North Weald Airfield Museum is a registered charity, No 1081157. Run and staffed by volunteers.
The Battle Of Britain 1940
The Battle for Britain began during the spring and summer of 1940 with the Luftwaffe targeting coastal towns and shipping. The North Weald
squadrons quickly became heavily involved in fierce encounters with the Germans and many good men were killed. Everybody at the airfield felt
the losses intensely, but under Beamish's command the station pulled together to do whatever was necessary to give the pilots the best possible
chance in combat.
This, and similar situations like it at other fighter stations, was one of the reasons why the Luftwaffe turned its attention to the destruction of the
RAF's airfields in the next phase of the battle.
The first major raids on RAF North Weald took place on the afternoon of 24 August, when more than 200 bombs fell on North Weald. At around
4.30pm German bombers and fighters, harassed by the defending RAF Hurricanes, headed for the airfield at around 15,000 feet and proceeded
to drop bombs "in a straight line through the western part of the village across the Epping to Ongar road" before hitting the airfield itself.
The
Officers
Mess,
the
Officers
and
Airman's
Married
Quarters,
a
powerhouse
and
other
facilities
were
damaged.
Nine
young
members
of
the
Essex
Regiment,
who
were
attached
to
the
airfield
for
ground
defence,
were
among
those
killed
that
day.
In
North
Weald
High
Road,
the
old
Post
Office, a cottage opposite the Kings Head and the Woolpack Pub were wrecked.
On 3 September, just as the fighters were taking off, the
Luftwaffe again bombed North Weald. The damage was
substantial with aircraft, hangars, living quarters, the
operations room and other station buildings destroyed -
leaving 5 people dead and 39 injured.
The attacks exacerbated the exhaustion that all at the
airfield felt, but Beamish was an inspiration throughout.
Indeed, he flew regularly with No 46 Squadron and was
awarded the DSO in recognition of his leadership skills.
Mid-September brought an opportunity for the station to catch its breath when the German attacks on airfields abated. But it was not long
before the fighters were again in demand to combat German raids over London. Throughout this period, North Weald played a pivotal role in the
struggle to keep the skies above the capital clear of enemy aircraft. Losses were heavy, but many in North Weald thought that at least the threat
to the airfields had passed..
Sadly, they were wrong, for on 29 October, just a few days before the Battle of Britain ended, the station was bombed again,, killing six and
wounding 42. This attack was an agonising end to a defensive battle that had seen North Weald and her resident squadrons emerge with a great
deal of credit.
Thirty-nine aircrew from North Weald and its satellite airfield at Stapleford Tawney were killed during the "Battle of Britain period" [officially 10
July - 31 October]. But thanks to them and their comrades, on the ground and in the air, the airfield was never put out of action.