Royal Air Force Hornchurch or RAF Hornchurch is a former
Royal Air Force
The Royal Air Force (RAF) is the United Kingdom's air and space force. It was formed towards the end of the First World War on 1 April 1918, becoming the first independent air force in the world, by regrouping the Royal Flying Corps (RFC) and ...
sector station in the parish of
Hornchurch
Hornchurch is a suburban town in East London, England, and part of the London Borough of Havering. It is located east-northeast of Charing Cross. It comprises a number of shopping streets and a large residential area. It historically formed ...
, Essex (now the
London Borough of Havering
The London Borough of Havering () in East London, England, forms part of Outer London. It has a population of 259,552 inhabitants; the principal town is Romford, while other communities are Hornchurch, Upminster, Collier Row and Rainham. The ...
in Greater London), located to the southeast of Romford. The airfield was known as Sutton's Farm during the
First World War
World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fightin ...
, when it occupied of the farm of the same name. It was used for the protection of London, being east north-east of
Charing Cross
Charing Cross ( ) is a junction in Westminster, London, England, where six routes meet. Clockwise from north these are: the east side of Trafalgar Square leading to St Martin's Place and then Charing Cross Road; the Strand leading to the City; ...
.
Although the airfield closed shortly after the end of the war, the land was requisitioned in 1923 because of the expansion of the Royal Air Force and it re-opened as a much larger fighter station in 1928. The airfield was ideally to cover both London and the
Thames
The River Thames ( ), known alternatively in parts as the River Isis, is a river that flows through southern England including London. At , it is the longest river entirely in England and the second-longest in the United Kingdom, after the R ...
corridor from German air attacks. It was a key air force installation between both wars and into the jet age, closing in 1962.
History
![RAFBE2](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/f/f3/RAFBE2.jpg)
In 1915 the
London Air Defence Area
The London Air Defence Area (LADA) was the name given to the organisation created to defend London from the increasing threat from German airships during World War I. Formed in September 1915, it was commanded initially by Admiral Sir Percy Scott ...
(LADA) was established and airfields were built around London to defend the capital from the growing threat from German airships. Sutton's Farm, along with its neighbour Hainault Farm (just east of what became the Second World War airfield of
Fairlop
Fairlop is a district in the north of Ilford, part of the London Borough of Redbridge in east London. The district consists of fields, forestry and open land providing space for sport/ activity centres (Redbridge Sport Centre), some houses, farml ...
), to the north-east, were selected due to their location covering the eastern approaches to London. They were named Landing Grounds Nos. II and III respectively and joined the existing airfields of
North Weald
North Weald Bassett or simply North Weald is a village and civil parish in the Epping Forest district of Essex, England. The village is within the North Weald Ridges and Valleys landscape area.
A market is held every Saturday and Bank Holiday Mo ...
,
Rochford
Rochford is a town in Essex, England, north of Southend-on-Sea, from London and from Chelmsford, the county town. At the 2011 census, the Civil parishes in England, civil parish, which includes the town and London Southend Airport, had a popu ...
and Joyce Green. Suttons Farm airfield became operational on 3 October 1915, initially with two BE2c aircraft.
As the number of aircraft increased at the airfields around London, it was decided to organise them into
39 (Home Defence) Squadron, which was formed in April 1916, under the command of Major (later Brigadier-General) Thomas Higgins. As the enemy threat moved from airships to aircraft, better aircraft were introduced to counter them. The BE12, Sopwith 1½ Strutter, Sopwith Pup, FE2, Bristol Fighter, SE5a and Sopwith Camel all operated from Sutton's Farm at some stage, some with more success than others. 39 Squadron moved to North Weald in September 1917 and was replaced by 78 Squadron, under the command of Major Cuthbert Rowden, a 20-year-old veteran of the air war in France and subsequent winner of the
Military Cross
The Military Cross (MC) is the third-level (second-level pre-1993) military decoration awarded to officers and (since 1993) other ranks of the British Armed Forces, and formerly awarded to officers of other Commonwealth countries.
The MC i ...
. 78 Squadron was later joined by 189 Night Fighter Training Squadron with Sopwith Pups and Camels.
