RAF Horham
Encyclopedia
RAF Horham is a World War II era airfield in England. The field is located next to the village of Horham
, England, and 4 miles SE of Eye
in Suffolk
. The large site straddled the parishes of Denham, Horham and Hoxne.
in 1942. Two T-2 hangars were erected on the south side of the airfield and painted in black and dark earth shadow shading camouflage in contrast to later airfields where the hangars were finished in tar varnish. The technical site was adjacent to the two hangars beside the B1117 road to Eye. Station headquarters, administrative buildings and dispersed living sites were temporary constructions chiefly of to the west of the airfield in the parish of Denham.
Horham was given USAAF designation Station 119 (JH).
From 13 September 1943 through 6 August 1945, Horham served as headquarters for the 13th Combat Bombardment Wing of the 3d Bomb Division.
light bomber. The group used Horham as a staging point for their departure to Mediouna, French Morocco
joining Twelfth Air Force in January 1943.
South Carolina
. The group was assigned to the 3d Bomb Wing and flew Martin B-26B/C Marauders
with a Horizontal white tail band for its group marking. Operational squadrons of the 323d were:
The group was assigned to the 8th Air Force at Horham however it transferred to RAF Earls Colne on 14 June before flying any operational missions from Horham.
on 15 June 1943. the 95th was assigned to the 13th Combat Bombardment Wing, and the group tail code was a "Square-B". Its operational squadrons were:
The group flew the B-17 Flying Fortress as part of the Eighth Air Force's strategic bombing campaign and began bombing strategic objectives in Germany in July 1943 and engaged primarily in such operations until V-E Day. Targets included harbors, industries, marshalling yards, and cities.
The group received a Distinguished Unit Citation for maintaining a tight defensive formation in spite of severe assault by enemy fighters and bombing the aircraft assembly plant at Regensburg
on 17 August 1943. Withstanding concentrated attacks by fighters during the approach to the target and intense antiaircraft fire directly over the objective, the group effectively bombarded marshalling yards at Münster
on 10 October 1943, being awarded a 2d DUC for the performance.
The unit participated in the intensive campaign of heavy bombers against the German aircraft industry during Big Week
, 20-25 February 1944. Received a 3d DUC for action during an attack by Army Air Force bombers on Berlin on 4 March 1944. While many participating organizations, because of weather conditions, either abandoned the operation or struck other targets, the 95th proceeded to Berlin and successfully bombed a suburb of the German capital despite snowstorms, dense clouds, and severe enemy attack.
The 95th interrupted its strategic operations to strike coastal defenses and communications during the invasion of Normandy
in June 1944. The group hit enemy troop concentrations and thus assisted the Allied breakthrough at Saint-Lô
in July 1944. The unit dropped ammunition, food, and medical supplies to Polish troops in Warsaw
on 18 September 1944, and attacked enemy transportation during the Battle of the Bulge
, December 1944 - January 1945 and bombed airfields in support of the Allied assault across the Rhine
in March 1945.
The unit flew its last combat mission, an attack on marshalling yards at Oranienburg
, on 20 April 1945. On 7 May 1945, the 95th flew a 'Chowhound' mission over German occupied Holland. These missions, to drop supplies and food to Dutch civilians in German occupied territory, were carried out by the RAF and USAAF, the German authorities having given safe passage to these humanitarian flights. On the return leg B-17G 44-48640 overflew the Dutch port of IJmuiden, then a German E-boat
base, and was fired on by an SS machine gun unit, which scored hits on the aircraft including No 2 engine which caught fire. The aircraft went down in the sea about 3½ miles off Southwold
, Suffolk
. Of the 8 crew and 5 passengers on board there were four survivors.
This was the last B-17 shot down in the European Theatre of Operations. After V-E Day, transported liberated prisoners and displaced persons from Austria to France and England.
The 95th Bomb Group returned to Sioux Falls AAF
South Dakota
during June-August 1945, where the personnel were demobilized and aircraft sent to storage.
Legacy
The United States Air Force
95th Bombardment Wing (1952–1966) was a front-line Strategic Air Command
heavy bomb wing during the Cold War
. Assigned to Biggs AFB Texas
, the wing was equipped initially with Consolidated B-36 "Peacemaker"s, the first operational bomber to truly have intercontinental range, then re-equipped with the Boeing B-52 "Stratofortress". Upon activation, the Wing was bestowed the lineage, legacy and honors of the USAAF World War II 95th Bomb Group. It was inactivated on 12 June 1966.
Redesignated as the 95th Strategic Wing (1966–1976) and reassigned to Goose Air Base Canada 2 October 1966 the wing supported SAC's KC-135 alert tanker forces in eastern Canada and North Atlantic. It was inactivated 30 September 1976.
