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.
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.
Units
Two Canadian squadrons, 403 Squadron RCAF and 421 Squadron RCAF, were based at Headcorn from August to November 1943 with Supermarine Spitfire IXB's.12
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
See also
Citations
Bibliography
- 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.
References
Jefford 1988, p. 89. - 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. ↩
Jefford 1988, p. 90. - 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. ↩
"Headcorn (Egerton)". Airfields of Britain Conservation Trust. Retrieved 15 June 2020. https://www.abct.org.uk/airfields/airfield-finder/headcorn-egerton/ ↩
Sturtivant & Hamlin 2007, p. 287. - Sturtivant, R.; Hamlin, J. (2007). Royal Air Force flying training and support units since 1912. UK: Air-Britain (Historians). ISBN 978-0851-3036-59. ↩
Sturtivant & Hamlin 2007, p. 46. - Sturtivant, R.; Hamlin, J. (2007). Royal Air Force flying training and support units since 1912. UK: Air-Britain (Historians). ISBN 978-0851-3036-59. ↩
Sturtivant & Hamlin 2007, p. 222. - Sturtivant, R.; Hamlin, J. (2007). Royal Air Force flying training and support units since 1912. UK: Air-Britain (Historians). ISBN 978-0851-3036-59. ↩
Sturtivant & Hamlin 2007, p. 233. - Sturtivant, R.; Hamlin, J. (2007). Royal Air Force flying training and support units since 1912. UK: Air-Britain (Historians). ISBN 978-0851-3036-59. ↩