RAF High Halden: Difference between revisions
added 1945 airphoto of airfield |
edited and expanded |
||
| Line 1: | Line 1: | ||
{{underconstruction}} |
{{underconstruction}} |
||
[[image:Highhalden-jul45.jpg|thumb|High Halden ALG airfield, July 1945]] |
[[image:Highhalden-jul45.jpg|thumb|High Halden ALG airfield, July 1945]] |
||
'''RAF High Halden''' was a [[World War II]] airfield in [[England]] that consisted of land of six farms just over a mile north of High Halden village and approximately eight miles west-south-west of Ashford, in Kent. During the war the [[United States Army Air Force]] [[Ninth Air Force]] 358th Fighter Group was stationed there with P-47 Thunderbolt Fighters. It was also known as USAAF Station 411. |
|||
'''RAF High Halden''' was a [[World War II]] airfield in [[England]]. |
|||
== Origns == |
|||
During the war the [[United States Army Air Force]] [[Ninth Air Force]] 358th Fighter Group was stationed there with P-47 Thunderbolt Fighters. |
|||
The USAAF Ninth Air Force required several temporary [[Advanced Landing Ground]] (ALG) along the channel coast prior to the [[Operation Overlord|June 1944 Normandy invasion]] to provide tactical air support for the ground forces landing in [[France]]. |
|||
High Halden airfield was constructed by an RAF construction unit in the summer of 1943, the main runway of 4,440ft being aligned 04-22 and the secondary of 3,840ft at 11-29. These strips. and a partial perimeter track, were all surfaced with steel wire Sommerfeld Tracking. |
|||
The airfield was initially held in reserve but, when allocated for use by a Ninth Air Force fighter group, No. 5003 ACS moved in to carry out additional work. Marshalling areas of square mesh metal were laid at the runway ends and runway intersections were replaced with the same material. The perimeter track was extended and additional aircraft hardstands were fashioned Pierced Steel Planks, raising the total nuumber of hardstands to 72. |
|||
There were also two refuelling pads which doubled as aircraft standings and two Blister hangars, all on the south side of the landing ground. A large steel-frame, canvas-covered hangar was erected which was used as an armoury and workshop. Accommodation for personnel was in tents which were mostly north-west of the airfield. |
|||
== USAAF Use == |
|||
=== 358th Fighter Group === |
|||
== Post Invasion Use == |
|||
On 9 August there was some excitement when the locals reported an aeroplane without propellers on the landing ground. This was a Meteor flown in by the CO of No. 616 Squadron who was checking the suitability of the runway for use as a forward base in combating V-1s, the early Meteors having very limited endurance. A few days later, four Meteors arrived and on 14 August flew their first patrol and were up again next day, hut thereafter the detachment apparently withdrew. |
|||
US engineers were now busy removing the PSP for use elsewhere and High Halden was de-requisitioned on September 15, although it was not until January 1945 that an RAF works unit began clearing the site. |
|||
Probably the last military aircraft to make use of High Holden was a battle-damaged B-17 that made an emergency landing on 19 March 1945. By this time, much of High Halden airfield had been removed by construction engineers and only the main runway remained intact. The aircraft was repaired and flown out at a later date. |
|||
Today very few outward traces remain of the airfield, with the exception of some metal PSP that was used for fencing. A memorial has since been erected close to the northern end of the 04-22 runway. |
|||
==See also== |
==See also== |
||
Revision as of 22:58, 11 May 2007
 | This article or section is in a state of significant expansion or restructuring. You are welcome to assist in its construction by editing it as well. If this article or section has not been edited in several days, please remove this template. If you are the editor who added this template and you are actively editing, please be sure to replace this template with {{in use}} during the active editing session. Click on the link for template parameters to use.
This article was last edited by Bwmoll3 (talk | contribs) 17 years ago. (Update timer) |
RAF High Halden was a World War II airfield in England that consisted of land of six farms just over a mile north of High Halden village and approximately eight miles west-south-west of Ashford, in Kent. During the war the United States Army Air Force Ninth Air Force 358th Fighter Group was stationed there with P-47 Thunderbolt Fighters. It was also known as USAAF Station 411.
Origns
The USAAF Ninth Air Force 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.
High Halden airfield was constructed by an RAF construction unit in the summer of 1943, the main runway of 4,440ft being aligned 04-22 and the secondary of 3,840ft at 11-29. These strips. and a partial perimeter track, were all surfaced with steel wire Sommerfeld Tracking.
The airfield was initially held in reserve but, when allocated for use by a Ninth Air Force fighter group, No. 5003 ACS moved in to carry out additional work. Marshalling areas of square mesh metal were laid at the runway ends and runway intersections were replaced with the same material. The perimeter track was extended and additional aircraft hardstands were fashioned Pierced Steel Planks, raising the total nuumber of hardstands to 72.
There were also two refuelling pads which doubled as aircraft standings and two Blister hangars, all on the south side of the landing ground. A large steel-frame, canvas-covered hangar was erected which was used as an armoury and workshop. Accommodation for personnel was in tents which were mostly north-west of the airfield.
USAAF Use
358th Fighter Group
Post Invasion Use
On 9 August there was some excitement when the locals reported an aeroplane without propellers on the landing ground. This was a Meteor flown in by the CO of No. 616 Squadron who was checking the suitability of the runway for use as a forward base in combating V-1s, the early Meteors having very limited endurance. A few days later, four Meteors arrived and on 14 August flew their first patrol and were up again next day, hut thereafter the detachment apparently withdrew.
US engineers were now busy removing the PSP for use elsewhere and High Halden was de-requisitioned on September 15, although it was not until January 1945 that an RAF works unit began clearing the site.
Probably the last military aircraft to make use of High Holden was a battle-damaged B-17 that made an emergency landing on 19 March 1945. By this time, much of High Halden airfield had been removed by construction engineers and only the main runway remained intact. The aircraft was repaired and flown out at a later date.
Today very few outward traces remain of the airfield, with the exception of some metal PSP that was used for fencing. A memorial has since been erected close to the northern end of the 04-22 runway.
See also
References
- Freeman, Roger A., UK Airfields of the Ninth: Then and Now, 1994
External links
51°07′08″N 000°42′23″E / 51.11889°N 0.70639°E
 | This United States Air Force article is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it. |