RAF Rivenhall

51.8553, 0.6397 — view on OpenStreetMap ↗

About

RAF Rivenhall, in Essex near Braintree, opened in 1944. It was first used by the United States Army Air Forces — the P-51 Mustangs of the 363rd Fighter Group and then the Martin B-26 Marauders of the 397th Bombardment Group — before passing to the RAF for airborne-support work, its Nos. 295 and 570 Squadrons towing gliders and dropping supplies to the resistance, and taking part in the Rhine crossing of 1945. The airfield closed after the war; much of it is now quarry and farmland, with a single hangar surviving.

Sources: This page was compiled from publicly available historical sources, including RAF Rivenhall — Wikipedia and Rivenhall — Airfields of Britain Conservation Trust. The text is original and has been written from factual source material; no source text has been copied unless specifically quoted and attributed.

Photographs

North American P-51B-5 Mustang, Serial 43-6830 of the 382d Fighter Squadron, 363d Fighter Group, at RAF Rivenhall, England.
ⓘ licence & creditassumed USAAF / Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons — https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Rivenhall-363dfg-p51b.jpgView source & full licence →
Rivenhall Aerodrome. This is the main runway of the former Rivenhall Aerodrome. It is one of the few in Essex to have survived with its full 100 feet width intact. Most have been robbed out to the width of farm tracks for hard core. Sadly Rivenhall too is about to suffer this fate see 229342. Rivenhall began operations in January 1944 using P51s these were later replaced with B26 bombers. The USAAF left the base in August 1944, RAF Sterling Glider tugs and SOE transports moving in during the autumn. The base closed in 1946. To go to the next field in an alphabetical tour of Essex WW2 airfields click on 119924. Much information was gleaned from Graham Smith’s book “Essex Airfields In The Second World War”.http://www.countrysidebooks.co.uk/book-catalogue-category.php?category=44
ⓘ licence & creditGlyn Baker / CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons — https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Rivenhall_Aerodrome_-_geograph.org.uk_-_229376.jpgView source & full licence →
A U.S. Army Air Forces Martin B-26B-55-MA Marauder (s/n 42-96142). The aircraft was assigned to the 596th Bombardment Squadron, 397th Bombardment Group, 98th Bombardment Wing, 9th Bomber Command, 9th Air Force in Europe. "X2-A" was named "Dee-Feater" and carries numerous mission markers, and D-Day invasion stripes. The 397th BG was stationed starting 15 April 1944 at Rivenhall, Essex (UK), and moved to Hurn, Hampshire, on 4 August 1944. On 30th August 1944 the Group was relocated to France.
ⓘ licence & creditPhoto by: Charles E. Brown. The original uploader was Bzuk at English Wikipedia., 2007-02-14 (original upload date) / Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons — https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:B_26.jpgView source & full licence →
Formation of Martin B-26Bs of the 397th Bomb Group, based at RAF Rivenhall, England. Closest two aircraft are B-26B-55-MA S/N 42-96137 (9F-Y) and 42-96191 (9F-N) "Milk Run Special" of the 597th BS, 397th BG, 9th AF. The other B-26's are from the 598th Bomb Squadron. Photo taken before D-Day, as the Marauders are not painted with invasion stripes. 42-96137 was shot down on May 13,1944. 42-96191 was shot down on June 24,1944.
ⓘ licence & creditUnited States Army Air Forces / Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons — https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:397th_Bombardment_Group_-_B-26_Marauders.jpgView source & full licence →
ⓘ licence & creditBritish Government / CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons — https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Rivenhall-04-1944.jpgView source & full licence →

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