Second World War military airfield, Matching Green (EHER 16586)

A former World War Two military airfield opened in 1943 and closed in 1945. The airfield was built by the American army and used for much of its short operational life by the United States Army 9th Air Force 391st Bomb Group. From late 1944 the RAF used the base for refresher training and target towing purposes.

Original HER entry merged with NRHE data import: Airfield disused cantered at roughly TL 550 120 but extending eastward to TL 550 115. <1> <2> Matching Green was a former World War Two military airfield opened in 1943 and closed in 1945. The airfield was built by the American army and used for much of its short operational life by the United States Army 9th Air Force 391st Bomb Group. From late 1944 the RAF used the base for refresher training and target towing purposes. The airfield comprised 3 runways with concrete and wood chip surfaces, two aircraft hangars (Type T2) and temporary accommodation for the crew. Initially B-26s of the 391st Bomb Group flew operations, then in late 1944 the station was passed into the RAF before being run down in October 1945. <3> <4> Matching was built in typical American wartime style with 3 runways linked by a perimeter track around which were located 50 loop dispersals. Bomb stores were located to the south in Rookwood Hall Wood and Brick Kiln Wood (TL55341038). Wo T-2 hangers were built, both of which have gone: one at TL54351124 close to the surviving radar workshop (TL54401114). The second T-2 was sited at the south of the main site at TL553241119 close to the parachute store (TL55281130). The main site is now largely wood and scrub but to the north stands a Romney hut (TL55281171) a brick hut (TL55271155), and a Blister hangar (TL55351161) which was originally the free gunnery centre. The control tower (type 12770/41, 15371/41) is in good condition at TL55001137. The Ops/SHQ site is behind a fenced compound and obscured by vegetation (TL5558 1149) but the Ops block remains extant, as does a brick store TL5559 1144), in known condition. The landscape has reverted to agriculture; the perimeter track survives in parts albeit at much reduced width but all the dispersals and bomb stores have been removed. A short section of the east-west runway remains to its full width, and the public highway follows the line of the NW-SE runway in part. The dispersed sites were situated to the east. Site assessment: Survival of numerous buildings on the airfield site, together with 3 dispersed sites make this a well preserved site. Importance **** (group value). <5> <6> Matching Green Airfield: Airfield buildings included a control tower, which was extant in 2002 in use as a radar test station. <7> In 2000 some other corrugated iron buildings (possibly Nissen huts) were also extant. Perimeter track and roads built by the Americans were also still extant in 2000. Much of the site is used for agricultural purposes. By 2000 a war memorial in the form of a plaque dedicated to the airmen of the 391st bomb group was erected at the airfield. The web site includes a number of copyright free images of the airfield site in 2000. <8> See photographs: <9> - <15> See also: <16> <17>