Rochford
| Location: | Located Between Southend and Rochford along the Southend to London Rail Line |
| Date opened: | During August 1939 |
| Operational Status: | Civilian Airfield |
| Airfield Closed: | As a military airfield in 1946 |
| Current Status: | RAF Rochford
saw some service in the later part of WWI when several squadrons were
based there to defend against attacks on London and the Eastern Counties.
Though the airfield had been given up after WWI and passed over to
agriculture, in 1935 Southend Corporation bought the site and in September
1935 Southend Municipal Airport was opened.
During August 1939 the Air ministry requisitioned all such commercial airfields. The airfield was to become known as RAF Rochford and placed in No 11 Group of Fighter Command as a satellite field to RAF Hornchurch. The first squadron to arrive was No 54 squadron with its Spitfires followed by No 600 City of London squadron with their Blenheim 1F's. Another squadron who was to frequently use RAF Rochford was No 74 squadron who left on 27th May. Once well rested No 74 returned to Rochford and 616 squadron returned up north to their home at Leconfield in Yorkshire. During the Battle of Britain and particular August and September 1940 various squadrons from both Hornchurch and North Weald used Rochford as an advance base. The first Hurricanes appeared at Rochford in August when No 56 Squadron used the airfield. The Spitfires of No 41 squadron were the most frequent visitors to Rochford during most of September. On October 26th 1940 Rochford became a station in its own right and was known as RAF Southend, although the fighter control remained with Hornchurch. The squadron based at Rochford at the time was No 264 which was equipped with Boulton Paul Diefiants. This two seat fighter had only come into service in December 1939. As fighter command moved forward to a more offensive role in early 1941, Southend became the forward base for a number of Spitfire squadrons. For the six months or so No 54 and No 74 along with two auxiliary squadrons No 611 and No 603 used the airfield at various times, from August to November 1941 a Canadian squadron No 402 used the airfield, they were equipped with Hurricanes IIs. On the 1st of May 1941, the airfield was transferred to North Weald Sector and the following day another Canadian squadron arrived No 403, at the beginning of June 1943 the airfield was transferred back into the Hornchurch sector and remained there until the operations room was closed down in February 1944. In 1946 the airfield was de-requisitioned and on 1st January 1947 civil flying was returned once again and continues today. |
| Relevant Squadrons |
No 600 City of London Squadron |
| Relevant Aircraft | Information to come |
| Future Action: | further Research to obtain photographs. |
