Site of Second World War military airfield, Ridgewell (EHER 16608)

The remains of a former World War Two military airfield, constructed between 1941-1942, opened in 1942 and closed in 1957. The airfield is situated to the east of the village of Ridgewell. The airfield was built as a "Class A" heavy bomber station: in other words it had three concrete runways, hard standings and aircraft hangars (Type T2) suitable for these heavy aircraft. The technical site was located on the south-western side of the perimeter, with communal facilities and barracks for male and female personnel further to the south and south-west, dispersed between the flying field and the A1017 road. Initially the airfield was used by 90 Squadron Royal Air Force Bomber Command (3 Group). They were replaced in June 1943 by the United States Army 8th Air Force 381st Bomb Group (comprising 532nd, 533rd, 534th and 535th Bomb Squadrons). The airfield was designated as Station 167 by the Americans. Post-War the site was retained by the Ministry of Defence as a storage facility until 1957. Subsequently the airfield returned to agricultural use. In 1996 a number of airfield military buildings on the dispersed sites Numbers 4 and 5 were still extant; however these were threatened by future agricultural development (please see TL 74 SE 78 to TL74 SE 88 and TL 33 NE 65 to 66. By this time the runways had been removed as had the buildings formerly situated on the main flying field, fragments of the perimeter track remained. The aircraft hangars have been demolished. The former military hospital attached to the airfield is now a museum dedicated to the US personnel who served at Ridgewell (see TL 73 NW 45)

Original HER entry merged with NRHE data import: Ridgewell opened in late 1942 with the arrival of RAF Stirling bombers but transferred to the USAAF 381st Bomb Group in June 1943 flying B-17s on 296 bombing sorties. RAF Maintenance Command used the site until 1957 <1>. The airfield was equipped with 3 concrete runways joined by a perimeter track which were placed 50 frying-pan type dispersals, later 5 loop dispersals were added. The bomb stores were north of the airfield extending to TL757 430 on a looped track connected to the perimeter. Two T-2 hangars were, one at TL75184196 and the other at TL7537 4106, of which only the concrete hardstandings remains. The perimeter track does not survive to its full length and all the dispersals and runways have been removed although their original layout can be detected in the present field boundaries. The main technical site was located on the south side of the airfield (TL752 410C), comprising approximately 40 buildings no trace remains. The control tower (type 12779/41, 343/43) stood out in front of the main site with a clear view of the landing zone at TL7547 4132 but is no longer extant. The station HQ/Ops site was built at TL7485 4090, it is unclear from AP s whether any buildings remain. The dispersed sites were built to the south-west of the airfield. <2> <3> Ridgewell Airfield, Essex, TL 756 416. The gazetteer of WWII military airfields by Willis and Holliss gives a profile of the airfield as it appeared in December 1944. <4> The wartime history of Ridgewell Airfield/ Station 167 is related in RA Freeman's book on United States Army 8th Air Force Airfields in the United Kingdom. <5> The remains of a former World War Two military airfield were surveyed in 1996 in advance of possible agricultural development of the site. The airfield was constructed between 1941-1942, opened in 1942 and closed in 1957. The airfield is situated to the east of the village of Ridgewell. The airfield was built as a "Class A" heavy bomber station: in other words it had three concrete runways, hardstandings and aircraft hangars (Type T2) suitable for these heavy aircraft. The technical site was located on the south-western side of the perimeter, with communal facilities and barracks for male and female personnel further to the south and south-west, dispersed between the flying field and the A1017 road. Initially the airfield was used by 90 Squadron Royal Air Force Bomber Command (3 Group). They were replaced in June 1943 by the United States Army 8th Air Force 381st Bomb Group. The airfield was designated as Station 167 by the Americans. Post-War the site was retained by the Ministry of Defence as a storage facility until 1957. Subsequently the airfield returned to agricultural use. In 1996 a number of airfield military buildings on the dispersed sites Numbers 4 and 5 were still extant; however these were threatened by future agricultural development. By this time the runways had been removed as had the buildings formerly situated on the main flying field, fragments of the perimeter track remained. Source 3 contains detailed descriptions of the building fabric as it stood in 1996, site plans and the original buildings schedule for the airfield. <6> The former military hospital attached to the airfield is now a museum dedicated to the US personnel of 381st Bomb Group who served at Ridgewell. This group at Ridgewell comprised the 532nd, 533rd, 534th and 335th Bomb Squadrons. The web site of the Rigewell Airfield Commemorative Association notes that the aircraft hangars (Type T2) have been demolished. <7> Airfield (disused) TL 756 416 (NAT), OS sheets TL 74 SE and TL 74 SW. <8> See also: <9> - <13>