| RAF Bradwell Bay | |
| Ensign: | Ensign of the Royal Air Force.svg |
| Ensign Size: | 90px |
| Location: | Bradwell-on-Sea, Essex |
| Country: | England |
| Type: | Royal Air Force station |
| Pushpin Map: | Essex |
| Pushpin Map Caption: | Shown within Essex |
| Pushpin Label: | RAF Bradwell Bay |
| Ownership: | Air Ministry |
| Operator: | Royal Air Force |
| Controlledby: | RAF Fighter Command |
| Code: | RB |
| Built: | /41 |
| Used: | November 1941- |
| Battles: | European theatre of World War II |
| Elevation: | 9m (30feet) |
| R1-Number: | 04/22 |
| R1-Surface: | Tarmac/Asphalt |
| R2-Number: | 10/28 |
| R2-Surface: | Tarmac/Asphalt |
| R3-Number: | 16/34 |
| R3-Surface: | Tarmac/Asphalt |
Royal Air Force Bradwell Bay or more simply RAF Bradwell Bay is a former Royal Air Force station located east of Maldon, Essex, England and 3.1miles south west of West Mersea, Essex.
The central area of the current airfield was first laid down before WW2 as a grass-surfaced landing ground for the nearby Dengie firing ranges off the coast before being rebuilt from 1940 onwards as an enlarged RAF station with concrete runways, hangars and ancillary buildings.[1] The station is unique as it was the only fighter station where the Fog Investigation and Dispersal Operation (FIDO) was used.[2] The USAAF took aerial photographs in 1944 which were published in 2023.[3]
An area of the northern part of the site is occupied by the remains of the Bradwell nuclear power station, the Magnox element of which is currently being decommissioned.Several of the hangars are still used as storage by the local farmers and the control tower is now a private house. Agricultural buildings, built in the '70s and '80s on runways one and two, are now home to several local businesses.[4]
The Bradwell Bay Preservation Group was created to preserve the memory of people that served at Bradwell Bay. They are a not for profit organisation run by local history enthusiasts, and are fundraising to build a museum near the current memorial.[5] [6]