RAF Wethersfield
Encyclopedia
Ministry of Defence (United Kingdom)
The Ministry of Defence is the United Kingdom government department responsible for implementation of government defence policy and is the headquarters of the British Armed Forces....
facility in Essex
Essex
Essex is a ceremonial and non-metropolitan county in the East region of England, and one of the home counties. It is located to the northeast of Greater London. It borders with Cambridgeshire and Suffolk to the north, Hertfordshire to the west, Kent to the South and London to the south west...
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
; it is located north of the village of Wethersfield
Wethersfield, Essex
Wethersfield is a village and a civil parish on the B1053 road in the Braintree district of the English county of Essex. It is near the River Pant. Wethersfield has a school, a post office, a fire station and two places of worship. Nearby settlements include the town of Braintree and the village of...
—about6 mi (9.7 km) north-west of the town of Braintree
Braintree, Essex
Braintree is a town of about 42,000 people and the principal settlement of the Braintree district of Essex in the East of England. It is northeast of Chelmsford and west of Colchester on the River Blackwater, A120 road and a branch of the Great Eastern Main Line.Braintree has grown contiguous...
. Originally a military air station, the original accommodation areas have now been converted to become the Headquarters and Training Centre of the Ministry of Defence Police and Guarding Agency
Ministry of Defence Police and Guarding Agency
The Ministry of Defence Police and Guarding Agency is an executive agency of the Ministry of Defence. The organisation was formed on 1 April 2004 by the amalgamation of the MoD Police Agency with the Ministry of Defence Guard Service, with the purpose of providing a coordinated approach to the...
Formerly known as RAF Wethersfield it opened in 1944, during World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
it was used by both the Royal Air Force
Royal Air Force
The Royal Air Force is the aerial warfare service branch of the British Armed Forces. Formed on 1 April 1918, it is the oldest independent air force in the world...
and United States Army Air Force. After the war it was closed in 1946. In 1951, Wethersfield was reopened as a result of the Cold War
Cold War
The Cold War was the continuing state from roughly 1946 to 1991 of political conflict, military tension, proxy wars, and economic competition between the Communist World—primarily the Soviet Union and its satellite states and allies—and the powers of the Western world, primarily the United States...
and used until 1970 as a United States Air Force
United States Air Force
The United States Air Force is the aerial warfare service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the American uniformed services. Initially part of the United States Army, the USAF was formed as a separate branch of the military on September 18, 1947 under the National Security Act of...
Fighter Base; held as a reserve airfield until 1993, when it came under control of the Ministry of Defence Police
Ministry of Defence Police
The Ministry of Defence Police is a civilian police force which is part of the United Kingdom's Ministry of Defence. The force is part of the larger government agency, the Ministry of Defence Police and Guarding Agency , together with the Ministry of Defence Guard Service...
.
History
Wethersfield airfield was part of a grouping of wartime airfields constructed in EssexEssex
Essex is a ceremonial and non-metropolitan county in the East region of England, and one of the home counties. It is located to the northeast of Greater London. It borders with Cambridgeshire and Suffolk to the north, Hertfordshire to the west, Kent to the South and London to the south west...
, with a planned completion date of December 1942. It was built to the Class A airfield
Class A airfield
Class A airfields were military installations originally built for the Royal Air Force in the Second World War. Several were transferred to the U.S...
standard set by the Air Ministry, the main feature of which was a set of three converging runways each containing a concrete runway for takeoffs and landings, optimally placed at 60 degree angles to each other in a triangular pattern connecting to an enclosing perimeter track, of a standard width of 50 ft (15.2 m).
The ground support station was constructed largely of Nissen hut
Nissen hut
A Nissen hut is a prefabricated steel structure made from a half-cylindrical skin of corrugated steel, a variant of which was used extensively during World War II.-Description:...
s of various sizes. The support station was where the group and ground station commanders and squadron headquarters and orderly rooms were located. Also on the ground station were where the mess facilities; chapel; hospital; mission briefing and debriefing; armory and bombsite storage; life support; parachute rigging; supply warehouses; station and airfield security; motor pool and the other ground support functions necessary to support the air operations of the group. These facilities were all connected by a network of single path support roads.
The technical site, connected to the ground station and airfield consisted of at least two T-2 type hangars and various organizational, component and field maintenance shops along with the crew chiefs and other personnel necessary to keep the aircraft airworthy and to quickly repair light and moderate battle damage. Aircraft severely damaged in combat that managed to return to the airfield were sent to repair depots for major structural repair. The Ammunition dump was located on the north side of the airfield, outside of the perimeter track surrounded by large dirt mounds and concrete storage pens for storing the aerial bombs and the other munitions required by the combat aircraft.
