louis to obtain a Commission in the Royal Air Force obtaining a deferment of his draft in doing so. When asked about joining the RAF, he told reporters that it was “a matter of sentiment and heritage” citing his English grandfather’s role as an officer in the Boar war.

P.O. Davis was no stranger to flying, having been a flyer before signing up for the RAFVR, achieving a total of 223 hours flying time, a commercial pilots licence and an advanced CAA Licence.

On arrival on March 5th 1941, these pilots were generally sent to No.3 Personnel Reception Centre at Bournemouth, before posting to No.56 Operational Training Unit (OTU) at Sutton Bridge. Here they completed their training and were then sent onto their respective operational squadrons.

There were something in the region of 156 American Airmen who found their way into 56 OTU, many passed through with little or only minor mishaps. For P.O. Davis though it was to be the end of his dream, in an accident that would take his life.

On March 18th, a week after his arrival at Sutton Bridge, he took off in Hurricane P5195 on a general map reading flight across the Lincolnshire Fens. Whilst on the flight P.O. Davis became lost and decided to put down on farm land at New Leake Fen near Boston. Unfortunately, the ground in the Fens was soft causing the undercarriage to dig in and flip the Hurricane on its back. In the resultant crash, P.O. Davis broke his neck killing him instantly. He was not only the first from St. Louis to die, but the first American from Sutton Bridge to die also.

A citizen of the United States, Pilot Officer William Lee Davis is buried in the Church yard of St. Matthew’s Church, Sutton Bridge, Lincolnshire, Section P, Grave 56.

Pilot Officer (Pilot) William Lee Davis

de Havilland Mosquitoes in BOAC Service.

October 27, 2024October 27, 2024 / Aviationtrails / 4 Comments

Very few countries around the world managed to avoid the influence of the Second World War as it ravaged and rampaged its way across the globe. One such nation that did manage to keep its borders secure though was Sweden, a place that became known as a safe haven for downed airmen or those trying to escape the clutches of the Nazi tyranny that would engulf vast swathes of the European continent. Surrounded by conflict and declared neutral, Sweden was to all intents and purposes cut off from the rest of the world.

However, Sweden was a country reliant on imports and exports, a reliance that led to extensive negotiations between herself and both the axis and allied powers who effectively blockaded her supply routes. Through these negotiations she achieved an agreement to the rights of passage for ‘safe-conduct traffic’, an agreement that allowed the passage through hostile waters of shipping, allowing the exports of paper and wood from Sweden, in exchange for imports of food and oil.

Sweden’s role in the Second World war was largely political. If she was to survive she was going to have to forge safe links beyond her closest Scandinavian neighbours. Fearing she would be sucked into war and absorbed into a Europe ruled by Germany, she turned to Britain with a view to forging a safe airway between Stockholm and Scotland.

Discussions around the opening of the Swedish air routes began prior to war breaking out, negotiations between the Chairman of Britain’s Civil Aviation Authority (CAA), Sweden’s airline company AB Aerotransport (ABA) and Germany’s Hermann Goring, eventually led to an agreed flight once per week from Stockholm – Oslo-Stavanger-Perth. However, ongoing Swedish concerns led to long delays in activation of the service, even though a successful test flight involving a Junkers 52 had taking place on November 27th 1939.

The Swedish ABA were to run the operation, initially using three DC-3s (named Gripen ‘Griffin’, Gladen ‘kite’ and Falken ‘falcon’) painted bright orange and clearly marked Sweden/Schweden in large black lettering to prevent attacks from either side on a neutral aircraft. Throughout the war though this link was tenuous at best, heightened German aggression and fearsome weather often being the determining factors for the safe passage of the aircraft between the two countries. German restrictions on both freight and passengers angered the Swedes, who defiantly disobeyed their rulings. This decision led to a number of Swedish operated aircraft being attacked and shot down.

By 1945 the Swedes decided it was now too dangerous to fly, particularly with trigger happy defences and over keen allied pilots. The airspace around Sweden’s near neighbour Norway, had become a cauldron of fire, and so the service was eventually closed down.

However, this official Swedish run route was not the only airway that operated between the two countries. The Norwegians also ran a service albeit reduced, as did the Americans later on in the war with five stripped out B-24 Liberators. Another service however, a ‘British’ service, also operated, but this was much more of a clandestine role than that of their Swedish counterparts.

At the time Sweden was a producer of iron but more importantly ball-bearings, a commodity essential for any moving parts in machinery; whether it be a simple tool or a more complex engine, without them machinery simply wouldn’t work.

Ball-bearings in Sweden were all manufactured by one company, Svenska Kullagerfabriken AB (SKF), who before the war, exported around 9% of her total output to Germany with another 9% going to the United Kingdom. During the war however, this balance dramatically fell heavily on the side of Germany with as much as 65% of her total output ending up in German hands by 1943.*¹ This imbalance was primarily due to the exports that were received in the occupied territories, falling into German hands, and being diverted into Germany’s own industrial operations.

Britain however, also needed these ball-bearings, and was perhaps more keen on maintaining this link than many would have initially thought. Having her supply line to Swedish goods cut was going to hit Britain hard. Britain needed all the ball-bearings she could find, and so Sweden was vital to this supply. So desperate were the British authorities to obtain these components that they mounted two naval operations, ‘Rubble‘ and ‘Performance‘, both of which turned out to be disastrous in terms of both the loss of life and the loss of shipping.

There were many other reasons why Britain wanted to maintain this link though, one was the expansion of its resistance operations across Scandinavia, Sweden providing a safe passage for agents entering and leaving the region safely, a move that was just as important as it was for returning escaped or interned airmen of the RAF and later USAAF.

Furthermore, Britain needed to ensure that Sweden was receiving as much British propaganda as it was German. If this line were to be severed, there would be a chance that the imbalance in material may have detrimental effects on Sweden’s future as the war developed.

In late 1939 flights began in secrecy, operated by British Airways Ltd, who used three Junkers 52 transport aircraft and one Lockheed Model 14 Super Electra (the forerunner of the Hudson) named ‘Bashful Gertie‘ (G-AGBG). Like the Swedish operation, these flights took place between Perth and Stockholm via Norway and were flown by civilian crews in civilian marked aircraft. However, this route was subsequently closed when one of the aircraft was attacked by a Luftwaffe fighter, and another was captured in Oslo when the Germans invaded Norway.

