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RAF Rivenhall
Royal Air Force Rivenhall or more RAF Rivenhall is a former Royal Air Force station located 4 miles (6.4 km) south-southeast of Braintree, Essex, England.
Opened in 1942, it was used by the Royal Air Force and United States Army Air Forces. During the war it was used primarily as a combat airfield for fighter and bomber units. It was closed in 1946 and kept in reserve until 1956. The remains of the airfield are located on private property with the northern half having been turned into a quarry.
Rivenhall was known as USAAF Station AAF-168 for security reasons by the USAAF during the war, and was referred to thus to avoid revealing its location. Its USAAF Station Code was "RL".
On 22 January 1944 a squadron of the 363d Fighter Group arrived from RAF Keevil where it had been awaiting equipment. The group had been selected as the third in the European Theatre to be equipped with the new North American P-51B Mustang. The group consisted of:
On 14 April 1944, as part of a general movement of Ninth Air Force fighter units in the Colchester area to advanced landing grounds, the 363d moved to RAF Staplehurst. The movement of all elements having begun two days previously.
On the day following the departure of the 363d the first Martin B-26 Marauders of the 397th Bombardment Group arrived from RAF Gosfield. The group consisted of
The group's identification marking was a yellow diagonal band across both sides of the fin (vertical stabiliser).
Early in August, officially on 5 August, the 397th transferred from Rivenhall to RAF Hurn in Hampshire to give the Marauders a better radius of action, as the break-out of the Allied forces from the Normandy beachhead meant that potential targets were receding.
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RAF Rivenhall
Royal Air Force Rivenhall or more RAF Rivenhall is a former Royal Air Force station located 4 miles (6.4 km) south-southeast of Braintree, Essex, England.
Opened in 1942, it was used by the Royal Air Force and United States Army Air Forces. During the war it was used primarily as a combat airfield for fighter and bomber units. It was closed in 1946 and kept in reserve until 1956. The remains of the airfield are located on private property with the northern half having been turned into a quarry.
Rivenhall was known as USAAF Station AAF-168 for security reasons by the USAAF during the war, and was referred to thus to avoid revealing its location. Its USAAF Station Code was "RL".
On 22 January 1944 a squadron of the 363d Fighter Group arrived from RAF Keevil where it had been awaiting equipment. The group had been selected as the third in the European Theatre to be equipped with the new North American P-51B Mustang. The group consisted of:
On 14 April 1944, as part of a general movement of Ninth Air Force fighter units in the Colchester area to advanced landing grounds, the 363d moved to RAF Staplehurst. The movement of all elements having begun two days previously.
On the day following the departure of the 363d the first Martin B-26 Marauders of the 397th Bombardment Group arrived from RAF Gosfield. The group consisted of
The group's identification marking was a yellow diagonal band across both sides of the fin (vertical stabiliser).
Early in August, officially on 5 August, the 397th transferred from Rivenhall to RAF Hurn in Hampshire to give the Marauders a better radius of action, as the break-out of the Allied forces from the Normandy beachhead meant that potential targets were receding.