Various domestic accommodation sites were constructed dispersed away from the airfield, but within a mile or so of the technical support site, also using clusters of Maycrete or Nissen huts. The Huts were either connected, set up end-to-end or built singly and made of prefabricated corrugated iron with a door and two small windows at the front and back. They provided accommodation for personnel, including communal and a sick quarters.
Construction delays due to shortages of materials and labor caused delays throughout 1943, and the airfield was not opened until January 1944.
USAAF use
Wethersfield was allocated by the RAF to the United States Army Air Force Ninth Air ForceNinth Air Force
The Ninth Air Force is a numbered air force of the United States Air Force's Air Combat Command . It is headquartered at Shaw Air Force Base, South Carolina....
in August 1942. It was known as USAAF Station AAF-170 for security reasons during the war, and by which it was referred to instead of location. Its Station-ID was "WF".
416th Bombardment Group (Light)
The 416th Bombardment Group (Light) arrived at Wethersfield on 1 February 1944, from Laurel Army Airfield, MississippiMississippi
Mississippi is a U.S. state located in the Southern United States. Jackson is the state capital and largest city. The name of the state derives from the Mississippi River, which flows along its western boundary, whose name comes from the Ojibwe word misi-ziibi...
flying the twin-engine Douglas A-20G "Havoc"
Douglas DB-7
The Douglas A-20/DB-7 Havoc was a family of American attack, light bomber and night fighter aircraft of World War II, that served with several Allied air forces, principally those of the Soviet Union, United Kingdom, and United States. The DB-7 was also used by the air forces of Australia, South...
. Its operational squadrons and fuselage codes were:
- 668th Bombardment Squadron668th Bombardment SquadronThe 668th Bomb Squadron is an inactive United States Air Force unit. It was last assigned to the 416th Operations Group. It was last stationed at Griffiss Air Force Base, New York, and was inactivated on 1 January 1995.-History:...
(5H) - 669th Bombardment Squadron669th Bombardment SquadronThe 669th Bombardment Squadron is an inactive United States Air Force unit. It was last assigned to the 416th Bombardment Group. It was last stationed at Camp Patrick Henry, Virginia, and was inactivated on 12 October 1945-History:...
(2A) - 670th Bombardment Squadron670th Bombardment SquadronThe 670th Bombardment Squadron is an inactive United States Air Force unit. It was last assigned to the 416th Bombardment Group. It was last stationed at Camp Patrick Henry, Virginia, and was inactivated on 12 October 1945-History:...
(F6) - 671st Bombardment Squadron671st Bombardment SquadronThe 671st Bombardment Squadron is an inactive United States Air Force unit. It was last assigned to the 416th Bombardment Group. It was last stationed at Camp Patrick Henry, Virginia, and was inactivated on 12 October 1945-History:...
(5C)
Initial missions of the 416th from Wethersfield consisted of formation flying, navigation and bombing techniques. The first operational mission was aborted on 3 March when the fighter escort did not rendezvous with the group. Targets for the first three months were airfields, NoBall V-1 launching sites, and French Marshalling Yards. These missions resulted in the award to the 416th of the Distinguished Unit Citation.
On D-Day
D-Day
D-Day is a term often used in military parlance to denote the day on which a combat attack or operation is to be initiated. "D-Day" often represents a variable, designating the day upon which some significant event will occur or has occurred; see Military designation of days and hours for similar...
the 416th targeted Argentan
Argentan
Argentan is a commune, and the seat of two cantons and of an arrondissement in the Orne department in north-western France.Argentan is located NE of Rennes, ENE of the Mont Saint-Michel, SE of Cherbourg, SSE of Caen, SW of Rouen and N of Le Mans....
, a main crossroads used by German troops to try to reach the Normandy Beachhead
Operation Overlord
Operation Overlord was the code name for the Battle of Normandy, the operation that launched the invasion of German-occupied western Europe during World War II by Allied forces. The operation commenced on 6 June 1944 with the Normandy landings...
with a second mission taking off at 2000 to hit a major Marshalling Yard. Both missions flown under heavy cloud banks, required bombing at under 2000 feet (609.6 m) altitude. The second mission suffered heavy losses from ground fire.
Target assignments after D-Day were designed to open the paths for allied troops to advance toward Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
. Bridges, railroad junctions, fuel depots, gun emplacements, and an occasional NoBall site occupied the unit's flying time following the invasion.
On 6 August 1944, with the 416th downing of the last remaining bridge over the Seine
Seine
The Seine is a -long river and an important commercial waterway within the Paris Basin in the north of France. It rises at Saint-Seine near Dijon in northeastern France in the Langres plateau, flowing through Paris and into the English Channel at Le Havre . It is navigable by ocean-going vessels...
