RAF Headcorn

Royal Air Force Headcorn or more commonly known as RAF Headcorn is a former Royal Air Force Advanced Landing Ground located 2 miles (3.2 km) northeast of Headcorn, Kent, England.

Key Information

RAF Headcorn USAAF Station AAF-412 Egerton
Headcorn, Kent in England
Headcorn ALG airfield, 11 May 1944
Site information
Owner	Air Ministry
Operator	Royal Air Force 1943 United States Army Air Forces 1943-44
Controlled by	RAF Fighter Command
Location
RAF Headcorn Shown within Kent
Coordinates	51°10′58″N 000°41′16″E / 51.18278°N 0.68778°E / 51.18278; 0.68778
Site history
Built	1943 (1943)
Built by	RAF Airfield Construction Service
In use	July 1943 – September 1944
Battles/wars	European theatre of World War II
Airfield information
Runways Direction Length and surface 09/27  Sommerfeld Tracking 18/36  Sommerfeld Tracking
Runways
Direction	Length and surface
09/27	Sommerfeld Tracking
18/36	Sommerfeld Tracking
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Opened in 1943, Headcorn was a prototype for the temporary Advanced Landing Ground airfields to be built in France after D-Day, when the need for advanced landing fields became urgent as the Allied forces moved east across France and Germany. It was used by the Royal Air Force and the United States Army Air Forces. It was closed in September 1944 and has now reverted to farmland.

Two Canadian squadrons, 403 Squadron RCAF and 421 Squadron RCAF, were based at Headcorn from August to November 1943 with Supermarine Spitfire IXB's.^[1][2]

The following units were also here at some point:^[3]

• No. 17 (Fighter) Wing RAF (August - October 1943)^[4]
• No. 127 Airfield RAF (August - October 1943)^[5]
• 362nd Fighter Group
  • 377th Fighter Squadron flying Republic P-47 Thunderbolts
  • 378th Fighter Squadron flying Republic P-47 Thunderbolts
  • 379th Fighter Squadron flying Republic P-47 Thunderbolts
• No. 405 Repair & Salvage Unit (August - September 1943)^[6]
• No. 2809 Squadron RAF Regiment
• 'B' Section of No. 3207 Servicing Commando (August - September 1943)^[7]

• List of former Royal Air Force stations

• Jefford, C.G. (1988). RAF Squadrons. A comprehensive record of the movement and equipment of all RAF squadrons and their antecedents since 1912. Shrewsbury: Airlife. ISBN 1-85310-053-6.
• Sturtivant, R.; Hamlin, J. (2007). Royal Air Force flying training and support units since 1912. UK: Air-Britain (Historians). ISBN 978-0851-3036-59.

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