The first recorded interception of an enemy airship over Britain was made by Lt. (later Marshal of the Royal Air Force)
John Slessor
Marshal of the Royal Air Force Sir John Cotesworth Slessor, (3 June 1897 – 12 July 1979) was a senior commander in the Royal Air Force (RAF), serving as Chief of the Air Staff (United Kingdom), Chief of the Air Staff from 1950 to 1952. A ...
on the very day he arrived at Sutton's Farm, 13 October 1915. The attack had to be aborted as the airship disappeared into cloud and he had to break off the engagement. The first victory in Britain was not recorded until nearly a year later, on 2 September 1916 and was attributed to a pilot from Sutton's Farm,
Lt. William Leefe Robinson. Robinson shot down a
Schütte-Lanz SL11, one of a 16-strong raiding force over London, using new
Brock and Pomeroy mixed incendiary ammunition, which had been adapted for this task. For this action Leefe Robinson was awarded the Victoria Cross and became a National hero. Two other Sutton's Farm pilots from the First World War, Lt. Frederick Sowrey and Lt. Wulstan Tempest, were awarded the
DSO for their roles in the destruction of Zeppelins. Tempest's actions were particularly notable; even though his fuel pump was broken and he was having to pump fuel manually whilst flying the aircraft with his other hand, he still managed to engage and destroy an enemy airship and then find his way home in thick fog. These pilots, together with many others, are commemorated by street names in South Hornchurch.
Inter-war years
Soon after the war ended it was decided that Suttons Farm was surplus to requirements and the airfield was decommissioned, although it was retained on "List C" (stations temporarily retained for Service purposes) until 27 February 1920. The land was returned, most of the buildings demolished and farming resumed once more.
Following the decision in the early 1920s to expand the Royal Air Force, former First World War airfields were inspected to ascertain their suitability for use. Although small, Suttons Farm was ideally located to be able to defend the north-eastern approaches to London. After protracted negotiations, the original land was re-purchased, together with some further land to the south of the original airfield.
The new airfield took four years to build and opened, as RAF Sutton's Farm, in April 1928. Two months later the name was changed to RAF Hornchurch and the first unit to take up residency was No. 111 Squadron, led by Squadron Leader Keith Park, who also became the first station commander.
Second World War
During the
Second world War
World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...
the station was a
Sector Airfield of
RAF Fighter Command
RAF Fighter Command was one of the commands of the Royal Air Force. It was formed in 1936 to allow more specialised control of fighter aircraft. It served throughout the Second World War. It earned near-immortal fame during the Battle of Britai ...
's 11 Group, covering London and the south east of England during the
Battle of Britain
The Battle of Britain, also known as the Air Battle for England (german: die Luftschlacht um England), was a military campaign of the Second World War, in which the Royal Air Force (RAF) and the Fleet Air Arm (FAA) of the Royal Navy defende ...
in 1940. By this time, its command centre was in
Romford
Romford is a large town in east London and the administrative centre of the London Borough of Havering. It is located northeast of Charing Cross and is one of the major metropolitan centres identified in the London Plan. Historically, Romford ...
, and a satellite station (an advanced attack outpost;
RAF Rochford
London Southend Airport is an international airport situated on the outskirts of Southend-on-Sea in Essex, England, approximately from the Charing Cross#Official use as central point, centre of London. The airport straddles the boundaries b ...
) was unpopular with the Hornchurch crews sent there from time to time because of the canvas accommodation.
Richard Hillary
Flight Lieutenant Richard Hope Hillary (20 April 1919 – 8 January 1943) was an Anglo-Australian Royal Air Force fighter pilot during the Second World War. He wrote the book '' The Last Enemy'' about his experiences during the Battle of Brit ...
, author of "The Last Enemy," was shot down after taking off from here on 3 September 1940. Following the war, Hornchurch was home to Flying Training Command's Aircrew Selection Centre for 10 years before it moved to
RAF Biggin Hill
London Biggin Hill Airport is an operational general aviation airport at Biggin Hill in the London Borough of Bromley, located south-southeast of Central London. The airport was formerly a Royal Air Force station RAF Biggin Hill, and a smal ...
.
A balloon unit was retained until closure for parachute training of military personnel, when on the 14 May 1961, CSM Albert E. Small of 10 Para Regt (TA) was a balloon cage Despatcher won the George Medal for gallantry due to a deflating balloon at 800ft.
The RAF station at Hornchurch closed in July 1962.
Today
![Hornchurch Country Park (Astra Court East)](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/3/35/Hornchurch_Country_Park_%28Astra_Court_East%29.JPG)
Following a period of gravel extraction and infilling with rubbish in the 1970s, the airfield was extensively landscaped to create
Hornchurch Country Park
Hornchurch Country Park is a 104.5-hectare park on the former site of Hornchurch Airfield, south of Hornchurch in the London Borough of Havering, east London.
Site
The River Ingrebourne passes through the park and if forms part of Thames Ch ...