Then in 1939/40 the two British aviation companies, British Airways Ltd and Imperial Airways, merged to form the British Overseas Airways Corporation (BOAC), a civilian operation that would go on to serve as Britain’s leading national airline for many years after the war’s end. The amalgamation of these companies was an important step forward leading to the reinstatement of the Swedish route, this time using the military base at RAF Leuchars in Fife.

Also piloted by Swedish or Norwegian aircrew, the idea behind the route was to pass POW mail and propaganda (magazines, newspapers etc) into Sweden where it could be forwarded to prison camps in occupied Europe. However, constantly aware of the need for ball-bearings and the fact that Sweden was a major supplier of them, plans were put in place for returning aircraft to be refuelled and filled with ball-bearings before returning to Leuchars. This run hence became known as the ‘ball-bearing run‘.

In these early years of the war, BOAC operated other similar aircraft types, these included C-47 Dakotas, converted Whitley IV bombers and Curtis Wright C46 aircraft, but their lack of speed and manoeuvrability left them vulnerable to Luftwaffe attacks. It soon became clear that a new and much faster type was needed and so BOAC began to put pressure on de Havilland for their new Mosquito.

A Whitley bomber in BOAC markings *⁷

A trial flight was undertaken using an unmarked Mosquito of 105 Sqn (DK292) on August 6th 1942 (there is some confusion over this exact date), flown by Fl. Lt. Parry and P. Off. Robinson, the results of which showed the aircraft to be highly suitable for the purpose of the flights. The journey from Leuchars to Stockholm covered some 800 miles was, on average, completed in around 3 hours.

On 15th December 1942 the first civilian operated model of the aircraft arrived at Leuchars. A Mosquito PR.IV ‘DZ411’, it was assigned the civilian registration G-AGFV, and began flights to Stockholm on 4th February 1943. After this, it was joined by six other Mosquito MK.VI aircraft between April and May (all being given the sequential registrations G-AGGC to AGGH) with a further three in April 1944.

The incredible carrying capacity of the Mosquito, which would be proven later in the war, would allow for up to 650Kg (10 -12 crates) of ball-bearings to be carried in the aircraft’s bomb bay.

The opening of such a link was kept very secret, the British not wanting the Germans to know about the new revolutionary Mosquito, nor their important cargo. However, keeping such an operation from German intelligence was difficult, if not impossible, and soon they discovered that the flights were again taking place between the two countries. Now embroiled in a political stand off, the Germans put pressure on neutral Sweden to put a stop to these flights, insisting that they were giving the British an advantage, and that as a neutral country, they should not be allowing British aircraft to land on Swedish soil. The Swedes maintained that the service was purely civilian and controlled solely by the Swedish authorities, to which the Germans threatened to inform Hitler thus rendering the aircraft legitimate military targets. Fearing that the British would in turn close the passage for the safe-conduct traffic, the Swedes ignored the German threats and so the service continued.

However, so as to not infringe or violate Sweden’s wartime neutrality, it was vital that the Mosquitoes remained unarmed for these operations. But that made any aircraft on this run a potential ‘sitting duck’, even though, like their Lockheed predecessors, they carried BOAC insignia and were flown by civilian aircrew.

So all of these aircraft had to be changed from military status to civilian, this required the removal of all traces of armament. Modified at Hatfield – the home of the Mosquito – the resultant weight loss altered the aircraft’s centre of gravity and so additional ballast had to be added to prevent changes in the aircraft’s flying characteristics.

The first example DZ411, was a Mosquito B.IV Series II, powered by two Merlin 21/23 engines built under the contract 555/C.23(a) and converted to a PR.IV at Hatfield prior to its delivery to BOAC at RAF Leuchars. It would go on to serve until early 1945 with BOAC before presumably returning to RAF ownership.

The first of the next batch, all FB.VIs, was ‘HJ680’ another example built at Hatfield under the same contract 555/C.23(a) but with Merlin 23/25 engines. This aircraft was initially passed to BOAC at Bramcote on April 16th 1943, receiving the registration G-AGGC before flying on to Leuchars immediately after. On the 18th, on the return leg of its maiden flight for BOAC, it was chased by enemy fighters, but its speed and agility allowed the Mosquito to escape unharmed. It was eventually removed from service on November 30th 1944, but remained at Leuchars in case a ‘spare’ aircraft was urgently needed. This particular model was the longest serving Mosquito in BOAC’s service, being taken off the civil register on January 4th 1946, whereupon it was passed to 22 Maintenance Unit. On June 15th 1950, the example was eventually sold as scrap to the John Dale Scrap merchants.

The next aircraft ‘HJ681’ arrived at the same time, and remained in service until January 1944, under the civil registration G-AGGD. This particular aircraft crash landed in Sweden and was reduced to spare parts.

‘HJ718’ arrived on April 24th and was given the registration G-AGGE, it served until June 1945, whilst ‘HJ720’ (G-AGGF) crashed into high ground at Invernairk, Glen Esk on 17th August 1943, killing both crewmen Captain L.A. Wilkins and Radio Operator N.H. Beaumont. A further FB.VI, ‘HJ721’ (G-AGGG) also crashed, this time on the return leg only a mile or so from Leuchars on October 25th 1943, when the port engine failed. Both crewmen, Captain Hamre and Radio Operator Haug, lost their lives along with their passenger Mr Carl Rogers.

The last FB.VI ‘HJ723’ also built under the same contract as the other models, arrived on the 2nd May 1943, and would operate until the end of June 1945 as G-AGGH . It was subsequently handed over to the RAF and eventually presumably disposed of.

By the end of May 1943, a total of nine Mosquitoes would have been modified and delivered to BOAC at Leuchars*⁵.

In June 1943, with the need for ball-bearings increasing, two Mosquitoes departed Leuchars with two very important dignitaries onboard. Firstly the British president of the Swedish SKF airline and secondly a ball-bearings expert from the British authorities, who were going to negotiate the delivery of further supplies to Britain.

In order to accommodate these additional passengers the bomb bay of the aircraft had to be converted, thus allowing them to lay on their backs on padded felt*⁶. An additional reading lamp was fitted, along with an oxygen supply, intercom and even coffee. The passenger would have a piece of string the other end of which was tied to the pilots leg, and should the conditions in the bomb bay become too uncomfortable, they would pull the string.

