The airfield is Situated roughly 1 mile West North West of Sawbridgeworth town,with Shingle Hall Farm on its eastern side, and  Blounts Farm on its western edge. Mathams Wood lies to the north west, the whole site was encircled with a standard width perimeter track. no 'hard' runways were used.

In WW1 it was Originally a night landing ground that used land to the West of Shingle Hall. Under control of North Weald, the site was quite small at 31 acres. This was in use until November 1918 when it reverted to agriculture once more. Some peacetime flying by a gliding club saw its re-use during the late 1920's through to the middle of the 1930's.

 In 1937 an Advanced Landing Ground (ALG) was established to the North of the Much Hadham road near Mathams Wood. This consisted of a 43 acre site and named as Mathams Wood ALG. Further growth came with the foresight of Wing Commander AJW Geddes who was Officer Commanding II(AC) Squadron.

 II(AC) was an Army Co-Operation Squadron equipped with Westland Lysander aircraft. After the Squadron returned from France in 1940, it was decided that Mathams Wood ALG would be their home. W/C Geddes was responsible for making the changes to the airfield that resulted in the eventual size it became. The airfield grew in size with various ground units posted in for defence, and Great Hyde Hall was requisitioned as the HQ. Up to late 1940 the Air Ministry still referred the site as Mathams Wood ALG, but W/C Geddes in correspondence to the Air Ministry, referred to it as 'RAF Sawbridgeworth'. The Air Ministry were told that the ALG was being upgraded by local labour to suit the squadrons needs and the name stuck.

II(AC) squadron traded their Lysanders for the P-40 Curtiss Tomahawk for a while, until being equipped with the new North American P-51 Mustang. Called the Mustang 1 by the RAF. The squadron remained almost constantly at Sawbridgeworth until 1944.

 A "T2" Hanger was erected on the Shingle Hall site, with 16 blister hangers situated around the perimeter track of 40 feet wide. "Blenheim" type aircraft pens, of which the last remaining one appear's in the photo's, were located around the perimeter track.

 The flying control tower was situated near Shingle Hall, but was demolished after the war. Another six dispersed site's were built for accomodation mainly to the East.

The runways were Sommerfeld tracking with a Coir matting underlay on grass, and were arranged as thus; main runway 130°/310° at 1700 yards in length, secondary runway  060°/240° at 1400 yards in length and the third 010°/190°  at a length of 900 yards.

Airfield lighting was provided  of the 'Drem' type, The airfield was starting to be used less by the middle of 1944 due to the Invasion of the Continent, and flying ceased on the 10th of November 1944. The airfield closed officially in March 1947, the last remaining RAF non flying personnel had gone for good.

Not a great deal remains of Sawbridgeworth airfield today, but it has faired better than nearby Hunsdon in regard to many original buildings remaining on the technical site. This is due to the care and maintenance of those buildings by the Landowner Mr David Morris. 

  A little known fact is that in the late 60's the notorious police killer Harry Roberts, was finally caught living in one of the then remaining Blister hangers after having been on the run for weeks.

A brief list of Squadrons or flights to occupy Sawbridgeworth were;

2(AC) Squadron operating lysanders,Tomahawk 1's then Mustang 1's and were the principal squadron at Sawbridgeworth, This Squadron undertook Ops in support of the Army for photographic, spotting, and Message dropping flights.

63, 168 and 170 Squadrons(Mustang 1's)

4 Squadron (Mustangs, then later in 1944 with spitfire (PR),

4 Squadron B flight (Mosquito PR16).

80 Squadron (Spitfire 9b)

182 Squadron (Typhoon 1b)

268 Squadron (Tomahawk1/2 Lysander,Spitfire) A detachment to Sawbridgeworth whilst flying Mustang Mk.1 aircraft, commencing June 15, 1942, concluding about August 9, 1942.

126 Squadron (Spitfire 1Xe's)

1419 Flight, later to become 138 (SD) Squadron, with Lysanders.They also operated Whitley Bombers converted to the role of agent dropping. A Lockheed Hudson aircraft was also allocated to the Squadron, they were known to have used North Weald, Stapleford Abbots in Essex,  Stradishall and Newmarket in Suffolk  as operating bases.

(SD) and SOE, (Special Duties and Special Operation's Executive ) were involved in the clandestine operations that included dropping or landing trained agents in occupied Europe. Landing a range of aircraft in remote areas, sometimes right under the Germans noses. They also undertook supply drops of arms, ammunition, and explosives, for use by the resistance fighters. One of the most well known airfields for these types of operations was Tempsford in Bedfordshire, and its resident 161(SD) squadron. 138(SD) were also based there.

Lysander aircraft from 419,later 1419 flight used Sawbridgeworth for training, in fact the art of short landing by a simple three lamp flarepath, was perfected in the fields around Sawbridgeworth airfield by II(AC) squadrons aircraft.

Several 'long range air tests' were undertaken by Geddes and Scotter of II(AC), this suggests clandestine flights by 'black' Lysanders may well have taken place, if not originated at Sawbridgeworth itself. Due to the secretive nature of SOE and it's operations, this has never been confirmed by documentation.

Of the airfield itself, Most of the perimeter track remains. With only a short section missing from behind Blounts Farm. There are two aircraft dispersal pens of the "Blenheim"type, complete with blast walls and air raid shelter remaining. The surface area of these dispersal pens are still in a very good condition.

 The airfield defences are still evident, for instance,on the Much Hadham road is a type 24 Pillbox with the remains of the road barrier placed next to it. This point marked the boundary of the airfield. The Much Hadham road that runs through the remains of the airfield, would have been shut at his point during the War. Traffic was probably diverted down and around Allens Green to get around the airfield.

 As mentioned earlier, the runways were Sommerfeld tracking on grass, but since this site began, I have found references to an Air Ministry experiment using Coir underlay.

 This was made from coconut husks woven into a matting, and laid across the grass runways. But apparently it was a disaster for the matting soaked into the grass and turned into a marsh for several weeks in the winter time. This prohibited the heavier aircraft from using the field, "B" flight of 4 Squadron operating dH Mosquito aircraft, were forced to operate their aircraft from Hunsdon for a time.

A poem written in 35 Wing's newsheet at the time records this ditty regarding the wetness of the airfield;

"Move on you jolly campers!

farewell to Sawbridgeworth!

Where everything is clampers,

the dullest place on Earth.

Move out from winter quarters!

if they exist as such,

the joy of Bishops Storters,

We haven't Hadham much".

The old guardhouse, defence shelters and ancilliary buildings at Shingle Hall Farm are in quite good order. Along with the Parachute store, ambulance sheds, general stores,Fabric stores and the armoury among others, and has become a small industial estate. Part of the former medical camp near Parsonage Farm still exists. but no trace exists anymore of the other dispersed sites.

Blounts farm has the remains visible of one of the 24,000 gallon Aircraft fuel stores nearby. The standby generator house, and another hut that was once the grocery store, exists on the former communal area. The cinema and entertainment centre was taken down and rebuilt in Sawbridgeworth Town, and is in use today as a civic centre in The Forebury.

For Full information on the complete History of Sawbridgeworth Airfield, I fully recommend reading Paul A Doyle's excellent Book.

 "Where the Lysanders were". ISBN 0 9525624 5 and published by Forward Airfield research Publishing.