The Airfield is situated to the South-West of Wormingford and some six miles north of Colchester, and was built by Richard Costain Ltd and helped by a number of sub contractors during the period 1942/43. Earmarked for an Eighth Heavy Bomb Group, nothing ever came of this and at the end of November 1943 the yet to be completed station was handed to the Ninth Air Force for use by one of its Fighter Groups, and on the last day of November the 362^nd Fighter Group arrived at Wormingford. 

The Group was assigned to the 70^th Fighter Wing, however they did not venture out on their first mission until 8^th Feb 1944, their operational status at Wormingford was a short one and they left on the 8^th April 1944. During their stay the 362^nd had mounted over 30 missions, losing five aircraft. 

The next group to move in was that of the 55^th Fighter Group with their P38’s having come from Nuthampstead in Hertfordshire. The 55^th role as a fighter group was to be a short one due to some of the disadvantages of the aircraft. However the 55^th would later become renowned for ground straffing and ground attack bombing. On D/Day the P-38 groups were given the task of acting as convoy escorts for the armada of ships moving to and from Normandy.  

The 55^th was selected to serve with the occupation forces in Germany and in July 1945 they left Wormingford for Gielbelstadt airfield in Bavaria. The old airfield is now used by the Essex and Suffolk Gliding club for more peaceful forms of flying. 

United States Airforce Squadrons

Ninth Airforce

http://www.ninthairforceassoc.org/

http://www.globalsecurity.org/military/agency/usaf/9af.htm

http://www.ninth-airforce.co.uk/9thindex.htm

http://www.levelbest.com/design/sites/ninthairforce/

362^nd Fighter Group

70^th Fighter Wing

55^th Fighter Group

38^th Squadron

66^th Fighter wing