These operations were very soon regularly carrying human cargo. On the outward leg mail, newspapers and other written material held within its bomb bay, would be deposited in Sweden, the aircraft would be refuelled and stocked up with either human cargo (allied aircrew, special agents or scientists), ball-bearings or a mix of the two. The faster and far more agile Mosquito would, in most cases, be able to out run any opposing Luftwaffe fighter that should, and indeed did, try to intercept the aircraft whilst on one of these flights.

One such notable passenger who was carried back from Sweden was the nuclear physicist Niels Bohr whose work on atomic structures and quantum theory had won him the Nobel Prize in Physics in 1922.*⁴ His journey almost cost him his life though after he failed to operate his oxygen mask correctly. Only when the failed to respond to the pilot’s attempts to contact him, was action taken and the aircraft reduced altitude allowing Bohr to breathe normally and regain consciousness. Bohr went on to work on the Manhattan project, an American project that led to the development of the atomic bomb that would end the war, and plunge the world into the nuclear age.

A large number of other significant people were also carried by these Mosquitoes, Sgt. Jack Byrne who went on to be a founder member of the SAS, after being shot in the face, bayoneted in the groin and detained in several prisoner of war camps, was one such person repatriated to Leuchars. Three of those who escaped in the famous ‘Wooden Horse‘ escape were also returned via Mosquitoes from Sweden; as where Norwegians Peter Bergsland and Jens Muller two of the three to escape in ‘The Great Escape’.

In ‘Operation Gunnerside’, the SOE operation to blow up the German heavy Water plant in Norway (featured in the film ‘The Heroes of Telemark‘), six of the team were repatriated using this route. A key player in this operation was Leif Tronstad, a Norwegian Physicist who was also flown to Scotland to provide vital information about the German efforts to produce heavy water at the plant.

A considerable number of British personalities were also flown into Sweden using this method; T.S. Elliot, Sir Kenneth Clarke and even the Bishop of Chichester were flown into Sweden this way.

Sgt. Jack Byrne, was shot, bayoneted and imprisoned. He fought at Dunkirk, on D-Day, in North Africa and at the Battle of the Bulge and then went on to be a founder member of the SAS.*2

By the end of 1943, 157 such flights had been made, 129 of which were by these Mosquitoes. A total of some 110 tonnes of freight (a mix of human and mainly ball bearings) had been carried.

Even though these flights were highly successful, a few aircraft were lost. In Mid August 1944, G-AGKP ‘LR296’ a former 27 MU aircraft was lost when it crashed into the sea nine miles from Leuchars. All three on board, Captain G. Rae, Radio Operator D.T. Roberts and Captain B.W.B. Orton (himself a BOAC Mosquito pilot), were killed as it approached Leuchars on its return flight from Stockholm. The crash was believed to have been caused by the aircraft’s structural failure, the aircraft having been repaired previously after an accident in January. The total number of aircraft being used by BOAC reached fourteen, with five of these crashing including one G-AGKR ‘HJ792’ being lost at sea in August 1944 with no trace of either the aircraft or crew ever being found.

On 17th May 1945 the service officially ceased. Between 1941 and the war’s end, 1,200 of these trips had been made, many by the Mosquitoes. The service between Sweden and Scotland had been a vital link between the two countries not only for the supply of ball-bearings but a life line for escapees and special agents. For these Mosquitoes it was a remarkable achievement for an aircraft that would prove itself to be one of the war’s most incredible designs.

de Havilland Mosquitoes used by BOAC*³:

DK292 – The first Mosquito to fly the Leuchars – Stockholm route
DZ411 – G-AGFV flew to 1945
HJ667 – G-AGKO flew to 1945
HJ680 – G-AGGC flew to 1946
HJ681 – G-AGGD crash landed Sweden 1941
HJ718 – G-AGGE flew to 1945
HJ720 – G-AGGF crashed Invernairk 1943
HJ721 – G-AGGG crashed near to Leuchars 1943
HJ723 – G-AGGH flew to 1945
LR296 – G-AGKP crashed near Leuchars 1944
HJ792 – G-AGKR lost at sea 1944
HJ898 – Crew trainer retained RAF serial flew to 1945
HJ985 – Crew trainer retained RAF serial returned to RAF 1944
LR524 – Crew trainer retained RAF serial returned to RAF 1944

RAF Leuchars appears in Trail 53.

Sources and further reading.

*¹ Martin Fritz (1975) Swedish ball-bearings and The German war economy,
Scandinavian Economic History Review, 23:1, 15-35, DOI: 10.1080/03585522.1975.10407803

*² Photo from “Think Scotland website” accessed 12/3/21

*³*⁶ The Mosquito Page Website accessed 12/3/21

*⁴ For additional information and pilot stories about the ‘ball-bearing’ run see the Royal Institute of Navigation Blog.

*⁵ Thirsk, I. “de Havilland Mosquito – An illustrated History Vol.2“, Crecy 2006

*⁷ Photo from Aircraft Enthusiast Group Website.

BAE Systems Website

RAF Sawbridgeworth – Part 4 – The end of an Era.

September 21, 2024September 1, 2024 / Aviationtrails / 2 Comments

Continuing on from Part 3

2 (AC) Sqn by now, also had a move away on the cards, and following a meeting on the 28th January the advanced party departed first, followed on the 31st by the ground party. The Mustangs moving to RAF Bottisham, from where they would now operate before being divided and part moving to Fowlmere. After a short stay at the two sites they returned to the Hertfordshire airfield once more. Their departure had lasted a mere four months.

The Standby Generator House now a stores for machinery.

Whilst they were away, the airfield was used on a temporary basis by 652 Sqn flying Austers, On arrival, they immediately took over Blount’s Farm and used it for their own personal use. In the short time they were here, they participated in Exercise “Spartan” again in conjunction with the Army, departing the airfield in late March.

After being spilt between Bottisham and Fowlmere, 2 (AC) Squadron was now reunited and returned to training flights, air to air firing, ground support flights and increased operational activities. A large part of the squadron’s role now included photographic reconnaissance of enemy territory, many of these operations taking place over the Hook of Holland, den Helder, Kijduin, and Ameland. Some of these required the squadron to detach to other stations but the majority of operations flew from Sawbridgeworth, the Mustangs fairing much better than the heavy Typhoons of 182 Squadron earlier on.