, with work commencing in 1980. Most of the former administrative and technical areas, including the two Type-A and one
Type-C hangars, were levelled in the 1960s and the area is now a housing estate. The names of the streets of the estate commemorate the airfield and its pilots (such as
Bouchier Walk, Kirton Close, Tempest Way,
Robinson Robinson may refer to:
People and names
* Robinson (name)
Fictional characters
* Robinson Crusoe, the main character, and title of a novel by Daniel Defoe, published in 1719
Geography
* Robinson projection, a map projection used since the 1960s ...
Close,
Tuck
Tuck may refer to:
People
* Tuck (surname), including a list of people
* Tuck (nickname), a list of people
* Tuck (footballer), Portuguese football player and coach João Carlos Novo de Araújo Gonçalves (born 1969)
* Hillary Tuck (born 1978), A ...
Road,
Bader Bader is a German occupational surname derived from the German word "Bad" meaning "bath". It originally referred to the owners or attendants of bathhouses, who subsequently took on other tasks including cutting hair and dentistry.
List of people wi ...
Way and
Malan Square). The former Officers' Mess is now a medical centre in Astra Close. The Officers' Mess (Astra House), Officers' Quarters (Astra Court East, West & North) and WO Quarters (89–99 (odd numbers) Wood Lane) are included in the RAF Hornchurch Conservation Area.
A local school, The
R. J. Mitchell School, was named after the man who designed the
Spitfire
The Supermarine Spitfire is a British single-seat fighter aircraft used by the Royal Air Force and other Allied countries before, during, and after World War II. Many variants of the Spitfire were built, from the Mk 1 to the Rolls-Royce Griff ...
, and a large monument to this effect, with wreaths placed on Remembrance Day, is within the school railings. Another local school (Suttons School) was renamed
Sanders Draper School
The Sanders Draper School is a mixed-gender secondary school for students aged between 11 and 16 located in Hornchurch, London Borough of Havering, UK. In September 2018 Mr Brooks took over as Headteacher and the school joined Success For All Ed ...
in 1973, after an American pilot, Flying Officer
Raimund (''Smudge'') Sanders Draper, flying with the Royal Air Force at the time, had an engine failure on take-off and stayed at his controls to ensure his aircraft didn't crash on the building, which was full of children at the time.
A number of
pillboxes, command bunkers and gun positions, together with the largest number of surviving
Tett Turrets in England, still exist within the boundaries of the former airfield and can be seen on the Eastern edge of the country park. RAF Hornchurch artefacts and memorabilia are housed in the Purfleet Heritage & Military Centre.
RAF Hornchurch was the subject of one of the programmes in the BBC TV series ''
Two Men in a Trench
''Two Men in a Trench'' is a British comedic historical documentary television series, produced by the BBC, that ran from 2002 to 2004.
Overview
''Two Men in a Trench'' follows archaeologists Tony Pollard and Neil Oliver around the British Isles ...
''. In the programme, several of the defences were examined. One of the Tett Turrets was excavated, the backfill of which contained a pair of 1940 RAF pilot's goggles along with material from the hospital. The fire trench, a partially buried pillbox and an E pen were excavated, while the gun emplacement on the northern end of the site was cleared of vegetation.
The Good Intent pub, formerly with a large concrete, planetarium-like dome next door (used for training airgunners), still exists on the Southend Road, was popular with the aircrews, and has an interesting collection of photos of the Station.
A DVD about RAF Hornchurch was produced by Mike Jones for Streets Ahead Productions.
The airfield is said to be haunted and was the subject of a paranormal investigation in 2004.
Finally after a great many years of hard work by the dedicated members of "Hornchurch Aerodrome Historical Trust" there is to be an "RAF Hornchurch Heritage Centre" opening in "Suttons House" on Suttons Lane. This was on the grounds of the former "Suttons Institution", later St Georges Hospital, which was commandeered by the Air Ministry for use by RAF personnel during the Second World War.
Controversy
William Leefe Robinson
Although Robinson was awarded the Victoria Cross for shooting down Schütte-Lanz SL11 in 1916, it wasn't celebrated in all quarters, particularly by serving pilots in France. Home Defence was viewed as a relatively easy role and Robinson had trouble earning the respect of his fellow pilots when he was subsequently posted to France. These views were compounded when Robinson was shot down by aircraft led by
Manfred von Richthofen
Manfred Albrecht Freiherr von Richthofen (; 2 May 1892 – 21 April 1918), known in English as Baron von Richthofen or the Red Baron, was a fighter pilot with the German Air Force during World War I. He is considered the ace-of-aces of ...
shortly after arriving in France. The awarding of the VC was, undoubtedly, partly politically motivated, although it must be remembered that any form of flying was inherently dangerous in 1916, particularly at night and at these tremendous heights without oxygen. Robinson also managed to single-handedly lift the spirit of a nation that had suffered the new terror of aerial bombardment from the apparently invincible airships.
