Site of Second World War military airfield, 'RAF Bradwell Bay', Bradwell-on-Sea (EHER 16047)

Partially destroyed. A Second World War military airfield, which replaced a 1930s landing ground which had served the bombing range on Dengie Flats (EHER 46141). The RAF airfield was opened in 1941 and remained operational until 1946. It had three runways and twelve Blister hangars dispersed around a perimeter track, alongside at least 18 fighter pens, nine frying pan dispersal sites and a Bellman hangar. The site was surveyed in 1996 and 2009, and almost all of the original buildings have been destroyed, of which there were more than 400. The control tower has been converted into a private dwelling and behind it stands the derelict Station Head Quarters (SHQ). Dispersed accommodation was located to the South, of which there is little surviving evidence. The North-South runways have been halved and much of the site has been returned to agriculture, and has been this way since the closure of the airfield in 1946. The, now decommissioned, nuclear power station (EHER 45967) stands in the NW of the site.

A Second World War airfield which is visible on a series of vertical aerial photographs. <1> - <5> 1996. Military Airfields in Essex survey. Prior to World War Two, a landing ground existed on the site, and was associated with a bombing range on the coast (EHER 46141). This strategic coastal position led to the landing ground being developed into a substantial airfield, 'RAF Bradwell Bay', with runway construction commencing in February 1941. The station was very busy and became famous as a night fighter base, as well as seeing returning aircraft short of fuel or badly damaged use the site. The airfield was closed in 1946. Bradwell Bay was equipped with three runways, two of which were extended during the war. Twelve blister hangars were dispersed around the perimeter (EHER 81601-81612), of which four remain in good condition and one is derelict. At least eighteen protected fighter pens and nine frying pan dispersals were attached to the perimeter track. There was also a Bellman hangar (EHER 81598). The control tower (EHER 81596) has been converted into a private dwelling and behind it stands the derelict station headquarters (SHQ, EHER 81597). These two buildings are all that remains of the main technical site which was built around the SHQ and contained a large number of defence unit accommodation due to the coastal location. This site is now agricultural. Bradwell was the only Essex airfield equipped with FIDO (Fog Investigation Dispersal Operation) and although no trace is visible it is said that some original oil burners are in use as flower pots at East Hall Farm (EHER 81613). Dispersed accommodation was located to the South, of which there is little surviving evidence. <6> <7> <8> See aerial photographs <9> <10> <11> and the original site plan <12>. Site Assessment. The main runway is intact, as is the perimeter track, but all the dispersals have gone. Some important buildings remain (EHER 81569, EHER 81597) including four Blister hangars (EHER 81601-81612) still in situ which have a rare group value. The SHQ (EHER 81597) is roofless and derelict. <7> January 2009. World War Two Defences in Maldon survey: site visit and desktop assessment. A landing ground at Bradwell-on-Sea was first established in the years before the outbreak of World War Two when aircraft using the bombing range at the Dengie Flats (EHER 46141) needed a local refuelling point. In 1940, the potential value of an airfield on suitable land, so close to the coast, was recognised and the following year work began on the construction of the runways. The airfield, now known as Bradwell Bay, opened on 28 November 1941. During the following years Bradwell was a very active wartime base. It was home to the Boston night-intruder aircraft of 418 (Canadian) Squadron and Mosquitoes of 23, 157, 29 and many other squadrons. In June 1943, Typhoons of 247 ‘China’ Squadron arrived. Spitfires, Tempests, Warwicks and Hudsons were all based at Bradwell or used it as a staging post. From September 1944, the focus moved to combating the almost nightly attacks by V1 flying bombs, at which Tempests were particularly successful. The end of the war saw the end of Bradwell Bay’s operational life and, in 1946, one year after the cessation of hostilities, the airfield was closed and the land reverted back to agriculture. Bradwell had been equipped with three runways, two of which were extended. There were twelve Blister hangars dispersed around the perimeter (EHER 81601-81612) together with at least twelve protected pens and a great many hardstandings. A Bellman hangar stood in the SE corner (EHER 81598). The control tower (EHER 81596) and station headquarters (SHQ, EHER 81597) oversaw operations. Bofors guns protected the site against air attack (EHER 16523). In all, on the airfield alone, there were well over 300 buildings and other structures. To the South were the 'Dispersed Sites', the subsidiary areas which housed the airfield personnel, the sleeping quarters, the kitchens, dining rooms, recreation areas and latrines. At Bradwell there were at least eight of these areas, totalling a further 100+ buildings. In addition, a number of the large houses in the vicinity were requisitioned for extra accommodation (EHER 38605, EHER 38618, EHER 45957, and EHER 81625-81627). When visited in January 2009, four of the Blister hangars still survived, see EHER 81601-81604. <12> <13> A Stanton shelter stands West of the airfield memorial (EHER 81599), as does the very high frequency (VHF) transmitter building (EHER 81600). Moveable anti-tank obstacles were also recorded in two locations (EHER 81615 and EHER 81616). <14> Of the three runways, there is mixed survival. Much of the main runway still survives although in places reduced in width. The North-South runways have been halved in length and much of the remaining parts over-planted. Most of the