RAF Christchurch

For the civil use of this facility, see Christchurch Airfield.

RAF Christchurch
USAAF Station AAF-416

Christchurch, Dorset in England

Christchurch Airfield - 4 March 1944. Christchurch was unusual as it was constructed on an existing airfield. However the airfield used before the war for club and commercial flying was too small to accommodate wartime aircraft so the airfield was expanded by building further runway areas to the south of the existing.

RAF Christchurch

Shown within Dorset

Coordinates| 50°44′23″N 001°44′22″W﻿ / ﻿50.73972°N 1.73944°W﻿ / 50.73972; -1.73944
Type| Satellite Station
Code| XC[1]
Site information
Owner| Air Ministry
Operator| Royal Air Force
United States Army Air Forces
Controlled by| RAF Fighter Command 1941-44
* No. 10 Group RAF
* No. 11 Group RAF
RAF Transport Command 1945
* No. 46 Group RAF[1]
Site history
Built| 1935 (1935)
In use| 1935-1967 (1967)
Battles/wars| European theatre of World War II
Airfield information
Elevation| 6 metres (20 ft)[1] AMSL
| Runways

Direction | Length and surface
00/00 |  Sommerfeld Tracking
00/00 |  Grass
00/00 |  Concrete
00/00 |  Unknown
00/00 |  Unknown

Royal Air Force Christchurch or more simply RAF Christchurch is a former Royal Air Force satellite station and was located southeast of the A337/B3059 junction in Somerford, Christchurch, Dorset, England.

Christchurch Airfield was a civil airfield that started operation from 1926, enlarged for wartime operations in 1941, Christchurch was used during World War II by the Royal Air Force and the United States Army Air Forces Ninth Air Force. It returned to civilian flying postwar before being taken over by what became British Aerospace to manufacture jet fighters and civilian airliner types. The airfield complex was finally closed down and demolished in 1966 when housing was built on the site.

## History[edit]

### USAAF use[edit]

Republic P-47D-25-RE Thunderbolt 42-276552 of the 405th Fighter Group, 510th Fighter Squadron Republic P-47D-27-RE Thunderbolt 42-227312 of the 405th Fighter Group, 510th Fighter Squadron

In 1943, the USAAF Ninth Air Force required several temporary advanced landing grounds along the southern English Channel coast prior to the Normandy invasion to provide tactical air support for the ground forces landing in France. Christchurch was provided to support this mission.

Christchurch was known as USAAF Station AAF-416 for security reasons by the USAAF during the war, and by which it was referred to instead of location. Its USAAF Station Code was "CH".

#### 405th Fighter Group[edit]

Christchurch airfield saw the arrival of the USAAF 405th Fighter Group on 4 April 1944, the group arriving from Walterboro Army Airfield South Carolina. The 405th had the following operational squadrons:

* 509th Fighter Squadron (G9)
* 510th Fighter Squadron (2Z)
* 511th Fighter Squadron (K4)

The 405th was a group of Ninth Air Force's 84th Fighter Wing, IX Tactical Air Command. It flew the Republic P-47D Thunderbolt. The 405th moved to its Advanced Landing Ground at Picauville, France (ALG A-8) on 22 June 1944, ending the USAAF's use of Christchurch.

Additional units:[2]

* 'H' Flight of No. 1 Anti-Aircraft Co-operation Unit RAF (October 1940 - July 1941)[3]
* No. 89 Gliding School RAF (March 1944 - September 1955)[4] became No. 622 Gliding School RAF (September 1955 - July 1963)[5]
* No. 420 Flight RAF (September 1940)[6]
* No. 2758 Squadron RAF Regiment
* No. 2773 Squadron RAF Regiment
* No. 2799 Squadron RAF Regiment
* No. 2888 Squadron RAF Regiment
* Air Defence Research and Development Establishment
* Bournemouth Flying Group
* Christchurch Aero Club
* Royal Artillery Aero Club
* HQ and 'B' Flight of the Special Duty Flight RAF (May 1940 - Nov 1941)[7]
* Detachment of Telecommunications Flying Unit RAF (November 1941 - May 1942)[8]

## Current use[edit]

The airfield complex was demolished in 1966 and there is housing and The Runway Industrial Park located on the site.

## See also[edit]

* List of former Royal Air Force stations

## References[edit]

This article incorporates public domain material from the Air Force Historical Research Agency

### Citations[edit]

1. ^ a b c Falconer 2012, p. 65.
2. ^ "Christchurch (Somerford)". Airfields of Britain Conservation Trust. Retrieved 25 September 2021.
3. ^ Sturtivant, Hamlin & Halley 1997, p. 69.
4. ^ Sturtivant, Hamlin & Halley 1997, p. 165.
5. ^ Sturtivant, Hamlin & Halley 1997, p. 168.
6. ^ Sturtivant, Hamlin & Halley 1997, p. 131.
7. ^ Sturtivant, Hamlin & Halley 1997, p. 273.
8. ^ Sturtivant, Hamlin & Halley 1997, p. 291.

