Hunsdon was planned as a satellite landing field for nearby
RAF North Weald. It was designed as a specific airfield to house nightfighter squadrons, and work commenced
on the 9th May 1940. It officially opened for flying on the 4th may 1941.
The runways, perimeter track and aircraft hardstands were constructed
by George Wimpey & Sons Ltd. Airfield and dispersed site buildings were built by HJ Janes of Luton. Another
construction company called Kent & co took over from HJ Janes after the building work dropped behind schedule.
Some contruction work was still being undertaken nearly 10 months after the airfield opened for flying. The station cinema
for instance was not completed until May 1943.
The airfield became home to 85 Squadron and its charismatic
leader, Group Captain Peter Townsend, who, in later years, was linked, romantically, with H.R.H. The Princess Margaret.
Ironically, Princess Margaret's ancestor, Queen Elizabeth 1st, stayed at Hunsdon House plotting the downfall of the Spanish
Armada, 400 years previously.
After a successful, and fruitful, campaign during the Battle
Of Britain, 85 Squadron reverted to the nightfighter role in 1941 with their black painted Hurricanes. This was to
try and combat the increasing Luftwaffe raids on London and the midlands at night. At first they were guided by ground radar
with experienced controllers. The process was known as "Ground Control Intercept" or GCI.
85 Squadron were to change their faithful Hurricanes,
briefly for the Boulton - Paul Defiant and then again for the twin - engined Douglas Havoc fitted with early radar.
These aircraft were originally sent from the USA to be used by the French Air Force, but were diverted to England
after France capitulated. 85 Squadron later converted to de Havilland Mosquito aircraft and enjoyed success as a fully fledged
nightfighter squadron before moving to West Malling, Kent .
No 3 (F) Squadron operated Hawker Hurricanes, converting to
Hawker Typhoons, and shared Hunsdon with 85 Squadron for some time, 3(F) were one of the oldest Squadrons formed
in the RAF.
Airfield details.
The main runway at Hunsdon was 1450 yards long by 50 yards
wide and orientated East / West on 260°/080 °. The secondary runway NNE/SSW was to a length of 1250
yards aligned on 210°/030°. The main was later extended by a further 300
yards to the east to a total length of 1,750 yards . The secondary runway was also extended by 200 yards to the South to make
a total length of 1,450 yards.
New perimeter track extentions were laid at the same time.
It was deemed necessary to add a new perimeter track section on the north western side of the airfield and creating additional
aircraft hardstands. All of this extention work shows up easily by the difference in the conctrete mix, The latter containing
large amounts of flint. The new maintenance contractor for the airfield was Charles Chaston Co Ltd.
Full night flying capabilites were installed using C2 Drem lighting
as standard, with an angle of approach indicator system installed.
There were 8 domestic sites attached to the airfield
site of Hunsdon and were to the West of the actual airfield. The original plans lists sites 1 to 8, each containing
around 20 to 33 buildings, mostly Temporary Brick, Thornycroft, and Nissen hutting. Hardly any trace of these
dispersed sites remain except for site 1,3,4,and site 8.
Site 1 (The Wilderness) housed Barrack huts, the camp cinema
(350 seats), canteens, ablution blocks, motor transport sheds, and road fuel storage compounds.
The other sites contained the NCO barracks, Officers quarters,
and the WAAF living area, this not completed until 9th July 1943. The main Officers Mess was located at the large country
house of 'Bonningtons'. The DF station was sited to the West of the airfield with the VHF station to the North.
A seperate sewage works, with four buildings, was also included at the rear of site 1.
Aircraft hangers were of the blister type, of which there were 16 placed
around the perimeter tracks, with one large Bellman hanger in the main technical site on the northern side of the flying field.
In total there were 448 individual huts and buildings that made up
the airfield. Only a handful remain today, the last remaining Blister hanger and the combined Gymnasium/Chapel that
were photographed some years ago have gone. The only seemingly unmoveable structures, are the Pillboxes of the airfield
defence system.
On the airfield, the parachute store, having survived a recent
death sentence still stands along with the following:
Fire tender hut. two sleeping shelters, Small arms ammunition
store, one 20mm ammunition store, six pillboxes, one FC type 'mushroom' gun post, slit trenches and gun pits
can be found
Of the dispersed sites, Site 1 has only the sewerage works remaining.
Site 2 has only two stanton shelters left. Site 3 has three barrack hut bases, three stanton shelters and a latrine/drying
room. Site 4 at Fillets farm has two Stanton shelters. Site 5, 6 and 7 have totally disapeared. Site 8 contains four
BCF barrack huts.
Units known to have operated from Hunsdon.
85 Squadron,( Hawker Hurricane, Boulton-Paul Defiant, Douglas Boston/Havoc)
287 Squadron (Boulton Paul Defiant 2's)
1451 flight (Turbinlite flight, Douglas Boston/Havoc)
29 Squadron (Mosquito's)
3 Squadron(F) (Hawker Hurricane 2c's)
1530 flight (Airspeed Oxford's)
157 Squadron (Mosquito's)
515 Squadron (Bristol Beaufighters and Boulton-Paul Defiant's)
406 (RCAF) Squadron (Mosquito's)
409 (RCAF) Squadron (Mosquito's),
410(Cougar) Squadron RCAF (Mosquito's)
418 (RCAF) Squadron (Mosquito's)
21(City of Norwich) Squadron, 464 (Australia), and 487 (New Zealand) Squadrons all equipped with Mosquito's
and forming 140 wing of the 2nd Tactical Air Force.
