Essex Regiment Memorial
On Saturday, August
24, 1940, in their on-going attempt to knock out the RAF and its
bases, the Luftwaffe targeted RAF North Weald for a major attack. At 3.40 p.m No. 151 Squadron were scrambled to
intercept the raid approaching the airfield from the east. The enemy formation
consisted of over 150 aircraft comprising Dornier 17 and Heinkel 111 bombers,
escorted by Messerschmitt 109 and 110 fighters, stacked in layers from 15,000
feet upwards.
The 7th Battalion of the Essex Regiment had the task of
guarding the aerodrome against ground attack, their quarters being the MT
hangar on the eastern end of the technical site. When the air raid warning
sounded, the Tannoy ordered: ‘All army and air force personnel man your
aerodrome action stations!’
The soldiers of ‘C’ Company, all young recruits aged between
17 and 19 years old, ran out of the hangar towards the shelter which stood near
the end of the nearest H-block barrack. A stick of bombs began falling parallel
to the main road, the thundering explosions rocking the ground. Just as the
last man reached the shelter, a bomb scored a direct hit, blowing Private
Nathaniel Miles into the overhanging oak tree, killing him and eight of his
mates. Nine wounded were taken to St Margaret’s Hospital, the most serious being
Private John Smith who was extracted with a severe head wound and his ankle
almost severed.
The nine dead soldiers were buried on August 28, eight in St
Andrew’s Churchyard and Private Stephen Shuster in the Jewish cemetery at
Rainham.
The rubble from the demolished shelter was cleared away and
grassed over, with only blast marks on the tree left as a reminder of what had
taken place.
The RAF left North Weald in 1964 and by 1982 the airfield
had been sold to Epping Forest District Council. The old barrack block area was
redeveloped the following year by McLean Homes for residential housing, the oak
tree, still bearing its wartime scars, now standing in the corner of a small
car park off Hampden Close.
