RAF Hornchurch facts for kids

Quick facts for kids RAF Hornchurch
Hornchurch, Essex in England
Station badge
RAF Hornchurch Shown within Greater London
Coordinates	51°32′19″N 000°12′17″E / 51.53861°N 0.20472°E / 51.53861; 0.20472
Type	Royal Air Force station
Code	HO
Site information
Owner	Air Ministry
Operator	Royal Flying Corps Royal Air Force
Controlled by	RAF Fighter Command 1928-44
Site history
Built	1915 (1915) & 1928
In use	3 October 1915 – 31 December 1919, (As Sutton's Farm), 1 April 1928 – 1 July 1962 (1962), (As RAF Hornchurch)
Battles/wars	First World War European theatre of World War II Cold War
Airfield information
Elevation	18 metres (59 ft) AMSL
Runways Direction Length and surface 02/20  Grass 12/30  Grass 10/28  Grass

Royal Air Force Hornchurch, or more simply RAF Hornchurch, is a former Royal Air Force sector station in the parish of Hornchurch, Essex (now the London Borough of Havering in Greater London), located to the southeast of Romford. The airfield was known as Sutton's Farm during the First World War, when it occupied 90 acres (360,000 m²) of the farm of the same name. It was used for the protection of London, being 14 miles (22.5 km) east north-east of Charing Cross.

Although the airfield closed shortly after the end of the war, the land was requisitioned in 1923 because of the expansion of the Royal Air Force and it re-opened as a much larger fighter station in 1928. The airfield was ideally to cover both London and the Thames corridor from German air attacks. It was a key air force installation between both wars and into the jet age, closing in 1962.

History

A Royal Aircraft Factory B.E.2c similar to those that flew from Sutton's Farm in 1915 and 1916

Lt. William Leefe Robinson (left) and Lt. Wulstan Tempest, both of whom shot down enemy airships.

In 1915 the London Air Defence Area (LADA) was established and airfields were built around London to defend the capital from the growing threat from German airships. Sutton's Farm, along with its neighbour Hainault Farm (just east of what became the Second World War airfield of Fairlop), 8 miles (12.9 km) to the north-east, were selected due to their location covering the eastern approaches to London. They were named Landing Grounds Nos. II and III respectively and joined the existing airfields of North Weald, Rochford and Joyce Green. Suttons Farm airfield became operational on 3 October 1915, initially with two BE2c aircraft.

As the number of aircraft increased at the airfields around London, it was decided to organise them into 39 (Home Defence) Squadron, which was formed in April 1916, under the command of Major (later Brigadier-General) Thomas Higgins. As the enemy threat moved from airships to aircraft, better aircraft were introduced to counter them. The BE12, Sopwith 1½ Strutter, Sopwith Pup, FE2, Bristol Fighter, SE5a and Sopwith Camel all operated from Sutton's Farm at some stage, some with more success than others. 39 Squadron moved to North Weald in September 1917 and was replaced by 78 Squadron, under the command of Major Cuthbert Rowden, a 20-year-old veteran of the air war in France and subsequent winner of the Military Cross. 78 Squadron was later joined by 189 Night Fighter Training Squadron with Sopwith Pups and Camels.

The first recorded interception of an enemy airship over Britain was made by Lt. (later Marshal of the Royal Air Force) John Slessor on the very day he arrived at Sutton's Farm, 13 October 1915. The attack had to be aborted as the airship disappeared into cloud and he had to break off the engagement. The first victory in Britain was not recorded until nearly a year later, on 2 September 1916 and was attributed to a pilot from Sutton's Farm, Lt. William Leefe Robinson. Robinson shot down a Schütte-Lanz SL11, one of a 16-strong raiding force over London, using new Brock and Pomeroy mixed incendiary ammunition, which had been adapted for this task. For this action Leefe Robinson was awarded the Victoria Cross and became a National hero. Two other Sutton's Farm pilots from the First World War, Lt. Frederick Sowrey and Lt. Wulstan Tempest, were awarded the DSO for their roles in the destruction of Zeppelins. Tempest's actions were particularly notable; even though his fuel pump was broken and he was having to pump fuel manually whilst flying the aircraft with his other hand, he still managed to engage and destroy an enemy airship and then find his way home in thick fog. These pilots, together with many others, are commemorated by street names in South Hornchurch.

Inter-war years

Soon after the war ended it was decided that Suttons Farm was surplus to requirements and the airfield was decommissioned, although it was retained on "List C" (stations temporarily retained for Service purposes) until 27 February 1920. The land was returned, most of the buildings demolished and farming resumed once more.

