RAF High Halden - History

History

The USAAF Ninth Air Force required several temporary Advanced Landing Ground (ALG) along the channel coast prior to the June 1944 Normandy invasion to provide tactical air support for the ground forces landing in France.

High Halden was a prototype for the type of temporary airfield which would be built in France after D-Day, when the need advanced landing fields would become urgent as the Allied forces moved east across France and Germany. It was originally planned to support light bombers and thereby would need a bomb store near the site. However, in a review of airfield building plans, this original requirement was dropped so High Halden was of similar specification to other ALGs in the district.

The airfield was constructed by an RAF construction unit in the summer of 1943, the main runway of 4,440 ft being aligned 04/22 and the secondary of 3,840 ft at 11/29. These strips and a partial perimeter track, were all surfaced with steel wire Sommerfeld Tracking.

The airfield was initially held in reserve but, when allocated for use by a Ninth Air Force fighter group, No. 5003 ACS moved in to carry out additional work. Marshalling areas of square mesh metal were laid at the runway ends and runway intersections were replaced with the same material. The perimeter track was extended and additional aircraft hardstands were fashioned Pierced Steel Planks, raising the total number of hardstands to 72.

There were also two refueling pads which doubled as aircraft standings and two Blister hangars, all on the south side of the landing ground. A large steel-frame, canvas-covered hangar was erected which was used as an armoury and workshop. Tents were used for billeting and also for support facilities; an access road was built to the existing road infrastructure; a dump for supplies, ammunition, and gasoline drums, along with a drinkable water and minimal electrical grid for communications and station lighting.