There is a memorial of the 95th Bomb Group and an active museum (the Red Feather Club) on the site of the former NCO's Mess. The former airfield hospital is similarly maintained as a museum and has periodic open days. The Guard Room now serves as Denham Village Hall. Elsewhere there are scattered remains of the outlying airfield buildings and bunkers in various degrees of condition.
Horham
Horham is a village in the county of Suffolk, in the East Anglia region of eastern England, United Kingdom. The village contains a church, St. Mary of Horham. Horham is on the B1117 road, approximately halfway between Eye and Stradbroke.- History :...
, England, and 4 miles SE of Eye
Eye, Suffolk
Eye is a small market town in the county of Suffolk, East Anglia, England, south of Diss, and on the River Dove.Eye is twinned with the town of Pouzauges in the Vendée Departement of France.-History:An island...
in Suffolk
Suffolk
Suffolk is a non-metropolitan county of historic origin in East Anglia, England. It has borders with Norfolk to the north, Cambridgeshire to the west and Essex to the south. The North Sea lies to the east...
. The large site straddled the parishes of Denham, Horham and Hoxne.
USAAF use
Planned originally for RAF use, Horham airfield was provided to the United States Army Air Force Eighth Air ForceEighth Air Force
The Eighth Air Force is a numbered air force of the United States Air Force Global Strike Command . It is headquartered at Barksdale Air Force Base, Louisiana....
in 1942. Two T-2 hangars were erected on the south side of the airfield and painted in black and dark earth shadow shading camouflage in contrast to later airfields where the hangars were finished in tar varnish. The technical site was adjacent to the two hangars beside the B1117 road to Eye. Station headquarters, administrative buildings and dispersed living sites were temporary constructions chiefly of to the west of the airfield in the parish of Denham.
Horham was given USAAF designation Station 119 (JH).
From 13 September 1943 through 6 August 1945, Horham served as headquarters for the 13th Combat Bombardment Wing of the 3d Bomb Division.
47th Bombardment Group (Light)
The first USAAF unit to use Horham was the 47th Bombardment Group (Light), arriving from RAF Bury St. Edmunds on 5 October 1942. The 47th flew the Douglas A-20 HavocDouglas DB-7
The Douglas A-20/DB-7 Havoc was a family of American attack, light bomber and night fighter aircraft of World War II, that served with several Allied air forces, principally those of the Soviet Union, United Kingdom, and United States. The DB-7 was also used by the air forces of Australia, South...
light bomber. The group used Horham as a staging point for their departure to Mediouna, French Morocco
French Morocco
French Protectorate of Morocco was a French protectorate in Morocco, established by the Treaty of Fez. French Morocco did not include the north of the country, which was a Spanish protectorate...
joining Twelfth Air Force in January 1943.
323rd Bombardment Group (Medium)
The 323d Bombardment Group (Medium) arrived at Horham on 12 May 1943 from Myrtle Beach AAFMyrtle Beach Air Force Base
Myrtle Beach Air Force Base is a closed United States Air Force facility, located in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina. It was established in 1940 as a World War II training base and was also used for coastal patrols during the war...
South Carolina
South Carolina
South Carolina is a state in the Deep South of the United States that borders Georgia to the south, North Carolina to the north, and the Atlantic Ocean to the east. Originally part of the Province of Carolina, the Province of South Carolina was one of the 13 colonies that declared independence...
. The group was assigned to the 3d Bomb Wing and flew Martin B-26B/C Marauders
B-26 Marauder
The Martin B-26 Marauder was a World War II twin-engine medium bomber built by the Glenn L. Martin Company. First used in the Pacific Theater in early 1942, it was also used in the Mediterranean Theater and in Western Europe....
with a Horizontal white tail band for its group marking. Operational squadrons of the 323d were:
- 453d Bombardment Squadron (VT)
- 454th Bombardment Squadron (RJ)
- 455th Bombardment Squadron (YU)
- 456th Bombardment Squadron (WT)
The group was assigned to the 8th Air Force at Horham however it transferred to RAF Earls Colne on 14 June before flying any operational missions from Horham.
95th Bombardment Group (Heavy)
With the transfer of the Marauders, the 95th Bombardment Group (Heavy) arrived from RAF FramlinghamRAF Framlingham
RAF Framlingham is a former World War II airfield in England. The field is located 3 miles SE of Framlingham in Suffolk.-USAAF use:...
on 15 June 1943. the 95th was assigned to the 13th Combat Bombardment Wing, and the group tail code was a "Square-B". Its operational squadrons were:
- 334th Bombardment Squadron334th Bombardment SquadronThe 334th Bombardment Squadron is an inactive United States Air Force unit. It was last assigned to the 95th Bombardment Wing. It was inactivated at Biggs Air Force Base, Texas on 25 June 1966-History:...