perimeter track appears to have survived well, particularly to the South of the main runway. <15> Twenty photos. <16> Site Assessment. The control tower, the SHQ and the four Blister hangars are important to the history and heritage of Bradwell Bay airfield. Although, with the Stanton shelter, they are all that remains of the 300+ buildings and structures that stood on the airfield, they were and are, of major significance in the hierarchy of airfield architecture. There are questions to be answered about the originality of the present structures but, notwithstanding this, these six buildings, linked by the surviving Southern part of the perimeter track, form a potent reminder of Bradwell Bay’s importance during World War Two. <15> 2011. Additional comments. The small concrete hexagonal containers which lie alongside part of the perimeter track and which are in use as flower pots at East Hall Farm (EHER 81613, see also EHER 81614) are reported to be FIDO oil burners. FIDO (Fog Investigation Dispersal Operation) apparatus consisted of perforated steel pipelines which ran alongside the runway. Oil was pumped through the pipe to create the huge inflammable effect necessary to disperse the fog. The concrete containers are thought to be post-war housings for electric runway lights emplaced at ground level. The wire entered the housing through the small hole in the circular base. <17> NRHE data transfer: The gazetteer of World War Two airfields by Willis and Holliss includes Bradwell Bay, at TM 005 082. The source gives a profile of the base as it was in December 1944, and includes a small map of the layout. It records that there were 13 hardstandings and 23 protected pens by that date. The source notes that by 1985 part of the site was occupied by a nuclear power station. <18> Bowyer in the updated volume of the 'Action Stations' series provides a very detailed account of the origins, development and use of the base, including information on the squadrons and types of aircraft that operated from the base. <19> On OS sheet TM 00 NW (1979 edition), the basic airfield layout is still apparent, but is partly occupied by ancillary buildings from the nuclear power station and a poultry farm. The airfield is centred around TM 005 082. <20> The origins of the airfield as a grass landing ground supporting the Dengie Flats Ranges are explored in an article by Paul Doyle. The ranges themselves were in the mud flats off the coast to the SE. The original landing ground, known as Bradwell Juxta Mare Landing Ground was constructed in 1936 on land bought from Down Hall and Waymarks Farm. The source includes a diagram to show the extents of the initial landing ground and the redeveloped site, broadly the original landing ground was smaller, and lay in what would become the NW corner of the redeveloped site, also the initial landing ground extended further to the North. The buildings associated with the landing ground were demolished when it was redeveloped in 1940-1941. <21> A previous article by Paul Doyle noted some features of the wartime airfield that were still extant in 1999 <22>. These have been recorded as separate monuments. The Defence of Britain catalogue includes a very brief entry for RAF Bradwell Bay, TM 000 085. <23> <24> NRHE summary description: The site of a former military airfield, now partly occupied by Bradwell Nuclear Power Station (EHER 45967). The airfield was initially built in 1936, reopened in 1941 and closed in 1946. The airfield had begun in 1936 as a landing ground built to support a pre war ground to air firing range (Dengie Flats, EHER 46141). It was subsequently developed and upgraded from 1940-1941 as a fighter base with concrete and tarmac runways, hard standings and fighter pens. There was a Bellman aircraft hangar for maintenance use and 12 blister hangars. Initially in 1942 it was used by 418 (Canadian) Squadron for attacks on airfields and transport routes in occupied Europe, as well as propaganda leaflet drops. Later in 1942, 29 and 264 Squadrons flew from Bradwell as escorts for allied bombers. The role of the base changed in June 1943 after which a number of units used the airfield for attacks on shipping off the Dutch coast. In September 1943 aircraft from the base were involved in 'Operation Starkey', a diversionary 'invasion feint' designed to mislead axis forces. In 1944, 278 Squadron with an air sea rescue role also flew from Bradwell. Bradwell also provided air cover over the English Channel for the Allied D-Day invasion. When Germany began the 'V-1' rocket attacks, Bradwell was used by fighters preventing the rockets from reaching London. Later in 1945, Bradwell was home to a number of ground based support units, and post-war returned to its original role supporting the firing range. There were plans to reopen the base in the 1950s with the onset of the Cold War, but these were not realised partly because of the derelict state of the base. Some of the buildings from the redeveloped phase of the wartime base were known to have survived until 1999, these have been recorded as separate monuments. March 2020. Geophysical survey. A magnetometer survey recorded a number of linear responses in the South of Area 1, some of which correspond with mapped features of the disused airfield. The regularity of other anomalies also suggests a modern origin, and they have been attributed to the disused airfield. <25> September 2020. Geophysical survey. The survey has covered most of the Western half of the application area, a large proportion of which was formerly part of Bradwell Bay Airfield (EHER 16047) which was operational during World War II but decommissioned in the early 1960s. Some of the runways still survive and serve to divide and provide access between the surrounding fields which are in agricultural production following remediation of the airfield. Nevertheless, anomalies indicative of airfield infrastructure and services are still prominent in the data. <26>