In Mid may, disaster struck again for the unit when three aircraft crashed into a hillside after setting off on a photo reconnaissance flight to photograph locomotive movements in northern France in Operation “Asphalt“. On the way out, a bank of sea fog was encountered and the order to climb was given. Unfortunately, flying abreast, three of the ten Mustangs failed to clear the hill they encountered, and Pt. Off. J. McLeod, Fl. Off. D. Hirst and Fl. Off. N. Miller were all killed. The remaining aircraft then flew to Thruxton where they were detached to, and a search commenced for the missing airmen. Their bodies were later recovered and funerals held in their respective homes at the end of the month.

Photo reconnaissance flights and attacks on shipping, increased becoming the main role for the squadron. Sadly during one of these operations, Operation “Lagoon“, Fl. Off. Butt was killed when his Mustang crashed into the ground before he was able to land. The resultant explosion and fire killing him.

July 1943 saw yet another move for the squadron, this time to Gravesend, where they were immediately billeted under canvas and then inspected for fitness to serve overseas. No such move came through though, and after moving around various other local airfields, in November, 2 Sqn returned to the Hertfordshire airfield that had become their semi-permanent home; this time though, they were not unaccompanied, they brought with them the Mustangs of 4 Squadron.

During their absence, Sawbridgeworth had not been deserted, in fact it had been very busy and home to several other squadron detachments. On the 12th November 1943, 63, 168 and 170 Squadrons had all moved in with Mustangs, then on the 30th, both 63 and 168 departed moving back to their parent unit, their short detachment coming to an end; whilst 170 remained here until mid January when they were disbanded.

The return of 2 Sqn and the new Mustang unit that November, saw a continuation of reconnaissance operations over the continent. 4 Sqn had been dogged by mechanical issues resulting in many unserviceable aircraft and even for the move, only five aircraft were able to make the initial flight. It was these ongoing issues that led to them to begin changing their old models for newer examples, a change that would unfortunately take time to complete.

For much of December the weather played the dominant part, the winter of 1943 – 44 being extremely wet and foggy. For much of the month the airfield was yet again, unserviceable and only top priority operational flying could take place and even that was sporadic.

At nearby Hunsdon, both a Mosquito and a Spitfire along with suitable trainers were made available, and it soon became known that 4 squadron was going to re-equip with both and move to Aston Down. At last, the older, problematic Mustangs were being replaced by a much needed and higher performing aircraft.

Conversion of the crews would take place at Hunsdon who would transfer across regularly to take flight instructions whenever the weather allowed. It didn’t come a moment too soon either as serviceability for the Mustangs of both squadrons, remained critically low; at the end of the month, 4 Sqn only had two airworthy aircraft.

In early January 1944, 4 Sqn finally got their departure orders and made the move to Aston Down. The conversion had been successful, and further training flights were carried out once at Aston Down, gradually more and more of the new models arrived bringing the squadron back up to full strength once more. That was not the end of 4 Squadron though, as on March 3rd 1944, they returned to Sawbridgeworth with their new Spitfires and their Mosquitoes, their period of reconnaissance training on the two types now almost complete.

On the 3rd March, two parties left Aston Down, the road party in the morning and then, in the afternoon, the air party, forming the largest ‘Balbo‘ the unit had known for some time. in all, twenty-two aircraft made up of Spitfires, Mosquitoes and Mustangs flew in formation all the way to Sawbridgeworth, their arrival in the late afternoon must have been a magnificent sight for those waiting on the ground.

The squadron was then divided into two flights, ‘A’ Flight flying the Spitfires and ‘B’ Flight the Mosquitoes. During March the ‘A’ Flight Spitfire XIs were used to fly photo reconnaissance sorties over ‘Noball‘ targets – rocket installations in France, the first operational sortie since December 12th. However, and a blow to the squadron, there was 10/10ths cloud over the target area and no photos were taken as a result.

With ‘A’ Flight busy on operational sorties, ‘B’ Flight continued with their Training flights in their Mosquitoes. However, as with the Typhoons earlier, things were not as straight forward and easy and they may have been. It was found that stones and clinker had found its way onto the tracks and these had been thrown up damaging the tail plane of the aircraft rendering all the aircraft used unserviceable.

Poor weather continued to hamper operations as it had done for months, the Mosquitoes now taking part in photographic flights having their flights cancelled and the squadron being stood down on several occasion.

In early April, they were ordered out of Sawbridgeworth and on the 4th, both air and ground parties left for Gatwick, their penultimate stop before moving to the continent where they would stay for many years after the war’s end.

Meanwhile, 2 Sqn had continued operations over enemy territory, carrying out both air-ground attacks and reconnaissance flights over the continent. Yet more detachments away at various airfields including Benson and North Weald, led to them being divided once more. However, being posted to North Weald caused problems for the resident 268 Sqn who were now forced to leave there and come to Sawbridgeworth, North Weald being too small to accommodate both units. When 2 Sqn returned to Sawbridgeworth on March 26th to continue their operational activities, 268 departed, being transferred to RAF Gailes where the entire squadron undertook a Naval Bombardment course.

During their time here, 268 had been operational flying regular sorties over France. With the impending invasion, they photographed beach defences along the French coast, Radar station at Ostend and carried out “Noball” operations searching for and photographing V1 launch sites.

2 Sqn’s last departure from Sawbridgeworth than came, and on 24th March 1944, they along with 4 squadron shortly after, departed the airfield for Gatwick, never to return to Sawbridgeworth again.

2 Sqn would go on to serve well into the future, taking their Tornadoes to Marham in 1991 after serving in Germany post war. With a long and distinguished history that extends as far back as 1912, they would operative some of the worlds most modern aircraft including: Meteors, Hunters and Jaguars all in front line operations.

With 2 Squadron now departed and not going to return, there was room for other squadrons to utilise the airfield. April saw the arrival of both 80 Squadron on the 24th April followed by 126 Sqn on the 30th; both units flying Spitfires VB and IX respectively.

80 Sqn had been overseas for the last few years and as soon as they arrived at Sawbridgeworth, they were granted leave of up to seven days. Many were disgruntled at such a short period of time and some were given extensions. On return, the squadron then moved immediately to Hornchurch to form a new Wing along with 229 and 274 Squadrons.