### Bibliography[edit]

* Falconer, J. (2012). RAF Airfields of World War 2. UK: Ian Allan Publishing. ISBN 978-1-85780-349-5.
* Freeman, Roger A. (1994) UK Airfields of the Ninth: Then and Now 1994. After the Battle ISBN 0-900913-80-0
* Freeman, Roger A. (1996) The Ninth Air Force in Colour: UK and the Continent-World War Two. After the Battle ISBN 1-85409-272-3
* Maurer, Maurer (1983). Air Force Combat Units Of World War II. Maxwell AFB, Alabama: Office of Air Force History. ISBN 0-89201-092-4.
* Sturtivant, R.; Hamlin, J.; Halley, J. (1997). Royal Air Force flying training and support units. UK: Air-Britain (Historians). ISBN 0-85130-252-1.

## Further reading[edit]

* White, Allen (1987) Christchurch Airfield - 40 Years Of Flying

## External links[edit]

* [ArmyAirForces.com 404th Fighter Group https://web.archive.org/web/20070930013102/http://www.armyairforces.com/dbgroups.asp?Group=226]
* Aerial Photo of RAF Christchurch from Multimap.Com
* Photos of the 405FG at Christchurch. Archived 16 July 2011 at the Wayback Machine

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Royal Air Force

Ministry of Defence

formations
and units|

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stations|

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symbols and uniform|

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Stations|

| Palestine (Mand)|

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|

Egypt|

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Libya|

* Baheira
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United Kingdom|

* Aldermaston
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Europe|

* Advanced Landing Grounds (ALGs) in France, Belgium, Netherlands, and Germany too numerous.

Units|

| Commands|

* 9th Air Division (was IX Bomber Command)
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|

Wings|

| Bombardment|

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* 99th Bombardment

|

Fighter|

* 8th Fighter
* 9th Fighter
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* 71st Fighter
* 84th Fighter
* 100th Fighter
* 303d Fighter

Troop carrier|

* 50th Troop Carrier
* 52d Troop Carrier
* 53d Troop Carrier

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| Bombardment|

* 12th Bombardment
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* 344th Bombardment Group
* 376th Bombardment
* 386th Bombardment
* 387th Bombardment
* 391st Bombardment
* 394th Bombardment
* 397th Bombardment
* 409th Bombardment
* 410th Bombardment
* 416th Bombardment

|

Fighter|

* 36th Fighter
* 48th Fighter
* 50th Fighter
* 57th Fighter
* 79th Fighter
* 324th Fighter
* 354th Fighter
* 358th Fighter
* 365th Fighter
* 362d Fighter
* 363d Fighter
* 366th Fighter
* 367th Fighter
* 368th Fighter
* 370th Fighter
* 371st Fighter
* 373d Fighter
* 404th Fighter
* 405th Fighter
* 406th Fighter
* 474th Fighter

Troop carrier|

* 61st Troop Carrier
* 64th Troop Carrier
* 313th Troop Carrier
* 314th Troop Carrier
* 315th Troop Carrier
* 316th Troop Carrier
* 349th Troop Carrier
* 434th Troop Carrier
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* 436th Troop Carrier
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* 438th Troop Carrier
* 439th Troop Carrier
* 440th Troop Carrier
* 441st Troop Carrier
* 442d Troop Carrier
* IX Troop Carrier Pathfinder (Provisional)

Reconnaissance|

* 10th Reconnaissance
* 67th Reconnaissance
* 69th Reconnaissance

Squadrons|

| Liaison|

* 14th Liaison
* 47th Liaison

|

Night fighter|

* 422d Night Fighter
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Christchurch, Dorset

* See also: History of Christchurch
* Listed buildings in Christchurch

Areas|

* Blackwater
* Burton
* Christchurch Harbour
* Fairmile
* Friars Cliff
* Highcliffe
* Hoburne Park
* Hurn
* Jumpers Common
* Mudeford
* Portfield
* Purewell
* Somerford
* Stanpit
* Town Centre
* Walkford
* Winkton

Rivers|

* River Avon
* Bure Brook
* River Mude
* River Stour

Attractions|

* Avon Beach
* Christchurch Castle
* Christchurch Harbour
* Christchurch Priory
* Highcliffe Castle
* Knapp Mill
* Mudeford Quay
* The Museum of Electricity
* The Town Hall
* The Red House Museum
* Stanpit Marsh
* Tucktonia

Schools|

* Burton CE Primary
* Christchurch Infants
* Christchurch Junior
* Highcliffe
* Mudeford Infants
* Mudeford Junior
* The Priory CE Primary
* Somerford Primary
* The Grange
* Twynham

Railway
stations|

* Christchurch (original)
* Christchurch
* Hurn

Air travel|

* Bournemouth Airport
* Christchurch Airfield
* RAF Christchurch
* RAF Hurn

Hospital|

* Christchurch

Politics|

* Christchurch (UK Parliament constituency)
* New Forest and Christchurch (UK Parliament constituency)
* Christchurch and Lymington (UK Parliament constituency)
* Bournemouth East and Christchurch (UK Parliament constituency)
* 1993 Christchurch by-election
* 1844 Christchurch by-election
* Christchurch Borough Council elections
* 2019 BCP election

History|

* Battle of Mudeford
* Christchurch Rural District

Football club|

* Christchurch F.C.

Wards|

* Burton and Grange
* Christchurch Town
* Commons
* Highcliffe and Walkford
* Mudeford, Stanpit and West Highcliffe

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