RAF Bircham Newton
Encyclopedia
RAF Bircham Newton was a Royal Air Force
airfield in the west of the county
of Norfolk
in the United Kingdom
, eight miles west of Fakenham
.
. They would have carried out bombing missions against Berlin
but the Armistice
was arranged before any missions were actually flown.
The airfield was equipped with one aircraft repair shed and three double bay general service sheds, although these had been demolished by 1937. It had two Belfast hangars, three C Type hangars, three Bellman hangars, and ten Blister hangars.
It operated through the Second World War as part of No. 16 Group RAF as part of Coastal Command. No. 206 Squadron RAF
was one of the squadrons being based there, on maritime patrol duties. Two satellite airfields, RAF Docking
and RAF Langham
were opened to accommodate units.
In 1965 the airfield was used for evaluation trials of the Hawker Siddeley Kestrel V/STOL aircraft.
. The runways have gone, but the majority of buildings on the site, including some hangars and the control tower, remain in use by the CITB. The control tower was scheduled for demolition in 2008 due to its poor condition.
Royal Air Force
The Royal Air Force is the aerial warfare service branch of the British Armed Forces. Formed on 1 April 1918, it is the oldest independent air force in the world...
airfield in the west of the county
County
A county is a jurisdiction of local government in certain modern nations. Historically in mainland Europe, the original French term, comté, and its equivalents in other languages denoted a jurisdiction under the sovereignty of a count A county is a jurisdiction of local government in certain...
of Norfolk
Norfolk
Norfolk is a low-lying county in the East of England. It has borders with Lincolnshire to the west, Cambridgeshire to the west and southwest and Suffolk to the south. Its northern and eastern boundaries are the North Sea coast and to the north-west the county is bordered by The Wash. The county...
in the United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
, eight miles west of Fakenham
Fakenham
Fakenham is a town and civil parish in Norfolk, England. It is situated on the River Wensum, some north east of King's Lynn, south west of Cromer, and north west of Norwich....
.
History
The site was first used during the First World War and received the largest British bomber of the time, the Handley Page V/1500Handley Page V/1500
-See also:-Bibliography:* Barnes, C. H. Handley Page Aircraft Since 1907. London: Putnam & Company, Ltd., 1987. ISBN 0-85177-803-8.* Bowyer, Chaz. Handley Page Bombers of the First World War. Bourne End, Bucks, UK:Aston Publications, 1992. ISBN 0-946627-68-1.* Clayton, Donald C. Handley Page, an...
. They would have carried out bombing missions against Berlin
Berlin
Berlin is the capital city of Germany and is one of the 16 states of Germany. With a population of 3.45 million people, Berlin is Germany's largest city. It is the second most populous city proper and the seventh most populous urban area in the European Union...
but the Armistice
Armistice
An armistice is a situation in a war where the warring parties agree to stop fighting. It is not necessarily the end of a war, but may be just a cessation of hostilities while an attempt is made to negotiate a lasting peace...
was arranged before any missions were actually flown.
The airfield was equipped with one aircraft repair shed and three double bay general service sheds, although these had been demolished by 1937. It had two Belfast hangars, three C Type hangars, three Bellman hangars, and ten Blister hangars.
It operated through the Second World War as part of No. 16 Group RAF as part of Coastal Command. No. 206 Squadron RAF
No. 206 Squadron RAF
No. 206 Squadron was a Royal Air Force unit employed, until 2005, in the maritime patrol role with the Nimrod MR.2 at RAF Kinloss, Moray. It was announced in December 2004 that 206 Squadron would disband on 1 April 2005, with half of its crews being redistributed to Nos. 120 and 201 Squadrons, also...
was one of the squadrons being based there, on maritime patrol duties. Two satellite airfields, RAF Docking
RAF Docking
RAF Docking was a RAF Station of the Second World War a few miles from Bircham Newton in Norfolk.It was a satellite airfield for the RAF Coastal Command station at RAF Bircham Newton and was mostly used for overflow from there....
and RAF Langham
RAF Langham
The former Royal Air Force Station Langham, more commonly known as RAF Langham was a Royal Air Force station, a military airbase, 15 miles North-West of Norwich, in the English county of Norfolk, East Anglia, from 1940 to 1961.-History:...
were opened to accommodate units.
In 1965 the airfield was used for evaluation trials of the Hawker Siddeley Kestrel V/STOL aircraft.
Current use
After closure as an operational airfield in 1966, the airfield became the home of the Construction Industry Training BoardConstruction Industry Training Board
The Construction Industry Training Board is the Industry Training Board for the UK Construction Industry. It was established on 21 July 1964 by the Industrial Training Order 1964...
. The runways have gone, but the majority of buildings on the site, including some hangars and the control tower, remain in use by the CITB. The control tower was scheduled for demolition in 2008 due to its poor condition.
