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RAF Gosfield

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File:Gosfield-march1945.jpg
Gosfield airfield photographed in March 1945.

Template:GBthumb RAF Gosfield is a former World War II airfield in England located near Gosfield Village in Essex, approximately 4 miles from Braintree and 2 miles from Halstead. During the war it was used by the Royal Air Force and the United States Army Air Force Ninth Air Force as USAAF station 154.

Overview

Gosfield had been utilised as a landing ground during World War I but it is not known if this was a factor in the Air Ministry surveyor's visit to the area during the winter of 1941-42 when selecting locations for Class A bomber airfields. The site was eventually included in the grouping of 15 such airfields in August 1942 that were allocated for the USAAF Eighth Air Force Boeing B-17 Flying Fortress groups then training in the United States.

Gosfield was also one of the airfields where the main construction work was carried out by US Army engineers. The 816th Engineer Battalion (Aviation) arrived at Gosfield on 16 August 1942 where they began setting up tented accommodation. Shortages of construction equipment and other problems caused delays in the early months. By December 1942, the overall airfield building program was in crisis and falling further behind schedule due to the lack of labour and resources. By March 1943, most of the 816th's men were transferred to the more advanced site at RAF Andrews Field. Full-scale construction of Gosfield was resumed in August and by mid-October 1943 the main elements of the landing area had been completed. However, by the time it was completed the Eighth Air Force no longer required the airfield and it was passed to the control of the US Ninth Air Force.

The airfield consisted of three runways of 6,000 ft (14-32), 4,200 ft (02-20), and 4,000 ft (08-26). 50 "Loop" and 1 "Frying Pan" hardstands were constructed. Two T-2 hangars were constructed along with accommodations for 3,278 personnel.

USAAF Use

365th Fighter Group

Republic P-47D-28-RA Thunderbolt, Serial 42-28932 of the 388th Fighter Squadron.

Although the Essex airfields were earmarked for use by IX Bomber Command, the expected influx of large numbers of fighter groups led Ninth Air Force to utilise Gosfield as a fighter airfield. This was a temporary measure for the winter months and until conditions improved at the south coast advanced landing grounds where they were to he deployed prior to the invasion. Thus the first combat flying unit to occupy Gosfield was the 365th Fighter Group, arriving on 22 December 1943 from Richmond AAF, Virginia flying Republic P-47 Thunderbolts. Operational squadrons of the group were:

  • 386th Fighter Squadron (D5)
  • 387th Fighter Squadron (B4)
  • 388th Fighter Squadron (C4)

The 365th was a group of Ninth Air Force's 84th Fighter Wing, IX Tactical Air Command.

It was several weeks before the 365th received a full complement of 75 P-47D Thunderbolts and mid-February 1944 before they were placed on operational status. Their first mission. flown on 22 February, was a bomber support sweep of short duration over enemy-held territory.

Early missions were flown in support of Eighth Air Force B-17 and B-24 bomber operations and on one of these on 2 March, the 365th had its first encounter with enemy fighters in the Bastogne area resulting in the loss of one Thunderbolt and claims of six of the enemy shot down. Oherstleutant Egon Mayer. one of the most successful Luftwaffe aces flying in the West with 102 victories, fell in this battle.

On 5 March, with only nine missions to its credit the group moved south to RAF Beaulieu in Hampshire as Gosfield was required for a bomber group scheduled to arrive in the UK during the next few weeks. During its stay at Gosfield, the 365th Fighter Group had two P-47s missing in action and two pilots had been killed in local flying accidents.

397th Bombardment Group

On 5 April 1944 Martin B-26 Marauders of the 397th Bomb Group started to arrive at Gosfield after a trans-Atlantic crossing from Hunter AAF, Georgia by the southern route via Africa. Operational squadrons of the group were:

  • 596th Bombardment Squadron (X2)
  • 597th Bombardment Squadron (9F)
  • 598th Bombardment Squadron (U2)
  • 599th Bombardment Squadron (6B)

However. no sooner had they arrived than they were moved on to RAF Rivenhall when that airfield was vacated by the 363d Fighter Group on 14 April.

