The Hertfordshire Airfield Memorial Group

In 2004 a few friends with a common interest formed the Hertfordshire Airfield Memorial Group. The aim of the group was to place a memorial on the site of RAF Hunsdon in addition to the existing fine plaque previously placed on the wall of the local village hall by the local parish council and history society. We wanted to see a more substantial structure on the actual airfield itself and set about gaining permission and raising funds to enable this to take place. Planning, research and gaining permission from the landowners and Gilston Parish council took just on a year while we fundraised by holding talk evenings and giving talks to local history societies and clubs. We found as many former RAF Hunsdon ground and aircrew as we could and invitations were sent out to the relevant Air Attache's from Canada, New Zealand, Australia and the most senior RAF Officer we could get. Two flypasts were arranged, Morris Hammond who opened the proceedings in a P-51 Mustang..one of the last types of aircraft that operated from Hunsdon in 1945, and the Battle Of Britain Memorial Flights mighty Avro Lancaster did a few low passes after the dedication ceremony. About 500 people witnessed the day with many notable attendee's. We were especially pleased to have Relatives of Group Captain Pickard and the brother of his Navigator Alan Broadley, Branse Burbridge, the top scoring RAF Night Fighter pilot. Both sons of Group Captain Peter Townsend CVO DFC DFO and Bar, Giles and Hugo along with Hugo's wife the Princess de Ligny. The remaining members of the Mosquito Aircrew Association , Squadron Leader Tom Bennet DFC, former 617 Squadron Navigator leader and so many more. Hunsdon Airfield Memorial Location Hunsdon Airfield Memorial Hunsdon Airfield Memorial Without hesitation we went straight into fundraising and planning for a memorial to be placed at another Hertfordshire airfield, namely the former RAF Sawbridgeworth. With kind permission of the landowner Mr David Morris, this one was placed right next to the old main gate onto the airfield and in front of the Stations Guardroom that still stands there. This memorial was built in brick and contains a propellor blade from a P-51 Mustang, a type that saw service with 2 Squadron who were based for much of the war at this airfield. two former 2 Squadron pilots, Doug Reich and Ivor Harris, both who were shot down and taken Prisoner Of War, and The then Commanding Officer of 2 Squadron, Wing Commander Andrew Hines also attended the event. In 2012 We commissioned a large Black Indian Granite plaque that bears the names of the 126 airmen who lost their lives flying from RAF Hunsdon. This is based on the diligent research that took member Jim Cosgrove several years to complete, and indeed is still ongoing in the respect of finding and documenting the photographs of these airmen. This addition to the existing memorial also had it own dedication ceremony, again with the attendance of the Air Attache's from Canada, New Zealand, and Australia. The RAF was represented too by Air Commodore Gary Waterfall with over 300 people attending. The idea for our first crash site memorial came about during a visit from Canada by John Vautour. John was in the UK and holiday with his wife and expressed a desire to visit the airfield where his Uncle Gerry had flown from. Royal Canadian Air Force pilot Gerry Vautour and his fellow countryman Navigator Wally Mitchell died in June 1944 when their aircraft hit high ground when losing height in very bad weather prior to landing at RAF Hunsdon. We first took the couple to the crash site at Little Hallingbury on the way to the airfield, but John was unaware that the site of his uncles death was so near and it was a very moving moment when the couple stood almost on the site of the crash. Upon returning to the car John made a chance remark of 'isn't it a shame there is nothing to mark the spot' It was this remark that set Jim and I off to arrange a fitting memorial in the four months before the 75th anniversary of that tragic crash. John, with his sister Lise travelled back from Canada in June 2019 especially for the service of dedication that we arranged with help and support from the community of Little Hallingbury, Essex. The entire service was was filmed by a professional film production company and can be viewed below or on Youtube at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fGWZtJxwm3I&t=403s Vautour - Mitchell Crash Site Memorial Location Vautour - Mitchell Crash Vautour - Mitchell Crash Site Memorial Crew Plaque Our second air crew memorial took place in July 2021 and is very near the crash site of another of Hunsdons nightfighter Mosquitos that crashed during a routine air test in July 1943 prior to combat operations later that night. P/O Jobling and his Navigator P/O TW Weston both lost their lives just a short distance from their airfield. This site and its story holds a special interest for Jim Cosgrove as Jim was instrumental in bringing the two sons who share their fathers names together years before at the Hunsdon Airfield memorial day back in 2005. Both sons had expressed an interest in seeing a memorial placed near the spot and we are happy to say that now that has been completed. Jobling-Weston Aircrew Memorial Jobling-Weston Aircrew Memorial Jobling-Weston Aircrew Memorial Jobling-Weston Aircrew Memorial Jobling-Weston Aircrew Memorial Little Hallingbury Mosquito Crash Commemoration, 2019 A Film By QU Studios

Sawbridgeworth Airfield Location Sawbridgeworth Airfield Location