RAF Ashford
Encyclopedia
RAF Station Ashford is a former World War II
airfield in Kent
, England
. The airfield is located approximately 3 miles (4.8 km) west of Ashford
; about 50 miles (80.5 km) southeast of London
Opened in 1943, Ashford was one of several a prototypes for the temporary Advanced Landing Ground
airfields built in France after D-Day, required as the Allied forces moved east across France
and Germany
. It was used by British, Dominion and the United States Army Air Forces. It was closed in September 1944.
Today the airfield is a mixture of agricultural fields with no recognisable remains.
required several temporary Advanced Landing Ground
(ALG) along the channel coast prior to the June 1944 Normandy invasion
to provide tactical air support for the ground forces landing in France
.
Ashford was originally planned to support light bombers and thereby would need a bomb store near the site. However, in a review of airfield building plans, this original requirement was dropped so Ashford was of similar specification to other ALGs in the district.
The airfield was constructed by British Army service personnel. It involved clearing meadows and laying a wire mesh Sommerfeld Tracking for two runways, which were 4800 and 3750 ft (1,463 and 1,143 m) long and aligned 15/33 and 04/22 respectively. Sommerfeld Tracking taxiways paralleled the runways as far as possible, some 300–500 ft (91.4–152.4 ) distant. As with other ALGs in the district- three months was the planned construction period and, in spite of bad weather delays, the task was completed by early spring 1943.
Tents were used for billeting and also for support facilities; an access road was built to the existing road infrastructure; a dump for supplies, ammunition, and gasoline drums, along with a drinkable water and minimal electrical grid for communications and station lighting.
of Nos. 414 and 430 Squadrons in residence and they remained until October, flying offensive and defensive operations. During the Canadian tenure, a company of RCAF engineers arrived and put down a Prefabricated Bitumenised Surfacing (PBS) layer surface over the shorter secondary runway. PBS came in rolls and was overlaid over the wire mesh which, it was hoped, would provide a smooth waterproof surface.
However, the covered PBS runway surface of Ashford generated a collection of large puddles, which caused aircraft to skid. Fourteen aircraft hardstands and part of the perimeter track were also made with this material. This was the only application of PBS to an ALG at which Ninth Air Force fighters were based.
In October 1943 two RAF Spitfire squadrons arrived, Nos. 65 and 122, but they soon departed when they found the runways at Ashford liable to damage Spitfire undercarriages. Further work on the runways, providing aircraft parking areas and ordnance protection, was carried out early in 1944 to prepare Ashford for American use. US engineers added additional length to the runways and perimeter track. Additional hangars were also constructed.
. Operational fighter
squadron
s and fuselage
codes were:
The 406th Fighter Group was part of the 303d Fighter Wing
, XIX Tactical Air Command
.
Their accommodation was chiefly in tents set up on farmland and in orchards adjoining the site, but a number of farm buildings and requisitioned houses were also available. Little Chilmington Farm was used for the main stores. Arriving P-47s followed during the next few days and soon the ALG supported over 60, and eventually nearly 80, of these aircraft.
The 406th Fighter Group conducted its first operation on 9 May and was chiefly involved in fighter-bomber work. The 406th Fighter Group had several encounters with the Luftwaffe
in the weeks following the Normandy landings
, and at times, were caught at a disadvantage, German fighters accounting for 10 of the 25 P-47s lost white operating from Ashford. However, on 17 June the group turned the tables by bouncing an enemy fighter formation, shooting down five. Total claims of enemy aircraft while at Ashford stood at 21 destroyed. The 406th was also credited with destroying the first V-1 flying bomb
shot down by a US pilot.
At the beginning of July the 513th FS was selected as the first Ninth Air Force unit to be equipped with the British 5-inch rockets. First use of this weapon was not made until after the group had begun its movement to a landing ground in Normandy
. This transfer began on 18 July when the 513th started to use ALG A-13 at Tour-en-Bessin. Other squadrons did not follow until a week later and the last remnants of the 406th departed RAF Ashford on 31 July.
During their short time flying missions from RAF Ashford 20 USAAF pilots were lost.
