RAF Bradwell Bay

The closure was a direct result of the post-war military drawdown. Following the end of World War II, the United Kingdom had a massive surplus of airfields built for the war effort. RAF Bradwell Bay, a purpose-built wartime station, was deemed surplus to the requirements of the peacetime Royal Air Force and was subsequently decommissioned.

The site of the former airfield is now almost unrecognizable as such. The most significant change was the construction of the Bradwell nuclear power station on the northern part of the site, which began in 1957. This power station operated until 2002 and is now in a long-term decommissioning phase.

The majority of the three concrete runways and taxiways were broken up for aggregate in the 1950s and 1960s. Much of the remaining land has been returned to agricultural use.

A notable and unique survivor is the Othona Community, a Christian retreat centre founded in 1946. The community took over some of the derelict RAF Nissen huts and administrative buildings on the southern edge of the site and continues to operate there today, preserving a small piece of the airfield's original infrastructure. A memorial stone dedicated to the personnel who served at RAF Bradwell Bay is also located near the site.

RAF Bradwell Bay was a significant and highly active 'Class A' airfield during World War II. Opened in November 1941, its strategic location on the Essex coast made it a key base for RAF Fighter Command.

Key Operations and Significance:
- **Night Fighter Base:** It was one of the UK's premier night fighter stations, crucial for defending against Luftwaffe night bombing raids. It hosted numerous squadrons flying aircraft like the Bristol Beaufighter and, most famously, the de Havilland Mosquito. Notable night fighter squadrons included No. 29, No. 85, and No. 157 Squadron.
- **Intruder Missions:** Squadrons from Bradwell Bay, particularly the Royal Canadian Air Force's No. 418 'City of Edmonton' Squadron, flew highly effective 'Intruder' and 'Ranger' missions deep into occupied Europe, attacking German airfields, transport, and infrastructure under the cover of darkness.
- **V-1 Defence:** During 'Operation Diver' in 1944, Mosquitoes from Bradwell Bay were instrumental in intercepting and destroying V-1 flying bombs ('doodlebugs') launched towards London.
- **D-Day Support:** The station's squadrons provided air cover and support during the D-Day landings in June 1944.

The airfield played a vital role in both the defence of Great Britain and the offensive air campaign against Nazi Germany, with the Mosquito operations being a particularly notable part of its legacy.

There are zero plans or prospects for reopening RAF Bradwell Bay as an airport. The physical infrastructure of the airfield is gone, and the land has been fundamentally repurposed for industrial (nuclear decommissioning), agricultural, and community use. The presence of a decommissioning nuclear power station on the site makes any future aviation use completely unfeasible. The ICAO code 'GB-0133' is a non-official designation used in some databases and flight simulators to mark the historical location, it does not indicate any current or future operational status.