RAF Great Dunmow

The airfield was closed as part of the post-World War II rationalization and downsizing of the British armed forces. With the end of the war, the need for a large number of military airfields diminished. Furthermore, the advent of the jet age required longer and stronger runways, making many temporary WWII-era airfields like Great Dunmow obsolete and surplus to military requirements.

The airfield site has been almost entirely returned to civilian use and is largely unrecognizable as an airfield today. The runways and most of the perimeter track were removed in the early 1960s, with the aggregate used for local construction projects, including the M11 motorway. Much of the land has reverted to agriculture. However, some remnants of the airfield still exist. The original control tower has been restored and converted into a private residence. Several other wartime buildings, including Nissen huts and technical buildings, survive and are used for light industrial or storage purposes. A significant portion of the former domestic and technical sites has been redeveloped into a housing estate known as Easton Lodge. A memorial dedicated to the USAAF 386th Bombardment Group stands on the site to commemorate their service.

RAF Great Dunmow was a significant Class A bomber airfield built in 1942-1943. While located near Great Dunmow in Essex (not Bishop's Stortford, Hertfordshire, although the towns are nearby), it was primarily used by the United States Army Air Forces (USAAF) and designated as USAAF Station 164. Its most notable role was as the home of the 386th Bombardment Group (Medium) of the Ninth Air Force, which flew Martin B-26 Marauder medium bombers from June 1943 to October 1944. The 386th, known as the 'Crusaders', established an exceptional combat record for bombing accuracy and flew numerous missions targeting V-1 flying bomb sites, airfields, and transportation links in occupied France in preparation for D-Day. They provided crucial air support during the Normandy landings and the subsequent Allied advance across Europe. After the 386th moved to France, the airfield was returned to RAF control in 1945 and was used by transport units, including No. 299 Squadron flying Short Stirlings for glider towing, before being placed on care and maintenance.

There are no plans or prospects for reopening RAF Great Dunmow as an airport. The site has been extensively dismantled and redeveloped for agricultural, residential, and industrial use. The complete removal of the runways and the construction of permanent structures on the former airfield footprint make any revival for aviation purposes infeasible. Furthermore, its close proximity to London Stansted Airport, a major international hub located just a few miles away, negates any strategic or economic case for its reopening.