Bircham Newton aircraft
Several types of aircraft have operated out of Bircham Newton, among these:- Handley Page V/1500Handley Page V/1500-See also:-Bibliography:* Barnes, C. H. Handley Page Aircraft Since 1907. London: Putnam & Company, Ltd., 1987. ISBN 0-85177-803-8.* Bowyer, Chaz. Handley Page Bombers of the First World War. Bourne End, Bucks, UK:Aston Publications, 1992. ISBN 0-946627-68-1.* Clayton, Donald C. Handley Page, an...
- Avro AldershotAvro Aldershot-See also:-External links:*...
- Handley Page HyderabadHandley Page Hyderabad|-See also:-Bibliography:* Barnes, C. H. Handley Page Aircraft Since 1907. London: Putnam & Company, Ltd., 1987. ISBN 0-85177-803-8.* Clayton, Donald C. Handley Page, an Aircraft Album. Shepperton, Surrey, UK: Ian Allan Ltd., 1969. ISBN 0-7110-0094-8....
- Fairey SwordfishFairey SwordfishThe Fairey Swordfish was a torpedo bomber built by the Fairey Aviation Company and used by the Fleet Air Arm of the Royal Navy during the Second World War...
- Royal Aircraft Factory S.E.5Royal Aircraft Factory S.E.5The Royal Aircraft Factory S.E.5 was a British biplane fighter aircraft of the First World War. Although the first examples reached the Western Front before the Sopwith Camel and it had a much better overall performance, problems with its Hispano-Suiza engine, particularly the geared-output H-S...
- Vickers VimyVickers VimyThe Vickers Vimy was a British heavy bomber aircraft of the First World War and post-First World War era. It achieved success as both a military and civil aircraft, setting several notable records in long-distance flights in the interwar period, the most celebrated of which was the first non-stop...
- Airco DH.9AAirco DH.9AThe Airco DH.9A was a British light bomber designed and first used shortly before the end of the First World War. Colloquially known as the "Ninak" , it served on in large numbers for the Royal Air Force following the end of the war, both at home and overseas, where it was used for colonial...
- Fairey IIIA
- Fairey GordonFairey Gordon|-See also:-External links:* * *...
- Hawker HartHawker HartThe Hawker Hart was a British two-seater biplane light bomber of the Royal Air Force , which had a prominent role during the RAF's inter-war period. The Hart was designed during the 1920s by Sydney Camm and built by Hawker Aircraft...
- Hawker HindHawker Hind-See also:-Bibliography:* Crawford, Alex. Hawker Hart Family. Redbourn, Hertfordshire, UK: Mushroom Model Publications Ltd., 2008. ISBN 83-89450-62-3....
- Vickers VildebeestVickers VildebeestThe Vickers Vildebeest and the similar Vickers Vincent were two very large two- to three-seat single-engined British biplanes designed and built by Vickers and used as a light bomber, torpedo bomber and in the army cooperation roles...
- Lockheed HudsonLockheed HudsonThe Lockheed Hudson was an American-built light bomber and coastal reconnaissance aircraft built initially for the Royal Air Force shortly before the outbreak of the Second World War and primarily operated by the RAF thereafter...
- Vickers WellingtonVickers WellingtonThe Vickers Wellington was a British twin-engine, long range medium bomber designed in the mid-1930s at Brooklands in Weybridge, Surrey, by Vickers-Armstrongs' Chief Designer, R. K. Pierson. It was widely used as a night bomber in the early years of the Second World War, before being displaced as a...
- Fairey SwordfishFairey SwordfishThe Fairey Swordfish was a torpedo bomber built by the Fairey Aviation Company and used by the Fleet Air Arm of the Royal Navy during the Second World War...
- Bristol BlenheimBristol BlenheimThe Bristol Blenheim was a British light bomber aircraft designed and built by the Bristol Aeroplane Company that was used extensively in the early days of the Second World War. It was adapted as an interim long-range and night fighter, pending the availability of the Beaufighter...
- Avro AnsonAvro AnsonThe Avro Anson is a British twin-engine, multi-role aircraft that served with the Royal Air Force, Fleet Air Arm and numerous other air forces prior to, during, and after the Second World War. Named for British Admiral George Anson, it was originally designed for maritime reconnaissance, but was...
- Airspeed OxfordAirspeed OxfordThe Airspeed AS.10 Oxford was a twin-engine aircraft used for training British Commonwealth aircrews in navigation, radio-operating, bombing and gunnery during the Second World War.-Design and development:...
- de Havilland Canada DHC-1 ChipmunkDe Havilland Canada DHC-1 ChipmunkThe de Havilland Canada DHC-1 Chipmunk is a tandem, two-seat, single-engined primary trainer aircraft which was the standard primary trainer for the Royal Canadian Air Force, Royal Air Force and several other air forces through much of the post-Second World War years...
