Royal Air Force Hornchurch, or more simply RAF Hornchurch, is a former Royal Air Force sector station in the parish of Hornchurch, Essex (now the London Borough of Havering in Greater London), located to the southeast of Romford. The airfield was known as Sutton's Farm during the First World War, when it occupied of the farm of the same name. It was used for the protection of London, being east north-east of Charing Cross.
Although the airfield closed shortly after the end of the war, the land was requisitioned in 1923 because of the expansion of the Royal Air Force and it re-opened as a much larger fighter station in 1928. The airfield was ideal to cover both London and the Thames corridor from German air attacks. It was a key air force installation between both wars and into the jet age, closing in 1962.
History
First World War
In 1915 the London Air Defence Area (LADA) was established and airfields were built around London to defend the capital from the growing threat from German airships. Sutton's Farm, along with its neighbour Hainault Farm (just east of what became the Second World War airfield of Fairlop), to the north-east, were selected due to their location covering the eastern approaches to London. They were named Landing Grounds Nos. II and III respectively and joined the existing airfields of North Weald, Rochford and Joyce Green. Suttons Farm airfield became operational on 3 October 1915, initially with two BE2c aircraft.
As the number of aircraft increased at the airfields around London, it was decided to organise them into 39 (Home Defence) Squadron, which was formed in April 1916, under the command of Major (later Brigadier-General) Thomas Higgins. As the enemy threat moved from airships to aircraft, better aircraft were introduced to counter them. The BE12, Sopwith 1½ Strutter, Sopwith Pup, FE2, Bristol Fighter, SE5a and Sopwith Camel all operated from Sutton's Farm at some stage, some with more success than others. 39 Squadron moved to North Weald in September 1917 and was replaced by 78 Squadron, under the command of Major Cuthbert Rowden, a 20-year-old veteran of the air war in France and subsequent winner of the Military Cross.Rowden Family historyWorcestershire Regimental history 78 Squadron was later joined by 189 Night Fighter Training Squadron with Sopwith Pups and Camels.
The first recorded interception of an enemy airship over Britain was made by Lt. (later Marshal of the Royal Air Force) John Slessor on the very day he arrived at Sutton's Farm, 13 October 1915. The attack had to be aborted as the airship disappeared into the cloud and he had to break off the engagement.Richard C Smith, Second To None, p10, Grub Street, 2004, . The first victory in Britain was not recorded until nearly a year later, on 2 September 1916 and was attributed to a pilot from Sutton's Farm, Lt. William Leefe Robinson. Robinson shot down a Schütte-Lanz SL11, one of a 16-strong raiding force over London, using a new mixture of Brock and Pomeroy mixed incendiary ammunition, which had been adapted for this task.Robinson's official post-op report For this action Leefe Robinson was awarded the Victoria Cross and became a National hero. Two other Sutton's Farm pilots from the First World War, Lt. Frederick Sowrey and Lt. Wulstan Tempest, were awarded the DSO for their roles in the destruction of Zeppelins.Christopher Cole and E.F. Cheeseman, The Air Defence of Britain, 1914–1918, 1984, Hungry Minds Inc, Tempest's actions were particularly notable; even though his fuel pump was broken and he had to pump fuel manually whilst flying the aircraft with his other hand, he still managed to engage and destroy an enemy airship and then find his way home in thick fog. These pilots, together with many others, are commemorated by street names in South Hornchurch.www.Multimap.com
Inter-war years Soon after the war ended it was decided that Suttons Farm was surplus to requirements and the airfield was decommissioned, although it was retained on "List C" (stations temporarily retained for Service purposes) until 27 February 1920.London Gazette, 2 March 1920 The land was returned, most of the buildings demolished and farming resumed once more.
Following the decision in the early 1920s to expand the Royal Air Force, former First World War airfields were inspected to ascertain their suitability for use. Although small, Suttons Farm was ideally located to be able to defend the north-eastern approaches to London. After protracted negotiations, the original land was re-purchased, together with some further land to the south of the original airfield.
The new airfield took four years to build and opened, as RAF Sutton's Farm, in April 1928. Two months later,the station renamed RAF Hornchurch. The first unit to take up residency was No. 111 Squadron, led by Squadron Leader Keith Park, who also became the first station commander.
Second World War
During the Second World War the station was a Sector Airfield of RAF Fighter Command's 11 Group, covering London and the south east of England during the Battle of Britain in 1940, and therefore was a major target for the Luftwaffe, being raided on no less than twenty occasions. By this time, its command centre was in Romford, and a satellite station (an advanced attack outpost; RAF Rochford) was unpopular with the Hornchurch crews sent there from time to time because of the canvas accommodation.
Richard Hillary, author of The Last Enemy, was based at Hornchurch from 27 August 1940, claiming five kills in a week before being shot down on 3 September; he survived, but this proved the end of his time at Hornchurch.
