RAF_Newchurch
Royal Air Force Newchurch or RAF Newchurch was a temporary Second World War airfield at Newchurch, Kent. It was a base for a Hawker Tempest wing that gave fighter cover over occupied France in the period up to and beyond D-Day and later defended south-east England against attack from V-1 flying bombs.
| RAF Newchurch | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Newchurch, Kent in England | |||||||||
Ground crew refuel and re-arm Hawker Tempest Mark V 'JF-G' of No. 3 Squadron RAF at Newchurch | |||||||||
| Coordinates | 51°03′04″N 00°55′13″E | ||||||||
| Type | Advanced Landing Ground | ||||||||
| Code | XN[1] | ||||||||
| Site information | |||||||||
| Owner | Air Ministry | ||||||||
| Operator | Royal Air Force | ||||||||
| Controlled by | RAF Fighter Command * No. 83 Group RAF * No. 85 Group RAF | ||||||||
| Site history | |||||||||
| Built | 1943 (1943) | ||||||||
| Built by | RAF Airfield Construction Service | ||||||||
| In use | July 1943 – 1945 (1945) | ||||||||
| Battles/wars | European theatre of World War II | ||||||||
| Airfield information | |||||||||
| Elevation | 0 metres (0 ft)[1] AMSL | ||||||||
| |||||||||
Newchurch was one of a number of Advanced Landing Grounds (ALG) built in Kent during 1943. From July 1943 it became the base for three Supermarine Spitfire and one Hawker Hurricane squadrons.[2] In October 1943 the squadrons moved to RAF Detling while the airfield was improved.
In April 1944 it became the base of 150 Wing comprising three squadrons of Hawker Tempests. Commanded by Wing Commander Roland Beamont the Newchurch Tempest Wing provided air cover for the Normandy landings it was then tasked with defending against attacks by V-1 flying bombs. The Wing destroyed 638 V-1s before leaving Newchurch to support the advance through Belgium and the Netherland. No longer needed in December 1944 the airfield was restored to farmland.
| Unit | Dates | Aircraft | Variant | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| No. 3 Squadron RAF | 28 April 1944 – 21 September 1944 | Hawker Tempest | V | [3] |
| No. 19 Squadron RAF | 2 July 1943 – 18 August 1943 | Supermarine Spitfire | VB & VC | [4] |
| No. 56 Squadron RAF | 28 April 1944 – 23 September 1944 | Hawker Tempest | V | [5] |
| No. 132 Squadron RAF | 3 July 1943 – 12 October 1943 | Supermarine Spitfire | VB/IXB | [6] |
| No. 184 Squadron RAF | 17 September 1943 – 12 October 1943 | Hawker Hurricane | IV | [7] |
| No. 486 Squadron RNZAF | 29 April 1944 – 19 September 1944 | Hawker Tempest | V | [8] |
| No. 602 Squadron RAF | 13 August 1943 – 12 October 1943 | Supermarine Spitfire | VB | [9] |
The following units were also here at some point:[10]
- No. 125 Airfield (August – October 1943)[11]
- No. 150 Airfield (April – May 1944)[12]
- No. 2749 Squadron RAF Regiment
- No. 2800 Squadron RAF Regiment
Citations
- Falconer 2012, p. 148.
- Jefford 1988, p. 168.
- Jefford 1988, p. 24.
- Jefford 1988, p. 30.
- Jefford 1988, p. 43.
- Jefford 1988, p. 59.
- Jefford 1988, p. 66.
- Jefford 1988, p. 94.
- Jefford 1988, p. 98.
- "Newchurch". Airfields of Britain Conservation Trust. Retrieved 14 June 2020.
- Sturtivant & Hamlin 2007, p. 46.
- Sturtivant & Hamlin 2007, p. 48.
Bibliography
- Falconer, J (2012). RAF Airfields of World War 2. UK: Ian Allan Publishing. ISBN 978-1-85780-349-5.
- 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.
