Debden Airfield

Debden Airfield in Essex

Also known as -

Carver Barracks, Debden Aerodrome, RAF Debden and USAAF Station 356

Before going overseas my grandfather Ray Kirk was based at Debden Airfield in Essex. Debden is an incredibly important and historic airfield, being one of the airfields responsible for covering the Eastern approaches to London during the Battle of Britain. Later Ray worked alongside the U.S. Air Force who took charge of the airfield in 1942.

The airfield was opened in April 1937 and was first used by the Royal Air Force, hard surface runways were laid in 1940. During the Battle of Britain it was a sector station initially in No.12 Group before moving over to No.11 group which defended the area from Portsmouth all the way up to the Thames Estuary, this was under the command of Air-Marshall Keith Park and Debden became one of the key targets for the Luftwaffe's attacks. Park flew his personalised Hurricane and was a popular hands on commander. Being in charge of 11 Group put him in direct conflict with the more ambitious and rather pompous leader of 12 Group, Trafford Leigh-Mallory, 12 Group's tasks including defending the airfields including 11 Group's airfields such as Debden when they were stretched. Arguments resulted from 12 Group failing to provide adequate air cover for 11 Group and also flying through No.11's airspace causing confusion. Leigh-Mallory and Squadron leader Douglas Badar would push their idea of the big wing. The success of the big wing was greatly exaggerated, but shortly after the Battle of Britain the newly appointed Air Marshal Charles Portal sided with Leigh-Mallory and removed Park and Dowding, the architects and brains behind fighter command's outstanding performance during the battle. Park would eventually be posted to Egypt in July 1942 and then onto Malta to command the air defence of the island. Leigh-Mallory would take over 11 Group.

Debden has had 30 or so squadrons based there at some point, there are some links at the bottom of the pages that provide a great deal of detail of the complicated picture of the movements in and out of Debden. Squadrons include No 1, 17, 29, 37, 51, 52, 65, 73, 80, 85, 87, 111, 157, 257, 418, 504 and 601.

During the Battle of Britain the airfield was attacked several times, particularly in the month of August 1940. On the 1st of August the Fuehrer had issued his directive No 17 which detailed the plan to completely destroy the RAF prior to any main invasion (operation Sea-Lion). The directive was originally called "Adlerrangriff" (Eagle Attack) but became known as "Adlertag" (Eagle Day) and eventually commenced on the 13th August.

Debden was first bombed on the 2nd of August, several buildings were destroyed and five people were killed. Debden was targeted again on August 26th and on the 31st where a formation of Dornier bombers dropped over 100 incendiary and high explosive bombs on Debden damaging several buildings including the sick quarters and the barracks. Debden was hit again on the 2nd of September and by the 5th No.11 Group airfields were in a terrible shape with damaged telephone lines and ops rooms making organisation of the fighter defence difficult. By the 6th six out of seven sector airfields and five advanced airfiields were badly damaged. If the Luftwaffe had continued raids against important bases like Biggin Hill and Debden the defence of London would have soon been rendered impossible. Luckly for fighter command and the airfiields (but not the British public) the German command switched tactics and chose to target factories and large cities instead. On the 15th of September (Battle of Britain Day) the RAF put up a determined fight against enemy attacks, every aircraft in 11 Group was used and caused considerable losses to the Luftwaffe who scaled down their attacks from this point on. The planned invasion (Sea-Lion) was called off on the 17th. The Battle of Britain end date being October 31st.

On the 28th January 1941 King George VI travelled to the station for an inspection. He was obviously attached to Debden, later he was heard to say in his usual lisp "darned if I wouldn't like to catch the 12.50 at Liverpool Street Station and chuff down to see the old place !"

On the 4th February 1941 it was actually visited by a German bomber crew who were lost, they landed the He111 Bomber and taxied to the watch tower. A member of the crew got out and approached an RAF officer and speaking German, at which point they realised their mistake and they quickly taxied and took off before the watch officer could raise the alarm.

The airfield was transferred on the 12th September 1942 to the United States Army Air Force 8th Fighter Command. Debden was assigned USAAF designation Station 156. The 8th Fighter Command, 4th Fighter Group included the 334th Fighter Squadron that included Joseph Biesiadecki and Kenneth Ettner who corresponded with Ray after the war ended.