Following the decision in the early 1920s to expand the Royal Air Force, former First World War airfields were inspected to ascertain their suitability for use. Although small, Suttons Farm was ideally located to be able to defend the north-eastern approaches to London. After protracted negotiations, the original land was re-purchased, together with some further land to the south of the original airfield.

The new airfield took four years to build and opened, as RAF Sutton's Farm, in April 1928. Two months later the name was changed to RAF Hornchurch and the first unit to take up residency was No. 111 Squadron, led by Squadron Leader Keith Park, who also became the first station commander.

Second World War

During the Second world War the station was a Sector Airfield of RAF Fighter Command's 11 Group, covering London and the south east of England during the Battle of Britain in 1940. By this time, its command centre was in Romford, and a satellite station (an advanced attack outpost; RAF Rochford) was unpopular with the Hornchurch crews sent there from time to time because of the canvas accommodation. Richard Hillary, author of "The Last Enemy," was shot down after taking off from here on 3 September 1940. Following the war, Hornchurch was home to Flying Training Command's Aircrew Selection Centre for 10 years before it moved to RAF Biggin Hill.

A balloon unit was retained until closure for parachute training of military personnel, when on the 14 May 1961, CSM Albert E. Small of 10 Para Regt (TA) was a balloon cage Despatcher won the George Medal for gallantry due to a deflating balloon at 800ft.

The RAF station at Hornchurch closed in July 1962.

Today

Astra House, the former Officers Mess, now a doctors' surgery

Astra Court East, the former Officers Quarters

Following a period of gravel extraction and infilling with rubbish in the 1970s, the airfield was extensively landscaped to create Hornchurch Country Park, with work commencing in 1980. Most of the former administrative and technical areas, including the two Type-A and one Type-C hangars, were levelled in the 1960s and the area is now a housing estate. The names of the streets of the estate commemorate the airfield and its pilots (such as Bouchier Walk, Kirton Close, Tempest Way, Robinson Close, Tuck Road, Bader Way and Malan Square). The former Officers' Mess is now a medical centre in Astra Close. The Officers' Mess (Astra House), Officers' Quarters (Astra Court East, West & North) and WO Quarters (89–99 (odd numbers) Wood Lane) are included in the RAF Hornchurch Conservation Area.

A local school, The R. J. Mitchell School, was named after the man who designed the Spitfire, and a large monument to this effect, with wreaths placed on Remembrance Day, is within the school railings. Another local school (Suttons School) was renamed Sanders Draper School in 1973, after an American pilot, Flying Officer Raimund (Smudge) Sanders Draper, flying with the Royal Air Force at the time, had an engine failure on take-off and stayed at his controls to ensure his aircraft didn't crash on the building, which was full of children at the time.

A number of pillboxes, command bunkers and gun positions, together with the largest number of surviving Tett Turrets in England, still exist within the boundaries of the former airfield and can be seen on the Eastern edge of the country park. RAF Hornchurch artefacts and memorabilia are housed in the Purfleet Heritage & Military Centre.

RAF Hornchurch was the subject of one of the programmes in the BBC TV series Two Men in a Trench. In the programme, several of the defences were examined. One of the Tett Turrets was excavated, the backfill of which contained a pair of 1940 RAF pilot's goggles along with material from the hospital. The fire trench, a partially buried pillbox and an E pen were excavated, while the gun emplacement on the northern end of the site was cleared of vegetation.

The Good Intent pub, formerly with a large concrete, planetarium-like dome next door (used for training airgunners), still exists on the Southend Road, was popular with the aircrews, and has an interesting collection of photos of the Station.

A DVD about RAF Hornchurch was produced by Mike Jones for Streets Ahead Productions.

Finally after a great many years of hard work by the dedicated members of "Hornchurch Aerodrome Historical Trust" there is to be an "RAF Hornchurch Heritage Centre" opening in "Suttons House" on Suttons Lane. This was on the grounds of the former "Suttons Institution", later St Georges Hospital, which was commandeered by the Air Ministry for use by RAF personnel during the Second World War.

