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Boreham

Military site : airfield

  • Aerial photograph of Boreham airfield, looking east, there is a T2 hangar in the centre right of the image, 4 July 1949. Photograph taken by No. 50 Squadron, sortie number RAF/58/281. English Heritage (RAF Photography).

    Aerial photograph of Boreham airfield, looking east, there is a T2 hangar in the centre right of the image, 4 July 1949. Photograph taken by No. 50 Squadron, sortie number RAF/58/281. English Heritage (RAF Photography).

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  • RAF Boreham (1944)

    RAF Boreham (1944)

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  • Engineers of the 394th Bomb Group use Clark Dozers to contstruct hardstanding near a B-26 Marauders including (serial number 42-96073). Passed for publication between 23 May 1944 and Jun 1944. Handwritten caption on reverse: '394BG, 584BS. Boreham, 1944' On reverse: Signal Corps Photo, Sacred, SHAEF Field Press Censor and US Army Press Censor ETO [Stamps].

    Engineers of the 394th Bomb Group use Clark Dozers to contstruct hardstanding near a B-26 Marauders including (serial number 42-96073). Passed for publication between 23 May 1944 and Jun 1944. Handwritten caption on reverse: '394BG, 584BS. Boreham, 1944' On reverse: Signal Corps Photo, Sacred, SHAEF Field Press Censor and US Army Press Censor ETO [Stamps].

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  • A battle-damaged B-24H Liberator (serial number 41-28813) of the 487th Bomb Group that landed near Boreham airfield on the 10 May 1944. Official caption on image:

    A battle-damaged B-24H Liberator (serial number 41-28813) of the 487th Bomb Group that landed near Boreham airfield on the 10 May 1944. Official caption on image: "ISAD - 10 May 44 - 1625 (WPU, Battle Damage, B-24H, 41-28813, Borham[sic]) F.A." Handwritten caption on reverse: '487th B.G., 8th Air Force.'

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  • Engineers of the 394th Bomb Group construct the runway at Boreham.

    Engineers of the 394th Bomb Group construct the runway at Boreham.

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  • Boreham, home of the 394th Bomb Group.

    Boreham, home of the 394th Bomb Group.

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  • Engineers of the 394th Bomb Group construct the runway at Boreham.

    Engineers of the 394th Bomb Group construct the runway at Boreham.

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  • Engineers of the 394th Bomb Group construct the runway at Boreham.

    Engineers of the 394th Bomb Group construct the runway at Boreham.

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  • Aerial photograph of Boreham airfield, looking south west, 29 February 1944. Photograph taken by 7th Photographic Reconnaissance Group, sortie number US/7PH/GP/LOC186. English Heritage (USAAF Photography).

    Aerial photograph of Boreham airfield, looking south west, 29 February 1944. Photograph taken by 7th Photographic Reconnaissance Group, sortie number US/7PH/GP/LOC186. English Heritage (USAAF Photography).

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  • Aerial photograph of Boreham airfield, looking south, and the airfield is still under construction by the 861st Engineer Battalion (Aviation), 16 July 1943. Photograph taken by 7th Photographic Reconnaissance Group, sortie number US/7PH/GP/LOC2. English Heritage (USAAF Photography).

    Aerial photograph of Boreham airfield, looking south, and the airfield is still under construction by the 861st Engineer Battalion (Aviation), 16 July 1943. Photograph taken by 7th Photographic Reconnaissance Group, sortie number US/7PH/GP/LOC2. English Heritage (USAAF Photography).

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Built in 1943-1944, it was used by B-26 Marauder bombers of the Ninth Air Force's 394th Bomb Group in 1944. The 315th Troop Carrier Group were temporary lodgers at the airfield in 1945, shortly before it closed.

Used as a motor racing circuit in the 1940s and 1950s, the airfield has also been home to the Essex Air Ambulance and currently hosts one of the National Police Air Service's EC-135 helicopters, its crews using the original control tower as their offices.

Detailed history

Not yet known

English Heritage's record description

Not yet known

Service

Units

People

  • Thomas Abshier

    Military | Sergeant | Radio / Gunner | 394th Bomb Group
    Assigned to 586BS, 394BG, 9AF USAAF. Lt Myron E Brown Crew [#5].

  • Donald Adler

    Military | Second Lieutenant | Co-pilot | 394th Bomb Group
    Assigned to 586BS, 394BG, 9AF USAAF. Crew #1.

  • Donald Aggers

    Military | Technical Sergeant | Toggelier | 394th Bomb Group
    Assigned to 586BS, 394BG, 9AF USAAF. Awards: WWII Victory, EAME, UN and Korean medals.

  • James Allen

    Military | Corporal | Engineer | 394th Bomb Group
    Assigned to 586BS, 394BG, 9AF USAAF. Crew #1.

  • Hazen Annis

    Military | Lieutenant Colonel | Pilot | 394th Bomb Group
    Assigned to 586BS, 394BG, 9AF USAAF. Crew #3.

