Sawbridgeworth WW2
SAWBRIDGEWORTH: Military aerodrome (Previously MATHAM’S WOOD)
Military users: Pre WW2: Used for 1937 exercises
© Wartime Airfields.com
Note: These three items were kindly provided by Mr Michael T Holder
WW2: 1940: Used by 2 Sqdn from June 1940 (Westland Lysanders. Later flying Curtiss P-40 Tomahawks and then North American P-51 Mustangs
4 Sqdn (North American P-51 Mustangs, later Vickers-Supermarine Spitfires and later still DH98 Mosquitos)
63, 168 & 170 Sqdns (North American P-51 Mustangs)
80 & 126 Sqdns (Vickers-Supermarine Spitfires)
182 Sqdn (Hawker Typhoons)
268 Sqdn (Westland Lysanders, later Curtiss P-40 Tomahawks and later still Spitfires)
1419 Flight (Westland Lysanders) Used for SOE (Special Operations Executive) duties
1944 RAF Maintenance Command Storage Unit
Location: NNE of Allens Green, NW of Trimms Green, 2.5nm SW of Bishops Stortford
Period of operation: 1937 to 1940. Later 1943 to ? Apparently still operational in 1985…but for what duties?
Runways: WW2: Steel matting 12/30 1554 grass 06/24 1280 grass
18/36 1234 grass
NOTES: Roughly speaking, the southern half of this airfield was previously used in WW1, and later for gliding in 1928 and later still as the venue for the British Hospitals Air Pageant in 1933. It appears that the RAF placed a mobile beacon here, (on the southern edge of the WW1 site), in 1934 for use as an ELG (Emergency Landing Ground), but it seems it was never used.
Records also show that, more or less on the WW2 airfield site, and known as MATHAMS WOOD ALG (Advanced Landing Ground), this site was used at times from 1937 until WW2 by training squadrons of the 22nd Army Co-Operation Command.
Paul Doyle
This comment was written on: 2020-05-17 23:23:56For full details of all the aviation sites in the Sawbridgeworth area see my book 'Where the Lysanders were …. (the story of Sawbridgeworth's airfields).', ISBN 09525 624 05.
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