100th Anniversary of North Weald Airfield and Somme Vigil

[Fovant]

This year is the 100th Anniversary of the setting up of an RFC Landing Ground at North Weald Bassett in 1916. The first unit based at the Airfield was 39 (Home Defence) Squadron flying BE2s first of all and later Bristol Fighters. Wulstan Tempest shot down Zeppelin L31 on 1/2 October 1916 over Potters Bar flying a BE2c. Our other notable success was by Anthony Arkell and Albert Stagg shot down a Gotha bomber on the night of 19/20 May 1918 over East Ham in a Bristol Fighter. The Bristol Fighter at Duxford was a 39 Squadron machine from North Weald.

 

Our longest serving unit was 56 Squadron, which arrived in 1927 and finally departed in 1941. The Hawker Hurricane in the Science Museum serves at North Weald with this squadron. The Hurricane at Brooklands served with 249 and 71 (Eagle) Squadrons at North Weald. The BBMF Spitfire Vb, AB910 was with 222 Squadron at the Airfield in 1941. Our Gate Guardian Hurricane represents an aircraft which flew with 56 and 249 Squadrons and was shot down durong the Battle of Britain.

 

Our final operational unit was 111 Squadron, with its famous formation team – the Black Arrows.

 

 

 

The Airfield is also hosting Epping Forest District Council's Battle of the Somme Overnight Vigil on Thursday 30 June and Friday 1 July. For this event we have created a section of trench, which will form the centrepiece of the overnight vigil from sunset and an ecumenical service at H-Hour (07:30) on Friday morning for the local community. It will be manned by five Team members  WW1 infantry uniforms.

 

We are also holding an exhibition created by the Epping Forest Museum and the Royal Gunpowder Mills (RGM) in the Control Tower, which shows the effect of the war on the local community around the district. This is on for the rest of the week and entry is free.

 

We have already had several visitors whose family members fought on the Somme. One lady's great uncle was a Lewis gunner who was killed. Another lady'ds father fought through the battle and survived the war.

 

Yesterday we held a photo shoot with a couple of members of the Ops Team dressed as infantrymen. The Vickers Machine Gun was supplied by the RGM. We have limited resources so the trench is the best we can do. It has already flooded several times and we have bailed it out. The labour creating it has been fairly backbreaking in the heavy London clay, so although we have not been under fire, we have got an idea of what was involved on the front line!

 

Our poppy bed has also been planted again and is currently in bloom.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Fovant]

On Thursday 30 June the Somme commemoration started with members of the Ops Team who were dressed as WW1 infantrymen. Waiting for Zero Hour must have been terrible in the trenches, and we counted down the minutes until the symbolic brazier was lit by Deputy Chairman and North Weald Councillor Dave Stallan to start our overnight vigil.

 

 

 

 

 

 

The brazier was kept burning through the night.

 

 

 

 

We also filmed readings from a diary of a local soldier who was wounded on the Somme in 1918.

 

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nw6DcgiNn5w&feature=youtu.be

 

At 07:28, the sound of gunfire for two minutes heralded the start of our service of commemoration, which was led by Fr James Rodley from St Andrew's Church, and included a mixture of readings, hymns and poetry. Those taking part included EFDC Chairman Jeane Lea, local Royal British Legion Secretary John Duffel, the Revd Stephen Cotterill, Bishop of Chelmsford, and members of the Airfield Ops Team. After the ceremony, many members of the local community took time to view our trench and the exhibition in the Control Tower.  We also welcomed a school party from Cambridge, who are off to the Somme this week.