River, trapping over 200,000 German troops and their equipment in the Falaise-Argentan Gap
Falaise pocket
The battle of the Falaise Pocket, fought during the Second World War from 12 to 21 August 1944, was the decisive engagement of the Battle of Normandy...
. The 416th received the Distinguished Unit Citation for this mission, where the group lost 4 planes and all the remaining 32 aircraft received battle damage from flak bursts.
On 21 September the 416th moved to their Advanced Landing Ground at Melun/Villaroche France (A-55). While at Wethersfield the group stationed 2,200 airmen and 62 Havoc A-20 aircraft at the airfield. 21 aircraft were lost in combat.
On the continent, the 416th BG used the following Advanced Landing Grounds:
- A-55 Melun/Villaroche, France 21 September 1944
- A-69 Laon/Athies, France February 1945
- A-59 Cormeilles-en-Vexin, France May - July 1945
The group returned to the United States in July 1945 and was deactivated at Camp Myles Standish, Massachusetts
Massachusetts
The Commonwealth of Massachusetts is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States of America. It is bordered by Rhode Island and Connecticut to the south, New York to the west, and Vermont and New Hampshire to the north; at its east lies the Atlantic Ocean. As of the 2010...
on 23 October 1945.
RAF Bomber Command use
No. 196 Squadron RAF
No. 196 Squadron was a Royal Air Force squadron originally formed as a training unit during World War I. It was active during World War II in Nos. 3, 4 and 38 Group RAF...
and 299 squadrons
No. 299 Squadron RAF
-History:No. 299 Squadron was formed on 4 November 1943 form 'C' flight of 297 Squadron at RAF Stoney Cross, Hampshire as a special operations squadron. It became operational in April 1944 dropping SOE agents. During the Normandy landing the squadron first delivered paratroopers, and then returned...
, 38 Group
No. 38 Group RAF
No 38 Group RAF was formed on 6 November 1943 from nine squadrons as part of Fighter Command. It was finally disbanded on 1 April 2000.-History:...
, RAF Bomber Command
RAF Bomber Command
RAF Bomber Command controlled the RAF's bomber forces from 1936 to 1968. During World War II the command destroyed a significant proportion of Nazi Germany's industries and many German cities, and in the 1960s stood at the peak of its postwar military power with the V bombers and a supplemental...
.
These RAF squadrons were equipped with the Stirling
Short Stirling
The Short Stirling was the first four-engined British heavy bomber of the Second World War. The Stirling was designed and built by Short Brothers to an Air Ministry specification from 1936, and entered service in 1941...
bomber, flying special missions such as dropping mines
Naval mine
A naval mine is a self-contained explosive device placed in water to destroy surface ships or submarines. Unlike depth charges, mines are deposited and left to wait until they are triggered by the approach of, or contact with, an enemy vessel...
outside German ports, and dropping spies
Espionage
Espionage or spying involves an individual obtaining information that is considered secret or confidential without the permission of the holder of the information. Espionage is inherently clandestine, lest the legitimate holder of the information change plans or take other countermeasures once it...
deep behind enemy lines at night over the Continent.
Deteiroration of the runways caused both of these squadrons to move out in January 1945 while repairs were carried out.
316th Troop Carrier Group
After repairs were completed, the USAAF IX Troop Carrier Command 316th Troop Carrier Group moved in, from RAF CottesmoreRAF Cottesmore
RAF Cottesmore was a Royal Air Force station in Rutland, England, situated between Cottesmore and Market Overton. The station housed all the operational Harrier GR9 squadrons in the Royal Air Force, and No 122 Expeditionary Air Wing...
, on 24 March 1945, during Operation Varsity
Operation Varsity
Operation Varsity was a successful joint American–British airborne operation that took place toward the end of World War II...
(the crossing of the Rhine), 81 American C-47
C-47 Skytrain
The Douglas C-47 Skytrain or Dakota is a military transport aircraft that was developed from the Douglas DC-3 airliner. It was used extensively by the Allies during World War II and remained in front line operations through the 1950s with a few remaining in operation to this day.-Design and...
aircraft took off from RAF Wethersfield with paratroopers of the 6th Airborne Division, dropping east of the Rhine and establishing a bridgehead.
Postwar use
After the operation, the 316th moved back to Cottesmore. No other operational units of either the RAF or USAAF used the airfield during the war. In April 1946 a Royal Air Force Heavy Transport Conversion Unit was based at Wethersfield and remained until July when the station was closed and placed in a care and maintenance status.During the late 1940s the base was used as a winter camping ground for Chipperfield's Circus
Chipperfield's Circus
Chipperfield's Circus was the name of a famous British family circus. The show toured Europe and the Far East. The dynasty goes back more than 300 years, making it one of the older family circus dynasties.-History:...
