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PART 1
NORFOLK
World War Two Airfields in Norfolk
Numbers key:
(1) Attlebridge (RAF/USAAF); (2) Barton Bendish (RAF); (3) Bircham Newton (RAF); (4) Bodney (RAF/USAAF); (5) Coltishall (RAF); (6) Deopham Green (USAAF); (7) Docking (RAF); (8) Downham Market (RAF); (9) East Wretham (RAF/USAAF); (10) Feltwell (RAF/post-war RAF & USAF); (11) Fersfield (USAAF); (12) Foulsham (RAF); (13) Great Massingham (RAF); (14) Hardwick (USAAF); (15) Hethel (USAAF); (16) Horsham St Faith (RAF/USAAF/post-war Norwich Airport); (17) Langham (RAF); (18) Little Snoring (RAF); (19) Ludham (RAF/FAA); (20) Marham (RAF); (21) Matlaske (RAF); (22) Methwold (RAF); (23) North Creake (RAF); (24) North Pickenham (USAAF/post-war RAF); (25) Old Buckenham (USAAF); (26) Oulton (RAF); (27) Pentney (RAF); (28) Rackheath (USAAF); (29) Sculthorpe (RAF/post-war USAF); (30) Seething (USAAF); (31) Shipdham (USAAF); (32) Snetterton (USAAF); (33) Swannington (RAF); (34) Swanton Morley (RAF); (35) Thorpe Abbotts (USAAF); (36) Tibenham (USAAF); (37) Watton (RAF/USAAF/post-war RAF); (38) Wendling (USAAF); (39) West Raynham (RAF).
(map adapted from www.d-maps.com)
ACLE
St Edmund Churchyard, CWGC Grave: WW2, 1 RAF.
ALDEBY
St Mary’s Churchyard, CWGC Graves: WW2, 2 RAF.
ALDERFORD
St John the Baptist Churchyard, CWGC Grave: WW2, 1 RAF.
ARMINGHALL
St Mary’s Churchyard, CWGC Grave: WW2, 1 RAF.
ASHBY
Memorial: St Mary’s Church, to three USAAF air crashes: to five airmen killed from a USAAF B-17 Fortress from the 100th Bomb Group based at Thorpe Abbotts that crashed nearby on 7 May 1944. Also remembered are two pilots from the collision of two USAAF P-47 Thunderbolts from Halesworth over Fritton Lake on 8 Apr 1945, one of which crashed into the lake and was partially recovered in 1971.
ASHMANHAUGH
For decoy airfield and Wellington crash (WW2) see BEESTON ST LAWRENCE.
ATTLEBOROUGH
The town had an Anglo–American Services’ Club in Station Road where the Connaught Hall now stands. This was a favourite meeting place for US and other servicemen.
Grave: in local churchyard, CWGC: WW1, 1 RFC.
ATTLEBRIDGE
Airfield (OS Map 238 TG105148, NHER 3063) opened in 1941 as a satellite to Swanton Morley. The name Attlebridge was chosen after the nearby railway station, although the airfield is actually situated within the parish of Weston Longville. The RAF operated Blenheims, Bostons, Hudsons and Mitchell light bombers in No. 2 Group. In 1943 the station closed to extend the runways and reopened in 1943 as USAAF Station 120 and the 466th Bomb Group (‘The Flying Deck’) moved in and remained until the war’s end. An RAF Maintenance Unit (MU) took over until the base was disposed of in 1959. The site is now owned by Bernard Matthews Farms Ltd. Airfield remains include parts of the runways and perimeter track and some structures. The T2 hangars have long gone but a few old Quonset huts and building footings remain. The control tower was renovated and used as offices by Bernard Matthews Ltd but it is not known if this was still the case in 2016.
Memorial at Attlebridge. (Author)
Pub: The Parson Woodforde Restaurant, Church Street, Weston Longville, is named after the famous vicar of the parish, the Rev. James Woodforde, author of Diary of a Country Parson (1758–1802). The restaurant also has a photographic display of the US airmen at Attlebridge airfield.
Graves: All Saints Churchyard, Weston Longville, CWGC: WW2, 1 RAF.
Memorials: There is a memorial to 466th BG and the airfield approx. 1 mile south-west of Weston Longville village at Pond Farm crossroads (TG097147) dedicated at the 1992 Bomb Group reunion. The village sign at Weston Longville was given by veterans of the 466th BG in 1977 in memory of their comrades. In All Saints Church, Weston Longville, there is a roll of honour and the American Stars and Stripes flag that flew over the US Capitol building on 16 Mar 1989. For memorabilia of the 466th BG see HETHEL.
See also HOCKERING WOOD.
AYLSHAM
There was a Royal Observer Corps post reported at OS Map 238 TG187253, NHER 33254. It was situated just off Spa Lane, opened in 1961 and closed in 1991.
Graves: CWGC: WW2, 2 RAF.
BACONSTHORPE see WEST BECKHAM
BACTON
Night Landing Ground RNAS, sub-station to Great Yarmouth, from Aug 1915 to Nov 1918 (OS Map 252 TG341325, NHER 13613). The LG was directly on the flight path of Zeppelin raiders. The station came under the C-in-C Naval Base Lowestoft until RAF command took over as 73rd Wing, 4 (Operations) Group SE Area. From Nov 1918 to Mar 1919 the airfield was a Marine Operations Station RAF. The only surviving structure in recent times was a hangar, which was removed to North Walsham in 2006 for garage premises. The following year the structure was demolished due to damage caused by severe gales.