Only one other squadron used the airfield after that, 126 Sqn, who, like 80 Squadron, had been abroad and were essentially regrouped here. No flying took place and once settled they were assigned to RAF Culmhead.

After D-Day no other units used the airfield and Sawbridgeworth had had its day. Now redundant it was handed over to the Maintenance Command and placed into care. All flying ceased, military units were pulled out and the airfield gradually wound down.

Its demise was swift, the mesh runways were quickly removed using POWs, the tower was demolished a year after the cessation of conflict in 1945, and many other buildings were removed or demolished; the land rapidly turned back to agriculture.

Wandering the site today, there is luckily still quite a bit of evidence about. The perimeter track is complete, not in its full width throughout, but a large proportion of it. A number of pill boxes remain scattered around the perimeter of the site and the Battle Headquarters (design 11008/41) can be found with determined searching amongst the brambles and hedgerows.

To the west of the site is a small industrial complex utilising what was a ten-bed sick quarters, dental annex, a twelve bed Barrack hut that doubled as a hospital ward, mortuary and an ambulance shed. An ablutions block is was also located here and the site is more or less complete. Not far from here, is a modern farm, which houses a number of smaller original buildings including a Parachute store (built to drawing 11137/41), fabric store, sub station, main stores and other technical buildings. These are all located on private land and in use by the farmer. There is also a signals block, located nearby to these sites and easily visible from the road.

Across to the east of the airfield, is whats left of the communal site. Here stood 33 buildings in total, incorporating a wide range of supporting units for recreation and general living. The only remaining buildings being the standby generator house and the grocery store. Both are used by local businesses.

A memorial to those who served at Sawbridgeworth stands outside what was the guard house. A recent addition, it is a nice reminder of the dedication of the crews who were stationed here during two world wars.

Sawbridgeworth took years to develop and continually struggled with nature and her elements. Those stationed here struggled with mud and poor weather, undertaking co-operation flights, photographic reconnaissance operations and attacks on enemy targets on the continent. But it never really reached its true, and full potential, languishing in the background with no real direction or planning to see it thrive. Possible loved by many, but loathed by some, it remains today as a reminder of what those dark days of the 1940s were all about.

It is a small well hidden airfield and takes some finding. Hidden by woodland and crops, it was created through luck rather than good planning. The crews and aircraft of Sawbridgeworth played a big part in the Second World War, and all in its short but yet significant life.

Whilst in the area, a third, very important and still active airfield, can be found not far away at North Weald.

Sources and Further Reading (Sawbridgeworth)

*¹ Herts Memories website accessed 30/6/24

*²National Archives AIR 27/406/1, 39 Squadron Operational Record Book 1916 May 01 – 1930 June 30

*³ ‘A Fleeting Peace’ website. visited 1/9/2024.

*⁴ (a form of gas that is thought to be harmless and used in trials. Mustard Gas would be stored and used in the event of an invasion). National Archives Air/27/19.

*⁵ National archives AIR 27/1135/1 – 182 Squadron Operational Record Book

National Archives: AIR 27/19/9; AIR 27/19/13, AIR 27/19/15; AIR 27/19/19; AIR 27/19/21, AIR-27-2876; AIR 27/19/25; AIR 27/19/30; AIR 27/19/33; AIR 27/19/32; AIR 27/19/36; AIR 27/19/30; AIR 27/1564/5; AIR 27/671/7;

For personal stories and further information see the Wartime Airfields website.

The Hertfordshire Airfields and Memorial Group have further information about the site and the memorial on their website.

The full story can be read in Trail 25.

RAF Sawbridgeworth – Part 3 – P-51s Arrive.

September 14, 2024September 1, 2024 / Aviationtrails / Leave a comment

Continuing on from Part 2

With all Tomahawks now airworthy, if not troublesome, exercises away at other airfields were the main order of the day. Courses held here were well attended meaning the airfield would see a range of personnel, including naval staff, residing at the site for short durations, over the coming months.

Perimeter track

Personnel spirits were raised once more when Flt. Lt. Houseman and Sqn. Ldr. Eyres visited RAF Duxford in February to see the new American built P-51 ‘Mustang’, it was thought this was to be the new replacement for the Tomahawks which had been nothing but problematic throughout their time at Sawbridgeworth.

Convinced of the Mustang’s superiority, arrangements were quickly made for other personnel to also visit the airfield and see for themselves what the new aircraft was capable of. Then, in April 1942, after some initial training at Bottisham, the first three Mustangs arrived at Sawbridgeworth flown in from Speke, Liverpool. With a further six arriving the next day, the total number of Mustangs at the airfield quickly began to increase.

RAF Mustangs of 2 (Army Cooperation) Sqn.

As with the introduction of the Tomahawk, the introduction of a new aircraft takes time and is rarely trouble free. On April 9th, no less than three Mustangs were either written off or substantially damaged in accidents. The first, ‘AG401’, was on a message dropping flight when it inadvertently hit hidden HT cables severing its pitot head and aerial. With no air speed indicator, the aircraft made a fast landing causing the wheel to slip off the tracking and hit a hole in the ground. The wheel lodged itself in the hole causing the aircraft to flip onto its nose. In the second accident, as ‘AG403’ piloted by Pt.Off. G. Gosnell, ran down the runway, it struck a second Mustang, ‘AG488’ piloted by Pt. Off. P. Willmett, who was taxiing prior to taking-off. After the impact, ‘AG403’ rose into the air, flipped onto its back and crashed into the ground fatally wounding Pilot Officer Gosnell. Pt. Off. Willmett in the second Mustang was however, uninjured in the collision.

Only ten days later Pt. Off. Willmett was involved in another accident when the Mustang he was flying, this time ‘AG492’, suffered a stalled engine. Unable to restart it, Willmett made a forced landing in a field near to High Wycombe. Neither he nor the aircraft suffered any injury or damage.

In June, further consideration was given to extending the runway once again and more surveys were made of the ground by Captain Storey of C.R.E. Bottisham. But any positive news from this was marred by the two deaths of personnel from Sawbridgeworth. Firstly , P. O. G. Young was killed in an air firing exercise at Stert Point ranges on Fenning Island. The aircraft failed to pull up after the attack and subsequently hit the sea wall completely destroying the aircraft. The cause of the accident remains unknown. The second person to die was LAC Dodds, who accidentally drowned whilst swimming in a river local to the airfield, both tragic accidents that marred an otherwise positive day.

