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Royal Air Force Headcorn or more commonly known as RAF Headcorn is a former Royal Air Force Advanced Landing Ground located 2 miles (3.2 km) northeast of Headcorn, Kent, England.

RAF Headcorn USAAF Station AAF-412 Egerton
Headcorn, Kent in England
Headcorn ALG airfield, 11 May 1944
RAF Headcorn Shown within Kent
Coordinates	51°10′58″N 000°41′16″E
Code	ED
Site information
Owner	Air Ministry
Operator	Royal Air Force 1943 United States Army Air Forces 1943-44
Controlled by	RAF Fighter Command 1943
Site history
Built	1943 (1943)
Built by	RAF Airfield Construction Service
In use	July 1943 - September 1944 (1944)
Battles/wars	European theatre of World War II
Airfield information
Elevation	33 metres (108 ft)[1] AMSL
Runways Direction Length and surface 00/00  Sommerfeld Tracking 00/00  Sommerfeld Tracking

Opened in 1943, Headcorn was a prototype for the temporary Advanced Landing Ground airfields to be built in France after D-Day, when the need for advanced landing fields became urgent as the Allied forces moved east across France and Germany. It was used by the Royal Air Force and the United States Army Air Forces. It was closed in September 1944.

Units

Two Canadian squadrons, 403 Squadron RCAF and 421 Squadron RCAF, were based at Headcorn from August to November 1943 with Supermarine Spitfire IXB's.[2][3]

The following units were also here at some point:[4]

• No. 17 (Fighter) Wing RAF
• No. 127 Airfield
• 362nd Fighter Group
  • 377th Fighter Squadron flying Republic P-47 Thunderbolts
  • 378th Fighter Squadron flying Republic P-47 Thunderbolts
  • 379th Fighter Squadron flying Republic P-47 Thunderbolts
• No. 405 Repair & Salvage Unit
• No. 2809 Squadron RAF Regiment
• No. 3207 Servicing Commando

See also

• List of former Royal Air Force stations

References

Citations

Bibliography

• 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.

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