RAF Ashford
Royal Air Force Ashford or more simply RAF Ashford is a former Royal Air Force List of former [Royal Air Force stations|Advanced Landing Ground] in Kent, England. The landing ground is located approximately west of Ashford just south of the A28 near the junction with Old Surrenden Manor Road.
Opened in 1943, Ashford was one of several prototypes for the temporary Advanced Landing Ground airfields built in France after D-Day, required as the Allied forces moved east across France and Germany. It was used by British, Dominion and the United States Army Air Forces. It was closed in September 1944.
Today the airfield is a mixture of agricultural fields with few recognisable remains.
History
The following units were also here at some point:- No. 129 Airfield Headquarters RAF
- List of [RAF Regiment units#2800-2899|No. 2817 Squadron RAF Regiment]
- No. 2880 Squadron RAF Regiment
- No. 3205 Servicing Commando
- No. 3206 Servicing Commando
- No. 3207 Servicing Commando
- No. 3209 Servicing Commando
United States Army Air Forces use
Ashford was known as USAAF Station AAF-417 for security reasons by the USAAF during the war, and by which it was referred to instead of location. Its USAAF Station Code was "AF".406th Fighter Group
On 5 April the airmen of the 406th Fighter Group arrived, having crossed the Atlantic by troopship. The group arrived from Congaree [Air National Guard Base|Congaree Army Airfield] South Carolina. Operational fighter squadrons and fuselage codes were:The 406th Fighter Group was part of the 303d [Fighter Wing (World War II)|303d Fighter Wing], XIX Tactical Air Command.
The 406th Fighter Group conducted its first operation on 9 May and was chiefly involved in fighter-bomber work. On 18 when the 513th started to use ALG A-13 at Tour-en-Bessin. The last remnants of the 406th departed RAF Ashford on 31 July.