RAF Matching

Infobox Military Structure
name= Royal Air Force Station Matching
Royal Air Force Station Matching Green
USAAF Station 166
location= Located Near Harlow, Essex, England
coordinates=coord|51|47|03|N|000|14|34|E|


caption= Matching airfield photographed in August 1943
type= Military airfield
code=MT
built=1943
builder=
materials=
height=
used=1944-1946
demolished=
condition=
ownership=
controlledby=United States Army Air Forces
Royal Air Force
garrison=Ninth Air Force
RAF Bomber Command
commanders=
occupants=391st Bombardment Group
No 38 Group
battles= European Theatre of World War II
Air Offensive, Europe July 1942 - May 1945 Location map|Essex
caption= RAF Matching, shown within Essex
lat= 51.78
long= 0.24
width= 200

RAF Matching (Matching Green) is a former World War II airfield in England located a mile north-east of Matching Green, five miles east of Harlow, in Essex. During World War II it was used by the Royal Air Force and United States Army Air Force Ninth Air Force.

Overview

Matching airfield was designed to be a Class A specification bomber airfield and was constructed during 1943 by the 834th and 840th Engineer Battalions (Aviation) of the United States Army. It was originally allocated to the USAAF by the Air Ministry in August 1942, and it was planned to be ready for use in the following spring. Due to various construction delays, it was not suitable for occupation until December 1943.

The airfield consisted of three runways of 6,000 ft (03-21), 4,200 ft (19-27), and 4,000 ft (14-32). 50 "Loop" hardstands were constructed. Two T-2 hangars were constructed along with accommodations for 2,282 personnel. In late 1944, the airfield was considered for enlargement with extended runways to accommodate Boeing B-29 Superfortresses for Very Heavy bomber use against Nazi Germany, but this plan was discarded with the end of the European war in May 1945.

USAAF Use

391st Bombardment Group

The first combat organisation, the 391st Bomb Group, arrived at Matching on 26 January 1944 from Goodman AAF, Kentucky flying Martin B-26 Marauders. Operational squadrons of the group were:

* 572d Bomb Squadron (P2)
* 573d Bomb Squadron (T6)
* 574th Bomb Squadron (4L)
* 575th Bomb Squadron (O8)

The group marking was a yellow triangle painted on the tail fin of their B-26s.

The first mission was flown on 15 February and 150 more were completed before the group moved into France in late September 1944. During the ensuing weeks the 391st bombed targets such as airfields, marshalling yards, bridges, and V-weapon sites in France and the Low Countries to help prepare for the invasion of Normandy. The group attacked enemy defenses along the invasion beaches on 6 and 7 Jun 1944. From June through September, the group continued cross-Channel operations, which included attacks on fuel dumps and troop concentrations in support of Allied forces during the breakthrough at St Lo in July 1944, and strikes on transportation and communications to block the enemy's retreat to the east.

A total of 20 B-26s were missing in action during the 391st's operations from Matching before the group moved onto the continent, transferring to Roye/Amy, France (ALG A-73) on 19 September 1944. The group then switched to Douglas A-26 Invaders and flew its last mission on 3 May 1945 from Asche, Belgium (ALG Y-29).

The 391st Bomb Group returned to the United States in October and was inactivated at Camp Shanks, New York on 25 October 1945.

With the move of the 391st to France, this was the end of Matching airfield's association with the Ninth Air Force as a combat airfield.

RAF Use

Douglas C-47 Skytrains of IX Troop Carrier Command were detached to Matching later in 1944 for exercises with British paratroops. The next occupants were the Short Stirlings of the training unit for the airborne force's squadrons which remained until 1946. Late in the war, the airfield was used by the following RAF units: No 3 Group Bomber Command No 38 Group.

In 1946 the airfield was closed and sold to private owners.

Civil Use

With the facility released from military control, it was rapidly returned to agricultural use and the concrete was soon removed for road hardcore but the hangar on the technical site survived for farm use. However, in the late 1980s the T-2 Hanagar was dismantled and re-erected at North Weald for Aces High where it was used for TV productions, including 'The Crystal Maze' set.

The control tower still stands a half century after it was built and for some years has been used for radar experiments by Cossor Electronics. Many remaining Nissen Huts and corregated roof buildings are now used for small industrial units, farming and storage along with the water tower.

Part of the main runway (03-21) that remains is now used as a public road and another surviving portion was used for heavy goods vehicle instruction. Many single-width sections of the perimeter track are used for agricultural vehicles. However very little of the runways of the former airfield survive.

A memorial plaque to the men of the 391st Bomb Group is housed in Matching Church.

ee also

* List of RAF stations
* USAAF Ninth Air Force - World War II
* 391st Bombardment Group

References

* Freeman, Roger A. (1994) UK Airfields of the Ninth: Then and Now 1994. After the Battle ISBN 0900913800
* Freeman, Roger A. (1996) The Ninth Air Force in Colour: UK and the Continent-World War Two. After the Battle ISBN 1854092723
* Maurer, Maurer (1983). Air Force Combat Units Of World War II. Maxwell AFB, Alabama: Office of Air Force History. ISBN 0892010924.
* ArmyAirForces.com 391st Bombardment Group http://www.armyairforces.com/dbgroups.asp?Group=212
* [http://home.att.net/~jbaugher/usafserials.html USAAS-USAAC-USAAF-USAF Aircraft Serial Numbers--1908 to present]

External links

* [http://www.multimap.com/map/photo.cgi?client=public&X=555000&Y=210000&width=700&height=400&gride=550000&gridn=210000&srec=0&coordsys=gb&db=freegaz&pc=&zm=0&scale=50000&multimap.x=334&multimap.y=51 Aerial Photo of current-day MatchingAirfield at multimap.com]
* [http://merlinsroared.tripod.com/id2.html USAAF Station 166 - Matching, Essex]