RAF Earls Colne

RAF Earls Colne lay southeast of the village of Earls Colne in Essex, and opened in 1943 as one of the wartime airfields built across East Anglia. Allocated initially to the United States Army Air Forces as Station 358, it was first home to American medium and heavy bomber units, including the 94th Bombardment Group and later the 323rd Bombardment Group, which between them flew operations against targets on the Continent.

In autumn 1944 the station passed to RAF control and joined No. 38 Group, the formation responsible for airborne forces and glider operations. From late September 1944 it hosted No. 296 and No. 297 Squadrons, both flying Armstrong Whitworth Albemarles and Handley Page Halifaxes in the paratroop-dropping and glider-towing role. A No. 38 Group Communication Flight was also based there from October 1944. These units remained into 1946 before disbanding or moving on.

After the war the airfield was retained for some years before passing into civilian use. The site survives today as a general aviation aerodrome, with the surrounding land redeveloped to include a golf and country club, a business park, and flight-training and air-ambulance operations.