. Elephants were housed in the maintenance hangar
Hangar
A hangar is a closed structure to hold aircraft or spacecraft in protective storage. Most hangars are built of metal, but other materials such as wood and concrete are also sometimes used...
s and Nissen (quonset) huts
Nissen hut
A Nissen hut is a prefabricated steel structure made from a half-cylindrical skin of corrugated steel, a variant of which was used extensively during World War II.-Description:...
, formerly used as offices, became homes for lions, tigers, snakes and monkeys.
20th Fighter Bomber / Tactical Fighter Wing
Cold War
The Cold War was the continuing state from roughly 1946 to 1991 of political conflict, military tension, proxy wars, and economic competition between the Communist World—primarily the Soviet Union and its satellite states and allies—and the powers of the Western world, primarily the United States...
threat of the Soviet Union
Soviet Union
The Soviet Union , officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics , was a constitutionally socialist state that existed in Eurasia between 1922 and 1991....
, RAF Wethersfield was provided to the USAF by the British as part of their NATO commitment. The United States was rapidly expanded its air forces, increasing the number of combat wings from 48 in 1950 to 95 by June 1952. Upgrading of the facilities commenced in 1951, and on 31 May 1952, the 20th Fighter-Bomber Wing
20th Fighter Wing
The 20th Fighter Wing is a wing of the United States Air Force and the host unit at Shaw Air Force Base South Carolina. The wing is assigned to Air Combat Command's Ninth Air Force.-Mission:...
took up residence at RAF Wethersfield, being transferred from Langley AFB Virginia
Virginia
The Commonwealth of Virginia , is a U.S. state on the Atlantic Coast of the Southern United States. Virginia is nicknamed the "Old Dominion" and sometimes the "Mother of Presidents" after the eight U.S. presidents born there...
.
The 20th FBW consisted of three operational squadrons, the 55th
55th Fighter Squadron
The 55th Fighter Squadron is part of the 20th Fighter Wing at Shaw Air Force Base, South Carolina. It operates the F-16 Fighting Falcon aircraft conducting air superiority missions.-World War I:...
, 77th
77th Fighter Squadron
The 77th Fighter Squadron is a squadron of the United States Air Force, and is one of the oldest fighter squadrons in the United States military....
, and 79th Fighter-Bomber Squadrons, flying the F-84G "Thunderjets"
F-84 Thunderjet
The Republic F-84 Thunderjet was an American turbojet fighter-bomber aircraft. Originating as a 1944 United States Army Air Forces proposal for a "day fighter", the F-84 flew in 1946...
. Restricted space at Wethersfield compelled the 79th Squadron to move initially to RAF Bentwaters
RAF Bentwaters
RAF Bentwaters, now known as Bentwaters Parks, is a former Royal Air Force station about 80 miles NE of London, 10 miles ENE of Ipswich, near Woodbridge, Suffolk in England...
on 6 June 1952, then to RAF Woodbridge
RAF Woodbridge
Royal Air Force Station Woodbridge, more commonly referred to as RAF Woodbridge, is a former Royal Air Force military airbase situated to the east of Woodbridge in the county of Suffolk, England...
, 3 mi (4.8 km) southeast of Bentwaters, occurred on 1 October 1954.
Woodbridge was operated as a detachment of the 20th FBW until 8 July 1958, when the 20th FBW/TFW handed over control of Woodbridge to the 81st Tactical Fighter Wing, although the 79th TFS remained at the base under the control of the 20th TFW until 1970.
Markings of the F-84Gs consisted in part of one-kink lightning flashes in the respective squadron colors. One such flash extended from the intake lip to the leading edge of the wing. Others adorned the outer halves of the wing tip tanks. The 55th used dark blue, the 77th red and the 79th yellow.
The 20th was transferred from Langley to address the defense problem posed by Soviet conventional superiority in Western Europe. The F-84Gs were specially equipped to carry small nuclear bombs and were designed, if necessary to deliver these weapons on Soviet forces if they invaded West Germany
West Germany
West Germany is the common English, but not official, name for the Federal Republic of Germany or FRG in the period between its creation in May 1949 to German reunification on 3 October 1990....
.
In June 1955, the 20th FBW started receiving the F-84F "Thunderstreak"
F-84 Thunderjet
The Republic F-84 Thunderjet was an American turbojet fighter-bomber aircraft. Originating as a 1944 United States Army Air Forces proposal for a "day fighter", the F-84 flew in 1946...
in addition to its F-84Ds and F-84Gs. The F-84G was phased out by June 1955, with the aircraft being transferred to Allied nations in Europe and the Middle East.
