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RAF Great Sampford 
Summary
Royal Air Force Great Sampford or more simply RAF Great Sampford is a former Royal Air Force satellite station located 1.7 miles (2.7 km) west of Great Sampford, Essex, England and 5.3 miles (8.5 km) south east of Saffron Walden, Essex.
| RAF Great Sampford USAAF Station 359  | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Great Sampford, Essex in England | |||||||||
  RAF Great Sampford Shown within Essex | |||||||||
| Coordinates | 51°59′26″N 000°21′24″E / 51.99056°N 0.35667°E | ||||||||
| Type | Satellite Station | ||||||||
| Code | GS | ||||||||
| Site information | |||||||||
| Owner | Air Ministry | ||||||||
| Operator | Royal Air Force United States Army Air Forces | ||||||||
| Controlled by | RAF Fighter Command 1942- | ||||||||
| Site history | |||||||||
| Built | 1941/42 | ||||||||
| In use | April 1942 – August 1944 | ||||||||
| Battles/wars | European theatre of World War II | ||||||||
| Airfield information | |||||||||
| Elevation | 104 metres (341 ft)[1] AMSL | ||||||||
| |||||||||
History edit
No. 65 Squadron RAF used the airfield starting on 14 March 1942 flying Supermarine Spitfire V's before leaving to RAF Martlesham Heath on 9 June 1942 before returning again on 15 June 1942 for fifteen days. The squadron left again and returned on 7 July 1942 staying until 29 July 1942 when the squadron moved RAF Gravesend.[2]
The following units were here at some point:[3]
- 4th Fighter Group
- No. 133 Squadron RAF (1942)[4]
- No. 616 Squadron RAF (1942)[5]
- No. 50 'B' Balloon Flight
- No. 53 'B' Balloon Flight
- No. 945/947 (Balloon) Squadron
- No. 951 (Balloon) Squadron
- No. 976 (Balloon) Squadron
- No. 991 (Balloon) Squadron
- No. 992 (Balloon) Squadron
- No. 996 (Balloon) Squadron
- No. 997 (Balloon) Squadron
- No. 999 (Balloon) Squadron
- No. 2713 Squadron RAF Regiment
- No. 2719 Squadron RAF Regiment
- No. 2724 Squadron RAF Regiment
- No. 2739 Squadron RAF Regiment
- No. 2757 Squadron RAF Regiment
- No. 2777 Squadron RAF Regiment
- No. 2778 Squadron RAF Regiment
- No. 2781 Squadron RAF Regiment
- No. 2798 Squadron RAF Regiment
- No. 2806 Squadron RAF Regiment
- No. 2811 Squadron RAF Regiment
References edit
Citations edit
- ^ Falconer 1998, p. 41.
- ^ "No. 65 (East India) Squadron". The Wartime Memories Project – The Second War. Retrieved 9 May 2012.
- ^ "Great Sampford". Airfields of Britain Conservation Trust. Retrieved 19 April 2022.
- ^ Jefford 1988, p. 59.
- ^ Jefford 1988, p. 100.
Bibliography edit
- Falconer, J (1998). RAF Fighter Airfields of World War 2. UK: Ian Allan Publishing. ISBN 0-7110-2175-9.
- Jefford, C.G. (1988). RAF Squadrons. A comprehensive record of the movement and equipment of all RAF squadrons and their antecedents since 1912. Shrewsbury: Airlife. ISBN 1-85310-053-6.