.
In September 1944, the site was released for agricultural use and eventually a service unit moved in to clear the site. One problem was the overgrown steel mesh, which could not be easily recovered. This was eventually spiked up and bulldozed into heaps, which can still be seen today forming large, thick banks dividing various fields.
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
airfield in Kent
Kent
Kent is a county in southeast England, and is one of the home counties. It borders East Sussex, Surrey and Greater London and has a defined boundary with Essex in the middle of the Thames Estuary. The ceremonial county boundaries of Kent include the shire county of Kent and the unitary borough of...
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
. The airfield is located approximately 3 miles (4.8 km) west of Ashford
Ashford, Kent
Ashford is a town in the borough of Ashford in Kent, England. In 2005 it was voted the fourth best place to live in the United Kingdom. It lies on the Great Stour river, the M20 motorway, and the South Eastern Main Line and High Speed 1 railways. Its agricultural market is one of the most...
; about 50 miles (80.5 km) southeast of London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
Opened in 1943, Ashford was one of several a prototypes for the temporary Advanced Landing Ground
Advanced Landing Ground
Advanced Landing Ground was the term given to the temporary advance airfields constructed by the Allies during World War II in support of the invasion of Europe...
airfields built in France after D-Day, required as the Allied forces moved east across France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
and Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
. It was used by British, Dominion and the United States Army Air Forces. It was closed in September 1944.
Today the airfield is a mixture of agricultural fields with no recognisable remains.
Overview
The USAAF Ninth Air ForceNinth Air Force
The Ninth Air Force is a numbered air force of the United States Air Force's Air Combat Command . It is headquartered at Shaw Air Force Base, South Carolina....
required several temporary Advanced Landing Ground
Advanced Landing Ground
Advanced Landing Ground was the term given to the temporary advance airfields constructed by the Allies during World War II in support of the invasion of Europe...
(ALG) along the channel coast prior to the June 1944 Normandy invasion
Operation Overlord
Operation Overlord was the code name for the Battle of Normandy, the operation that launched the invasion of German-occupied western Europe during World War II by Allied forces. The operation commenced on 6 June 1944 with the Normandy landings...
to provide tactical air support for the ground forces landing in France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
.
Ashford was originally planned to support light bombers and thereby would need a bomb store near the site. However, in a review of airfield building plans, this original requirement was dropped so Ashford was of similar specification to other ALGs in the district.
The airfield was constructed by British Army service personnel. It involved clearing meadows and laying a wire mesh Sommerfeld Tracking for two runways, which were 4800 and 3750 ft (1,463 and 1,143 m) long and aligned 15/33 and 04/22 respectively. Sommerfeld Tracking taxiways paralleled the runways as far as possible, some 300–500 ft (91.4–152.4 ) distant. As with other ALGs in the district- three months was the planned construction period and, in spite of bad weather delays, the task was completed by early spring 1943.
Tents were used for billeting and also for support facilities; an access road was built to the existing road infrastructure; a dump for supplies, ammunition, and gasoline drums, along with a drinkable water and minimal electrical grid for communications and station lighting.
Royal Canadian Air Force use
There was no immediate requirement for Ashford's use but in August 1943 a trial of the Kent ALGs found the RCAF MustangsP-51 Mustang
The North American Aviation P-51 Mustang was an American long-range, single-seat fighter and fighter-bomber used during World War II, the Korean War and in several other conflicts...
of Nos. 414 and 430 Squadrons in residence and they remained until October, flying offensive and defensive operations. During the Canadian tenure, a company of RCAF engineers arrived and put down a Prefabricated Bitumenised Surfacing (PBS) layer surface over the shorter secondary runway. PBS came in rolls and was overlaid over the wire mesh which, it was hoped, would provide a smooth waterproof surface.
However, the covered PBS runway surface of Ashford generated a collection of large puddles, which caused aircraft to skid. Fourteen aircraft hardstands and part of the perimeter track were also made with this material. This was the only application of PBS to an ALG at which Ninth Air Force fighters were based.
