Second World War Nuthampstead Airfield, Scales Wood (EHER 48799)

The site of a former World War Two military airfield, opened in 1943 and becoming inactive in 1954. It was a base for the United States Army 8th Air Force, and was constructed as a bomber station from 1942 by American Army Engineer Battalions 814 and 830. It was designated as USAAF Station 131. The airfield was equipped with three concrete and tarmac runways, with the technical site and aircraft hangars (Type T2) on the east side in the area of the present Park Farm. Around the perimeter track were dispersals. To the south-east were bomb stores and ammunition dumps. The domestic camp with temporary accommodation for personnel and the sick quarters were located to the south-west away from the flying field. The airfield was the base for the 55th Fighter Group then the 398th Bomb Group. After the war the site was used by the Royal Air Force to store munitions. It became inactive in 1954, but it was not until 1960 that the site finally returned to agricultural use by its previous owner. Much of the width of the runways was then removed. The former bomb store was planted by the forestry commission after being cleared of quantities of still hazardous ordnance. Please note that although the bulk of the site is in Hertfordshire, the eastern edge of the airfield lies in the county of Essex.

NRHE data transfer: Nuthamstead Airfield, Hertfordshire, TL420 346. The site of a former World War Two military airfield, opened in 1943 and "closed" in 1954. <1> Nuthamstead/ USAAF Station 131 was a base for the United States Army 8th Air Force, and was constructed as a bomber station from 1942 by American Army Engineer Battalions 814 and 830. Annotated reproductions of air photographs taken in 1946 and 1978 accompanying source 2 show that the he airfield was equipped with three concrete and tarmac runways, with the technical site and aircraft hangars (Type T2) on the east side in the area of the present Park Farm. Around the perimeter track were dispersals. To the south-east were bomb stores and ammunition dumps. The domestic camp with temporary accommodation for personnel and the sick quarters were located to the south-west away from the flying field. Despite being designed as a bomber base, the airfield was the base for the 55th Fighter Group then the 398th Bomb Group. After the war the site was used by the Royal Air Force to store munitions. It became inactive in 1954, but it was not until 1960 that the site finally returned to agricultural use by its previous owner. Much of the width of the runways was then removed. The former bomb store was planted by the forestry commission after being cleared of quantities of still hazardous ordnance. <2>