RAF

John Freeborn obituary

Posted 3 September, 2010 - 23:00 by Bill Aitken

Sadly the death of Wing Commander John Freeborn has been announced. Read the obituary in the Yorkshire Post.

I first got to know John Freeborn, in 2003, through a visitor to the North Weald Airfield Museum. The visitor’s cousin, Roy Smith, had been a neighbour of John’s when they both lived in Spain. I got in touch with Roy and invited him and John to our house in North Weald where my wife and I were living at that time.

As we settled down in the lounge I asked John if he had ever been to North Weald before. His answer was an emphatic “never”. He had blanked it out until recently. The difficult question then was, did he want to visit North Weald Parish Churchyard. Roy said yes. This was one of the most emotional days I can remember. There was Roy, my wife and I, with John looking at the grave of Hulton–Harrop, the man he shot down, on instruction from his Flight Leader. On the Battle of Barking Creek page there is a photograph of John looking at the grave, taken by my wife, Elaine.

I think this visit, along with visits to the Museum and the Squadron Club, where he received warm welcomes, gave John closure.

We became good friends of John’s and he visited our house again and was invited to become an Honorary Member of the Museum.

Memorably, whenever we went to Australia to visit our daughter, which we did about every nine months, we would send John a postcard. He always replied, thanking us, with a two page hand written letter.

Bill Aitken

Chipmunks and forced landings - Gp. Capt. Peter Moore

Posted 13 July, 2010 - 12:52 by Anonymous

"I first took to the air at RAF North Weald in August 1963. While the jets had long gone, there was still a small RAF presence that included No 614 Volunteer Gliding School of the Air Cadets.

Somewhere around mid-1964, the regular RAF withdrew but the VGS remained for a short while longer, until it was relocated to RAF Debden. North Weald continued to be listed as an emergency diversion airfield until a few years later - probably 1967/68, after which it disappeared from RAF publications.

In the summer of 1968, when the army occupied the base for a short period, I escorted another RAF Chipmunk that was making a forced landing on the airfield. That aircraft had run short of oil and North Weald was a far better alternative than a farmer's field. The army were less than welcoming, but eventually another Chipmunk arrived with a supply of oil from our base at RAF Manston and the three aircraft set off for home. The pilot of the Chipmunk that ran out of oil went on to be a senior captain flying the A330 with Dragonair and I ended up commanding RAF Cranwell.

I believe that 614 VGS still exists at MOD Wethersfield and, no doubt, has a history that covers its happy times at North Weald."

Peter Moore, July 2010



North Weald Airfield History replies:
Many thanks to Peter Moore for getting in touch. If anyone has further stories about the No 614 Volunteer Gliding School, or North Weald in general, please let us know.

What to see

North Weald Airfield Museum is all about the service personnel and civilians who have lived, worked, flown, fought and died here since the airfield opened in 1916.

The museum sets out to tell the story of a famous airfield that has protected London during two world wars.  The story is told in displays, with photographs, artefacts and personal memories.

The NWAMA Collection is housed in the former RAF North Weald Station Office. The extensive collection of photographs and artefacts is displayed in theme rooms that tell the story of the airfield and its people from 1916 to the present day.  It is without doubt one of the best documented former RAF stations. There is access to an extensively researched history of the airfield.

The Battle of Britain Room commemorates this historic event in a manner that recognises the debt owed by us all. 39 aircrew were killed flying from RAF North Weald and many more were died on the ground as a result of the hundreds of bombs that were dropped on the airfield and the local community.

In 1941, before America entered the war, two American "Eagle" Squadrons, 71 and 121, were stationed here. These were followed in 1942 by 331 and 332 Squadrons of the Royal Norwegian Air Force who stayed for more than two years.

After WW2 the station was home to the renowned 72 Squadron, 604 County of Middlesex Squadron, 601 City of London Squadron and the famous Treble One (Black Arrows) Squadron.

Continuing the story through the Cold War period, the advent of the new jet age is documented, as are the "North Weald Air Shows". The RAF left North Weald in 1958, but North Weald is still an active airfield, used by a wide variety of aircraft.

A unique Obelisk erected in 1952 by the people of Norway, to show their gratitude to the people of North Weald, is now incorporated in the RAF North Weald Memorial. The Obelisk commemorates the Norwegian airmen who were based at the airfield during the Second World War and the Memorial commemorates all those who served. The museum tells the story.

North Weald Parish Church stands in open countryside near one corner of the airfield. It is a moving experience to visit the graveyard. Here are graves of some of the airmen, and other service personnel, killed in enemy attacks on the airfield or after having taken off from North Weald. The first airman killed during WWII took off in a Hurricane from North Weald, three days after the outbreak of war and was shot down in the Battle of Barking Creek. His is the first grave in the rows of WWII graves. Peter Robinson whose family story is on this web site is buried here, second from the left in the second row of WWII graves.

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