The 20th flew the F-84F for about two years, when on 16 June 1957, the conversion to the North American F-100D and F-100F "Super Sabres"
F-100 Super Sabre
The North American F-100 Super Sabre was a supersonic jet fighter aircraft that served with the United States Air Force from 1954 to 1971 and with the Air National Guard until 1979. The first of the Century Series collection of USAF jet fighters, it was the first USAF fighter capable of...
began. The F-100 remained the primary aircraft at RAF Wethersfield until 1970.
The 20th Fighter Bomber Wing established an operational detachment at Wheelus AB
Wheelus Air Base
-See also:*List of airports in Libya-External links:*****...
, Libya
Libya
Libya is an African country in the Maghreb region of North Africa bordered by the Mediterranean Sea to the north, Egypt to the east, Sudan to the southeast, Chad and Niger to the south, and Algeria and Tunisia to the west....
in February 1958. This detachment managed the USAFE Weapons Training Center for month-long squadron rotations by the Europe-based USAFE tactical fighter wings.
The 20th began realigning its units 15 March 1957, as part of an Air Force worldwide reorganization. Combat groups were inactivated, assigning the unit’s fighter mission to the wing. As part of yet another organization change, the 20th dropped the "Fighter Bomber" designation 8 July 1958, becoming the 20th Tactical Fighter Wing. The three flying units also changed designation, becoming tactical fighter squadrons.
The flying squadrons were dispersed on a monthly rotational basis to RAF Alconbury
RAF Alconbury
RAF Alconbury is an active Royal Air Force station in Cambridgeshire, England. The airfield is adjacent to the Stukeleys [Great and Little] and located about northwest of Huntingdon; about north of London....
, RAF Woodbridge
RAF Woodbridge
Royal Air Force Station Woodbridge, more commonly referred to as RAF Woodbridge, is a former Royal Air Force military airbase situated to the east of Woodbridge in the county of Suffolk, England...
, and Nouasseur AB, Morocco
Morocco
Morocco , officially the Kingdom of Morocco , is a country located in North Africa. It has a population of more than 32 million and an area of 710,850 km², and also primarily administers the disputed region of the Western Sahara...
, due to runway repairs at Wethersfield from May to August 1958.
Starting in July 1966, bases in Turkey
Turkey
Turkey , known officially as the Republic of Turkey , is a Eurasian country located in Western Asia and in East Thrace in Southeastern Europe...
, Spain
Spain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
and Italy
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
were transferred from Tactical Air Command
Tactical Air Command
Tactical Air Command is an inactive United States Air Force organization. It was a Major Command of the United States Air Force, established on 21 March 1946 being headquartered at Langley Air Force Base, Virginia...
(TAC) to USAFE. With that transfer came the responsibility by USAFE to deploy fighter squadrons to these bases. The 20th began monthly rotations of its fighter squadrons to Cigli AB, Turkey starting in July 1966. Rotations to Aviano AB, Italy began in December 1966. Rotations to Zaragoza AB, Spain began in January 1970. Rotations to all these bases continued until June 1970.
The political closure of US bases in France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
forced the opening of RAF Greenham Common
RAF Greenham Common
RAF Station Greenham Common is a former military airfield in Berkshire, England. The airfield is located approximately south-southwest of Thatcham; about west of London....
under 20th TFW management to handle personnel overflow beginning in January 1967. In addition, a military coup in Libya
Libya
Libya is an African country in the Maghreb region of North Africa bordered by the Mediterranean Sea to the north, Egypt to the east, Sudan to the southeast, Chad and Niger to the south, and Algeria and Tunisia to the west....
forced the closure of the range at Wheelus AB in September 1969 and the closure of the 20th TFW's detachment in Libya. The range was relocated to Torrejon AB, Spain in November 1969.
On 10 December 1969, Detachment 1, 20th Tactical Fighter Wing was established at RAF Upper Heyford
RAF Upper Heyford
RAF Upper Heyford was a Royal Air Force station located north-west of Bicester near the village of Upper Heyford, Oxfordshire, England. The base was brought into use for flying in July 1918 by the Royal Flying Corps. During World War II it was used by many units of the RAF, mainly as a training...
as part of congressional budget cutbacks; a USAFE-wide base realignment/consolidation of units, as Wethersfield had a limited potential for development and was awkwardly close to the expanding London Stansted Airport
London Stansted Airport
-Cargo:-Statistics:-Infrastructure:-Terminal and satellite buildings:Stansted is the newest passenger airport of all the main London airports. The terminal is an oblong glass building, and is separated in to three areas: Check-in concourse, arrivals and departures...
