WONZ 298 – Wings Over Britain: RAF Hunsdon

The Wings Over New Zealand Show

Guest: Denis Sharp and Jim Cosgrove

Host: Dave Homewood

Recorded: 27th of July 2023

Published: 18th of February 2024

Duration: 1 hour minutes, seconds

In this episode of Wings Over Britain Dave Homewood is given a guided tour of the remains of former RAF Hunsdon by local historians Denis Sharp and Jim Cosgrove on a drizzly day. Hunsdon was a wartime airfield in Hertfordshire that was home to several wartime squadrons and units. These included No. 487 (NZ) Squadron with their Mosquito fighter-bombers alongside No. 464 Squadron RAAF and No. 21 Squadron RAF, which together formed No. 140 Wing.

The No. 140 Wing Mosquitoes took off from here to make the famous attack on the Amiens prison in northern France, in an attempt to release hundreds of members of the French Resistance who were being held prisoner by the Gestapo.

Another New Zealand squadron that spent a short time at Hunsdon was No. 488 (NZ) Squadron, before they deployed to the Continent with their night fighter Mosquitoes.

It was also home at various periods to No. 3 Squadron RAF with their Hurricanes, and the Hunsdon Wing which was made up from No. 611 (West Lancashire) Squadron, No. 154 (Motor Industry) Squadron and No. 442 (Caribou) Squadron, RCAF.

These days most of the buildings and structures have disappeared, but the airfield remains active with a small flying club with light aircraft and microlights. A memorial to those who served there can be found next to the flying club.

Quick Links:
• Hertfortshire Airfields Memorial Group’s page on RAF Hunsdon
• RAF Hunsdon on Wikipedia
• Hunsdon Village’s page on RAF Hunsdon
• WONZ Episode 62 – The Amiens Prison Raid 70th Anniversary Special from 10 years earlier

Jim Cosgrove, left, and Denis Sharp, right, with the RAF Hunsdon Memorial.

A 1943 aerial of RAF Hunsdon, taken from the HAMG page.

A 1946 aerial shot overlayed onto Google Earth image, taken from the HAMG page.

Denis Sharp on the perimeter track with the wartime footprints.