Swingfield
SWINGFIELD: Military Landing Ground in WW1 later ALG in WW2
Military users: WW1: RFC/RAF
50 (Home Defence) Sqdn (BE.2s, BE.12s, Armstrong-Whitworth F.K.8s and lastly Sopwith Camels)
Note: It appears that 50 Sqdn moved about a bit, and/or had Flights positioned at various airfields. Therefore I do not know if they operated all these types from SWINGFIELD.
WW2: RAF Fighter Command 11 Group
ALG [Advanced Landing Ground]
119 Sqdn (Fairey Albacores)
Note: This seems rather interesting. The Fairey Albacore was a Naval or Fleet Air Arm type. I have never come across a mention of the type being operated by the RAF. Could anybody kindly explain?
819 NAS [Naval Air Squadron] (Fairey Swordfish and Grumman Wildcats)
Note: Did this squadron operate both of these types from SWINGFIELD?
Location: Near Swingfield Street, E of Selsted village on the A260, SSE of Wooton, about 5nm WNW of Dover
Period of operation: WW1: 1917 to 1919 WW2: 1943 to 1945
(There were no RAF personnel here in late 1944 it seems)
Site area: WW1: 50 acres 411 x 503
Runways: WW2: Steel matting N/S 1280 grass NE/SW 1463 grass
NOTES: The WW1 Landing Ground and the WW2 Advanced Landing Ground shared to same site.
A CAUSE FOR ARGUMENT?
Some people may well disagree with me classifying runways with steel matting as being grass runways and to be fair I can see their point. If I was writing this in 1944 it would be different but I have landed on several runways that had planking or steel laid down in WW2 and, (assuming it wasn’t all dug up?), have seen so trace of it at all. This said I do believe the basic idea was that the grass could grow through but the matting and planking etc provided a more solid base during wet periods.
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