  • William Ardiff

    Military | Sergeant | Radio / Gunner | 394th Bomb Group
    Assigned to 586BS, 394BG, 9AF USAAF. Crew #4.

  • Eber Arnold

    Military | First Lieutenant | Pilot | 394th Bomb Group
    Assigned to 586BS, 394BG, 9AF USAAF. Failed to Return (FTR) mission to Haltern, hit by flak crashed Haltern, Germany 22-Mar-45 Killed in Action (KIA) MACR 13040 Awards: PH.

  • Jacob Arzouian

    Military | Corporal | Radio / Gunner | 394th Bomb Group
    Assigned to 586BS, 394BG, 9AF USAAF. Fatal Mid Air Collision over Epinoy, crashed in 42-96207 No MACR as accident Killed in Action (KIA). 18-Dec-44. Awards: PH.

  • Charles Atkinson

    Military | Private | Gunner | 394th Bomb Group
    Shot down by Anti Aircraft fire on April 20, 1944 on Mission No. 13, a 36 plane mission to destroy construction works at Bois de Esquerdes, France. B-26 42-96042 Killed in Action (KIA) MACR 4218 Awards: PH.

  • Weldon Babin

    Military | Second Lieutenant | Pilot | 394th Bomb Group
    Assigned to 586BS, 394BG, 9AF USAAF. Failed to Return (FTR) mission to Dassburg rail bridge in B-26 43-34300 left formation shortly after IP, last seen vicinity of Ettelbruck. 23-Jan-45. Killed in Action (KIA) MACR 11924 Awards: PH.

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Aircraft

  • 42-107682

    B-26 Marauder

  • 42-96061 'Heavens Above'

    B-26 Marauder
    Assigned to 584BS, 394BG, 9AF USAAF. Failed to Return (FTR) bombing mission to marshalling yards Prum, Germany. Hit in the port engine, failed to feather and windmilled till it came away from the nacelle, causing the A/C to go into an uncontrollable...

  • 42-96213 'Sheboygan Redskin'

    B-26 Marauder
    Assigned to 586BS, 394BG, 9AF USAAF. Failed to Return (FTR) mission to Haltern, hit by flak in wing and in cockpit crashed Haltern, Germany 22-Mar-45 3 x POW, 3 x KIA MACR 13040

  • 43-34300

    B-26 Marauder
    Assigned to 586BS, 394BG, 9AF USAAF. Failed to Return (FTR) mission to Dassburg rail bridge left formation shortly after IP, last seen vicinity of Ettelbruck. 23-Jan-45. 6 x KIA MACR 11924

  • 43-34456 Mil Bi Fe

    B-26 Marauder
    Assigned to 586BS, 394BG, 9AF USAAF. Failed to Return (FTR) mission to Goy hit by flak in starboard wing crashed Gey, Germany 18-Nov-44 8 x (KIA) MACR 10465 ...

  • 42-96252

    B-26 Marauder
    Assigned to 585BS, 394BG, 9AF USAAF [4 x combat missions]. Transferred to 586BS [66 x combat missions]. Slated for Ahrweiler raid. Engine failure caused single engine down wind landing, ran off runway, nosewheel collapsed, 23-Dec-44. Pilot Lt Harold S...

  • 44-68161 'Slow Starter'

    B-26 Marauder
    Assigned to 586BS, 394BG, 9AF USAAF.

  • 42-96042

    B-26 Marauder
    Assigned to 386BS, 394BG, 9AF USAAF. Shot down by Anti Aircraft fire 20-Apr-44 on Mission No. 13, a 36 plane mission to destroy construction works at Bois de Esquerdes, France. 1 x POW, 6 x KIA MACR 4218

  • 43-34212

    B-26 Marauder
    Assigned to 586BS, 394BG, 9AF USAAF. Fatal Mid Air Collision over Epinoy, crashed pilot 1st Lt William E Cook.

  • 42-96207

    B-26 Marauder
    Assigned to 586BS, 394BG, 9AF USAAF. Fatal Mid Air Collision over Epinoy, crashed pilot 2Lt George W Clearwater Jr KIA 18-Dec-44.

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Number
161
Known as
Not yet known
Construction date
Not yet known
USAAF from date
Not yet known
USAAF to date
Not yet known
Closure date
Not yet known

Revisions

Date Contributor Update
08 March 2017 16:44:52 SavvyGA Changes to description
Sources

Paragraph break added
Date Contributor Update
08 March 2017 16:43:48 SavvyGA Changes to description
Sources

Added aircraft type.
Date Contributor Update
08 March 2017 16:42:05 SavvyGA Changes to description
Sources

Added police helicopter use.
Date Contributor Update
27 September 2014 18:02:16 AAM AAM ingest
Sources

Barry Anderson, Army Air Forces Stations (Alabama, 1985) / Roger Freeman, Airfields of the Ninth Then and Now (London, 1994)

Roger Freeman, Mighty Eighth War Manual (London, 2001)

Michael Bowyer, Action Stations 1: Wartime Military Airfields of East Anglia 1939-1945 (Cambridge, 1979)

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