Also known as North Weald Bassett aerodrome · North Weald Airfield
The story of RAF North Weald
American volunteers of the Eagle Squadrons arrived with Spitfires, and Nos. 71 and 121 Squadrons both served here. From 1942 Nos. 331 and 332 Norwegian Squadrons made the station their base. Canadian, New Zealand and Czechoslovak squadrons also passed through. In 1952 the people of Norway put up an obelisk to the Norwegian airmen.
Meteors and Vampires were a common sight from 1949. A new control tower was built in 1952. The last front-line unit, No. 111 Squadron's Black Arrows Hunter team, left in 1958. The RAF withdrew completely in 1964. The first Royal International Air Tattoo was held here in 1971. The Ministry of Defence sold the airfield to Epping Forest District Council in 1979. It is now a busy general aviation airfield with airworthy warbirds. The museum is in the former station office, just outside the perimeter.
Flying units
| Unit | Years | Aircraft |
|---|---|---|
| No. 56 Squadron | 1939–1941 | Hawker Hurricane |
| No. 151 Squadron | 1940–1940 | Hawker Hurricane |
| No. 249 Squadron | 1940–1941 | Hawker Hurricane |
| No. 71 (Eagle) Squadron | 1941–1941 | |
| No. 331 (Norwegian) Squadron | 1942–1944 | Supermarine Spitfire |
| No. 332 (Norwegian) Squadron | 1942–1944 | Supermarine Spitfire |
| No. 111 Squadron | 1958 | Hawker Hunter |
What survives
- The 1952 control tower, listed Grade II
- An original 1927 hangar and the Grade II listed former officers' mess
- The RAF North Weald Memorial, with the 1952 Norwegian obelisk
The museum on the airfield
| Museum | Adult entry | Airframes | Headline exhibit |
|---|---|---|---|
| North Weald Airfield MuseumEpping, Essex | £5 | — | North Weald's museum in the old station office covers a fighter station that ran from 1916 Zeppelin defence through the Battle of Britain… |