Use of incendiary ammunition
Although effective in destroying enemy airships, the use of incendiary ammunition was banned under the terms of the Hague Convention of 1899 and pilots using it had to have signed orders from their commanding officer. This type of ammunition was issued only to squadrons in Home Defence roles and never to squadrons serving overseas. On his return to Sutton's Farm, William Leefe Robinson's CO ordered him to keep quiet about it as it was thought the propaganda value for the enemy would be invaluable should it leak out, even though the Germans had already broken the terms of the convention by using gas in 1915. Later in the war the use of incendiary ammunition became officially recognised.
The Battle of Barking Creek
The first aircraft to be shot down by the British in the Second World War, the circumstances surrounding which later came to be known as 'friendly fire' incidents, were two
Hawker Hurricane
The Hawker Hurricane is a British single-seat fighter aircraft of the 1930s–40s which was designed and predominantly built by Hawker Aircraft Ltd. for service with the Royal Air Force (RAF). It was overshadowed in the public consciousness by ...
s of
56 Squadron. On 6 September 1939, three days after the declaration of war, a searchlight battery on
Mersea Island
Mersea Island is an island in Essex, England, in the Blackwater and Colne estuaries to the south-east of Colchester. Its name comes from the Old English word ''meresig'', meaning "island of the pool" and thus is tautological. The island is s ...
incorrectly identified a friendly aircraft crossing the Essex coast. A message was relayed to HQ 11 Group, which ordered Hurricanes from North Weald to investigate. They were subsequently misidentified as hostile aircraft themselves by the
Chain Home
Chain Home, or CH for short, was the codename for the ring of coastal Early Warning radar stations built by the Royal Air Force (RAF) before and during the Second World War to detect and track aircraft. Initially known as RDF, and given the off ...
Radar at
Canewdon
Canewdon is a village and civil parish in the Rochford district of Essex, England. The village is located approximately northeast of the town of Rochford, while the parish extends for several miles on the southern side of the River Crouch.
Can ...
. Further aircraft from North Weald were scrambled to intercept their comrades, but they too were misidentified through a combination of miscommunication, inexperience and over-enthusiasm. A tragic, but inevitable mistake was now just minutes away; Spitfires from 74 Squadron, led by
"Sailor" Malan, took off from Hornchurch and quickly engaged two Hurricanes, shooting them both down.
Pilot Officer
Pilot officer (Plt Off officially in the RAF; in the RAAF and RNZAF; formerly P/O in all services, and still often used in the RAF) is the lowest commissioned rank in the Royal Air Force and the air forces of many other Commonwealth countri ...
Montague Hulton-Harrop was killed whilst the other pilot, Pilot Officer Tommy Rose, bailed out and landed safely. The two pilots responsible for the attack, Pilot Officer John Freeborn and
Flying Officer Paddy Byrne were placed under arrest upon their return to Hornchurch. Freeborn had been the squadron adjutant and had distributed orders that single engined aircraft should not be engaged as it was assumed that enemy fighters would not have the fuel to be able to fly a return sortie from Germany and, therefore, any single engined aircraft would be friendly.
A court-martial was held on 7 October 1939, at which, Freeborn later claimed, that Malan said he never gave the order to attack. All three were acquitted, with the judge claiming that the case should never have been brought to trial. The proceedings have never been made public.
The People’s War
/ref>
Station commanders
Squadrons
During its relatively short life, RAF Hornchurch became home to many RAF squadrons
Squadrons are the main form of flying unit of the Royal Air Force (RAF). These include Royal Flying Corps (RFC) and Royal Naval Air Service (RNAS) squadrons incorporated into the RAF when it was formed on 1 April 1918, during the First World ...
:
The following squadrons were also here at some point:
Additional units:
See also
* Battle of Britain
The Battle of Britain, also known as the Air Battle for England (german: die Luftschlacht um England), was a military campaign of the Second World War, in which the Royal Air Force (RAF) and the Fleet Air Arm (FAA) of the Royal Navy defende ...
* List of Battle of Britain airfields
During the Battle of Britain, the defence of the UK's airspace was divided up within RAF Fighter Command into four Groups, each comprising several airfields and squadrons.
The groups involved, 10, 11, 12 and 13, saw very different levels of a ...