Exercises in July took detachments to both Snailwell and Wendling. Residing at Shipdham, they carried out forty-six sorties altogether all with excellent results – the Mustang and its crews were performing well. With the official release of the P-51 at the end of the month, the squadron was visited by press officials who were invited to take photos and also meet the crews who would be flying them.

On August 8th, 1942, one of many support training units that were to operate from the airfield, was created here at Sawbridgeworth. The 1495 (Target Towing) Flight, who like 2 (AC) Sqn early on, was equipped with the Lysander and Martinet. It was a short lived unit though, created to support air-to-air gunnery practice using targets towed behind the aircraft; being absorbed into another unit at Hutton Cranswick merely a year later.

The naval link continued in September when a detachment of No. 809 Sqn Fleet Air Arm, arrived bringing with them Fairey Fulmars. The three aircraft staying here, were practising low level attacks through smoke screens in conjunction with 54 Division Battle School. A further twelve officers and six more aircraft then arrived at the end of the month bringing the total number of naval personnel to nine. These were very quickly supplemented over the next few days, and soon the airfield was awash with staff.

This cooperation between units brought many varied aircraft and personnel to Sawbridgeworth. A detachment of 239 Sqn arrived here for a short stay between 22nd October and 18th November, flying their own Mustang Is in conjunction with those of 2 (AC) Sqn, this move would have considerably increased the number of aircraft using the site and the station would have become increasingly active.

Former Sick quarters

October 29th would sadly be another black day for the airfield though, with the loss of three more Mustangs during night manoeuvres. Flying in bad weather and unsure of their location, the flight of three descended to lower altitudes to gain visual references. In doing so, the first aircraft, ‘AG605’ flown by Pt. Off. D. Williams, collided with trees and crashed. The aircraft was destroyed and the pilot was sadly killed. In the second incident, one of the wingmen (AG633), was forced to make a wheels up landing in a field next to the airfield after attempting an overshoot. The pilot, Pt. Off. P. Whittenham luckily escaped without injury. The last of the three, the leader of the flight (AG465), ran out of fuel and baled out leaving the aircraft to crash into hotel grounds at Ludgershall, Buckinghamshire. He landed without further incident.

Further cooperation flights, involved the arrival at the end of November, of sixteen Spitfires from the Norwegian squadron then based at North Weald. The pilots were here to train in Army cooperation, again operating alongside the Mustangs of the now expert 2 (AC) Sqn.

With the principle aircraft now being the Mustang for 2 (AC) Sqn, a few Tomahawks still remained on their books, and it was one of these that would crash on landing causing minor injuries to the pilot Pt. Off. P. Gordon-Crosby in ‘AK144’. The type had by now though, seen its day and was largely phased out of squadron use by this time.

As 1942 drew to a close, Sawbridgeworth had grown and developed. It had links with squadrons across the country and across different forces, it had also seen a variety of nationalities reside at its grounds. Whilst it was at least now making its mark, conditions at the site were far from perfect, a problem that was to be highlighted when news came in to 182 Squadron based at Martlesham Heath that they were to relocate to Sawbridgeworth. In preparation, the station commander, Sqn. Ldr. T. Pugh and adjutant Flt. Lt. R. Melhuish, set off by road to inspect the airfield, paying particular attention to its accommodation facilities, hardstands and runways.

It was clear from the outset that the airfield was “going to give everyone a formidable array of difficulties to face, the accommodation is uncompleted, the dispersals are uncompleted and deep in thick, clayey mud, and the larger hangar is only half erected and has no roof, and everywhere is mud, thick and sticky.” *⁵

These findings were then confirmed by Flt. Lt. Manak, who returned to Martlesham after landing a Hurricane at Sawbridgeworth. The entry recorded in the ORB *⁵ reflected Manak’s feelings in just a few words: “He returns with a very dismal face.”

As a result, Sqn. Ldr. Pugh contacted Headquarters 11 Group to express his deepest concerns at the state of the airfield, but promised to try and see if the squadron could operate from it,despite the difficulties they would face. It was a brave attempt that would not last long. That night, in honour or the squadron, a party and competition were held between 132 and 182 Sqns at Martlesham which, as often happens, became a little ‘boisterous’ resulting in the C.O. and Squadron Engineer Officer both being sent to hospital for injuries sustained in the activities.

Then, on the 6th December, the ground party began their move, followed the next day by the air party lead by Flt. Lt. Manak, in which seventeen Typhoons and one Hurricane took off in groups of four, set for Sawbridgeworth. The problems they were going to face became immediately obvious as they were faced with sticky mud as soon as they landed. Undaunted by the challenges ahead, by the evening they are all bedded down ready for the challenges of their new home.

Conditions at the dispersals made flying virtually impossible for the heavier Typhoons, and considerable work was needed to bring them up to any sort of standard, deep “cleyey‘” mud prevailed making movement difficult, even the runways were a challenge despite the fact there was matting lain down.

By the 13th December, a week into their stay things had improved slightly, and flying began with thirteen officers putting in twelve hours thirty-five minutes of patrols.

Former Signals block

But by the 15th, the rain had returned, and the airfield became difficult to fly from once more. Further rain followed and by the 17th it was completely out of commission, a state it remained in for many days thereafter. With flying scaled right back, it was decided to make good use of the time by providing ground lectures covering a wide-range of topics. By the end of the month, little had changed and six aircraft were ordered to disperse as soon as possible to nearby RAF Hunsdon so that some flying could, at least, take place.

It was not until the 29th December that the airfield was in any state to permit flying to take place. The six aircraft destined for Hunsdon then managed to take off, lead by Sqn. Ldr. Manak. To support them, a ground party also left taking with them supplies and spares to Hunsdon from where they would now operate until further notice.

To combat the continuing mud problem, the north-south runway was eventually relaid, the east-west runway was considered ‘usable’, as long as there was no further rain, and it was therefore left in situ. The slightest amount of rain however, would simply turn the ground into thick mud and slush.

Christmas then passed, and 1943 would see little change in the weather. After a few dry days, adverse weather returned once more, and once again the early days of January saw little flying take place. However, a short break did allow history to be made when, on the 3rd January 1943, the first operational sortie of 182 Squadron was made. Two Typhoons, flown by Flt. Lt. Manak and Sergeant Shields, flew to Martlesham Heath, where they were ‘ bombed up’ with 250lb bombs and then attacked inland port installations at Bruges. Whilst the overall outcome of the operation was not known, it was nevertheless the squadron’s first operation since its inception and there were no losses.

