Hunsdon Airfield


Hunsdon Airfield is a largely defunct airfield near Hunsdon, Hertfordshire and north of Harlow, Essex, England. Some flying still takes place at the airfield by a local microlight club.
The airfield was used by the Royal Air Force between 1941 and 1945 under the name of RAF Hunsdon.

History

RAF Hunsdon, as Hunsdon Airfield was once known, became operational in 1941. The first unit to arrive at the Airfield was No. 85 Squadron RAF, flying Boston Havocs.
In June No. 1451 Flight RAF was formed. This experimental unit flew Bostons with searchlights fitted in the nose of the aircraft. This experiment was not successful and the unit was reformed as No. 530 Squadron RAF in September 1942. Numerous Squadrons and Wings used the airfield during its operational life. Hunsdon is most closely associated, however, with the de Havilland Mosquito, which first arrived in 1943.
On 18 February 1944, Mosquitos from No. 21 Squadron RAF, 464 Squadron RAF, and 487 Squadron RAF which formed No 140 Wing carried out Operation Jericho, otherwise known as the Amiens Prison Raid.
The airfield was closed in 1945.

Units based at RAF Hunsdon

RAF units based here during the Second World War are:
EnsignSquadronAircraftFromToToNotes
No. 3 SquadronHawker Hurricane IIB
Hawker Hurricane IIC
Hawker Typhoon IB
9 August 1941
9 August 1941
February 1943
October 1941
February 1943
14 May 1943
RAF West MallingDetachments at RAF Manston and RAF Shoreham.
No. 29 Squadronde Havilland Mosquito XIII19 June 194422 February 1945RAF Colerne.Squadron Code:RO.
No. 85 SquadronDouglas Boston I
Douglas Boston II
de Havilland Mosquito II
de Havilland Mosquito XV
de Havilland Mosquito XII
3 May 1941
July 1941
August 1942
March 1943
March 1943
November 1941
September 1942
13 May 1943
13 May 1943
13 May 1943
RAF West Malling.Squadron Code:VY.
No. 107 SquadronBristol Blenheim IV3 May 19393 March 1941RAF LeucharsAs an detachment from RAF Wattisham.
No. 285 SquadronHawker Hurricane IIC
North American Mustang I
4 January 1945
February 1945
20 June 1945RAF Weston ZoylandAs a detachment from RAF North Weald.
No. 287 SquadronBristol Blenheim IV
Lockheed Hudson III
Westland Lysander III
Hawker Hurricane I/IIB/IV
Miles Master III
Boulton Paul Defiant I/III
Airspeed Oxford
Miles Martinet
Supermarine Spitfire VB
Bristol Beaufighter VI
Supermarine Spitfire IX
Hawker Tempest V
19 Nov 1941
19 Nov 1941
19 Nov 1941
19 Nov 1941
19 Nov 1941
19 Nov 1941
19 Nov 1941
19 Nov 1941
19 Nov 1941
3 May 1945
3 May 1945
3 May 1945
3 July 1944
3 July 1944
3 July 1944
3 July 1944
3 July 1944
3 July 1944
3 July 1944
3 July 1944
3 July 1944
15 June 1945
15 June 1945
15 June 1945

RAF North Weald
RAF Bradwell Bay
As a detachment from RAF Croydon
As a detachment from RAF Hornchurch.
No. 410 Squadronde Havilland Mosquito II
de Havilland Mosquito XIII
8 November 1943
29 April 1944
30 December 1943
18 June 1944
RAF Castle Camps
RAF Zeals.
Squadron Code:?.
No. 442 SquadronNorth American Mustang III23 March 194517 May 1945RAF Digby.Squadron Code:?.
No. 487 Squadronde Havilland Mosquito VI31 December 194318 April 1944RAF Gravesend.Squadron Code:EG.
No. 488 Squadronde Havilland Mosquito XXX9 October 194415 November 1944B 48/Amiens/Glisy.Squadron Code:ME.
No. 515 SquadronBoulton Paul Defiant II
Bristol Beaufighter IIF
1 June 194315 December 1943RAF Little Snoring.Squadron Code:?.
No. 530 SquadronDouglas Boston II
Douglas Boston III
Hawker Hurricane IIC
8 September 194225 January 1943DisbandedThis squadron only used Hunsdon during its timespan.

Brief Stays

EnsignSquadronAircraftFromToToNotes
No. 21 Squadronde Havilland Mosquito VI31 December 194317 April 1944RAF Gravesend.Squadron Code:YH.
No. 151 Squadronde Havilland Mosquito XXX19 November 19441 March 1945RAF Bradwell Bay.Squadron Code:DZ.
No. 154 SquadronNorth American Mustang IV1 March 194519 March 1945Disbanded.Squadron Code:HG.
No. 219 Squadronde Havilland Mosquito XXX29 August 194410 October 1944B 48 Amiens/Glisy.Squadron Code:FK.
No. 264 Squadronde Havilland Mosquito XIII26 July 194411 August 1944A 8/Picauville.Squadron Code:?.
No. 409 Squadronde Havilland Mosquito XXX1 March 194414 May 1944RAF West Malling.Squadron Code:?.
No. 418 Squadronde Havilland Mosquito II
de Havilland Mosquito VI
28 August 1944
November 1944
November 1944
21 November 1944
RAF Blackbushe.Squadron Code:?.
No. 441 SquadronSupermarine Spitfire IX27 April 194517 May 1945RAF Digby.Squadron Code:?.
No. 464 Squadronde Havilland Mosquito VI9 April 194417 April 1944RAF Gravesend.Squadron Code:SB.
No. 501 SquadronHawker Tempest V3 March 194520 April 1945Disbanded.Squadron Code:SD.
No. 605 SquadronDouglas Boston IIIJuly 1942February 1943RAF Castle CampsAs an detachment from RAF Ford.
No. 611 SquadronNorth American Mustang IV3 March 19457 May 1945RAF Peterhead.Squadron Code:FY.

The Airfield today

Today only a few original buildings remain of the former RAF Hunsdon. One such building is the Underground Battle Headquarters, which was designed to provide emergency organisation of airfield defenses should the airfield come under attack. Other remaining buildings include defensive pillboxes, a brick slit trench used as a defence position, the fire tender building now used as a store for the shooting club, a complete cantilever 'Oakington' type defence position, 20mm ammunition store, and a Small arms ammunition store.
On Number 3 dispersed site, there are the remains of latrines and air raid shelters, . The last remaining blister hangar at Hunsdon was demolished in the mid 2000s as it was made unsafe after the 1987 'hurricane'.
Now closed, the original runways and perimeter track are now considerably reduced in size and used mainly by agricultural vehicles.
Hunsdon Microlight Club uses the three grass runways.
All of the remaining buildings at Hunsdon Airfield are no longer accessible due to safety reasons.
On 22 May 2005, a memorial was unveiled and dedicated to the groundcrew, aircrew and support staff who were based at RAF Hunsdon from 1941–45.
In June 2012 a new memorial commemorating the 126 air and ground crew who died while flying from or serving at RAF Hunsdon was unveiled.

Citations