RAF Rivenhall

Royal Air Force Rivenhall or more simply RAF Rivenhall is a former Royal Air Force station located in Essex, England. The airfield is located approximately 4 miles (6.4 km) south-southeast of Braintree, Essex, England.

RAF Rivenhall USAAF Station AAF-168
Silver End, Essex in England
Rivenhall airfield photographed in April 1944 with the B-26 Marauders of the 397th Bombardment Group parked on the grass, while the P-51 Mustangs of the 363d Fighter Group are still on the dispersal loops.
Site information
Type	Royal Air Force station
Code	RL
Owner	Air Ministry
Operator	United States Army Air Forces Royal Air Force
Controlled by	Ninth Air Force 1943-44 RAF Fighter Command 1944-
Location
RAF Rivenhall Shown within Essex
Coordinates	51°51′19″N 000°38′23″E
Site history
Built	1944 (1944)
Built by	W. C. French Ltd
In use	December 1944 - January 1946 (1946)
Battles/wars	European theatre of World War II
Airfield information
Elevation	51 metres (167 ft)[1] AMSL
Runways Direction Length and surface 00/00  Concrete/Tarmac 00/00  Concrete/Tarmac 00/00  Concrete/Tarmac

Rivenhall airfield headquarters site, 1944.

North American P-51B-5 Mustang, Serial 43-6830 of the 382d Fighter Squadron.

Formation of Martin B-26Bs of the 397th Bomb Group. Closest two aircraft are B-26B-55-MA S/N 42-96137 (9F-Y) and 42-96191 (9F-N) "Milk Run Special" of the 597th BS, 397th BG, 9th AF. The other B-26's are from the 598th Bomb Squadron. 42-96137 was shot down on 13 May 1944. 42-96191 was shot down on 24 June 1944. Photo taken before D-Day, as the Marauders are not painted with invasion stripes

Opened in 1942, it was used by both the Royal Air Force and United States Army Air Forces. During the war it was used primarily as a combat airfield with various fighter and bomber units. It was closed in 1946 and kept in reserve until 1956.

Today, the remains of the airfield are located on private property with the northern half having been turned into a quarry.

History

USAAF use

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".

363d Fighter Group

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 the following operational squadrons:

• 380th Fighter Squadron (A9)
• 381st Fighter Squadron (B3)
• 382d Fighter Squadron (C3)

On 14 April 1944, as part of a general movement of Ninth Air Force fighter units in the Colchester area to the advanced landing grounds, the 363d moved to RAF Staplehurst. The actual movement of all elements had begun two days previously.

397th Bombardment Group

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 following operational squadrons:

• 596th Bombardment Squadron (X2)
• 597th Bombardment Squadron (9F)
• 598th Bombardment Squadron (U2)
• 599th Bombardment Squadron (6B)

The group's identification marking was a yellow diagonal band across both sides of the fin (vertical stabiliser).

Early in August, officially on the 5th, 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.

RAF use

The following units were here at some point:^[2]

• No. 295 Squadron RAF (1944-46)
• No. 570 Squadron RAF (1944-45)
• No. 1677 (Target Towing) Flight RAF

Current use

Upon its release from military use, in June 1956, Marconi leased part of the airfield and within ten years had taken over most of the surviving buildings. Today the northern half of the former airfield has been turned into a quarry, with the vast majority of the land in the northwest of the site having been excavated.

The perimeter track of the airfield has been reduced to a single track agricultural road. All three runways either have been quarried, or substantially reduced in width, with the grass areas of the former airfield returned to agriculture. One T-2 hangar remains, along with a scattering of buildings. A motor salvage business has taken over some of the hardstands in the east end of the airfield, where once C-47s and gliders were stored. As of 2022, an integrated waste management facility is being constructed on part of the site.

See also

• List of former Royal Air Force stations