In October 1943 two RAF Spitfire squadrons arrived, Nos. 65 and 122, but they soon departed when they found the runways at Ashford liable to damage Spitfire undercarriages. Further work on the runways, providing aircraft parking areas and ordnance protection, was carried out early in 1944 to prepare Ashford for American use. US engineers added additional length to the runways and perimeter track. Additional hangars were also constructed.
RAF units and aircraft
| Unit | Dates | Aircraft | Variant | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| No. 65 Squadron RAF No. 65 Squadron RAF No. 65 Squadron was a squadron of the Royal Air Force.-World War I:The squadron was first formed at Wyton on 1 August 1916 as a squadron of the Royal Flying Corps with a core provided from the training ground at Norwich. By the end of World War I, it had claimed over 200 victories... |
October 1943 | Supermarine Spitfire Supermarine Spitfire The Supermarine Spitfire is a British single-seat fighter aircraft that was used by the Royal Air Force and many other Allied countries throughout the Second World War. The Spitfire continued to be used as a front line fighter and in secondary roles into the 1950s... |
IX | |
| No. 122 Squadron RAF No. 122 Squadron RAF No. 122 Squadron was a Royal Air Force fighter squadron during the first and second world wars.-History:The squadron was formed on 1 January 1918 at Sedgeford as a day bomber unit with the Airco DH.4, the intention was to train the squadron for operations on the de Havilland DH.9 but the squadron... |
October 1943 | Supermarine Spitfire | IX | |
| No. 414 Squadron RCAF No. 414 Squadron RCAF No. 414 Squadron RCAF was a squadron associated with the Royal Canadian Air Force and later with Canadian Forces Air Command.-History:On 13 August 1941, No 414 Army Co-operation Squadron was formed at RAF Croydon, England, flying Lysander and Curtis Tomahawk aircraft. On 28 June 1943 the... |
August-October 1943 | North American Mustang P-51 Mustang The North American Aviation P-51 Mustang was an American long-range, single-seat fighter and fighter-bomber used during World War II, the Korean War and in several other conflicts... |
I | Part of the Canadian Reconnaissance Wing |
| No. 430 Squadron RCAF No. 430 Squadron RCAF 430 Tactical Helicopter Squadron is a unit of the Canadian Forces under Royal Canadian Air Force. It operates Bell CH-146 Griffons from CFB Valcartier, near Quebec City in Quebec, Canada.-History:... |
August-October 1943 | North American Mustang | I | Part of the Canadian Reconnaissance Wing |
USAAF use
Ashford was known as USAAF Station AAF-417 for security reasons by the USAAF during the war, and by which it was referred to instead of location. It's USAAF Station Code was "AF".406th Fighter Group
On 5 April the airmen of the 406th Fighter Group arrived, having crossed the Atlantic by troopship. The group arrived from Congaree Army Airfield South CarolinaSouth Carolina
South Carolina is a state in the Deep South of the United States that borders Georgia to the south, North Carolina to the north, and the Atlantic Ocean to the east. Originally part of the Province of Carolina, the Province of South Carolina was one of the 13 colonies that declared independence...
. Operational fighter
Fighter aircraft
A fighter aircraft is a military aircraft designed primarily for air-to-air combat with other aircraft, as opposed to a bomber, which is designed primarily to attack ground targets...
squadron
Squadron (aviation)
A squadron in air force, army aviation or naval aviation is mainly a unit comprising a number of military aircraft, usually of the same type, typically with 12 to 24 aircraft, sometimes divided into three or four flights, depending on aircraft type and air force...
s and fuselage
Fuselage
The fuselage is an aircraft's main body section that holds crew and passengers or cargo. In single-engine aircraft it will usually contain an engine, although in some amphibious aircraft the single engine is mounted on a pylon attached to the fuselage which in turn is used as a floating hull...
codes were:
- 512th Fighter Squadron512th Fighter SquadronThe 512th Fighter Squadron is an inactive United States Air Force unit. Its last assignment was with the 86th Fighter-Interceptor Wing, based at Ramstein Air Base, Germany...
