RAF Southend

RAF Southend
RAF Rochford
RAF Southend; RAF Rochford;
Rochford, Essex in England
	Personnel of 121 Squadron watch Supermarine Spitfires coming into land at RAF Rochford, August 1943
Site information
Type	Royal Air Force station
Owner	Air Ministry; Admiralty
Operator	Royal Air Force; Royal Naval Air Service
Controlled by	RAF Fighter Command
Location
	RAF Southend Shown within Essex RAF Southend RAF Southend (the United Kingdom)
Coordinates	51°34′13″N 000°41′36″E / 51.57028°N 0.69333°E
Site history
Built	1915 & 1939
In use	1915 - 1919; 1939 - 1945
Fate	Civilian use as London Southend Airport
Battles/wars	European theatre of World War II
Airfield information
Runways
05/23	Grass

Royal Air Force Southend or more simply RAF Southend is a former Royal Air Force station located near to Rochford, Essex, UK. At the start of the Second World War it was known as RAF Rochford.

The site is now known as London Southend Airport.

Units

The following units were here at some point:

First World War units

No. 11 (Home Defence) Reserve Squadron RFC between 24 January and 8 February 1917 became No. 98 Depot Squadron RFC between 8 February and 27 June 1917, became No. 198 Depot Squadron RFC between 27 June and 21 December 1917, became No. 198 (Night) Training Squadron RAF between 21 December 1917 and May 1919 when the unit disbanded
No. 99 Depot Squadron RFC between 1 and 23 June 1917
No. 190 Depot Squadron RFC between 24 October and 21 December 1917, became No. 190 (Night) Training Squadron RFC between 21 December 1917 and 14 March 1918

Units

Detachment from No. 6 Anti-Aircraft Co-operation Unit RAF between 19 August and 18 September 1943
No. 17 Armament Practice Camp RAF between 18 October 1943 and 27 August 1944
No. 34 Elementary and Reserve Flying Training School RAF between 1 January and 3 September 1939
Salvage Ferry Service Detachment from No. 71 Maintenance Unit RAF from 1 April 1945
No. 148 Gliding School RAF between July 1944 and 16 June 1949
No. 413 (Polish) Repair & Salvage Unit RAF between 3 January and 15 March 1944
No. 1488 (Fighter) Gunnery Flight RAF initially between 22 April and 7 June 1942 then between 17 August and 18 October 1943
No. 1488 (Target Towing) Flight RAF between 9 February and 22 April 1942
No. 2703 Squadron RAF Regiment
No. 2729 Squadron RAF Regiment
No. 2761 Squadron RAF Regiment
No. 2766 Squadron RAF Regiment
No. 2810 Squadron RAF Regiment
No. 2820 Squadron RAF Regiment
No. 2830 Squadron RAF Regiment
No. 2834 Squadron RAF Regiment
No. 2839 Squadron RAF Regiment
No. 2877 Squadron RAF Regiment
'C' Section from No. 3209 Servicing Commando between 12 December 1943 and 1 February 1944

Current use

The site is now London Southend Airport.

References

Citations

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 "Southend (Eastwood) (Rochford)". Airfields of Britain Conservation Trust. Retrieved 16 September 2025.
↑ Jefford 2001, p. 163.
↑ Jefford 2001, p. 166.
↑ Jefford 2001, p. 34.
↑ Sturtivant & Hamlin 2007, p. 276.
1 2 3 Sturtivant & Hamlin 2007, p. 280.
↑ Sturtivant & Hamlin 2007, p. 62.
↑ Sturtivant & Hamlin 2007, p. 65.
↑ Sturtivant & Hamlin 2007, p. 106.
↑ Sturtivant & Hamlin 2007, p. 178.
↑ Sturtivant & Hamlin 2007, p. 145.
↑ Sturtivant & Hamlin 2007, p. 223.
1 2 Sturtivant & Hamlin 2007, p. 124.
↑ Sturtivant & Hamlin 2007, p. 233.

Bibliography

Jefford, C. G. (2001). RAF Squadrons. A comprehensive record of the movement and equipment of all RAF squadrons and their antecedents since 1912 (2nd ed.). Shrewsbury, UK: Airlife Publishing. ISBN 1-84037-141-2.
Sturtivant, Ray; Hamlin, John (2007). Royal Air Force flying training and support units since 1912. Tonbridge, UK: Air-Britain (Historians). ISBN 978-0851-3036-59.

[ABCT-1] 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 "Southend (Eastwood) (Rochford)". Airfields of Britain Conservation Trust. Retrieved 16 September 2025.

[FOOTNOTEJefford2001163-2] Jefford 2001, p. 163.

[FOOTNOTEJefford2001166-3] Jefford 2001, p. 166.

[FOOTNOTEJefford200134-4] Jefford 2001, p. 34.

[FOOTNOTESturtivantHamlin2007276-5] Sturtivant & Hamlin 2007, p. 276.

[FOOTNOTESturtivantHamlin2007280-6] 1 2 3 Sturtivant & Hamlin 2007, p. 280.

[FOOTNOTESturtivantHamlin200762-7] Sturtivant & Hamlin 2007, p. 62.

[FOOTNOTESturtivantHamlin200765-8] Sturtivant & Hamlin 2007, p. 65.

[FOOTNOTESturtivantHamlin2007106-9] Sturtivant & Hamlin 2007, p. 106.

[FOOTNOTESturtivantHamlin2007178-10] Sturtivant & Hamlin 2007, p. 178.

[FOOTNOTESturtivantHamlin2007145-11] Sturtivant & Hamlin 2007, p. 145.

[FOOTNOTESturtivantHamlin2007223-12] Sturtivant & Hamlin 2007, p. 223.

[FOOTNOTESturtivantHamlin2007124-13] 1 2 Sturtivant & Hamlin 2007, p. 124.

[FOOTNOTESturtivantHamlin2007233-14] Sturtivant & Hamlin 2007, p. 233.