Hunsdon Airfield is an airfield near Hunsdon, Hertfordshire and north of Harlow, Essex, England. As of 2021, it is used by a local microlight club.

The airfield was used by the Royal Air Force between 1941 and 1945 under the name of RAF Hunsdon.Hitching F & Hitching V. The Royal Air Force at Hunsdon 1941–1945, Published by The Hunsdon Local History and Preservation Society, 1990.

History

RAF Hunsdon became operational in 1941. The first unit to arrive at the Airfield (in May 1941) 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.

Hunsdon then became a significant base for Mosquito Intruder operations, where single or pairs of Mosquito fighter bombers would set out to harass German airfields and transport all across Europe.

Canadian Mosquito navigator Dave Mcintosh, who flew from Hunsdon with 418 Squadron Royal Canadian Air Force, captured the experience in his memoir "Terror in the Starboard Seat: 41 Trips Aboard a Mosquito". His account includes a minute by minute description of navigating across Denmark at fifty feet by landmarks alone.

Perhaps the most famous operation to be staged from RAF Hunsdon was on 18 February 1944, when Mosquitos from No. 21 Squadron RAF, 464 Squadron (Australia) RAF, and 487 Squadron (New Zealand) RAF, which formed No 140 Wing, 2nd Tactical Air Force (Wing Commander P C Pickard DSO DFC) carried out Operation Jericho, otherwise known as the Amiens Prison Raid.

Military flying ceased in 1945.

Post 1945

The last remaining blister hangar at Hunsdon was demolished in the mid 2000s as it was made unsafe after the great storm of 1987.

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. All of the remaining buildings at Hunsdon Airfield are no longer accessible due to safety reasons.

On Number 3 dispersed site, there are the remains of latrines and air raid shelters. (These are on private land and permission to enter must be sought.)

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 to 1945.

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.

The original runways are now considerably reduced in length. Hunsdon Microlight Club uses the three grass runways for microlight flying.

Units based at RAF Hunsdon

RAF units based here during the Second World War are:Unit information on War Memorial

Squadron table

Ensign Squadron Aircraft From To To Notes No. 3 Squadron Hawker Hurricane IIBHawker Hurricane IICHawker Typhoon IB 9 August 19419 August 1941February 1943 October 1941February 194314 May 1943 RAF West Malling Detachments at RAF Manston and RAF Shoreham. No. 29 Squadron de Havilland Mosquito XIII 19 June 1944 22 February 1945 RAF Colerne. Squadron Code:RO. No. 85 Squadron Douglas Boston IDouglas Boston IIde Havilland Mosquito IIde Havilland Mosquito XVde Havilland Mosquito XII 3 May 1941July 1941August 1942March 1943March 1943 November 1941September 194213 May 194313 May 194313 May 1943 RAF West Malling. Squadron Code:VY. No. 107 Squadron Bristol Blenheim IV 3 May 1939 3 March 1941 RAF Leuchars As an detachment from RAF Wattisham. No. 285 Squadron Hawker Hurricane IICNorth American Mustang I 4 January 1945February 1945 20 June 1945 RAF Weston Zoyland As a detachment from RAF North Weald. No. 287 Squadron Bristol Blenheim IVLockheed Hudson IIIWestland Lysander IIIHawker Hurricane I/IIB/IVMiles Master IIIBoulton Paul Defiant I/IIIAirspeed OxfordMiles MartinetSupermarine Spitfire VBBristol Beaufighter VISupermarine Spitfire IXHawker Tempest V 19 Nov 194119 Nov 194119 Nov 194119 Nov 194119 Nov 194119 Nov 194119 Nov 194119 Nov 194119 Nov 19413 May 19453 May 19453 May 1945 3 July 19443 July 19443 July 19443 July 19443 July 19443 July 19443 July 19443 July 19443 July 194415 June 194515 June 194515 June 1945 RAF North WealdRAF Bradwell Bay As a detachment from RAF CroydonAs a detachment from RAF Hornchurch. No. 410 Squadron de Havilland Mosquito IIde Havilland Mosquito XIII 8 November 194329 April 1944 30 December 194318 June 1944 RAF Castle CampsRAF Zeals. Squadron Code: RA No. 442 Squadron North American Mustang III 23 March 1945 17 May 1945 RAF Digby. Squadron Code:?. No. 487 Squadron de Havilland Mosquito VI 31 December 1943 18 April 1944 RAF Gravesend. Squadron Code:EG. No. 488 Squadron de Havilland Mosquito XXX 9 October 1944 15 November 1944 B 48/Amiens/Glisy. Squadron Code:ME. No. 515 Squadron Boulton Paul Defiant IIBristol Beaufighter IIF 1 June 1943 15 December 1943 RAF Little Snoring. Squadron Code:?. No. 530 Squadron Douglas Boston II (Turbinlite)Douglas Boston III (Turbinlite)Hawker Hurricane IIC 8 September 1942 25 January 1943 Disbanded This squadron only used Hunsdon during its timespan.

Brief Stays

Ensign Squadron Aircraft From To To Notes No. 21 Squadron de Havilland Mosquito VI 31 December 1943 17 April 1944 RAF Gravesend. Squadron Code:YH. No. 151 Squadron de Havilland Mosquito XXX 19 November 1944 1 March 1945 RAF Bradwell Bay. Squadron Code:DZ. No. 154 (Motor Industries) Squadron North American Mustang IV 1 March 1945 19 March 1945 Disbanded. Squadron Code:HG. No. 219 (Mysore) Squadron de Havilland Mosquito XXX 29 August 1944 10 October 1944 B 48 Amiens/Glisy.Squadron Code:FK. No. 264 (Madras Presidency) Squadron de Havilland Mosquito XIII 26 July 1944 11 August 1944 A 8/Picauville. Squadron Code:?. No. 409 Squadron de Havilland Mosquito XXX 1 March 1944 14 May 1944 RAF West Malling. Squadron Code:?. No. 418 Squadron de Havilland Mosquito IIde Havilland Mosquito VI 28 August 1944November 1944 November 194421 November 1944 RAF Blackbushe. Squadron Code:TH. No. 441 Squadron Supermarine Spitfire IX 27 April 1945 17 May 1945 RAF Digby. Squadron Code:?. No. 464 Squadron de Havilland Mosquito VI 9 April 1944 17 April 1944 RAF Gravesend. Squadron Code:SB. No. 501 (County of Gloucester) Squadron AAF Hawker Tempest V 3 March 1945 20 April 1945 Disbanded. Squadron Code:SD. No. 605 (County of Warwick) Squadron AAF Douglas Boston III July 1942 February 1943 RAF Castle Camps As an detachment from RAF Ford. No. 611 (West Lancashire) Squadron AAF North American Mustang IV 3 March 1945 7 May 1945 RAF Peterhead. Squadron Code:FY.

See also List of former Royal Air Force stations

References

Citations

Bibliography

External links

Wartime Airfields website Hertfordshire Airfields Memorial Group Hunsdon Microlight Club