. The relocation also served the need to reorganize the USAFE base structure after the French withdrawal from NATO and the eviction of non-French military forces from French soil.
The fighter squadrons of the 20th were in a constant rotation since the arrival of the wing at Wethersfield in 1952. As part of the budget reductions and to consolidate all of the wing's elements at a larger facility, the 20th Tactical Fighter Wing was relocated from Wethersfield to RAF Upper Heyford
RAF Upper Heyford
RAF Upper Heyford was a Royal Air Force station located north-west of Bicester near the village of Upper Heyford, Oxfordshire, England. The base was brought into use for flying in July 1918 by the Royal Flying Corps. During World War II it was used by many units of the RAF, mainly as a training...
, replacing and absorbing the 66th Tactical Reconnaissance Wing, which had relocated from Laon AB
Laon-Couvron Air Base
Laon-Couvron Air Base is a former French and United States Air Force base in France. It is located in the Aisne département of France, less than one mile southeast of the village of Couvron and 6 miles northwest of Laon; on the southwest side of the Autoroute des Anglais 1 Mile east of the...
, France to the UK on 1 June 1970.
Also, the aging 1950s-era F-100's of the 20th TFW and RF-101 "Voodoos"
F-101 Voodoo
The McDonnell F-101 Voodoo was a supersonic military jet fighter which served the United States Air Force and the Royal Canadian Air Force...
of the 66th TRW were retired, being replaced by the General Dynamics F-111E Fighter-Bomber at Upper Heyford.
66th Combat Support Squadron
In October 1970, elements, primarily Civil Engineering, of the inactivated 66th TRW were moved to Wethersfield, being designated the 66th Combat Support Group. The group was again redesignated 66th Combat Support Squadron (CSS) and became the host unit at RAF Wethersfield.
The 66th CSS performed whatever duties were necessary to keep the base in a usable, operational state.
10th Tactical Reconnaissance Wing
RAF Alconbury
RAF Alconbury is an active Royal Air Force station in Cambridgeshire, England. The airfield is adjacent to the Stukeleys [Great and Little] and located about northwest of Huntingdon; about north of London....
. Under the 10th TRW, Wethersfield became a satellite of Alconbury, storing much of the 10th TRW's War Reserve Material (WRM) assets in its hangars.
In addition, the 10th TRW supported a number of units at Wethersfield including the 819th Civil Engineering Squadron Heavy Repair (CESHR) and Det. 1 2166th Information Systems Squadron (later redesignated Det. 1 2166th Communications Squadron).
On 1 June 1985, the 66th was reactivated as the 66th Electronic Combat Wing at Sembach AB, West Germany
West Germany
West Germany is the common English, but not official, name for the Federal Republic of Germany or FRG in the period between its creation in May 1949 to German reunification on 3 October 1990....
.
819th Rapid Engineer Deployable Heavy Operational Repair Squadron Engineers [RED HORSE]. On August 8, 1997, the 819th RED HORSE Squadron was activated at Malmstrom Air Force Base (AFB), Mont. The original 819th unit was activated 31 years earlier.
The 819th is the first-ever Air Force/Air National Guard (ANG) Associate unit. This means that the unit is made up of an integrated force of active duty and ANG members.
Its mission is to rapidly mobilize people, equipment, and heavy construction vehicles to anywhere in the world where airpower must be employed. Its training program is focused on ensuring that it can rapidly deploy self-sustaining heavy construction capability along with other units.
The 819th squadron was originally activated in early February 1966 per Special Order G-27, Headquarters, Pacific Air Forces, and originally slated for Ban Sattahip Air Base, Thailand. The authorized strength was 12 officers and 388 airmen.
The 819th followed the standard RED HORSE organizational structure with six sections; administration, medical, engineering/operations, logistical, airfield and cantonment. The logistical section included a supply and services flight and an equipment maintenance flight. The cantonment section had two identical structural flights and a utilities flight.
In addition to squadron personnel, local labor augmented the unit on almost every project and was a major contributing factor in the unit's work. Initially, the unit was authorized a strength of 764 workers, but this was subsequently reduced to 514 with a maximum of 511 employed at any time.
The destination for the unit was changed to Phu Cat AB, Vietnam, in June. This site was located 300 mi (482.8 km) north of Saigon and about 20 mi (32.2 km) from the coast. The area, formerly a Viet Cong training center, lay in a large, rice-producing valley.
