Airfield Construction Branch RAF
| Airfield Construction Branch | |
|---|---|
 |
|
| Active | 1939 - 1 April 1966 |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Role | Civil engineering and airfield construction / repair |
| Disbanded | 1 April 1966 |
The RAF Airfield Construction Branch constructed and repaired runways, hard-standings, buildings and other facilities as required by the Royal Air Force in the United Kingdom and overseas.
Having gained consent from the French authorities, in 1939, to establish Flying Training Schools in France, the next step was to construct aerodromes. The RAF approached the army and were rebuffed. As a consequence, No. 1 Air Ministry Works Unit was established. Its aim was to manage these construction projects, with French and Belgian civil engineering companies carrying out the construction. The unit was evacuated to the UK following the Fall of France in June 1940.
The unit was occupied in overseeing runway repairs for the rest of that year, with some assistance in filling craters being provided by the Royal Pioneer Corps. The latter were withdrawn at the end of 1940, which resulted in the RAF forming Nos. 1 & 2 Works Squadrons. By the end of 1941, this had grown to six squadrons and, in July 1942, these units were officially titled the RAF Works Service.
The service had grown to 19 squadrons and was re-titled RAF Airfield Construction Service in May 1943. The Service was now grouped into Wings, each wing consisting of four squadrons; one plant and three construction. The organisation grew to a point where it employed 30,000 people. It became clear that, when a second front opened in Northern Europe, there would be a need for the services of the ACS to deploy overseas. Acknowledging this, the RAF created No. 85 (Base) Group HQ at the end of 1943, and allocated five of the seven Wings to this Group, which deployed to Normandy after D-Day. It was perceived that the Luftwaffe would not be idle following the landings, and the two remaining wings were to be used repairing damage from Luftwaffe attrition raids. In preparation for the landings, in 1943, the RAF Airfield Construction Service built 23 Advanced Landing Grounds in Southern England.
The first overseas deployment was in May 1942 in Iceland, with 5201 Squadron being formed for that task. Similarly, the requirement to build and maintain an airstrip in the Azores saw the formation of 5020 Squadron in September 1943. An eighth Wing (5358) was created for deployment to the Far East, alongside 5353 Wing.
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