September 3, 2000
In two world wars, North Weald aerodrome has served as a cornerstone in the defence of London and south-east England against German raiders from the East. The airfield became operational in August 1916 to counter the growing menace of the German airships and, two months later, became headline news following the successful destruction of the Zeppelin at Potters Bar. On the evening of October 1, 2nd Lieutenant Wulstan Tempest of No. 39 Home Defence Squadron (based at Sutton's Farm at Hornchurch) was dining with his fiancée in Epping. Summoned to action by telephone, he rushed by motorbike to North Weald; took off; shot down L.31; crash-landed back on the airfield; drove back to Epping to receive a hero's welcome . . . before finishing his meal! Some eighteen months later, on the night of May 19/20, 1918, two North Weald airmen, Lieutenant Tony Arkell and 1st Airman Albert Stagg of No. 39 Squadron, achieved the airfield's second 'kill' when they brought down a Gotha bomber at Roman Road, East Ham. During the Second World War, aircrews flying from North Weald claimed over 500 German aircraft destroyed, both over the UK and the Continent. The airfield's peacetime role included hosting the RAF's aerobatic team - the Black Arrows of No. 111 Squadron; a base for transport aircraft and jet fighters; a Sector Operations Centre; a Personnel Selection and Despatch Centre, and an army barracks, before it was sold to Epping Forest District Council in 1980-82. The Memorial In June 1952, HRH the Crown Princess of Norway, Princess Astrid, unveiled a granite obelisk beside the main gate of North Weald airfield on behalf of the two Norwegian squadrons which were based there during the Second World War, dedicated 'in gratitude to the Royal Air Force, to the RAF Station North Weald, and to the people of the district'. However, there never has been a memorial specifically commemorating the service of the hundreds of aircrew and thousands of airmen and women of at least seven nations, soldiers and civilians, who served at North Weald between 1916 and when the RAF left the base in 1964. Over the years, several proposals have been put forward to rectify the omission but not until February 2000 was the new Airfield Memorial conceived. It has been specially designed to complement - and enhance - the existing Norwegian memorial, while providing a place of peace, remembrance and contemplation. The concept is that of Winston Ramsey, Editor-in-Chief of After the Battle magazine and North Weald Airfield Museum Chairman, Arthur Moreton. Both have been sympathetically concerned with the history of the airfield for many years, and live in the locality. The twin flagpoles will enable both the Union flag and that of Canada, Czechoslovakia, New Zealand, Norway, Poland or the United States to be flown on special occasions to honour the nationalities of those who served at North Weald. The village emblem, which features an RAF Hurricane flying over the airfield, is incorporated, and fixings are provided on the Portland stone walls for hanging wreaths. The memorial can be floodlit at night. The Debt of Honour Aircrews from at least seven nations have been stationed at North Weald and, at one time or another, the local holsteries have echoed to the accents of Americans, Canadians, New Zealanders, Czechs, Norwegians and Poles. Altogether 266 service personnel and civilians lost their lives while serving at the Station in peace and war, and a unique feature of the memorial is the 'Debt of Honour' housed in a bronze cabinet in the wall. Visitors are encouraged to take away a copy as a reminder of the debt owed to those who entered the main gate never to return. No distinction has been drawn between death in the face of the enemy or by accident on or around the airfield. All served . . . and all paid the supreme sacrifice.
Over 50 squadrons have been based at the airfield. The first
was No. 39 Squadron of the Royal Flying Corps in August 1916 and the last No.
111 Squadron - the famous 'Treble One' - of the Royal Air Force which left in
February 1958. The airfield was reduced to inactive status on September 1, 1964.
The following squadrons saw service at North Weald: No. 1 (Squadron Code JX):
Detachments August-September 1940 April 1944. No.1 (RCAF) (YO) Detachments
August-September 1940. No. 2 (XV): November 1943, January-February 1944. No. 4
(FV): November 1943. No. 17 (UV): May-September 1939. No. 19 (QV): June-July
1953. No. 25 (ZK): January-June 1940, September-October 1940. No. 26 'South
African' (RM): January-April 1945. No. 29 (YB): April 1928-October 1935,
September 1936-November 1937. No. 33 (5R): April-May 1944. No. 39: August
1916-November 1918. No. 44 'Rhodesia': July-December 1919. No. 46 'Uganda' (PO):
November-December 1940. No. 56 'Punjab' (LR/US): October 1927-May 1940,
June-September 1940, December 1940-June 1941. No. 63 (UB): November 1943-January
1944, September 1944-January 1945. No. 64: July-August 1937. No. 66 (LZ): March
1944. No. 71 'Eagle' (American) (XR): June-December 1941. No. 72 'Basutoland'
(FG): March 1950-July 1953. No. 74 'Trinidad' (4D): April-May 1944. No. 75: 'New
Zealand' May 1918-June 1919. No. 111 (JU): May-June 1940, July-November 1941,
December 1941, December 1953-February 1958. No. 116 (II): July-August 1944. No.
121 'Eagle' (American) (AV): December 1941-June 1942. No. 124 'Baroda' (ON):
November 1942-July 1943. No. 127 (9N): April-May 1944. No. 130 'Punjab' (AP):
May 1945. No. 151 (DZ): August 1936-February 1940, May-September 1940. No. 168
(DE): November 1943-February 1944. No. 222 'Natal' (ZD): August 1941-August
1942. No. 234 'Madras Presidency' (AZ): August-December 1944. No. 242 'Canadian'
(LE): May-July 1941, August-September 1942. No. 249 'Gold Coast' (GN): September
1940-May 1941. No. 257 'Burma' (DT): October-November 1940. No. 268 (NM):
January-March 1944. No. 275 (GG/PV): October-November 1940, June-July 1953. No.