The Airfield section of the 819th was responsible for the operation of all heavy equipment, laying of T-17 membrane and AM-2 matting and construction of all revetments. To build foundation pads, roads and open storage areas, the 819th had to move more than 1 million cubic yards of earth. This went smoothly because of the high level of training and careful attention paid to vehicle maintenance. Daily greasing of fittings and cleaning of all filters were mandatory. Only one piece of equipment went out of commission in the first year.
The Logistics section was responsible for material control, vehicle maintenance and food service. These proved particularly challenging for a remote site at the end of a 6000 miles (9,656 km) supply pipeline.
After one year, the men of the 819th had lived up to the RED HORSE reputation for productivity. They had moved 1659000 cu yd (1,268,396.5 m³) of earth, poured 15500 cu yd (11,850.6 m³) of concrete, and constructed buildings totaling 633000 sq ft (58,807.6 m²). In addition, they had placed 2100000 sq ft (195,096.4 m²) of AM-2 matting, finished over 50000 ft (15,240 m) of utility lines, fences and storm drainage facilities, erected more than 5000 ft (1,524 m) of aircraft revetments and completed more than 5 mi (8 km) of road.
The 819th would remain at Phu Cat until early 1970 when it moved to Tuy Hoa AB, Vietnam, to help close the base. It returned from Vietnam in 1970 and was stationed at Westover AFB, Mass., until 1973 when it moved to McConnell AFB, Kan. In 1979, it was assigned to RAF Wethersfield, United Kingdom, and tasked with rapid runway repair responsibilities for US Air Forces in Europe along with its traditional heavy repair role. The 819th was inactivated in August 1990.
A team from the 819th RED HORSE Squadron, Malmstrom Air Force Base, Mont., deployed to Southwest Asia in October 2000 to pave a munitions supply road at Prince Sultan Air Base.
The dirt road serving the western munitions storage area there was in need of constant repair. Ruts and soft spots were making travel difficult. Rather than allow the road to deteriorate and become unstable and unusable for munitions operations, RED HORSE was called in to pave it.
The initial design for the project was complete in September, but once construction crews arrived on site it had to be modified due to equipment shortages. Repairing the road surface and preparing it for asphalt pavement required about 20000 m³ (706,293.3 cu ft) of fill material. The crew straightened curves in the middle of the road, removed hills and filled low spots to level the overall road surface. Drainage was provided for on and around the road, and all sand piles on both sides of the road were removed or leveled.
The crew placed about 9500 m³ (335,489.3 cu ft) of basecourse and used about 3,200 tons of asphalt to pave 7000 ft (2,133.6 m) (24 ft (7.3 m) wide, or 34 ft (10.4 m) including the shoulder) of dirt road.
The 17-member team finished the road in December, after honing their wartime readiness skills and providing a quality product to the customer.
7119th Support Group
Rapid Engineer Deployable Heavy Operational Repair Squadron Engineers
United States Air Force Rapid Engineer Deployable Heavy Operational Repair Squadron Engineers units are the Service's equivalent of the USMC Combat Engineers and Navy Seabees....
(RED HORSE) unit in the UK. The main RED HORSE Civil Engineering unit established in December 1978 was the 819th CES.
The 7119th Air Base Flight, later designated the 7119th Support Group was established to manage the personnel and organizational issues for units at Wethersfield.
The 819th was tasked with rapid runway repair responsibilities for US Air Forces in Europe along with its traditional heavy repair role.
As the American involvement in the Vietnam War
Vietnam War
The Vietnam War was a Cold War-era military conflict that occurred in Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia from 1 November 1955 to the fall of Saigon on 30 April 1975. This war followed the First Indochina War and was fought between North Vietnam, supported by its communist allies, and the government of...
wound down, the role of RED HORSE units in peacetime came into question. The requirement for a quick-acting heavy repair force organic to the Air Force, and responsive to Air Force commanders needs remained. A variety of training programs were necessary to fulfill this requirement. The primary means of providing training was by accomplishment of civil engineering projects which developed skills similar to those which may be required during a contingency.
In 1980, members of the 819th removed and re-installed seven bells and a bell cage in an 11th century church in Finchingfield
Finchingfield
Finchingfield is a village situated in the Braintree district of Essex. It is in the north-west of the county, which is a primarily rural area...
, Essex
Essex
Essex is a ceremonial and non-metropolitan county in the East region of England, and one of the home counties. It is located to the northeast of Greater London. It borders with Cambridgeshire and Suffolk to the north, Hertfordshire to the west, Kent to the South and London to the south west...
. The goodwill generated in the village, just one mile (1.6 km) from RAF Wethersfield, resulted in untold housing and community support for AF personnel.
