Royal Air Force Station Newchurch was a temporary Second World War airfield at Newchurch, Kent

Newchurch, Kent

Newchurch is a village and civil parish in the Shepway District in Kent, England. The village is located on the Romney Marsh, west of Dymchurch...

, it was a base for a wing of Hawker Tempest

Hawker Tempest

The Hawker Tempest was a British fighter aircraft primarily used by the Royal Air Force in the Second World War. The Tempest was an improved derivative of the Hawker Typhoon, and one of the most powerful fighter aircraft used during the war....

 fighters that defended south-east England against attack from V-1 flying bombs launched from continental Europe.

History

Newchurch was one of a number of Advanced Landing Grounds built in Kent during 1943. From July 1943 it became the base for three 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...

 and one Hurricane

Hawker Hurricane

The Hawker Hurricane is a British single-seat fighter aircraft that was designed and predominantly built by Hawker Aircraft Ltd for the Royal Air Force...

 squadrons. In October 1943 the squadrons moved to RAF Detling

RAF Detling

RAF Detling was a station of the Royal Naval Air Service in World War I and the Royal Air Force in World War II. Situated 600 feet above sea level, it is located near Detling, a village about three miles north-east of Maidstone, in Kent....

 while the airfield was improved.

In April 1944 it became the base of 150 Wing comprising three squadrons of Hawker Tempest

Hawker Tempest

The Hawker Tempest was a British fighter aircraft primarily used by the Royal Air Force in the Second World War. The Tempest was an improved derivative of the Hawker Typhoon, and one of the most powerful fighter aircraft used during the war....

s. Commanded by Wing Commander Roland Beamont

Roland Beamont

Wing Commander Roland Prosper "Bee" Beamont CBE, DSO & Bar, DFC & Bar was a British fighter pilot and test pilot for the Royal Air Force during the Second World War, and the years that followed...

 the Newchurch Tempest Wing provided air cover for the Normandy landings it was then tasked with defending against attacks by V-1 flying bombs. The Wing destroyed 638 V-1s before leaving Newchurch to support the advance through Belgium and the Netherland. No longer needed in December 1944 the airfield was restored to farmland.

Royal Air Force units and aircraft

Unit	Dates	Aircraft	Variant	Notes
No. 3 Squadron RAF No. 3 Squadron RAF No 3 Squadron of the Royal Air Force operates the Typhoon F2, FGR4 and T3 from RAF Coningsby, Lincolnshire.No 3 Squadron, which celebrated its 95th anniversary over the weekend of 11-13 May 2007, is unique in the RAF for having two official crests....	April 1944 - September 1944	Hawker Tempest Hawker Tempest The Hawker Tempest was a British fighter aircraft primarily used by the Royal Air Force in the Second World War. The Tempest was an improved derivative of the Hawker Typhoon, and one of the most powerful fighter aircraft used during the war....	V
No. 19 Squadron RAF	July 1943 - August 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...	VB & VC
No. 56 Squadron RAF No. 56 Squadron RAF Number 56 Squadron is one of the oldest and most successful squadrons of the Royal Air Force, with battle honours from many of the significant air campaigns of both World War I and World War II...	June 1944 - September 1944	Hawker Tempest Hawker Tempest The Hawker Tempest was a British fighter aircraft primarily used by the Royal Air Force in the Second World War. The Tempest was an improved derivative of the Hawker Typhoon, and one of the most powerful fighter aircraft used during the war....	V
No. 132 Squadron RAF No. 132 Squadron RAF No. 132 Squadron RAF was a Royal Air Force Squadron formed to be a bomber unit in World War I and reformed as a fighter unit in World War II.-Formation and World War I:No...	July 1943 - 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...	VB
No. 184 Squadron RAF No. 184 Squadron RAF -History:No.184 Squadron was formed at RAF Colerne on 1 December 1942, as a fighter bomber unit equipped with the Hawker Hurricane. Initially, Mark IIDs with 40 mm anti-tank cannon were received and the squadron trained with the Army in ground attack practice guns, bombs and rockets, replaced...	August 1943 - September 1943	Hawker Hurricane Hawker Hurricane The Hawker Hurricane is a British single-seat fighter aircraft that was designed and predominantly built by Hawker Aircraft Ltd for the Royal Air Force...	IV
No. 486 Squadron RNZAF No. 486 Squadron RNZAF 486 Squadron was a fighter squadron of the Royal New Zealand Air Force during the Second World War. It was formed under Article XV of the Empire Air Training Scheme and served in Europe under the operational command of the Royal Air Force.Second World War....	April 1944 - September 1944	Hawker Tempest Hawker Tempest The Hawker Tempest was a British fighter aircraft primarily used by the Royal Air Force in the Second World War. The Tempest was an improved derivative of the Hawker Typhoon, and one of the most powerful fighter aircraft used during the war....	V
No. 602 Squadron RAF No. 602 Squadron RAF No 602 Squadron is a Royal Auxiliary Air Force squadron. Originally formed in 1925 as a light bomber squadron, its role changed in 1938 to army co-operation and in 1939 to that of a fighter squadron....	August 1943 - 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...	VB