| Royal Air Force Station Christchurch USAAF Station AAF-416 |
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| Located Near Christchurch, Dorset, United Kingdom | |
Christchurch Airfield - 4 March 1944. Christchurch was unusual as it was constructed on an existing airfield. However the airfield used before the war for club and commercial flying was too small to accommodate wartime aircraft so the airfield was rebuilt. |
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| Type | Military airfield |
| Location code | X1CC (XCH) |
| Built | 1940 |
| Construction materials |
Somerfield Matting |
| In use | 1940-1964 |
| Controlled by | United States Army Air Forces |
| Garrison | Ninth Air Force |
| Occupants | 405th Fighter Group |
| Battles/wars | European Theatre of World War II Air Offensive, Europe July 1942 - May 1945 RAF Christchurch, shown within Dorset
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Christchurch Airfield was located southeast of the A337/B3059 intersection in Somerford, Christchurch, Dorset, England.
It was a civil airfield starting from 1926, then it was used during World War II by the Royal Air Force and the United States Army Air Force Ninth Air Force. After the war the airfield returned to civilian use and the airfield complex was then demolished in 1966.
In 1940 the Airspeed factory was built on part of the original airfield began production of Horsa Mk I gliders, AS.10 Oxfords, and de Havilland Mosquitos for the RAF.
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The Air Defence Research and Development Establishment was built at the northeastern end of the airfield, and in May 1940 the RAF Special Duties Flight, operating a very mixed bag of aircraft arrived to take part in the experiments with Radar. The SDF operated such diverse types as the Bristol Blenheim, Avro 504K, Scott Viking gliders, and eventually, 3 Hawker Hurricanes, for defence. In addition, the Royal Navy Fleet Air Arm sent aircraft for Radar trials from HMS Raven at Eastleigh, though these were only transient visitors.
In 1943, the USAAF Ninth Air Force required several temporary advanced landing grounds along the southern English Channel coast prior to the Normandy invasion to provide tactical air support for the ground forces landing in France. Christchurch was provided to support this mission.
A single steel wire and plank Marsden Matting runway and parking apron was laid down for the heavier American fighters. The runway was aligned 24/06 and was dimensioned1650 x 50 yards (46 m). In addition, the airfield retained its existing grass runways N/S 1,000 yd (910 m), NE/SW 1,000 yd (910 m), E/W 1,000 yd (910 m), NW/SE 950 yd (870 m).
Tents were used for billeting and also for support facilities; an access road was built to the existing road infrastructure; a dump for supplies, ammunition, and gasoline drums, along with a drinkable water and minimal electrical grid for communications and station lighting.
Christchurch was known as USAAF Station AAF-416 for security reasons by the USAAF during the war, and by which it was referred to instead of location. It's USAAF Station Code was "CH".
Christchurch airfield saw the arrival of the USAAF 405th Fighter Group on 4 April 1944, the group arriving from Walterboro Army Airfield South Carolina. The 405th had the following operational squadrons:
The 406th was a group of Ninth Air Force's 84th Fighter Wing, IX Tactical Air Command. It flew the Republic P-47 Thunderbolt. The group engaged chiefly in bombing airdromes, marshalling yards and bridges in France in preparation for the invasion of France. It flew patrols in the vicinity of Brest during the D-Day invasion and then flew armed reconnaissance missions to support operations in Normandy.
The 405th moved to its Advanced Landing Ground at Picauville, France (ALG A-8) on 22 June 1944, ending the USAAF's use of Christchurch.
From the continent, the 405th engaged primarily in providing support for ground forces until May 1945. It bombed enemy vehicles and gun positions at Saint-Lô in July 1944; attacked barges, troops, roads, and warehouses during the Battle of the Bulge (December 1944— January 1945); and struck airfields and marshalling yards when the Allies crossed the Rhine in March 1945.
The 405th Fighter Group flew its last mission on 8 May 1945 from Straubing, Germany and returned to the United States during July 1945. It was inactivated on 29 October.
The 405th Fighter Group received a Distinguished Unit Citation for a mission in France on 24 September 1944. Answering a request from Third Army for support near Laneuveville-en-Saulnois, two squadrons, flying on instruments through rain and dense overcast, were directed by ground control toward a furious tank battle where, in spite of severe ground fire, one squadron repeatedly bombed and strafed enemy tanks. The second squadron, unable to find this target because of the weather, attacked a convoy of trucks and armored vehicles. Later the same day, the third squadron hit warehouses and other buildings and silenced ground opposition in the area.
In addition, for operations, June–September 1944, that aided the drive across Normandy and the liberation of Belgium, the group was cited by the Belgian government.
After the USAAF departure the airfield was returned to RAF control. In March 1945 control passed to RAF Transport Command. The main activities continued to be production (Mosquitos) from Airspeed, Radar trials, and Glider pick-up training.
In January 1946 control of the airfield passed to the Ministry of Aircraft Production.
This article incorporates public domain material from websites or documents of the Air Force Historical Research Agency.
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