That Missing RAF Eastchurch Airfield.
 

For those familiar with RAF airfields in Kent that were involved in the Battle Of Britain, RAF Eastchurch, on the Ilse Of Sheppey (in top left corner on the Dover / Kent map) isn't used in the game.

However, after a 666 Squadron "tour the airfields" formation landing and takeoff jaunt, yesterday evening, we had a look around for it, over the Ilse Of Sheppey.

On checking the RAF airfield maps in a Battle Of Britain book, I landed on a kinked long rectangular field right next to and east of the villiage of Eastchurch. On checking with Google Earth today, this field actiually exists and is all that is left of RAF Eastchurch, though the facilities to the north west and south east are now industrial premises.

Eastchurch isn't listed as a fighter station in my book, as far as I can make out, but may have been a private flying club airfield commandeered for RAF use. The chances are that Eastchurch was just an emergency / auxilary airfield with no squadrons based there and limited facilities.

The airstrip is there, though of no relavent use in the game.

For those who were involved in the "expedition", that was RAF Eastchurch's airfield we flew over and some of us landed on.

Eastchurch was primarily a Coastal Command airfield during the BoB. It was used briefly by 266 Squadron (Spitfires) who were caught on the ground there on 13th August 1940 (Eagle day). This resulted in severe damage and the Airfield wasn't used by Fighter Command again during the battle.

You guys really gotta tell me when your doing that stuff so i can join in on the fun. I haven't flown with you guys for a while.

In a similar vain, I was playing in a cta game when the opposition all quit and whilst waiting for the timer to run out we went for a fly about and managed to reach France and even land!! If you fly directly out from manston then you reach the French coast quite quickly and providing you don't get the return to battlefield can fly around. We couldnt find the 'hypermarche' sadly so came back without booze for the mess!

It would have been nice if they'd included an historical raid such as bombing the invasion barges at Callais, though Blenhiems would have to substitute for Fairey Battles.

By the time of the BoB, all the Fairey Battles were transfered to Coastal Command for anti-shipping and raids on German coastal instalations. As such operations required a fighter escort, the chances are that Eastchurch was a home for CC Fairey Battles.

The Fleet Air Arm's contribution during the BoB is eclipsed by the RAF. In September 1940 two Royal Navy F4-F Martlets, From Portsmouth, scrambled and shot down a lone Ju-88 raider / recce bomber, making the first kill for a US built warplanes in WW2. Before anybody points out that the French were flying P-36 Hawks, no actual kills were recorded by the FAF and most were abandoned and captured by the Germans as they over ran the airfields in May 1940.

Land based Royal Navy Sea Gladiators and Martlets also acted as reserves and patrolled over the Channel.

The first RAF kill of the war was done by a Lockheed Hudson, it shot down a dornier flying boat.

OK first US fighter kill, according to the book.

Oddly enough the Belgians and the French both had US build fighters, some still in crates. The Germans found Brewster Buffaloes still in crates at the dockyard warehouse, which ended up as Luftwaffe trainers or sold to the Fins.

The french Curtis P-36 A-4 Hawks were sold to the Fins also and suplemented their existing P-36 A-3 Hawks.

i cant find the airfeild help

ANyone want to show me this this week. I think this would be a good target for that B-17 mission jack is hosting saturday.

The villiage of Eastchurch, on the BOP map, is just south of the middle of the Isle Of Sheppy in the top left corner of the Dover and Canturbury maps.

Now there is a long field that ends with the west end next to East Church villiage with a few large buildings under the trees on the north and south east ends.

On Google Earth, this field also exists and the buildings are industrial today.

There are also some old hangar sized indiustrial buildings, shown on Google Earth, to the north of the villiage a few hundred yards from the large field.

In BOP and from ariel pictures, the large field with trees flanking the north and south sides and the villiage on the west side exist.

Fly around and you'll spot it.

Landing on it is easy as the field length is longer that Hawkinge or Pimperne.

on google earh, is it that strip of land that is to the west of the village were it goes through a green field then ends in a yellow colored field (Were it looks like the farmers had to go around it with their tractor). I'm probably jst blind but i cant spot it. Can someone post a link with it on google maps?

Gee, I wonder what a small Google and Wiki Search could Dig up here....... >.>

http://http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eastchurch


http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedi...ap_with_UK.png

location of eastchurch:

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedi...ap_with_UK.png

that map narrows things down to were i already knew it was in that general area.

thats a map of kent it dont show me much

Here is the location of the Eastchurch Airfield according to Wikipedia.

http://i896.photobucket.com/albums/a...g?t=1266491799

Lock up the bad boys!
 

Royal Air Force use

Towards the end of World War I, on 1 April 1918, the Royal Naval Air Service and the Royal Flying Corps amalgamated. The station at Eastchurch was transferred to the newly formed Royal Air Force and was re-designated Royal Air Force Station Eastchurch, or RAF Eastchurch for short. During the last few months of the War, No. 204 Training Depot Station, the 64th (Naval) Wing and the 58th (Training) Wing were based at Eastchurch.[5]

RAF Eastchurch remained active during the inter-war years and it was home to No. 266 Squadron during the Battle of Britain.[6] During World War II, Eastchurch was part of Coastal Command.[7] RAF Eastchurch closed in 1946.

The site is currently used as HM Prison Standford Hill. While there are a number of new buildings some of the original buildings survive including a number of pillboxes. The main roads in the prison reflect the aviation links; Rolls Avenue and Airfield View, Short's Prospect and Wright's Way. In the entrance to HMP Swaleside HMP Swaleside are two brass plaques; one records that the prison is built on what was the airstrip of RAF Eastchurch and the other lists the owners of the airstrip from 1901 to the end of the RAF use.

I beleive i found it, it is the Large Light Green piece of Grass that stretch allmost the island on the location that is show above me in the map. TBH i had to use it, since there is no signs of any landing strips that shows an airfield or landing stip.

I used my senario: I got an He-111 with 7 Rookie mark.II Spits and flew from Dover to the North Western' Edge of the Map. You have to fly all the way, and I got hammerd with spitfires all the way but it was worth it. it is not an entirely Level Flat landing stip but it is big and wide, so landing you plane in any state it is, mine wiht shot up and wiht only 1 working engine, landing is not a problem.


Hope this helps. (^.^)

Isn't that where Jonathan King was posted for buggery?

Sadly RAF Coltishall is soon to be a prison for sex offenders.