Today, Stansted is one of the busiest airports in Britain. During the Second World War, instead of airliners delivering passengers, Stansted Moutfitchet’s aircrews in their B-26 Marauders attacked Nazi targets, paving the way for D-Day and the liberation of Europe. Although very little remains of the original Station 169, when complete it was the largest Ninth Air Force base in East Anglia, covering some 3,000 acres.



The site of United States Army Air Forces Station 169 was chosen in 1942 from farmland in the parish of Stansted Mountfitchet, some 3km (2 miles) north east of the town of Bishop’s Stortford in Hertfordshire, although the airfield was in Essex.

The station was built by the US 817th, 825th and 850th Engineer Battalions. It ultimately had three runways plus 50 aircraft hard-standings. Hangars, workshops, offices and accommodation for 2,658 personnel, mainly Nissen huts, were also built on site.



The airfield was constructed during 1942-43 for the US Eighth Air Force, but was transferred to the US Ninth Air Force as the base for No. 2 Tactical Air Depot. In 1944 the 344th Bomb Group moved in with their Martin B-26 Marauder twin-engine tactical bombers. This Group led attacks on D-Day, and won a Distinguished Unit Citation for its missions supporting the advancing Allied armies.



The 344th left Stansted for France in September 1944, but the base continued to be used as 2nd Tactical Air Depot, comprising the 30th and 91st Air Depot Groups. Its main focus was on the modification and overhaul of B-26 aircraft. Eventually this role too was transferred to France, leaving Stansted as a Base Air Depot Area airfield where combat aircraft were stored before they were assigned to Groups elsewhere in the UK. Only the main runway remained open all other concrete areas became parking places for aircraft.



The station was transferred to the Royal Air Force (RAF) in 1945, where it was used by No. 263 Maintenance Unit for storage. In 1946 and 1947 part of the site was also used to house German prisoners of war. The base was handed over to the Ministry of Civil Aviation in 1949 and used mainly as a civil charter airport, until enlarged and redeveloped by the US Air Force during 1954-1957 as a potential Cold War emergency base.



The 803rd Engineer Aviation Battalion extended the main runway to 3,048 m (10,000 ft), which remains the length of the runway at London Stansted Airport. A new parallel taxiway was built, which could be used as an alternative runway, and 11 hard-standings were added, potentially for use by large, jet bomber aircraft.



During 1958-1965, Stansted continued as civil charter airport and base for trooping flights. It was also used by Airwork as an aircraft maintenance base, and by Aviation Traders as a Carvair production base. In 1985, the Government approval granted for the development of Stansted as London’s third international Airport. It continues in this role, serving around 18 million passengers every year.