Following the Battle of Britain, Hornchurch served as a base for cross-channel fighter operations. On 19 August 1942, three squadrons flying from Hornchurch took part in the unsuccessful Dieppe Raid. Amidst preparations for the Normandy landings, fighter squadrons were moved to further advanced airfields, and Hornchurch's importance diminished. In late 1944, barrage balloons were deployed nearby to counter the threat from the V-1 flying bomb, making the airfield unsafe for flying operations; instead, Hornchurch served as a marshalling base for transiting personnel.
Post-War Service Following the war, Hornchurch was placed into reserve until 1947, before becoming home to the No. 17 Reserve Flying School until 1953. Flying Training Command's Aircrew Selection Centre moved to Hornchurch in 1952, and was based there until 1962, when it moved to RAF Biggin Hill.
A balloon unit was retained until closure for parachute training of military personnel, when on the 14 May 1961, CSM Albert E. Small of 10 Para Regt (TA), who was a balloon cage dispatcher, won the George Medal for gallantry due to a deflating balloon at 800 ft.
The RAF station at Hornchurch closed in July 1962.
Today
Following a period of gravel extraction and infilling with rubbish in the 1970s, the airfield was extensively landscaped to create Hornchurch Country Park, with work commencing in 1980. Most of the former administrative and technical areas, including the two Type-A and one Type-C hangars, were levelled in the 1960s and the area is now a housing estate. The names of the streets of the estate commemorate the airfield and its pilots (such as Bouchier Walk, Kirton Close, Tempest Way, Robinson Close, Tuck Road, Bader Way and Malan Square). The former Officers' Mess is now a medical centre in Astra Close. The Officers' Mess (Astra House), Officers' Quarters (Astra Court East, West & North) and WO Quarters (89–99 (odd numbers) Wood Lane) are included in the RAF Hornchurch Conservation Area.
A local school, The R. J. Mitchell School, was named after the man who designed the Spitfire, and a large monument to this effect, with wreaths placed on Remembrance Day, is within the school railings. Another local school (Suttons School) was renamed Sanders Draper School in 1973, after an American pilot, Flying Officer Raimund (Smudge) Sanders Draper, flying with the Royal Air Force at the time, had an engine failure on take-off and stayed at his controls to ensure his aircraft didn't crash on the building, which was full of children at the time.
A number of pillboxes, command bunkers and gun positions, together with the largest number of surviving Tett Turrets in England, still exist within the boundaries of the former airfield and can be seen on the Eastern edge of the country park. RAF Hornchurch artefacts and memorabilia are housed in the Purfleet Heritage & Military Centre.
RAF Hornchurch was the subject of one of the programmes in the BBC TV series Two Men in a Trench. In the programme, several of the defences were examined. One of the Tett Turrets was excavated, with findings including a pair of 1940 RAF pilot's goggles and material from the hospital.Pollard & Oliver 2002 The fire trench, a partially buried pillbox and an E pen were excavated, and the gun emplacement on the northern end of the site was cleared of vegetation.
The Good Intent pub, formerly with a large concrete, planetarium-like dome next door (used for training airgunners), still exists on the Southend Road, was popular with the aircrews, and has an interesting collection of photos of the Station.
A DVD about RAF Hornchurch was produced by Mike Jones for Streets Ahead Productions.
RAF Hornchurch Heritage Centre The RAF Hornchurch Heritage Centre was opened in June 2021 by the Hornchurch Aerodrome Historical Trust. It opened in Suttons House on Suttons Lane, on the grounds of the former Suttons Institution, later St Georges Hospital. The hospital was commandeered by the Air Ministry for use by RAF personnel during the Second World War. An official opening event was held on 23 September 2021.
Controversy
William Leefe Robinson
Although Robinson was awarded the Victoria Cross for shooting down Schütte-Lanz SL11 in 1916, it wasn't celebrated in all quarters, particularly by serving pilots in France. Home Defence was viewed as a relatively easy role and Robinson had trouble earning the respect of his fellow pilots when he was subsequently posted to France. These views were compounded when Robinson was shot down by an aircraft led by Manfred von Richthofen shortly after arriving in France. The awarding of the VC was, undoubtedly, partly politically motivated, although it must be remembered that any form of flying was inherently dangerous in 1916, particularly at night and at these tremendous heights without oxygen. Robinson also managed to single-handedly lift the spirit of a nation that had suffered the new terror of aerial bombardment from the apparently invincible airships.Joshua Levine, On a Wing and a Prayer p290
Use of incendiary ammunition
Although effective in destroying enemy airships, the use of incendiary ammunition was banned under the terms of the Hague Convention of 1899Yale Law School: The Laws of War and pilots using it had to have signed orders from their commanding officer. This type of ammunition was issued only to squadrons in Home Defence roles and never to squadrons serving overseas. On his return to Sutton's Farm, William Leefe Robinson's CO ordered him to keep quiet about itRalph Barker, A Brief History of the Royal Flying Corps in World War One as it was thought the propaganda value for the enemy would be invaluable should it leak out, even though the Germans had already broken the terms of the convention by using gas in 1915. Later in the war the use of incendiary ammunition became officially recognised.Great War Forum
The Battle of Barking Creek