That Missing RAF Eastchurch Airfield.
 

For those familiar with RAF airfields in Kent that were involved in the Battle Of Britain, RAF Eastchurch, on the Ilse Of Sheppey (in top left corner on the Dover / Kent map) isn't used in the game.

However, after a 666 Squadron "tour the airfields" formation landing and takeoff jaunt, yesterday evening, we had a look around for it, over the Ilse Of Sheppey.

On checking the RAF airfield maps in a Battle Of Britain book, I landed on a kinked long rectangular field right next to and east of the villiage of Eastchurch. On checking with Google Earth today, this field actiually exists and is all that is left of RAF Eastchurch, though the facilities to the north west and south east are now industrial premises.

Eastchurch isn't listed as a fighter station in my book, as far as I can make out, but may have been a private flying club airfield commandeered for RAF use. The chances are that Eastchurch was just an emergency / auxilary airfield with no squadrons based there and limited facilities.

The airstrip is there, though of no relavent use in the game.

For those who were involved in the "expedition", that was RAF Eastchurch's airfield we flew over and some of us landed on.

Eastchurch was primarily a Coastal Command airfield during the BoB. It was used briefly by 266 Squadron (Spitfires) who were caught on the ground there on 13th August 1940 (Eagle day). This resulted in severe damage and the Airfield wasn't used by Fighter Command again during the battle.

You guys really gotta tell me when your doing that stuff so i can join in on the fun. I haven't flown with you guys for a while.

In a similar vain, I was playing in a cta game when the opposition all quit and whilst waiting for the timer to run out we went for a fly about and managed to reach France and even land!! If you fly directly out from manston then you reach the French coast quite quickly and providing you don't get the return to battlefield can fly around. We couldnt find the 'hypermarche' sadly so came back without booze for the mess!

It would have been nice if they'd included an historical raid such as bombing the invasion barges at Callais, though Blenhiems would have to substitute for Fairey Battles.

By the time of the BoB, all the Fairey Battles were transfered to Coastal Command for anti-shipping and raids on German coastal instalations. As such operations required a fighter escort, the chances are that Eastchurch was a home for CC Fairey Battles.

The Fleet Air Arm's contribution during the BoB is eclipsed by the RAF. In September 1940 two Royal Navy F4-F Martlets, From Portsmouth, scrambled and shot down a lone Ju-88 raider / recce bomber, making the first kill for a US built warplanes in WW2. Before anybody points out that the French were flying P-36 Hawks, no actual kills were recorded by the FAF and most were abandoned and captured by the Germans as they over ran the airfields in May 1940.

Land based Royal Navy Sea Gladiators and Martlets also acted as reserves and patrolled over the Channel.

The first RAF kill of the war was done by a Lockheed Hudson, it shot down a dornier flying boat.

OK first US fighter kill, according to the book.

Oddly enough the Belgians and the French both had US build fighters, some still in crates. The Germans found Brewster Buffaloes still in crates at the dockyard warehouse, which ended up as Luftwaffe trainers or sold to the Fins.

The french Curtis P-36 A-4 Hawks were sold to the Fins also and suplemented their existing P-36 A-3 Hawks.

i cant find the airfeild help

ANyone want to show me this this week. I think this would be a good target for that B-17 mission jack is hosting saturday.

The villiage of Eastchurch, on the BOP map, is just south of the middle of the Isle Of Sheppy in the top left corner of the Dover and Canturbury maps.

Now there is a long field that ends with the west end next to East Church villiage with a few large buildings under the trees on the north and south east ends.

On Google Earth, this field also exists and the buildings are industrial today.

There are also some old hangar sized indiustrial buildings, shown on Google Earth, to the north of the villiage a few hundred yards from the large field.

In BOP and from ariel pictures, the large field with trees flanking the north and south sides and the villiage on the west side exist.

Fly around and you'll spot it.

Landing on it is easy as the field length is longer that Hawkinge or Pimperne.