264 Squadron ( Mosquito's)
488 (New Zealand) Squadron (Mosquito's)
151 Squadron (Mosquito's)
501 (county of Gloucester) Squadron (Hawker Tempest's)
530 Squadron (Turbinlight,formed from 1451 flight, Boston/Havoc)
611(Mustang 4's) and 154 (Mustang 4's and Spitfire Mk6) Squadrons forming the Hunsdon Wing , 442(RCAF)
using the now disbanded 154 Squadrons aircraft.
Several other Squadrons paid brief visits lasting only a few days, these included, 242, 56, 2, 605
, 4 (B flight only), and 219 (Belgium) Squadrons.
Several aircraft types operated from Hunsdon, but by far the most numerous were the Mosquito's of the
Royal Canadian Air Force, initially as Nightfighter squadrons and then on "Intruder" operations. This type of operation involved
aircraft to orbit at a small distance, from known German nightfighter airfields on the continent, and then engage enemy aircraft
as they either took off, or landed. The RCAF squadrons were also involved in the defence of Southern England against the V1
flying bomb menace, 409 Sqdn downing 10 of these, and 418 Sqdn is quoted as having destroyed a staggering 82 V1 flying bombs.
The airfield saw many other types landing there for many reasons. RAF and USAAF bombers and fighters
short on fuel or damaged by enemy action took advantage of Hunsdons hospitality.
Hunsdon was one of the airfields that hosted a new type of nightfighter under trial in early 1941.
Shrouded in secrecy, the Turbinlite equipped aircraft of 1451 flight were kept away from the other squadrons and posted to
the other side of the airfield at Tuck Spring Wood dispersals.
The author J Rickard wrote:
The Douglas Havoc was an impromptu conversion of lower powered French DB7's which achieved a certain amount of success as a night fighter and intruder in 1941 and 1942.
It may seem odd that the DB-7, having been rejected as a bomber because of its short
range, would then be used as a night intruder, but with its bomb load reduced to 1,000lb the Havoc
I (Intruder) could reach German air bases in northern France, Belgium and Holland. No.23 Squadron
was the first to receive the Havoc. From March 1941 until August 1942 it flew low level night time missions, harassing the
Germans while suffered very low losses. The Havoc was joined by the Boston III (Intruder) in July 1942, before converting to the Mosquito in August 1942. The Havocs moved on to No.605 Squadron, which
operated the Havoc (Intruder) from 14 July 1942, before replacing them with the Boston in October and the Mosquito in August
1943.
No.85 Squadron was the only squadron to use the Havoc I
(Night Fighter)and Havoc II (Night Fighter)
exclusively, receiving its first aircraft in February 1941. The Havoc I (Night Fighter) replaced the Boulton-Paul Defiant,
with which it had achieved a single night time victory. The Havoc went operational on 7 April, and only two days later the
squadron scored one confirmed, one probable and one damaged.
The Havoc I remained in use to the end of 1941, while the Havoc II (Night Fighter), with
twice the firepower, arrived in July 1941. The squadron operated the Havoc for eighteen months, before replacing them with
the Mosquito in September 1942. No.25 Squadron also operated a number of Havocs alongside its Bristol Beaufighters. The Beaufighter
IF was more heavily armed and had twice the range of the Havoc I, although the Havoc was slightly faster.
Numerically the largest group of squadrons to operate the Havoc were the ten Turbinlite
squadrons that had a brief existence from September 1942 to January 1943, when the entire idea was abandoned. The Turbinlite
was a massive spotlight that was installed in the nose of a Havoc or Boston. A total of 21 Havoc I (Turbinlites), 39 Havoc
II (Turbinlites) and at least three Boston III (Turbinlites) were produced.
The idea was that the Havoc would use its radar to find a German aircraft, then catch it
in the spotlight and let a normal day fighter attack it. At first the Havocs operated in Turbinlite flights, starting with
No.1422 Flight (Air Illumination Unit) working alongside Hurricane squadrons, but the two aircraft rarely met up, and so in
September 1942 ten Turbinlite squadrons were formed, operating a mix of Havocs, Bostons and Hurricanes. This improved the
cooperation between the two types of aircraft, but successes were still rare. As better radar equipped night fighters began
to appear the Turbinlite concept was abandoned, and all ten squadrons were disbanded early in 1943.
Rickard, J (5 September 2008), Douglas Havoc in RAF Service , http://www.historyofwar.org/articles/weapons_douglas_havoc_raf.html
Former Station Commanders were:
Wing Commander Harvey. DFC.
W/Cdr Peter Townsend .DFC
W/Cdr Harvey. DFC
W/Cdr J R A Peel .DSO. DFC
W/Cdr J S Maclean. DFC
W/Cdr J Hamblin
W/Cdr John Cunningham .DSO .DFC
W/Cdr H M Kerr .AFC
S/Ldr J G Saunders
W/Cdr A L Mortimer.
The Station used the radio callsigns of 'Bemax'
and 'Miser'.
There were on average around 100 RAF officers, 140 NCO's and
2,000 other ranks, with 268 WAAF's with 5 officers and 3 NCO's, based at Hunsdon at any given time during
its operational life.
The airfield was defended, first of all by the Army then
later by the RAF Regiment consisting of 2728 , 2727, 2734, and 2715 squadrons RAFR.
Ground to air defence by means of anti-aircraft guns was provided
by 517 Troop of 119 Battery, Light anti aircraft (LAA)with Bofors guns. 334 Battery (LAA) and 33
Searchlight Regiment were also stationed here.
