# RAF Hunsdon (pic heavy as always)



## sennelager66 (Oct 13, 2011)

*RAF HUNSDON
*
A brief outline and plotted history of the site:

Basic Details
Fighter Airfield built as a sattelite to North Weald.
Drem lighting and Angle Of Approach indicator system were installed.

16 Blister Hangars
18 Hardstands
1 Bellman Hangar

2 Aviation fuel stores
one of 2400 Gallons and another of 3600 Gallons

Main runway 270/090 @ 1450yards later extended to the East to a length of 1750 yards. Secondary runway 210/030 @1250 yards extended to the south by 200 yards.

Eight dispersed sites within a mile of the airfield for accomodation, ablutions and catering.

Work began in October 1940 and the airfield was to be a sattelite of nearby North Weald under RAF Fighter Command. Work was overseen by Wing Commander Pike. The runways and perimeter track were built by George Wimpey and Sons. The width of the perimeter track was 35 feet, and the runways were of the standard 150 foot. Most of the airfield buildings were constructed by HC Janes of Luton. After some problems regarding the pace and quality of building work, Kent & Co took over the building of the rest of the airfield and dispersed site buildings.

With the completion of the runways and perimeter track in March 1941, most of the accomodation was complete and could house 100 Officers,140 NCO's and 200 other ranks of airmen. The WAAF contingent could house 5 Officers,3 NCO's and 268 other ranks. The WAAF site was mostly concentrated at Hunsdonbury, one of the large requisitioned houses that incorporated Site 8 in the grounds.

On May the 4th1941,RAF Hunsdon opened for Operational flying. Although some building work would be ongoing until as late as 1943, A and B flights of 85 Squadron were posted in to become the first operational squadron to be stationed there. Flying Hawker Hurricanes, they were led by Group Captain Peter Townsend and were due to change from a day fighter role into that of a night fighter Squadron, a role that Hunsdon was to become second nature to. Over the course of the war, many varied and notable squadrons served here, most stayed for only a few months, some less than weeks. The following list of squadrons and the type of aircraft flown have been included to show the trend for twin engined aircraft in the role as intruders and nightfighters. Although it has to be noted that 3(F) squadron were flying Hawker Hurricanes on some of the very first Intruder flights into enemy occupied territory at night.

* Squadrons that operated from Hunsdon were: * 
85 Squadron,( Hawker Hurricane, Boulton-Paul Defiant, Douglas Boston/Havoc) 287 Squadron (Boulton Paul Defiant 2's) 1451 flight (Turbinlite flight, Douglas Boston/Havoc) 29 Squadron (Mosquito's) 3 Squadron(F) (Hawker Hurricane 2c's) 1530 flight (Airspeed Oxford's) 157 Squadron (Mosquito's) 515 Squadron (Bristol Beaufighters and Boulton-Paul Defiant's) 409 RCAF Squadron (Mosquito's), 410(Cougar) Squadron RCAF (Mosquito's) 418 RCAF Squadron (Mosquito's)442 RCAF Squadron (Spitfire's)
21(City of Norwich) Squadron, 464 (Australia), and 487 (New Zealand) Squadrons all equipped with Mosquito's and forming 140 wing of the 2nd Tactical Air Force.


Firstly an areal shot of the airfield to bring into perspective what was visited and therefore the logical positioning of the PBs, shelters and associated buildings. 

*The two runways are still extent though the 150ft wide runways have been broken down to around 15ft to accommodate the land for it's primary modern role today of agriculture. * If you look on the google earth view you will see that the perimeter track still exits and this is the route i followed during my tour.








Now onto the photos. 

*PILLBOX (VARIANT): S0013420*

Sat to the rear of a garden, close to the hedge and access in through the side of the farmers field. The PB is accessible externally but is mostly buried and inaccessible. Sorry about the quality of these photos but it was dingy in there.
















*PILLBOX (VARIANT): S0013421
*















*PILLBOX (VARIANT): S0013423*

Sat to the right of runway one and outside the perimeter track:





















A view of the perimeter track which was in great condition in places.





*Battle Headquarters : S0006568*

Used to command and control the defence of the airbase and placed almost at the end of runway two. Situated close to the perimeter track as it exists today. Sadly despite my adventurous nature, the command rooms are flooded up to around 4ft and i could only perch inside the entrance doorway to get photos.

A view of the observation slits giving a limited 360 view of the airfield. 


























The entrance into the bunkers.















Shooting a couple of shots blind around the nearest doorframe.













































A view of the secondary entry/exit to the bunker. 





A close up shot of the 'rests' the OP roof rests on. 





I then backtracked and walked the length of the remainder of runway two and headed towards Black Hut Wood. At the end of the runway / track is a smattering of light aircraft tied up and thankfully inactive at that time of the morning. There was a warning notice to say away due to it being an operational runway to the side of the track.































*PILLBOX (VARIANT): S0013430*



















































*PILLBOX (VARIANT): S0013429
*










Taking a wander around i then found this trench. Quite an extensive run and i crawled most of it before it got too much!!





















Back out into fresh air.




































