Ridgewell Airfield Commemorative Museum
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RAF Bomber Command use
The airfield was opened in December 1942 and was first used by No. 90 Squadron of RAF Bomber Command, equipped with Short Stirling Bombers until May 1943, the station being at that time a satellite of RAF Stradishall.
USAAF use
RAF Ridgewell was the only long-term heavy bomber airfield of the Eighth Air Force in Essex. For United States Army Air Forces (USAAF) use, the number of hardstandings was increased to the fifty required by a US bomb group. The station was part of the 1st Combat Wing establishment of the 1st Division and was the furthest east of its thirteen heavy bomber stations.
It was assigned USAAF designation Station 167, station code RD.381st Bombardment Group
From 30 June 1943 the airfield was used by the USAAF 381st Bombardment Group (Heavy), arriving from Pueblo AAB, Colorado. Its tail code was Triangle-L. The 381st Bomb Group consisted of the following operational squadrons and fuselage codes:
532nd Bombardment Squadron (VE)
533nd Bombardment Squadron (VP)
534th Bombardment Squadron (GD)
535th Bombardment Squadron (MS)
Source Wikipedia
