There are clues to the existence of a World War 2 airfield in Bradwell on Sea. The unusual memorial, the main runway, the control tower, blister hangars. The only place open to the public is the memorial, which was added in the 1980s to commemorate the sacrifice of many aircrews.
While playing an essential role in WW2 it does not get the mention of other WW2 airbases in history books. There has been some research in the past, but this has not been a coordinated or published study. Following the Covid epidemic, the RAF Bradwell Bay Preservation Group was formed in November 2020 with the aim of preserving the rich history of the airbase. An eventual aim is to have a museum close to the memorial.
Intensive study since 2020 has developed into a huge archive telling the many stories of the base. We have the base Operational Record Book and the Operational Record Book of every squadron that served at RAF Bradwell Bay. All of these documents have been transcribed into Word documents by volunteer Sue Hilton. A massive task that took over a year to complete.
We welcome enquiries and can be contacted via our Contact Page.
Daughter and Granddaughter, from Canada, of a 418 Wireless Op/Air gunner killed on a test flight, also on board was a 17 year old ATC cadet from Maldon 1207 Sqn.