RAF Ridgewell

Infobox Military Structure
name= Royal Air Force Station Ridgewell
USAAF Station 167
location= Located Near Halstead, Essex, England
coordinates=coord|52|02|40.75|N|000|32|34.86|E|


caption= Aerial Photo of Ridgewell Airfield - 1945
type= Military Airfield
code=RD
built=1942
builder=
materials=
height=
used=1942-1957
demolished=
condition=
ownership=
controlledby=Royal Air Force
United States Army Air Forces
garrison=RAF Bomber Command
Eighth Air Force
commanders=
occupants=
battles= European Theatre of World War II
Air Offensive, Europe July 1942 - May 1945 Location map|Essex
label =
lat = 52.04
long = 0.54
caption = Map showing the location of RAF Ridgewell within Essex.
float = right
background = white
width = 200

RAF Ridgewell is a former World War II airfield in England. The field is located 7½ miles NW of Halstead in Essex. During the war, the airfield was used by the Royal Air Force and the United States Army Air Forces Eighth Air Force. It was assigned USAAF designation Station 167, station code "RD".

Overview

Ridgewell airfield was an early example of stations completed to Class A heavy bomber airfield design for the RAF, and had three intersecting runways of 6,500 ft each in length, thirty-six hardstands, two T-2 hangars and accommodation for 2,900 men in temporary buildings.

RAF Bomber Command use

The airfield was opened in December 1942 and was first used by the RAF Bomber Command 90 squadron with Short Stirling Bombers until May 1943, the station being at the time a satellite of RAF Stradishall.

USAAF use

Ridgewell was the only long-term heavy bomber base of the Eighth Air Force in Essex. For USAAF use, the number of hardstands was increased to the fifty required by a US bomb group. The station was part of the 1st Combat Wing establishment of the 1st Division and was the furthest east of its thirteen heavy bomber stations.

381st Bombardment Group

From 30 June 1943 the airfield was used by the USAAF 381st Bombardment Group (Heavy), arriving from Pueblo AAB, Colorado. Its tail code was Triangle-L.. The 381st Bomb Group consisted of the following operational squadrons and fuselage codes:

* 532d Bomb Squadron (VE)
* 533th Bomb Squadron (VP)
* 534th Bomb Squadron (GD)
* 535th Bomb Squadron (MS)

After V-E Day, the 381st Bomb Group returned to Sioux Falls AAF, South Dakota in July 1945 and was deactivated on 28 August.

Air Ministry Use

After the war, Ridgewell was used for bomb storage from 15 July 1945 to 31 March 1957. It was then disposed of and sold. The United States Air Force retained the old aircraft hangars which were used by units from nearby RAF Wethersfield and RAF Alconbury for storage until both bases were closed in the early 1990s.

Civil Use

With the end of military control, the majority of the base was returned to agriculture, with the buildings and control tower being torn down. The concrete runways and hardstands were removed for hardcore, although much of the perimeter track was reused for country roads, albeit at a reduced width.

Recently the airfield has been purchased by the Essex gliding club and is their home base for gliding throughout the summer months.

ee also

* List of RAF stations
* USAAF Eighth Air Force - World War II
* 381st Training Group

References

* Freeman, Roger A. (1978) Airfields of the Eighth: Then and Now. After the Battle ISBN 0900913096
* Freeman, Roger A. (1991) The Mighty Eighth The Colour Record. Cassell & Co. ISBN 0-304-35708-1
* Maurer, Maurer (1983). Air Force Combat Units Of World War II. Maxwell AFB, Alabama: Office of Air Force History. ISBN 0892010924.
* [http://www.controltowers.co.uk/R/Ridgewell.htm www.controltowers.co.uk Ridgewell]
* [http://mighty8thaf.preller.us/php/1Loc.php?Base=Ridgewell mighty8thaf.preller.us Ridgewell]
* [http://home.att.net/~jbaugher/usafserials.html USAAS-USAAC-USAAF-USAF Aircraft Serial Numbers--1908 to present]

External links

* [http://multimap.com/map/photo.cgi?client=public&X=576000&Y=241000&width=700&height=400&gride=575000&gridn=240000&srec=0&coordsys=gb&db=freegaz&pc=&zm=0&scale=25000&up.x=352&up.y=5 Aerial Photo of RAF Ridgewell From Multimap.Com]

* [http://www.381st.com Ridgewell Airfield Commemorative Association]
* [http://www.aeroflight.co.uk/mus/uk/n-r/ridgewellmus.htm Ridgewell Airfield Commemorative Museum]
* [http://www.381stbg.org 381st Bomb Group Website]