410th Bombardment Group

Douglas A-20J-15-DO Havoc Serial 43-21745 of the 646th Bombardment Squadron.
Douglas A-20Gs of the 647th Bombardment Squadron. A-20G-35-DO Serial 43-10219 identifiable
Formation of 646th Bombardment Squadron A-20s.

The day following the 397th's departure, personnel of the 410th Bomb Group moved in from RAF Birch. The 410th was equipped with Douglas A-20G and A-20J Havoc light twin engined bombers which it had trained in the United States. Operational squadrons of the group were:

  • 644th Bombardment Squadron (5D)
  • 645th Bombardment Squadron (7X)
  • 646th Bombardment Squadron (8U)
  • 647th Bombardment Squadron (SQ)

Training of the 410th BG had been in low-level attack and this form of bombing had been abandoned as too dangerous in tire European Theater of Operations. On receipt of its aircraft from depots (A-20s cane to the UK by ship), the group commenced a hurried period of retraining in bombing from medium altitudes as was IX Bomber Command practice. Eventually, there were 64 Havocs at Gosfield, 16 per squadron. all in camouflage finish. Combat markings were applied, was an alternating black and white blocked rudder as group identification.

The 410th BG flew its first mission on 1 May 1944 and others followed thick and fast, often two per day. Targets were airfields, railways, bridges, fuel and military stores, V-weapon sites, road junctions and enemy troop positions. In the course of 20 weeks' operations from Gosfield, the 418th flew 124 missions, losing 211 A-20s. almost all to flak.

Following the Allied break-out from the Normandy beach-head in late July, and the subsequent sweep across France. the 410th, in common with other IX Bomber Command units, found range was a critical factor and by September the targets were almost beyond the range of the Havocs at Gosfield. To remedy this situation, the expected move to France was finally ordered for 18 September when the majority of personnel were moved by train to Southampton for the sea crossing. The ultimate destination was the ALG A-58 at Coulommiers.

On the continent, the 410th continued operations until V-E Day, eventually being stationed at Beaumont-sur-Oise, France. The group returned to the United States during the summer of 1945, and was inactivated at Myrtle Beach AAF, South Carolina on 7 November 1945.

With the departure of the 410th to France, the USAAF presence at Gosfield airfield was reduced to a small station complement to deal with the occasional forced landing and visitor.

RAF Use

In January 1945, the RAF's No. 299 Squadron moved in from RAF Wethersfield for two weeks with Short Stirlings but soon departed for RAF Shepherds Grove. Again the airfield was devoid of permanent aircraft until mid-March when it was brought back into use for a combat operation as an RAF Heavy Glider Servicing Unit. Gosfield being selected as another of the launch bases for the First Allied Airborne Army's support for the crossing of the Rhine.

The RAF's No. 271, 512 and 575 Squadrons from RAF Broadwell. with Douglas C-47 Dakotas and Horsa Gliders, set out from Gosfield on 24 March and the aircraft returning to their home airfields after the operation. Afterwards, Gosfield was used as a collecting point for recovered Horsa gliders.

Postwar Use

With the end of hostilties jurisdiction subsequently passed from one RAF headquarters to another until Gosfield airfield was closed down during February 1946. Gosfield was put under care and maintenance until the early 1950s when the care and maintenance unit was withdrawn and civilian caretakers left to supervise. Suitable areas eventually returned to agricultural use and the hangars and saleable installations were auctioned in 1955.

Front 1965 to 1987. the Consumers Association made use of the runways and perimeter track for testing cars, the results being published in their magazine. After the departure of this organisation, the vast majority of the airfield was returned to agricultural use. The runways, hardstands and perimeter track came under the concrete breaking machinery of St Ives Sand and Gravel for hardcore. The majority of the perimeter track remains, although only in a single tracked width but no hardstands remain. The 08-26 secondary runway remains largely intact, although the main and other secondary runway have been removed almost in their entirety.

The group of buildings in the control tower area survived and were developed for light engineering and plant hire operations and are in use.

See also

References

51°57′11″N 000°34′48″E / 51.95306°N 0.58000°E / 51.95306; 0.58000

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