Please see press release below:-
Any one in the area welcome to attend!

RAF Debden Battle of Britain role remembered

Memorial to British and American fighter aces unveiled

A memorial to Royal Air Force and American Air Force aircrew who flew from RAF Debden during WW2 will be unveiled and dedicated on Saturday 19 September. The event coincides with national commemorations to mark the 75th anniversary of the Battle of Britain in which RAF Debden played a key role as part of 11 Fighter Group.

William Clark, a WW2 veteran who learnt to fly the Hurricane at RAF Debden, will carry out the unveiling. Officers representing the Royal Air Force and the United States Air Force and civic heads will attend the event along with service personnel and civilians who served at the former airbase.

The event is open to the public. WW2 aircraft may be on show and a possible flypast is planned.

Memorial ground
A new memorial ground has been created on the perimeter of the former airfield, now part of Carver Barracks, home of 33 and 101 Engineer Regiments EOD. The barracks are located at Wimbish, Saffron Walden, Essex, CB10 2YA.

The memorial ground fronts the original north-south runway, which can clearly be seen stretching away into the distance. In addition to the new memorial is a commemorate stone to the US 4th Fighter Group which operated from the base between 1942 and 1945. The third element of the memorial ground is the recently-discovered Pickett-Hamilton Fort, a concrete pill box that can be raised mechanically, one of four designed to defend the runways.

The memorial ground will become a central feature of a heritage trail being devised to tell the story of RAF Debden. This will include the old operations room, which still exists and, it is hoped, will be restored much as it was during the Battle of Britain.

Fighter aces
RAF Debden played a crucial role defending the South East of England and London during WW2 and especially during the Battle of Britain. Among the fighter aces who served at RAF Debden was Squadron Leader Peter Townsend, who commanded 85 Squadron.

The event is a tribute to Keith Braybrooke, the author of ‘Wingspan’ that tells the history of the base, who has campaigned for the memorial. Until now there has been nothing to mark the presence of RAF Fighter Command. Sadly, Keith died last year but knew that a memorial, which he campaigned for and whose inscription he provided, would be built. Keith was made an honorary member of 4th Fighter Group.

More/2/ RAF Debden

The memorial has been paid for by Uttlesford District Council and designed and constructed by local memorial masons Whitehead & Day. The memorial ground has been created by the Royal Engineers who are in the process of establishing the heritage trail.
The memorial also contains the names of RAF Technical Training Command (1946-1960) and the RAF Police Depot (1960-1975).

The unveiling and dedication will take place on the afternoon of Saturday
19 September. Parking for the public will be provided at Carver Barracks from 1pm and the unveiling ceremony is due to commence at approximately 2.30pm with the arrival of William Clark aboard a Harvard, a plane used to train pilots before they graduated to Spitfires and Hurricanes.