Between then and the 17th, bad weather persisted, it became so bad, that at one point the mud seeped through the mesh and a substantial amount of flying by the squadron, had to be cancelled as a result. However, on the 17th, ten aircraft were able to get airborne and after joining with four of those detached at Hunsdon, they made their way, with two lighter Mustangs from 2 (AC) Sqn, to RAF Snailwell where they would take part in ground support operation with Army Command. Snailwell’s resident 181 Sqn welcomed their sister squadron with open arms, and threw a huge party in their honour. The following day, they all took part in the training exercise “Shatter“, before all aircraft, from both squadrons, returned to Sawbridgeworth and the mud they had left behind. 182 Sqn then made the decision to attempt to operate the all its aircraft from the airfield, but, with mud accumulating along the track, by 23rd the new station commander W. Cdr. Bristow, had had enough and declared the runways unserviceable and the airfield all but closed.

By the 27th, concerns for Sawbridgeworth had reached the higher ranks of the military and the Air Officer Commanding Army Co-operation Command, Air Marshal Sir Arthur Barratt KCB, CMG, MC, who arrived at the airfield to discuss the future of 182 Squadron with W. Cdr. Pugh. The outcome was that the squadron would have to move elsewhere as training had been held up for far too long, and this must now stop; a move away was on the cards and not a moment too soon either.

By the 30th January, all was set and the squadron managed to get airborne returning to their former station at Martlesham Heath. The following day all ground personnel also left and the squadron settled in at their former airfield, leaving a disastrous stay at Sawbridgeworth well and truly behind.

Part 4 continues with the end of the war and the end of Sawbridgeworth. The full story can be read in Trail 25.

RAF Sawbridgeworth – Humble Beginnings.

September 2, 2024September 2, 2024 / Aviationtrails / 3 Comments

In Hertfordshire (Trail 25) is a small long, gone airfield that was once home to a number of squadrons including both 2 and 4 Squadrons RAF; two squadron that went on to operate, for many years, in Germany post war.

It is an airfield that its origins in the First World War. It struggled with poor weather, exceedingly bad drainage and was one that developed not through careful planning, but more the luck and perseverance of its station commander.

With remnants of its part still remaining, we take a look at the former RAF Sawbridgeworth.

RAF Sawbridgeworth

RAF Sawbridgeworth, also known as Mathams Wood and RFC Sawbridgeworth, was originally constructed as a second-class night landing ground during April 1916. After considering three sites in the area, Sawbridgeworth, a 31 acre site to the west of Shingle Hall was chosen, the reason being it had good approaches, was flat and had a main public road running alongside it.

Facilities at the ground were limited however; there were no hangars and only a small wooden hut with an occasional tent was provided in cases of bad weather. Any aircraft landing due to difficulties or damage, could have minor repairs carried out, but little more than that. As a result, staffing at the site was also minimal, manned by just one RFC officer and a handful of civilians who would carry out repairs and maintenance to any aircraft using the site. Whilst based here, the primary role of the RFC Officer was merely to provide signals to landing aircraft by using flares laid out in the form of an ‘L’ with the longer leg pointing downwind.*¹

Sawbridgeworth was small, only being intended to take aircraft from 39 Sqn, a home defence unit who were currently based at nearby North Weald, and who were activated to combat the Zeppelins flying in from Germany to bomb targets in southern and eastern England.

It was indeed Lt. Leefe Robinson of 39 Sqn who attacked and shot down the first Zeppelin over British Territory on 2nd September 1916. Called the ‘Cuffley Zeppelin’ after the village near to where it crashed, Robinson was immediately awarded the Victoria Cross for his action on that night, an honour not bestowed lightly.

Wreck of the German Zeppelin L 21 at Cuffley, Hertfordshire (IWM Q73672).

The squadron was initially formed with its headquarters at Hounslow, and had two Flights – one based at Hainhault Farm, and the other at Sutton’s Farm – both part of the Home Defence force, and were directed to protect London from Zeppelin attacks from the north-east coming across the Wash and down through East Anglia.

In August, the Headquarters were transferred to Woodford in Essex and a third Flight established at North Weald Bassett. The three Flights were then merged to form 39 Sqn RFC. The squadron would indeed primarily attack Zeppelins, but records show they also attacked a number of German Gothas also used to attack the capital..*²

Little use was made of Sawbridgeworth however, and in November 1918 it was closed as a landing ground, the site quickly reverting to its former agricultural use.

For almost 20 years the site remained in this form, until 1928, when a small gliding club was formed at nearby Shingle Hall Farm. It would turn out to be a short -lived venture however, ceasing to operate within a year or so. But despite this, all was not lost, and in 1933, a ‘Great Air Pagent’ took place in which fifteen aircraft paraded past a growing crowd who had come to experience the thrills and spills of flying. The Pagent itself, was part of a wider programme designed to tour the country raising money for local hospitals, and successfully visited 180 towns and cities across the country, being seen by over one million spectators. *³

Led by Mr. Charles W. A. Scott, AFC, the famous airman who held the world record for his flight from England to Australia, the event was to specifically raise money for a new wing at the Bishops Stortford Hospital, and would showcase a range of daring flying stunts to amaze the gathered crowd. The event was a great success, and a new wing was indeed opened at the hospital as a result. Also taking part was one of the more notable aviators, Pauline Gower, who would later go on set up the Women’s Section of the Air Transport Auxiliary in 1939.

However, there was no further flying activity at the site after the pageant, and no further aviation interest was shown in the area, until after 1934 when a beacon was located on the south side of the field.

Then, with tensions rising on the continent, it was decided to begin training troops in preparation for what may lie ahead, and in order to do this, a new landing ground was needed in the vicinity. However, due to developments in aircraft design, size and power, the site at Shingles Farm was determined too small and not able to accommodate the new types of aircraft coming through. To remedy the problem another area just a short distance away, was then chosen as the new site. *¹

The new site lay between Shingle Hall Farm and a wooded area known as Matham’s Wood, (seen on 1/4 inch map sheet 9, Ref:L 9137) located to the north-west of the farm, and was larger in area then the previous site used. The Ministry obtained it in 1937, and it was passed directly to the control of Army Co-Operation (AC) Squadrons, commanded by the 22nd Army Co-Operation Command. It would immediately become an Advanced Landing Ground (ALG).

