RAF Henlow

RAF Henlow is a Royal Air Force station in Bedfordshire, England, equidistant from Bedford, Luton and Stevenage. It houses the RAF Centre of Aviation Medicine, the Joint Arms Control Implementation Group (JACIG), the Signals Museum and 616 Volunteer Gliding Squadron.

History

Henlow was chosen as a military aircraft repair depot in 1917 and was built by MacAlpine during 1917 and 1918. 4 Belfast Hangars were built and are now listed buildings. An additional hangar was added to the inventory in the 1930s and this too is now listed. Originally a repair depot for aircraft from the Western Front, the Station officially opened on 18 May 1918 when Lt Col Robert Francis Stapleton-Cotton arrived with a party of 40 airmen from Farnborough. The parachute testing unit moved The Officers Engineering School moved there in 1927. During the Second World War Henlow was used to assemble the Hawker Hurricanes which had been built at the Hurricane factory operated by Canadian Car and Foundry in Fort William, Ontario, Canada, under the leadership of Elsie MacGill. After test flying in Fort William, they were disassembled and sent to Henlow in shipping containers for reassembly there. Over 1,400 Hurricanes (about 10% of the total) were built by Canadian Car and Foundry. Henlow was also used as a repair base. Hurricane fighters were dismantled there to be shipped to Malta as well. After the war, Henlow became the RAF Signals Engineering Establishment, but was reduced to a Radio Engineering Unit in 1980.

Henlow

Coordinates: 52°01′57″N 0°17′14″W / 52.03245°N 0.28714°W / 52.03245; -0.28714

Henlow is a village and civil parish in the district of Central Bedfordshire in Bedfordshire, England.

Henlow is mentioned (with a degree of dispute recorded) in the Domesday Book. The entry reads: Haneslau(ue)/Hanslau(e): Herfast from Nigel d'Aubigny; Hugh from Walter of Flanders; Widder and Bernard from Azelina, Ralph Tailbois' wife (Hugh de Beauchamp claims from her, stating it was never in her dowry); Alric. 2 mills.

RAF Henlow is located nearby, but is nearer to the village of Stondon. The civilian settlement of Henlow Camp has grown to surround the RAF station.

There is a health farm in Henlow at Henlow Grange, part of the Champneys group.

There is a public house, The Engineer's Arms in the high street.

There are several theories as to the origin of the name Henlow. Henna hlaw is one, meaning in old English "Hill of birds". Hlow was also sometimes used to indicate a burial place.

The parish church, parts of which are 13th-century, is dedicated to St Mary the Virgin.