RAF Chipping Ongar

RAF Chipping Ongar RAF Willingale USAAF Station AAF-162
Chipping Ongar Airfield - 21 June 1947 in a reserve status.
IATA: none ICAO: none
Summary
Airport type	Military
Owner	Air Ministry
Operator	Royal Air Force United States Army Air Forces
Location	Chipping Ongar, Essex, England
Built	1942 (1942)
In use	1942-1959 (1959)
Elevation AMSL	253 ft / 77 m
Coordinates	51°43′30″N 000°17′19″E / 51.72500°N 0.28861°E / 51.72500; 0.28861Coordinates: 51°43′30″N 000°17′19″E / 51.72500°N 0.28861°E / 51.72500; 0.28861
Map
RAF Chipping Ongar Location in Essex
Runways
Direction Length Surface ft m 02/20 6,00 0 Asphalt 04/22 4,200 0 Asphalt 10/28 4,200 0 Asphalt

Royal Air Force Chipping Ongar or more simply RAF Chipping Ongar is a former Royal Air Force station located 2 miles (3.2 km) northeast of Chipping Ongar; about 20 miles (32 km) northeast of London.

Opened in 1943, it was used by both the Royal Air Force (RAF) and United States Army Air Forces (USAAF). During the war it was used primarily as a bomber airfield. After the war it was closed in 1959 after many years of being a reserve airfield.

Today the remains of the airfield are located on private property being used as agricultural fields.

The airfield was opened in the early spring of 1943 and was used by the United States Army Air Forces Eighth and Ninth Air Forces.

Chipping Ongar was known as USAAF Station AAF-162 for security reasons by the USAAF during the war, and by which it was referred to instead of location. It's USAAF Station Code was "JC".

USAAF Station Units assigned to RAF Chipping Ongar were:

Parts of the airfield were still under construction when the 387th Bombardment Group (Medium) arrived from Goodman AAF, Kentucky on 25 June 1943. The group was assigned to the 3d Bomb Wing and flew B-26B/C Marauders. Operational squadrons of the 387th were:

The 387th Bomb Group began combat on 15 August 1943 by joining with three other B-26 groups attacking coastal defences on the French Coast near Boulogne, and was mounted in thick fog. In common with other Marauder units of the 3d Bomb Wing, the 387th was transferred to Ninth Air Force on 16 October 1943.

The 387th Bomb Group moved to RAF Stoney Cross in Hampshire on 21 July 1944 when Ninth Air Force moved the 98th Bomb Wing's four Marauder groups into the New Forest area at the earliest opportunity to place them closer to the French Normandy Invasion beaches.