North of Tindon End Manor

The airfield was sited to the north of Tindon End Manor and work commenced on the construction of the airfield in late 1941. The airfield had a concrete perimeter road and hard standings plus temporary accommodation for about 870 personnel, also 4 Blister hangers.

The runways were made out of Sommerfield tracking which was made out of 13 gauge, 3” mesh wire netting secured with metal pickets and strengthened with flat steel bars. This gave two runways of 1,600 and 1,050 yards. The small landing ground was planned as a satellite airfield for nearby Debden to house one of the fighter squadrons operating in the Debden Spitfire wing. The small airfield had a rather brief wartime existence largely because its parent station was assigned to the Eighth Air force early in September 1942. The first aircraft to use the airfield were spitfire VB’s of No 65 Squadron. The squadron left for Gravesend on 21^st July 1942 and was replaced by No 616 south Yorkshire Squadron.

On 26^th September of that year, just days after arriving Spitfire 1x’s of No 133 squadron were dispatched on a routine escort mission for American B17’s attacking two enemy airfields at Morlaix and Cherbourg. During November 1942 Spitfire VB’s of USAAF No 335 squadron (previously RAF No 121) used the airfield for some of its missions and in the following February it was used by P47’s of the 4^th Fighter group for practice landings and training.

When the Eighth Air force no longer needed a satellite airfield, it was passed back to the RAF and the RAF Regiment established their battle school there. By April 1944 the RAF Regiment was being downsized due to a change in the wartime climate and the RAF Regiment left Great Sampford. It was mainly used as a practice landing field for glider pilots, as well as for trial parachute jumps by British airborne troops.

Today it is one of the most difficult Essex airfields to locate, so comprehensively has it been returned to agricultural use.

No 65 Squadron

http://www.the-battle-of-britain.co.uk/squadrons/65sqn.htm

http://www.raf.mod.uk/history/h65.html

http://www.rafweb.org/SqnMark065.htm

No 616 ( South Yorkshire) Squadron

http://www.turner.force9.co.uk/616squadron.htm

http://www.the-battle-of-britain.co.uk/squadrons/616sqn.htm

http://www.raf.mod.uk/history/h616.html

No 133 Squadron

http://www.fourthfightergroup.com/eagles/133.html

http://www.raf.mod.uk/history/h133.html