The 819th along with the 2166th Communications Squadron were the main tenant units at Wethersfeld until the USAF returned the base to the British in 1990 due to budget cutbacks. The 819th was inactivated in February, while the 2166th remained active until June 1992.
The base was handed back to the Royal Air Force
Royal Air Force
The Royal Air Force is the aerial warfare service branch of the British Armed Forces. Formed on 1 April 1918, it is the oldest independent air force in the world...
at an official ceremony held on 3 July 1990 and, at the end of September, Wethersfield was once again placed under care and maintenance status.
The USAF, however, retained a small Military Family Housing area at Wethersfield which American personnel assigned to the Tri-Base area (RAF Molesworth
RAF Molesworth
RAF Molesworth is a Royal Air Force station located near Molesworth, Cambridgeshire, United Kingdom with a history dating back to 1917.Its runway and flight line facilities were closed in 1973 and demolished to support ground-launched cruise missile operations in the early 1980s...
, RAF Alconbury and RAF Upwood
RAF Upwood
RAF Upwood was a United States Air Force installation adjacent to the village of Upwood, Cambridgeshire in the United Kingdom.It is a non-flying station which was under the control of the United States Air Force, and one of three RAF stations in Cambridgeshire currently used by the United States...
) lived. As the American presence at Alconbury diminished during the 1990s, so was the need for this facility.
Current use
In April 1991 the Chief Constable of the Ministry of Defence Police assumed responsibility for the base and a small joint civilian/uniformed team moved in to organise the relocation of the Ministry of Defence PoliceMinistry of Defence Police
The Ministry of Defence Police is a civilian police force which is part of the United Kingdom's Ministry of Defence. The force is part of the larger government agency, the Ministry of Defence Police and Guarding Agency , together with the Ministry of Defence Guard Service...
Training School and Firearms Training Wing from Medmenham, Buckinghamshire and the Headquarters from Earl's Court in London.
The airfield is also used by 614 VGS
VGS
VGS may refer to:*US-skacore band Voodoo Glow Skulls*Volunteer Gliding Squadron*Virtual Game StationPlaces:* Vince Genna Stadium, a baseball park in Bend, OregonSymbols:* VGS means gate to source voltage in field effect transistors...
Air Cadet gliding school, which operates Grob G-103 "Viking" gliders at weekends. The squadron makes use of one of the only remaining hangars and has a fleet of six gliders, which are used to give air cadets an experience of gliding, plus qualifications such as gliding scholarships and advanced glider training. The squadron originally operated at RAF Debden, hence the name "Debden Eaglets".
The Operational Support Unit moved to Wethersfield from RAF Wittering
RAF Wittering
RAF Wittering is a Royal Air Force station within the unitary authority area of Peterborough, Cambridgeshire. Although Stamford in Lincolnshire is the nearest town, the runways of RAF Wittering cross the boundary between Cambridgeshire and Northamptonshire....
and has been permanently based there since May 1992. In addition, Wethersfield was to be the home for the MOD Guard Service (MGS) Training School.
In October 1994 the joint location of MDP training and HQ, along with the MGS Training Wing, was completed, giving the Force the first combined HQ and Training Centre in its history. There is also a Volunteer Gliding Squadron
Volunteer Gliding Squadron
Volunteer Gliding Squadrons are Royal Air Force Flying Training Units , operating military Viking TX.1 and Vigilant T.1 gliders to train Air Cadets from the Combined Cadet Force and the Air Training Corps....
(614 VGS) at the airfield, run by staff and cadets from the Air Training Corps
Air Training Corps
The Air Training Corps , commonly known as the Air Cadets, is a cadet organisation based in the United Kingdom. It is a voluntary youth group which is part of the Air Cadet Organisation and the Royal Air Force . It is supported by the Ministry of Defence, with a regular RAF Officer, currently Air...
.
In 2000 Gardiner Associates, a fire investigation training provider, commenced providing residential fire investigation training courses, for police fire and forensic science practitioners, at MDP Wethersfield. Wethersfield is now known internationally as a UK centre for fire investigation training.
Millbrook Engineering, famous for its vehicle proving ground in Bedfordshire, uses Wethersfield as it's "Extreme Manoeuvre Facility", which is described as a "high security location for extreme dynamics evaluation and driver training with the world’s largest on and off-road vehicles."
The airfield today clearly shows its history as both a World War II and Cold War military facility . All three wartime-era runways and connecting taxiways, as well as many wartime loop-type dispersal hardstands all remain in almost pristine condition, as well as the postwar jet runway laid down for USAF fighters during the 1950s and 1960s. The large main hangar, used by the USAF until the facility was closed is well maintained, along with numerous buildings and nissen huts used by the MOD police.