Designated Matham’s Wood ALG, Army Co-Operation units, in particular, 2 (AC) Squadron, would operate with Army units, under operational conditions, simulating what it would be like for the troops to perform in times of war. These training operations would later become fundamental in the training of SOE agents who would be transported into occupied Europe to work with numerous groups including the French Resistance. Whilst the site was only used intermittently, it nevertheless set the seeds for the growth of the site into the what would become Sawbridgeworth airfield.

The former Grocery store.

2 (AC) would remain the primary user of Matham’s Wood arriving in June 1940 after their retreat from France earlier in May. Whilst on the continent, they were attacked on many occasions by the advancing Germany forces, receiving as many as 75 bombs in one attack alone. In support of the Allied retreat to Dunkirk, they carried out sorties both over the town itself and over the advancing German front lines; eventually being forced to pull back to England and Bekesbourne in Kent, where they initially made their new home.

On June 15th 1940, Matham’s Wood ALG officially opened with its first ‘resident’ units, and was referred to as Sawbridgeworth Advanced Landing Ground for the first time. Flt Lt. P. Edinger was the Officer in Charge, who would oversee two Flights on rotation in conjunction with a third Flight then based at Hatfield. With them, were the associate section 5 A.I.L and a photographic section with their trailer. In support of operations, a range of appropriate night flying equipment was also transported over to the airfield.

The move would also see the requisition of Blounts Farm on the southern side of the airfield – this would be used as the Flight Office. Crew accommodation however, would once again be rudimentary at best – initially tents being the main form of accommodation for anyone stationed here.

Over the next few months various tactical flights would take place in conjunction with numerous Army Units, many of these involving the Lysanders of 2 (AC) Sqn ‘dive bombing’ the ground troops or performing mock gas spraying attacks. This rather deadly weapon was kept stored at various airfields around the country including Macmerry in Scotland and were a back up to thwart any invasion attempt made by the Germans.

Later, at the end of July, the bulk of 2 (AC) Sqn was divided, one Flight moving from Hatfield to Cambridge, leaving the other two Flights at Sawbridgeworth. This meant that ‘C’ Flight, now at at Cambridge, would operate under HQ 2 Corps, whilst ‘A’ and ‘B’ Flights left at Sawbridgeworth, would operate under XI Corps. This move, whilst minor in itself, was the next step forward in establishing an airfield here at Sawbridgeworth. For the next few years 2 (AC) Sqn would operate out of Sawbridgeworth, spending in some cases days or even weeks at a time at other airfields as part of their operational role. This would be a regular occurrence until mid 1944 when they finally departed and moved onto the continent following D-day.

Following the defeat of the Allied forces in France and their retreat from Dunkirk, the fear of invasion was now high, and tactical reconnaissance sorties were flown daily over the coast and inland water ways looking for intruders. Lysanders of the two units based at Sawbridgeworth carried out many of these flights, photographing areas of coastline stretching from The Wash in Norfolk, to the Thames Estuary in the south.

Fearing that Lysanders were no match for enemy fighters, Wing Commander Geddes of 2 (AC) Sqn, put in a request for fighter aircraft for the Squadron to support any action that may be needed. The Boulton-Paul Defiant was identified as a possible model, and so flight trials began, trials which continued well into September.

The crews at Sawbridgeworth, still residing in temporary accommodation, were given a ray of hope on September 11th, 1940, when the Great Hyde Hall, a 15th Century Manor House, was requisitioned for the billeting of 2 (AC) Sqn personnel; because of its size and location though, it would be destined to become a temporary Station Headquarters and the Officer’s Mess.

With this increasing use, Sawbridgeworth ALG was gradually growing and developing into an airfield in its own right. This was largely through luck more than careful planning, and was mainly due to the efforts of the Commanding Officer of 2 (AC) Squadron, Wing Commander A. W. Geddes.

It was Geddes who made another step forward when he met with the Section Officer, No. 10 Works, on September 20th, 1940 to discuss further improvements to Sawbridgeworth. These talks were very fruitful and the future of the site began to look more promising.

During all this, operations continued with co-operation and reconnaissance flights occurring regularly. The use of gas in these training sessions was a high priority as there was a fear that the Germans would use such a weapon themselves, or that if the invasion came, the Lysanders would be ordered to use it as well. To meet the demand for training, supplies of “S3D” gas were constantly forthcoming, with 650 Gallons of the type arriving at Sawbridgeworth at this time*⁴

October 1940 began with a parade and the awarding of the DFC to Sgt. J. Clark by Air Vice Marshal C.H.B. Blount CB, OBE, MC; after the parade, the AOC went on to inspect the ‘airfield’ including the Great Hyde Hall, to see how it was being used following its requisitioning earlier on. On the same day, Brigadier Withington of XI Corps also visited Sawbridgeworth, examining the few huts now on site to check their suitability for a possible aerodrome guard, a cookhouse and possible accommodation blocks. These visits were all seen as positive steps for the airfield.

Remains of a building located in Mathams Wood.

By now, the airfield had gained the attention of the Luftwaffe, firstly when a Ju 88 crashed nearby at Bishops Stortford church, exploding on impact, and secondly, a few days later on 8th October 1940, when two parachute mines were dropped in the grounds of Hyde Hall causing damage to the windows, but thankfully without causing any casualties.

Another major move then came on October 9th, when the first permanent members of 2 (AC) Sqn moved in, a move that was followed five days later, when nearby Townsend House was taken over by the Equipment Section, and immediately turned it into a stores block.

On the 20th, nine more bombs fell, this time they hit the cricket field of Great Hyde Hall, but with little overall effect except perhaps, to disrupt the challenge of playing matches. In all these attacks, no one was hurt nor any major damage sustained, but each bomb brought the front line that little bit closer to home once more.

December came and Christmas approached adding a little merriment to the routines of airfield life. It was a worrying time for the cooks though, as the cook house located in the Assembly Hall in Sawbridgeworth itself, burnt down. A new cookhouse was quickly set up within the Great Hyde Hall, and was duly opened on December 24th just in time for a much welcomed Christmas dinner the following day.

Part 2 continues with the development of Sawbridgeworth. The full story can be read in Trail 25.