RAF Rivenhall

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RAF Rivenhall was a World War II airfield in Essex, England, about four miles south-southeast of Braintree. It opened in 1942 and was used by both the Royal Air Force and the United States Army Air Forces. The airfield mainly hosted fighter and bomber units and closed in 1946, then remained in reserve until 1956.

During the war, the site was known to the US Army Air Forces as Station AAF-168, with the code RL. On 22 January 1944, the 363d Fighter Group arrived from RAF Keevil with P-51B Mustangs as part of Ninth Air Force operations around Colchester. On 14 April 1944, the 363d moved to RAF Staplehurst as other fighter units moved into advanced landing grounds. The day after the 363d left, the first B-26 Marauders of the 397th Bombardment Group arrived from RAF Gosfield. The 397th stayed briefly before transferring to RAF Hurn on 5 August 1944 to extend Marauder reach. The group used a yellow diagonal band on their tail fins for identification.

Today, the airfield is on private land. The northern half has become a quarry, and most runways and hardstands have been removed or narrowed. The land has largely returned to agriculture. One T-2 hangar remains, along with a few other buildings. A motor salvage business operates on part of the eastern hardstands where C-47s and gliders were once stored. As of 2022, a waste management facility was being built on part of the site.