Former RAF Ridgewell - USAAF Station 167

 Second World War 1939-1945  Add category

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Ridgewell was a wartime construction to Class A standard located 7.5 miles (12.1 km) northwest of Halstead close to the A604 and west of the village of that name situated on the edge of the Stour valley. Runways were laid down in 1942, the main 10-28 at 2,000 yards and the subsidiaries 06-24 and 16-34 both 1,400 yards long. During the early months of 1943, the hardstandings were increased from 36 pans to 45, plus five loops, by Constable Hart & Co. Ltd. Two T2 hangars were provided, one on the technical site between runway heads 06 and 34, the other between runway heads 10 and 16. Bomb stores were off the north side of the airfield between runway heads 16 and 24. Accommodation provided for 2,894 personnel in nine dispersed domestic sites to the south of the airfield towards the A604, with two communal sites and sick quarters also in this area. Two country roads across the airfield site were closed prior to construction.

Although the station was scheduled for the USAAF it was temporarily assigned to No. 3 Group, which needed an operational base for a new Stirling squadron formed at Bottesford. This was a rejuvenated No. 90 Squadron, which arrived at the end of December 1942 before the airfield had been fully completed. Despite limited facilities, the first operation from Ridgewell was dispatched on the night of January 8. The squadron's Stirlings continued to operate from Ridgewell until late May when No. 3 Group s new airfield at West Wickham (later renamed Wratting Common) was available. Losses were high during No. 90's stay, 24 Stirlings failing to return or crashing in the UK during the course of raids and another three lost in non operational accidents.

Ridgewell was then handed over to the US Eighth Air Force, which installed the 381st Bombardment Group and its four B-17s squadrons early in June. The 381st remained at Ridgewell for two years during which time it flew 296 missions and lost 131 B-17s in action. After the 381st Bomb Group returned to the United States in June, the USAAF handed the station back to the RAF the following months. It remained under the care of No. 94 Maintenance Unit until March 1957, the runways having been used at one time to store surplus wartime bombs.