Ray recollects the improvement of provisions and supplies after the U.S. entered the war. He remembers the first day in the canteen, the British were told to turn up with just a knife and fork, in the canteen they were met with the sight of large churns of milk, orange juice and large bags of sugar, a novelty in war time Britain. They were also given new food trays to eat their meals on, these contained individual compartments for different food types.

The Dowding System

Air Chief Marshal Dowding was the Air Officer Commanding RAF Fighter Command during the Battle of Britain, nicknamed "Stuffy" for his alleged lack of a sense of humour. He conceived and oversaw the development of the "Dowding system". This was the world's first wide-area ground-controlled interception network, controlling the airspace across the UK. It used a widespread dedicated land-line telephone network to collect information from the Radar stations (Chain Home CH) and the Royal Observer Corps (ROC) in order to build a single image of the entire UK airspace. This could be then used to direct defensive interceptor aircraft and anti-aircraft artillery against enemy targets. The system was built by the Royal Air Force just before the start of World War II and proved decisive in the Battle of Britain.

The network had its centre at the headquarters of Fighter Command at RAF Bentley Priory, a converted country house on the outskirts of London. The system as a whole later became known as Ground-controlled interception (GCI). At Bentley Piory the RAF and WAAF (Women’s Auxiliary Air Force) worked long shifts under great pressure within the Filter Room and Operations Room to build a map of the UK's airspace. Details of the map were then relayed to the Group and Sector headquarters, where operators re-created the map covering their specific area of operations. Commanders could make decisions on how to employ their forces quickly and without clutter. Instructions were then relayed to the pilots from the squadron's sector control rooms, normally co-located at the fighters operating bases.

Uxbridge is best known as the headquarters of No. 11 Group RAF, which was responsible for the aerial defence of London and the south-east of England. Hillingdon House served as the group's headquarters. A bunker, subsequently known as the Battle of Britain Bunker, was built nearby to house the 11 Group Operations Room, which controlled fighter squadrons operating within the group. The Operations Room was also responsible for providing air support during the evacuation of Dunkirk in May 1940 (Operation Dynamo) and the D-Day landings (Operation Overlord). It was here that Winston Churchill first said, "Never in the history of mankind has so much been owed by so many to so few", which he repeated in a speech to Parliament.

Below is an interview with Edith Mary Kup. British aircraftwoman served with Women's Auxiliary Air Force at RAF Debden GB, 1939-1941;

intelligence officer with 405 Sqdn, RAF and with Headquarters, 92 Group, RAF in GB 1941-1945. She worked as a plotter.

https://www.iwm.org.uk/collections/item/object/80013632

The U.S. Eagle Squadrons

In the early days of the war the 71, 121 and 133 Eagle squadrons contained volunteer pilots from America. Their uniforms displayed the 'ES' & White Bald Eagle patch. Once the U.S. joined the war In September 1942 the three Eagle squadrons were transferred to the U.S. Army Air Force. They were destined to be split up but they wanted to stay together and on their insistence they retained their RAF wings, reduced in size and on the opposite side to the new USAAF pilot wings. They became the 334th, 335th and 336th and were assigned to the 8th Fighter Command, 4th Fighter Group. They were among the first United States Army Air Force units activated in the European theatre during World War II.

The first Eagle squadron No. 71 started out at RAF Church Fenton on the 19th September 1940 and originally received Hurricanes in November, becoming operational on the 5th February 1941 . They then converted to Spitfires in August. No 121 Squadron started life at RAF Kirton-in-Lindsey on the 14th May 1941. Starting with Hurricanes and moving on to Spitfires. They moved to RAF North Weald in December 1941. The 3rd Eagle squadron to be formed was the No.133 squadron and was originally formed at RAF Coltishall on the 1st August 1941, equipped with Hurricanes and operational in September of 1941, they briefly moved to Northern Ireland before moving to Duxford to become part of the big wing. They were brought together at Debden before being passed to the USAAF.

In September 1942 the three Eagle squadrons were converted to the USAAF. So they had started with Hurricanes Mk.I , IIB's and then the Spitfire IIA, then onto the Spitfires Vb's complete with American white star markings. They converted to the P-47 Thunderbolt aircraft in January 1943, becoming fully converted from Spitfires to P-47s in early 1943. After a year in early 1944 the squadrons switched to P-51 Mustangs. During World War II, the 4th Fighter Group would be the highest scoring fighter group in Europe, destroying 1016 aircraft with a loss of just 241 of their own fighters.