Station commanders

Squadrons

During its relatively short life, RAF Hornchurch became home to many RAF squadrons:

Squadron	Squadron codes	Equipment		From	To		Commanding Officer
No. 39 Squadron			Royal Aircraft Factory B.E.2c	15/04/16	09/17	North Weald	Maj Thomas Higgins
No. 78 Squadron			Sopwith Camel	09/17	31/12/19	Disbanded	Maj Cuthbert Rowden
No. 189 Squadron			Sopwith Camel	4/18	01/03/19	Disbanded	Maj H S Powell
No. 111 Squadron			Armstrong Whitworth Siskin IIIA	01/04/28			Sqn Ldr Keith Park
			Bristol Bulldog IIA	01/31	12/07/34	Northolt
No. 41 Squadron	EB		Supermarine Spitfire Mk I	28/05/40	08/06/40	Catterick	Sqn Ldr HRL 'Robin' Hood
			Supermarine Spitfire Mk I	26/07/40	08/08/40	Catterick	Sqn Ldr HRL 'Robin' Hood
			Supermarine Spitfire Mk I	03/09/40	24/10/40	N/A	Sqn Ldrs HRL 'Robin' Hood DFC, Robert Lister & Don Finlay
			Supermarine Spitfire Mk IIa	24/10/40	23/02/41	Catterick	Sqn Ldr Donald O. Finlay
No. 54 Squadron	DL (KL)		Bristol Bulldog IIA	15/01/30			Sqn Ldr W E G Bryant
			Gloster Gauntlet	09/36			Sqn Ldr Cecil Bouchier
			Gloster Gladiator	05/37			Sqn Ldr H M Pearson
			Supermarine Spitfire Mk I	03/03/39	03/09/40	Catterick	Sqn Ldr James Leathart
			Supermarine Spitfire Mk IIa	23/02/41			Sqn Ldr F.P.R. Dunworth
			Supermarine Spitfire Mk Va	05/41			Sqn Ldr R F Boyd
			Supermarine Spitfire Mk Vb	07/41	17/11/41	Castletown	Sqn Ldr N Orton
No. 65 (East India) Squadron			Hawker Demon	12/07/34
			Gloster Gauntlet	09/36
	FZ		Gloster Gladiator	04/37
	FZ, YT		Supermarine Spitfire Mk I	21/03/39	27/08/40	Turnhouse	Sqn Ldr A L Holland
No. 74 (Trinidad) Squadron			Hawker Demon	21/09/36			Sqn Ldr Donald Brookes
			Gloster Gauntlet	04/37			Sqn Ldr Donald Brookes
	JH, ZP		Supermarine Spitfire Mk I	13/02/39	14/08/40	Wittering	Sqn Ldr Donald Brookes
No. 222 (Natal) Squadron	ZD		Supermarine Spitfire Mk I	30/08/40	11/11/40	Coltishall	Sqn Ldr John Hamar Hill
			Supermarine Spitfire Mk IX	29/04/43	30/12/43	Woodvale	Sqn Ldr E J F Harrington
			Supermarine Spitfire Mk IX	10/03/44	04/04/44	Selsey
No. 266 (Rhodesia) Squadron	UO		Supermarine Spitfire Mk I	14/08/40	21/08/40	Wittering	Sqn Ldr R L Wilkinson
No. 600 (City of London) Squadron RAuxAF	BQ		Bristol Blenheim	22/08/40	15/09/40	Redhill	Sqn Ldr David Clark
			Bristol Beaufighter Mk 1F	01/09/40
No. 264 (Madras Presidency) Squadron	PS		Boulton Paul Defiant	22/08/40	28/08/40	Duxford
No. 603 (City of Edinburgh) Squadron RAuxAF	XT		Supermarine Spitfire Mk	27/08/40			Sqn Ldr G.L. Denholm, DFC
No. 64 Squadron	XQ (SH)		Supermarine Spitfire Mk IIa	11/11/40	16/05/41	Turnhouse
			Supermarine Spitfire Mk Vb	16/11/41	28/03/43	Turnhouse
No. 313 (Czechoslovak) Squadron	RY		Supermarine Spitfire Mk Vb	15/12/41	08/06/42	Church Stanton	Sqn Ldr Karel Mrázek, DSO, DFC
			Supermarine Spitfire Mk Vc	15/12/41	08/06/42	Church Stanton	Sqn Ldr Karel Mrázek, DSO, DFC
No. 122 (Bombay) Squadron	WM (MT)		Supermarine Spitfire Mk Vc	01/04/42
			Supermarine Spitfire Mk IX	03/10/42	18/05/43	Eastchurch

The following squadrons were also here at some point:

Additional units:

See also

• Battle of Britain
• List of Battle of Britain airfields
• List of Battle of Britain squadrons
• List of former Royal Air Force stations