(L3) (yellow) - 513th Fighter Squadron513th Fighter SquadronThe 513th Fighter-Interceptor Squadron is an inactive United States Air Force unit. Its last assignment was with the 86th Air Division, based at Phalsbourg-Bourscheid Air Base, France...
(4P) (red) - 514th Fighter Squadron514th Fighter SquadronThe 514th Fighter-Interceptor Squadron is an inactive United States Air Force unit. Its last assignment was with the 86th Air Division, based at Ramstein Air Base, West Germany...
(O7) (blue)
The 406th Fighter Group was part of the 303d Fighter Wing
303d Fighter Wing (World War II)
The 303d Fighter Wing was a United States Army Air Forces unit of World War II. It performed air support operations in Europe using Republic P-47 Thunderbolts until V-E Day and then occupation duty in Germany....
, XIX Tactical Air Command
XIX Tactical Air Command
The XIX Tactical Air Command is an inactive United States Air Force unit. The unit's last assignment was with the Ninth Air Force based at Biggs Field, Texas...
.
Their accommodation was chiefly in tents set up on farmland and in orchards adjoining the site, but a number of farm buildings and requisitioned houses were also available. Little Chilmington Farm was used for the main stores. Arriving P-47s followed during the next few days and soon the ALG supported over 60, and eventually nearly 80, of these aircraft.
The 406th Fighter Group conducted its first operation on 9 May and was chiefly involved in fighter-bomber work. The 406th Fighter Group had several encounters with the 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....
in the weeks following the Normandy landings
Operation Overlord
Operation Overlord was the code name for the Battle of Normandy, the operation that launched the invasion of German-occupied western Europe during World War II by Allied forces. The operation commenced on 6 June 1944 with the Normandy landings...
, and at times, were caught at a disadvantage, German fighters accounting for 10 of the 25 P-47s lost white operating from Ashford. However, on 17 June the group turned the tables by bouncing an enemy fighter formation, shooting down five. Total claims of enemy aircraft while at Ashford stood at 21 destroyed. The 406th was also credited with destroying the first V-1 flying bomb
V-1 flying bomb
The V-1 flying bomb, also known as the Buzz Bomb or Doodlebug, was an early pulse-jet-powered predecessor of the cruise missile....
shot down by a US pilot.
At the beginning of July the 513th FS was selected as the first Ninth Air Force unit to be equipped with the British 5-inch rockets. First use of this weapon was not made until after the group had begun its movement to a landing ground in Normandy
Normandy
Normandy is a geographical region corresponding to the former Duchy of Normandy. It is in France.The continental territory covers 30,627 km² and forms the preponderant part of Normandy and roughly 5% of the territory of France. It is divided for administrative purposes into two régions:...
. This transfer began on 18 July when the 513th started to use ALG A-13 at Tour-en-Bessin. Other squadrons did not follow until a week later and the last remnants of the 406th departed RAF Ashford on 31 July.
During their short time flying missions from RAF Ashford 20 USAAF pilots were lost.
Bombing
The airfield was bombed during a night-time raid on 22 May 1944, at 12:35 am. A 1000 pounds (453.6 kg) high-explosive bomb was dropped in the tented area which accommodated the reserve flight pilots and other staff. These were RAF Volunteer Reservists of 5003 Airfield Construction Squadron based at RAF Great Chart, some 1.2 km northeast of the airfield. There were 30 casualties, 14 being fatal.Post-invasion use
With the move of the 406th to France, RAF Ashford was returned to the RAF, which used part of it for open storage and, although still open for flying, no other combat unit moved in. However, several damaged aircraft landed at Ashford when returning from combat missions, including a B-24 LiberatorB-24 Liberator
The Consolidated B-24 Liberator was an American heavy bomber, designed by Consolidated Aircraft of San Diego, California. It was known within the company as the Model 32, and a small number of early models were sold under the name LB-30, for Land Bomber...
.
In September 1944, the site was released for agricultural use and eventually a service unit moved in to clear the site. One problem was the overgrown steel mesh, which could not be easily recovered. This was eventually spiked up and bulldozed into heaps, which can still be seen today forming large, thick banks dividing various fields.