- Hawker Siddeley Kestrel
Bircham Newton Squadrons
- No. 7 Squadron RAFNo. 7 Squadron RAFNo. 7 Squadron of the Royal Air Force operates the Boeing Chinook HC.2 from RAF Odiham, Hampshire.-Formation and early years:No. 7 Squadron was formed at Farnborough Airfield on 1 May 1914 as the last squadron of the RFC to be formed before the First World War, but has been disbanded and reformed...
- No. 53 Squadron RAFNo. 53 Squadron RAF-History:No. 53 squadron of the Royal Flying Corps was formed at Catterick on 15 May 1916. Originally intended to be a training squadron, it was sent to France to operate reconnaissance in December that year. The squadron was equipped with BE2Es—swapped for the RE8 in April 1917...
- No. 59 Squadron RAFNo. 59 Squadron RAFNo. 59 Squadron is a squadron of the Royal Air Force.- History :No.59 Squadron first became operational on 1 August 1916 at Narborough Airfield in Norfolk as a squadron of the Royal Flying Corps. During the Second World War it was attached to RAF Fighter Command , Bomber Command and Coastal Command...
- No. 99 Squadron RAFNo. 99 Squadron RAFNo. 99 Squadron of the Royal Air Force was a bomber squadron in both first and second world war. At present it operates the Boeing C-17 Globemaster III from RAF Brize Norton, the RAF's air transport hub. The squadron was the first RAF unit to receive the Avro Aldershot, Handley Page Hyderabad,...
- No. 119 Squadron RAFNo. 119 Squadron RAFNo. 119 Squadron RAF was a squadron of the Royal Air Force, flying with RAF Coastal Command during the Second World War. It was the only RAF unit flying the Short G class and Short C class flying boats.-Formation in World War I:...
- No. 166 Squadron RAFNo. 166 Squadron RAFNo. 166 Squadron RAF was a Royal Air Force squadron that formed just after the end of World War I. It was the first and one of only three to be equipped with the Handley Page V/1500 heavy bomber.-History:...
- No. 206 Squadron RAFNo. 206 Squadron RAFNo. 206 Squadron was a Royal Air Force unit employed, until 2005, in the maritime patrol role with the Nimrod MR.2 at RAF Kinloss, Moray. It was announced in December 2004 that 206 Squadron would disband on 1 April 2005, with half of its crews being redistributed to Nos. 120 and 201 Squadrons, also...
- No. 207 Squadron RAF
- No. 235 Squadron RAFNo. 235 Squadron RAFNo. 235 Squadron RAF was an anti-submarine squadron of the Royal Air Force in World War I and in World War II served as a squadron in RAF Coastal Command-Formation and World War I:...
- No. 236 Squadron RAFNo. 236 Squadron RAFThe squadron was formed on 20 August 1918 from No's 493, 515 & 516 Flights at Mullion, in Cornwall. Equipped with DH6s, it carried out anti-submarine patrols along the coast until the end of the war, disbanding on 15 May 1919....
- No. 252 Squadron RAFNo. 252 Squadron RAFNo. 252 Squadron RAF was a Royal Air Force Squadron that formed as bomber unit in World War I and a RAF Coastal Command bomber unit World War II.-Formation and World War I:...
- No. 280 Squadron RAFNo. 280 Squadron RAFNo. 280 Squadron was a Royal Air Force air-sea rescue squadron during the second world war.-History:No. 280 Squadron was formed at RAF Thorney Island, England on the 10 December 1941 as an air-sea rescue squadron. The squadron was equipped with the Avro Anson and was responsible for air-sea rescue...
- No. 320 Squadron RAFNo. 320 Squadron RAFNo. 320 Squadron RAF was a unit of the Royal Air Force during World War II formed from the personnel of the Royal Netherlands Naval Air Service.-Formation:...
- No. 407 Squadron RCAFNo. 407 Squadron RCAF407 Long Range Patrol Squadron is a long range & maritime patrol squadron of the Canadian Forces. It is located at 19 Wing Comox, on Vancouver Island, British Columbia operating the CP-140 Aurora.-History:No...
, the "Demon Squadron" - No. 500 Squadron RAFNo. 500 Squadron RAFNo. 500 Squadron AAF was formed in 1931 as a Special Reserve squadron and in 1936 became part of the Auxiliary Air Force. It served in a number of roles before being disbanded in 1957.-Formation and early years:...
External links
- RAF Bircham Newton Memorial Project
- Control Towers - Bircham Newton
- Wartime Memory Projects - Bricham Newton
- Interwar photographs of Bircham Newton
- No. 280 Squadron RAF
See also
- Norfolk AirfieldsNorfolk AirfieldsThis is a list of current or former military airfields within the English county of Norfolk, East Anglia. They may have been used by the Royal Flying Corps, Royal Naval Air Service, Royal Air Force, Army Air Corps or the United States Air Force....
- Royal Air Force station
- List of RAF stations
- List of Royal Air Force aircraft squadrons