RAF Brenzett

RAF Brenzett was a Royal Air Force station close to the village of Brenzett near Romney Marsh in Kent during World War II. It was used as a base in 1944 for the Mustang Wing which comprised three squadrons including two Polish squadrons in exile and operated patrols against V-1 flying bombs.

History

The site was chosen for an advanced landing ground in July 1942 and construction work on the 300-acre site of flat marshland commenced in 1943, it was due to open on 1 March 1943 but was not ready for occupation until September and the airfield opened as RAF Brenzett as part of Fighter Command on the 14 September 1943 with two Sommerfield Track runways. The locals referred to the airfield as Ivychurch after the nearest village. The airfield eventually had five blister hangars for the aircraft but most of the personnel were housed in a tented camp.

The first unit to use the airfield was 122 Squadron with Supermarine Spitfires in August 1943 who used it relieve pressure on their home airfield of RAF Kingsnorth five miles to the north. The airfield was not used to support the D-Day landings but in July 1944 a Mustang wing (No. 133 Polish Fighter Wing) with three squadrons was based mainly on anti-flying bomb patrols. [ [http://www.brenzettaero.co.uk/ Brenzett Aeronautical Museum Trust] ]

The United States Army Air Corps designated the airfield Station Number 438. The main American unit was Battery C, 635 AAA (Anti-aircraft Artillery), Automatic Weapons Bn, IX Air Defence Command. [ [http://afhra.maxwell.af.mil/world_war2/usaaf_bases_in_united_kingdom.pdf USAAF bases in the United Kingdom] ]

The Mustang wing left in October 1944 and the airfield was no longer needed, the airfield was closed 13 December 1944 and returned to agricultural use, in 1972 a military and aviation museum was opened on part of the site. [ [http://www.airfields.fotopic.net/c1077477.html] ]

Units and aircraft

References

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External links

* [http://www.airfields.fotopic.net/c1077477.html Airfield Images]