Airfield Construction Branch RAF
Encyclopedia
Predecessor organisation
Having gained consent from the French authorities in 1939 to establish Flying Training Schools in France, the next step was to construct aerodromes. The RAF approached the army, and were rebuffed. As a consequence No 1 Air Ministry Works Unit was established. Its aim was to manage these construction projects, with French and Belgian civil engineering companies carrying out the construction. The unit was evacuated to the UK following the fall of France in June 1940.The unit was occupied in overseeing runway repairs for the rest of the year, with some assistance in filling craters being provided by the Royal Pioneer Corps
Royal Pioneer Corps
The Royal Pioneer Corps was a British Army combatant corps used for light engineering tasks.The Royal Pioneer Corps was raised on 17 October 1939 as the Auxiliary Military Pioneer Corps. It was renamed the Pioneer Corps on 22 November 1940...
. The latter were withdrawn at the end of 1940, which resulted in the RAF forming Nos 1 & 2 Works Squadrons. By the end of 1941, this had grown to six squadrons, and in July 1942 these units were officially titled the RAF Works Service.
Airfield Construction Service
The service had grown to 19 squadrons and was re-titled RAF Airfield Construction Service in May 1943. The Service was now grouped in Wings, each wing consisting of four squadrons; one plant and three construction. The organisation grew to a point where it employed 30,000 people. It became clear that when a second front opened in northern Europe, there would be a need for the services of the ACS to deploy overseas. Acknowledging this, the RAF created 85 (Base) Group HQ at the end of 1943, and allocated five of the seven Wings to this Group, which deployed to Normandy after D-DayD-Day
D-Day is a term often used in military parlance to denote the day on which a combat attack or operation is to be initiated. "D-Day" often represents a variable, designating the day upon which some significant event will occur or has occurred; see Military designation of days and hours for similar...
. It was perceived that the Luftwaffe would not be idle following the landings, and the two remaining wings were to be used repairing damage from Luftwaffe
Luftwaffe
Luftwaffe is a generic German term for an air force. It is also the official name for two of the four historic German air forces, the Wehrmacht air arm founded in 1935 and disbanded in 1946; and the current Bundeswehr air arm founded in 1956....
attrition raids. In preparation for the landings, in 1943 the RAF Airfield Construction Service built 23 Advanced Landing Grounds in southern England.
The first overseas deployment was in May 1942 in Iceland
Iceland
Iceland , described as the Republic of Iceland, is a Nordic and European island country in the North Atlantic Ocean, on the Mid-Atlantic Ridge. Iceland also refers to the main island of the country, which contains almost all the population and almost all the land area. The country has a population...
, with 5201 Squadron being formed for that task. Similarly, the requirement to build and maintain an airstrip in the Azores
Azores
The Archipelago of the Azores is composed of nine volcanic islands situated in the middle of the North Atlantic Ocean, and is located about west from Lisbon and about east from the east coast of North America. The islands, and their economic exclusion zone, form the Autonomous Region of the...
saw the formation of 5020 Squadron in September 1943. An eighth Wing (5358) was created for deployment to the Far East, alongside 5353 Wing.
Airfield Construction Branch
At the time of the Berlin Airlift, the service was now renamed the Airfield Construction Branch. Its Wings were responsible for the construction and maintenance of RAF infrastructure in Germany (2nd TAF), until the Wings themselves were disbanded in 1957. The squadrons were to support RAF operations in overseas deployments until 1966.Disbandment
The Airfield Construction Branch was disbanded on 1 April 1966. Its responsibilities were transferred to the Royal EngineersRoyal Engineers
The Corps of Royal Engineers, usually just called the Royal Engineers , and commonly known as the Sappers, is one of the corps of the British Army....
.