* List of Battle of Britain squadrons
This is a list of the officially accredited Battle of Britain units with their aircraft types, code letters, call signs and casualties.
On 9 November 1960, the Air Ministry published Air Ministry Order N850 which officially defined the qualifi ...
* List of former Royal Air Force stations
This list of former RAF stations includes most of the stations, airfields and administrative headquarters previously used by the Royal Air Force.
The stations are listed under any former county or country name which was appropriate for the du ...
References
Notes
: a Dates refer to the period Hornchurch was the squadron's base station and does not include rest periods and short postings to other airfields
Citations
Bibliography
* Barker, Ralph. ''A Brief History of the Royal Flying Corps in World War I''. Robinson Publishing, 2002. .
* Bishop, Patrick. ''Fighter Boys''. Harper, 2003. .
* Bowyer, Michael J.F. and Rawlings, John D.R. ''Squadron Codes 1937–56''. Cambridge, UK: Patrick Stephens Ltd., 1979. .
* Cole, Christopher and Cheeseman, E.F. ''The Air Defence of Britain, 1914–1918''. Hungry Minds Inc, 1984. .
* Cooksley, Peter G. ''Aviation Enthusiasts' Guide To London & The South-East'', Cambridge, UK: Patrick Stephens Ltd., 1982. .
* Deere, Alan C. ''Nine Lives''. Goodall, 1999. .
* Delve, Ken. ''The Source Book of the RAF''. Shrewsbury, UK: Airlife, 1994. .
*
* Flintham, Vic and Thomas, Andrew. ''Combat Codes: A full explanation and listing of British, Commonwealth and Allied air force unit codes since 1938''. Shrewsbury, UK: Airlife, 2003. .
* Glancey, Jonathan. ''Spitfire, The Biography''. London: Atlantic Books, 2006. .
* Halley, James J. ''The Squadrons of the Royal Air Force & Commonwealth, 1918–1988''. Tonbridge, Kent, UK: Air-Britain (Historians) Ltd., 1988. .
* Hurt, Zdenek. ''Czechs in the RAF in Focus''. Red Kite, 2004. .
* Jefford, C.G. ''RAF Squadrons: A comprehensive record of the movement and equipment of all RAF squadrons and their antecedents since 1912''. Shrewsbury, UK: Airlife, 1988, 2nd edition 2001. .
* Levine, Joshua. ''On a Wing and a Prayer: The Untold Story of the Pioneering Aviation Heroes of World War I''. Collins, 2008. .
* Quill, Jeffrey. "Spitfire: a Test Pilot's Story". Air Data Publications, 1996. . (Republished by Crécy Publishing, 1998. and reprinted 2001, 2005, 2008).
* Rawlings, John D.R. ''Fighter Squadrons of the RAF and their aircraft''. London: Macdonald and Jane's (Publishers) ltd., 1976, (Reprinted 1978). .
* Smith, Eric. ''"First Things First": RAF Hornchurch and RAF Suttons Farm, 1915–1962''. Romford, Essex, UK: Ian Henry Publications, 1992. .
* Smith, Richard C. ''Hornchurch Eagles: The Life Stories of Eight of the Airfield's Distinguished World War II Fighter Pilots''. London: Grub Street Publishing, 2002. .
* Smith, Richard C. ''Hornchurch Offensive: The Definitive Account of the RAF Fighter Airfield, its Pilots, Groundcrew and Staff. Volume Two: 1941 to the Airfield's Final Closure''. London: Grub Street Publishing, 2001. .
* Smith, Richard C. ''Hornchurch Scramble: The Definitive Account of the RAF Fighter Airfield, Its Pilots, Groundcrew and Staff. Volume One: 1915 to the End of the Battle of Britain''. London: Grub Street Publishing, 2000. .
* Smith, Richard C. ''Second To None: A Pictorial History of Hornchuch Aerodrome through Two World Wars and Beyond, 1915–1962''. London: Grub Street Publishing, 2004. .
Grant, Andy: romfordrecorder.co.uk: CSM Albert E Small GM
External links
* https://rafhornchurch.com/
The RAF Hornchurch Project website
RAF Hornchurch Conservation Area
– London Borough of Havering
Detailed historic record
at PastScape
Google Community map showing location of airfield remains
*
The R J Mitchell Primary School
The Sanders Draper School
RAF Hornchurch Heritage Centre
{{DEFAULTSORT:Hornchurch
Royal Air Force stations in London
Royal Air Force stations in Essex
Royal Air Force stations of World War II in the United Kingdom
History of the London Borough of Havering
Royal Flying Corps airfields
Battle of Britain
Defence of London
Hornchurch