RAF Headcorn

RAF Headcorn USAAF Station AAF-412 Egerton
Located Near Headcorn, Kent, England
Headcorn ALG airfield, 11 May 1944
RAF Headcorn RAF Headcorn, shown within Kent
Coordinates	51°10′58″N 000°41′16″E / 51.18278°N 0.68778°E / 51.18278; 0.6877851°10′58″N 000°41′16″E / 51.18278°N 0.68778°E / 51.18278; 0.68778
Type	Advanced landing ground
Code	HC
Site information
Owner	Air Ministry
Controlled by	Royal Air Force (1943-1944) United States Army Air Forces (1944)
Site history
Built	1943
In use	1943-1944
Battles/wars	European Theatre of World War II Air Offensive, Europe July 1942 - May 1945
Garrison information
Occupants	No. 11 Group 362d Fighter Group

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.

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 and 421 Squadron, were based at Headcorn from August to November 1943 with Supermarine Spitfire IXBs.^[1]

The following units were also here at some point:^[2]

• 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

See also[]

• List of former Royal Air Force stations

References[]

Citations[]

Bibliography[]

• Jefford, C. G. (1988). RAF Squadrons. Shrewsbury, England: Airlife Publishing. ISBN 1 85310 053 6.

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