*PILLBOX (CANTILEVERED): S0013428*

Almost impossible to get into but there was extensive damage in the area that was heavily overgrown. Ignoring the notice i stamped down the worst of the brambles and climbed inside.































My entry and exit through a small gap in the brambles.















*PILLBOX (VARIANT): S0013427
*















*PILLBOX (VARIANT): S0013425*











A timely reminder that a village in Hertfordshire lost their own.











That ends the tour of RAF Hunsdon. I hope you like the report and photos. I missed a few areas and will need to revisit as always!!. RAF Sawbridgeworth was also a gem of a place to visit and i shall post that up tomorrow night. 

The dispersal sites are an area i am interested in so this might be a revisit to the area to attempt the research into these areas.

Thanks for viewing.


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## jonney (Oct 13, 2011)

Fook mate that's some serious concrete am loving them variants especially the turnbull mount. Your reports are pittingine to shame keep up the good work


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## RichCooper (Oct 13, 2011)

Another cracking report mate thanks  Looks a bit damp in that BHQ


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## night crawler (Oct 13, 2011)

Spot on with that report, Looks like they don't like people going in the pillboxes with all the bars on them but looking at the state of some I can see why.


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## Winch It In (Oct 13, 2011)

Quality report fella, Good set of pillboxes there, shame the mushroom type one is damaged.


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## Munchh (Oct 14, 2011)

Wow! Nice coming of age there Sen. Very well done and thanks for sharing.


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## urban phantom (Oct 14, 2011)

Great report mate nice to see plenty still left to explore thanks for sharing


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## sennelager66 (Oct 14, 2011)

night crawler said:


> Spot on with that report, Looks like they don't like people going in the pillboxes with all the bars on them but looking at the state of some I can see why.



A couple of the entrances were partly bricked up at RAF Sawbridgeworth and I got into one. The embrasures were bricked in though. Thanks for the comment.


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## cptpies (Oct 14, 2011)

Cracking report, very well documented. Nice to see a turnbull mount still in place, did you see any Vickers tables in there, I've always thought those wide stepped embrasures to be oversized for an LMG unless the walls are very thick.


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## sennelager66 (Oct 14, 2011)

Munchh said:


> Wow! Nice coming of age there Sen. Very well done and thanks for sharing.



I'm getting there slowly. I thoroughly enjoyed walking both sites although the country neighbourhood watch were out looking for me at one point. There is an advantage to wearing all black. Sadly by then my camera battery was running low but after 250 photos I was lucky to almost get to the last few sites before it gave up. Prep - spare battery required!!


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## sennelager66 (Oct 14, 2011)

cptpies said:


> Cracking report, very well documented. Nice to see a turnbull mount still in place, did you see any Vickers tables in there, I've always thought those wide stepped embrasures to be oversized for an LMG unless the walls are very thick.



Checking the turnbull mounts these were either missing the lower pivot point or the frames were very corroded. The loophole frames were very brittle and just about hanging in there. I just wished I could get into the PB's to investigate future and would so love to have found a cradle. It was interesting finding evidence of firing trenches on either side of a couple of PB's to give a greater field of fire in the areas to the rear of the PB's to protect the flanking areas and prevent the enemy getting in under the field of fire from the Embrasures. These images will be posted up later today and were found at Sawbridgeworth. 
Other than the loophole frames and pivot mounts I could not find further evidence of the type of armament used to protect the sites.


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## oldscrote (Oct 14, 2011)

Nice one 66,as varied a set of pictures as I've seen,love the cantilevered box,thanks.


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## outkast (Oct 14, 2011)

Great report mate, thanks for posting.

I did not know the BHQ was now open, the line on the inner wall indicates where the water usually is, I had to don waders to get some pics, and still got wet

the square biulding is a shell store and the other large biulding is a parachute store.

Theres a guy called Dennis on the airfield information exchange who has wrote about most of the local airfields including hunsden and sawbridgeworth, very knowledgeable bloke who knows all there is to know about thses places.

if you go back on a weekend be carefull as the people from the clay pidgeon shooting club lock the gate about 1pm, I got locked in and had to get the farmer to let me out.

I am going to PM you a few local bits you may be interested in

Nice work mate


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## sennelager66 (Oct 14, 2011)

Thanks for the information. Really appreciated. The evidence of clay pigeons and spent shells were everywhere. I have your PM. Thanks again.


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## outkast (Oct 14, 2011)

No worries, have fun


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## Foxylady (Oct 16, 2011)

Excellent tour...loads of interesting stuff to see. Well done re the brambles. Nature's defenders! 
Cheers Senn.


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## nelly (Oct 16, 2011)

Good stuff, well done for wading through the water for those internals, I think I'm right in saying that the building in the photo after you came out for fresh air was the parachute store, somebody will yay or nay this for you 

And well done for finding the pb in the garden, I was trying to visit them all after I researched them on the DoB map, but got sidetracked by some derelict building or another


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## Priority 7 (Oct 17, 2011)

Nice set Senne really good to see an extensive llok at the old airfields


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## sennelager66 (Oct 17, 2011)

Priority 7 said:


> Nice set Senne really good to see an extensive llok at the old airfields



Off out to Debden in a few days so.........


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