285 (VG): January-June 1945. No. 287 (KZ): July 1944-June 1945. No. 288 (RP):
August-November 1944. No. 301 'Pomorski' (Polish) (GR): July-September 1945. No.
304 'Œl¹ski' (Polish) (QD): July-September 1945. No. 310
(Czechoslovak) (NN): August-December 1944. No. 312 (Czechoslovak) (DU):
August-October 1944. No. 313 (Czechoslovak) (RY): October-December 1944. No. 331
(Norwegian) (FN): May 1942-March 1944, April-May 1945. No. 332 (Norwegian)
(AH/HG): June 1942-March 1944, April-May 1945. No. 403 'Wolf' (Canadian) (KH):
December 1941-May 1942, August 1942. No. 412 'Falcon' (Canadian) (VZ): June
1942. No. 419 Flight: August-October 1940. No. 486 (New Zealand) (SA):
September-October 1942. No. 601 'County of London' (RAH): March 1949-March 1957.
No. 604 'County of Middlesex' (NG/RAK): September-October 1938, September
1939-January 1940, March 1949-March 1957. No. 695 (4M): November 1946-April
1947.
Below is a selection of pictures from the Dedication of the
Memorial at RAF Station North Weald.
Editor-in-Chief
of After the Battle, sponsors of the Airfield Memorial at North Weald, places
the first copies of the Debt of Honour in the brass cabinet set in the wall of
the memorial. The Debt of Honour lists the names of 266 service personnel from
seven nations: Canada, Czechoslovakia, New Zealand, Norway, Poland, the United
States and United Kingdom, and civilians, who lost their lives - from whatever
cause - while serving at the airfield between 1916 and 1964.
The
service was conducted by the Reverend Rayner Harries, a former Assistant
Chaplain-in-Chief of the Royal Air Force, who now lives locally to the airfield.
The
flags of the seven nations were paraded to the memorial. The Norwegian
flagbearer, 1st Lieutenant Geir Lyngfjell of No. 331 Squadron, RNoAF, flew to
North Weald in his F-16 from his base at Bodo.
Flight
Lieutenant Jeremy Robinson of No. 2 Squadron was given the honour of leading the
parade as the UK flagbearer as his squadron, which served at North Weald in 1943
and 1944, has the distinction of being the oldest fixed-wing squadron in the
world.
Captain
Art Primus of the 351st Air Refuelling Squadron, USAF, was the flagbearer on
behalf of the United States.
Lieutenant
Colonel David Mason, Assistant Air Force Adviser, Canadian Air Force,
representing Nos. 403 and 412 'Canadian' Squadrons, with Lieutenant Colonel
Wladyslaw Lada, the Assistant Air Attache for Poland, on behalf of Nos. 301 and
304 'Polish' Squadron. Both laid wreaths for their respective countries.
Colonel
Per Bærøy, the Defence and Naval Attache for Norway, who laid a
wreath on behalf of Nos. 331 and 332 'Norwegian' Squadrons.
Air
Vice-Marshal Philip Roser, MBE, FRAeS, RAF, laid a wreath on behalf of the 41
RAF squadrons which saw service at North Weald during its 48 years of operation
existence.
Colonel
G. C. P. Morgan, President of the Essex Regiment Association, performed the Act
of Remembrance and laid a wreath on behalf of the ten members of his regiment
killed while guarding the airfield in 1940.
Veterans
of all seven nations were present at the dedication on Sunday, September 3 - the
60th anniversary of the heaviest raid on the airfield. Lieutenant Colonel Ervin
'Dusty' Miller, (centre) President of the US Eagle Squadrons in Europe. No. 71
and 121 'Eagle, Squadrons served at North Weald in 1941-42.
High
Flight, the memorial poem written by Pilot Officer John Magee, was read by Major
Willis Jacobs, a former member of No. 403 'Canadian' Squadron which lost 11 men
flying from North Weald in 1941 and 1942. John Magee would have been flying from
North Weald in 1942 with the other Canadian squadron, No. 412, had he not been
tragically killed in an accident in December 1941.
The
Fly Past included a Mustang, Invader, and Hunter from the Swedish Aircraft
Flight now based at North Weald by courtesy of the owner, Anders K. Saether of
Oslo, Norway.
The
new Airfield Memorial was specially designed to compliment and enhance the
existing Norwegian granite obelisk erected in 1952. A semi-circular wall of
Portland Stone with twin flagpoles provides a perfect setting beside the old
main gate to RAF Station North Weald.
A
reception was held after the service at The Squadron, the historic aircraft
flying base on the airfield. L-R: Flight Lieutenant Andrzej Jeziorski, former
member of No. 304 'Polish' Squadron, who read one of the prayers in Polish;
Winston Ramsey Editor-in-Chief of After the Battle whose concept the memorial
is; Flight Lieutenant Adam Ostrowski, the Polish flagbearer in his WWII Polish
uniform, and Lieutenant-Colonel Wladyslaw Lada, Assistant Air Attache for
Poland.
