Shadow Airfield B84 The Rips

Sijpseweg, Elsendorp

Netherlands, the North Brabant Elsendorp

The German Luftwaffe used during World War II, with the aim of dispersing its aircraft to protect them from Allied air attacks. These so-called shadow airfields were located near large airfields (in this case, Fliegerhorst Volkel). At this location, near the village of De Rips, such an airfield was constructed by about 200 employed Dutch workers in June 1944. It was ready in August 1944 but was hardly used by the Germans because of the approaching liberation.

After the liberation of De Rips in September 1944, the airfield was converted by the British Engineers into an ALG (Advanced Landing Ground) codenamed B84 and put into use by the Spitfire-equipped Canadian 126 Wing.

From here, 568 flights were carried out in a short time but after only a week it was found that the airfield was unusable in bad weather due to the lack of drainage. The aircraft were moved to Volkel and the airfield served only as an emergency landing site.

After the war, the area regained its agricultural use and nothing of the airfield remains.

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