An RNAS Seaplane Station has been recorded at TG351335, which was also used as a night landing ground although there does not seem to be any mention of this in the NHER database. The site is between Bacton and Keswick on the OS Map. It is not known if the two WW1 sites were under the same command. Pastscape (www.pastscape.org.uk) states that the site was authorised for use by heavy anti-aircraft armament but it is not known if this was ever supplied.
Eden Hall in Bacton was a boarding school taken over by the military in World War One to be used by airmen for accommodation. It is not known if the RNAS personnel from Bacton were billeted there or airmen from other locations. After World War Two it became a local authority special boarding school until closure in 1981. It was eventually demolished and replaced by housing.
Post-World War One: During the 1920s and 1930s there was a flying field established at Abbey Farm. The farmer, Mr Pat Cubitt, was a member of Norwich and Norfolk Aero Club based at Mousehold Heath. Over the years a number of flying events were held there.
Post-World War Two: From about 1970 two helipads have been in use at the North Sea Gas terminal (approx. TG327347).
Memorial: A memorial cairn at Lowlands Farm (TG333340) marks the spot of the crash of Hudson V9097 of No. 500 Sqn based at Bircham Newton. The crash took place during a snowstorm and all the crew were killed, Plt Off. J. Macgillivray (pilot), Sgt J. Brownsell (WOp/AG), Sgt R.B. Wark (WOp/AG) and Sgt W.A. Sanger (AG).
Graves: CWGC, St Andrew’s Churchyard, WW2, 1 RAF.
see also EDINGTHORPE
BARD HILL World War Two radar station see SALTHOUSE HEATH.
BARROW COMMON see BRANCASTER
BARTON BENDISH
There was a dispersal airfield site for Marham here from Sep 1939 (OS Map 236 TF719047 or TF725041, NHER Nos 21462 & 13604). The field was also known as Eastmoor and is close to an Iron Age site. Wellingtons from RAF Marham were dispersed here. It was also employed as a Q-type decoy site for night use. Various pillboxes were built for airfield defence around the perimeter. After 1942 it apparently fell into disuse in favour of Downham Market.
BAWBURGH, Norwich
Airfield: The Norfolk Showground was the site of a small private airfield between 1949 and 1951 (OS Map 237 TG149104, NHER 29535). There were two runways, one running parallel with the A47 and a second at an angle running to south-west.
Radar HQ and regional seat of government: This was the site of the Eastern Region radar HQ for radar early warning air defence during the Cold War (TG165081, NHER 33781). In 1968 this facility was moved to RAF Neatishead. After that it became the site of the regional government in the event of nuclear war. The site was closed in 1992 and is now privately owned.
BAWDESWELL
The Victorian Church of All Saints was destroyed on 6 Nov 1944 by Mosquito KB364 of No. 608 Sqn returning from a raid on Germany to its home base at Downham Market. The aircraft appeared to have been iced up and the pilot lost control and crashed into the church. The Dereham Fire Brigade and a fire crew from the American base at nearby Attlebridge (Weston Longville) attended but were unable to save the church. There were no civilian casualties but the crew of two were killed and in the new church there is a memorial to them, Plt Off. James Mclean and Sgt Melvin Tansley. The plaque was made from the debris of one of the aircraft’s engines.
All Saints was believed to be the only Norfolk village church destroyed in World War Two. After the war when Attlebridge closed, the Americans presented the temporary church at the Primitive Methodist Chapel with the altar, communion rails and candlesticks from their Nissen hut chapel.
The War Damages Commission rebuilt the church in 1953 in Neo-Georgian style and the building was dedicated by the Bishop of Norwich in 1955.
[source: All Saints Bawdeswell Church Guide and www.thereevestale.co.uk/Bawdeswell.]
BAYFIELD see HOLT
BEESTON, between Swaffham and Dereham
Beeston was the village next to Wendling airfield. It was the location of several of the pubs visited by American airmen during their time at the airfield including The Bell (closed) and the Ploughshare. The Ploughshare has followed the fate of so many country pubs and closed in Jan 2016 but there are plans for local villagers to raise funds to reopen it. Several of the local residents recalled the Americans at the base and made many friendships that endured long after the war when veterans revisited.
See WENDLING for the USAAF airfield.
BEESTON REGIS, Sheringham
World War Two military installation, possibly a radar or radio station (OS Map 252 TG178432, NHER 38337). Trenches were seen on 1946 photographs but no sign on the ground is visible now.
See also SHERINGHAM for Beeston Hill Y Station
Grave: Churchyard of All Saints, CWGC: WW1, 1 RAF.
BEESTON ST ANDREW
World War Two decoy airfield see CROSTWICK
BEESTON ST LAWRENCE
Q-type decoy for Coltishall (OS Map OL 40 TG318227, NHER 28452). Mock runway lights were installed to simulate an airfield at night. The site was in use between 1941 and 1943. On earlier aerial photographs there was disturbed ground that could have indicated the...