Film Location

Debden was chosen as a location for the film "It’s in the Air" in which George Formby was to pilot a Hawker Fury through Hangar No. 3. The rather sharper angle of the hangars at Debden built around the tarmac apron allowed free access at both ends of the end hangar. The flying for the sequence was actually done by Flying Officer R. H. A. Lee who went missing on August 18th 1940 when he was last seen ten miles north of Foulness Point chasing three German aircraft out to sea.

Photos

Debden Airfield Pic By British Government - Royal Ordinance Survey.
Annotations on photo from Freeman, Roger A.
'Airfields Of The Eighth, Then And Now'

Hawker Hurricane Mk.l YB-W. 17 Squadron, Debden, Essex.

British Hurricane fighter of No. 85 Squadron RAF at Debden, Essex.

Taxiing at night, 14 Mar 1941; note navigation lights on wingtips.

In charge of 85 Squadron was Group Captain Peter Townsend who wrote the classic account of the Battle of Britain "Dual Of Eagles".

Photographer - P N F Tovey. Imperial War Museum. Crown Copyright / Public Domain

Captain Peter Townsend as well as a war hero became famous later as being the love of Princess Margaret. He pictured in the centre below with 85 Squadron. After the war he was the equerry to King George and later the young Queen Elizabeth. He fell in love with the Queen's Sister Margaret, but they eventually had to announce to the nation that the marriage would not take place on account of him being married previously.

Imperial War Museum. Crown Copyright / Public Domain

Spitfire MkVb. AVR Olga BM590 .
121 Squadron based at Debden.

29 September 1942 - 'Eagle' Squadron personnel 'present arms' for the General Salute, as control of RAF Debden is turned over to the USAAF.

Board of Trustees of the Imperial War Museums ("IWM")

Interior of a mess room at Debden air base where the 4th Fighter Group are based. Two officers read while a third is sprawled on a chair in the background. The two men in the foreground are, on the left, Captain Alexander Rafalovich, and on the right, Lieutenant Allen F. Bunte. (Thunderbolt Pilots - 334th Fighter Squadron).

Board of Trustees of the Imperial War Museums ("IWM")

BGen Jesse Auton, Gen Eisenhower, LGen Carl Spaatz,
MGen James Doolittle, MGen William E Kepner, Col Donald M Blakeslee, Apr 11th 1944.

VIPs were present for the presentation of Blakeslee with the Distinguished Service Cross, RAF Debden, Essex

United States National Archives via D. Sheley. Public Domain.

General Dwight D. Eisenhower awards the Distinguished Service Cross to Gentile (left) and Colonel Donald Blakeslee on the 11th April 1944.

Board of Trustees of the Imperial War Museums ("IWM")

The 4th Fighter Group’s control tower at RAF Debden, Essex, Sep 25 1943.

Front to Back: BGen Frederick L Anderson, Jr; Mr Donald Nelson, Chief of US War Production;

LCol Chesley Peterson, 4th Fighter Group Commanding Officer.

Photographer - P N F Tovey. Imperial War Museum.
Crown Copyright / Public Domain

Spitfires XR-A and XR-V.

Pilots of the 4th Fighter Group, formerly No. 71 Eagle Squadron, RAF with their Spitfires, 29 September 1942.

Printed caption on reverse: 'Photo Shows:- Pilots of the Eagle Squadron in their new American Army Air Corps uniforms, besides their Spitfires, seen with the new American markings at their operational station in England. Sept. 1942.

Board of Trustees of the Imperial War Museums ("IWM")

P-47 Thunderbolt nicknamed "Betty" of the 4th Fighter Group at Debden.

Board of Trustees of the Imperial War Museums ("IWM").
Roger Freeman Collection.

P-51 B Mustang “Shangri-La” of the 336th Fighter Squadron runs its motor up at RAF Debden, Essex; 1944-45.

United States National Archives via D. Sheley. Public Domain. According to the US National Archives

Debden RAF - Further Details

https://aviationtrails.wordpress.com/2017/10/16/raf-debden-part-1-the-build-up-to-the-battle-of-britain/

https://aviationtrails.wordpress.com/2017/10/22/raf-debden-part-2-the-battle-of-britain/

https://aviationtrails.wordpress.com/2017/10/29/raf-debden-part-3-the-usaaf-arrives/

Videos

Steve Pisanos Interview

{Silent Movies}

2nd Tactical Airforce

Pilots of the 334th talking to ground crews

Pilots finish briefing and are off to their P-51's

Pilots talking to reporters

The 334th on the ground