(BG) - 335th Bombardment Squadron335th Bombardment SquadronThe 335th Bombardment Squadron is an inactive United States Air Force unit. It was last assigned to the 4130th Strategic Wing. It was inactivated at Bergstrom Air Force Base, Texas on 15 September 1963-History:...
(OE) - 336th Bombardment Squadron336th Bombardment SquadronThe 336th Bombardment Squadron is an inactive United States Air Force unit. It was last assigned to the 4138th Strategic Wing. It was inactivated at Turner Air Force Base, Georgia on 1 Feb 1963-History:...
(ET) - 412th Bombardment Squadron (QW)
The group received a Distinguished Unit Citation for maintaining a tight defensive formation in spite of severe assault by enemy fighters and bombing the aircraft assembly plant at Regensburg
Regensburg
Regensburg is a city in Bavaria, Germany, located at the confluence of the Danube and Regen rivers, at the northernmost bend in the Danube. To the east lies the Bavarian Forest. Regensburg is the capital of the Bavarian administrative region Upper Palatinate...
on 17 August 1943. Withstanding concentrated attacks by fighters during the approach to the target and intense antiaircraft fire directly over the objective, the group effectively bombarded marshalling yards at Münster
Münster
Münster is an independent city in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. It is located in the northern part of the state and is considered to be the cultural centre of the Westphalia region. It is also capital of the local government region Münsterland...
on 10 October 1943, being awarded a 2d DUC for the performance.
The unit participated in the intensive campaign of heavy bombers against the German aircraft industry during Big Week
Big Week
Between February 20–25, 1944, as part of the European strategic bombing campaign, the United States Strategic Air Forces launched Operation Argument, a series of missions against the Third Reich that became known as Big Week. The planners intended to lure the Luftwaffe into a decisive battle by...
, 20-25 February 1944. Received a 3d DUC for action during an attack by Army Air Force bombers on Berlin on 4 March 1944. While many participating organizations, because of weather conditions, either abandoned the operation or struck other targets, the 95th proceeded to Berlin and successfully bombed a suburb of the German capital despite snowstorms, dense clouds, and severe enemy attack.
The 95th interrupted its strategic operations to strike coastal defenses and communications during the invasion of Normandy
D-Day
D-Day is a term often used in military parlance to denote the day on which a combat attack or operation is to be initiated. "D-Day" often represents a variable, designating the day upon which some significant event will occur or has occurred; see Military designation of days and hours for similar...
in June 1944. The group hit enemy troop concentrations and thus assisted the Allied breakthrough at Saint-Lô
Saint-Lô
Saint-Lô is a commune in north-western France, the capital of the Manche department in Normandy.-History:Originally called Briovère , the town is built on and around ramparts. Originally it was a Gaul fortified settlement...
in July 1944. The unit dropped ammunition, food, and medical supplies to Polish troops in Warsaw
Warsaw
Warsaw is the capital and largest city of Poland. It is located on the Vistula River, roughly from the Baltic Sea and from the Carpathian Mountains. Its population in 2010 was estimated at 1,716,855 residents with a greater metropolitan area of 2,631,902 residents, making Warsaw the 10th most...
on 18 September 1944, and attacked enemy transportation during the Battle of the Bulge
Battle of the Bulge
The Battle of the Bulge was a major German offensive , launched toward the end of World War II through the densely forested Ardennes mountain region of Wallonia in Belgium, hence its French name , and France and...
, December 1944 - January 1945 and bombed airfields in support of the Allied assault across the Rhine
Operation Varsity
Operation Varsity was a successful joint American–British airborne operation that took place toward the end of World War II...
in March 1945.
The unit flew its last combat mission, an attack on marshalling yards at Oranienburg
Oranienburg
Oranienburg is a town in Brandenburg, Germany. It is the capital of the district of Oberhavel.- Geography :Oranienburg is a town located on the banks of the Havel river, 35 km north of the centre of Berlin.- Division of the town :...
, on 20 April 1945. On 7 May 1945, the 95th flew a 'Chowhound' mission over German occupied Holland. These missions, to drop supplies and food to Dutch civilians in German occupied territory, were carried out by the RAF and USAAF, the German authorities having given safe passage to these humanitarian flights. On the return leg B-17G 44-48640 overflew the Dutch port of IJmuiden, then a German E-boat
E-boat
E-boats was the designation for Motor Torpedo Boats of the German Navy during World War II. It is commonly held that the E stood for Enemy....
base, and was fired on by an SS machine gun unit, which scored hits on the aircraft including No 2 engine which caught fire. The aircraft went down in the sea about 3½ miles off Southwold
Southwold
Southwold is a town on the North Sea coast, in the Waveney district of the English county of Suffolk. It is located on the North Sea coast at the mouth of the River Blyth within the Suffolk Coast and Heaths Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty. The town is around south of Lowestoft and north-east...
, Suffolk
Suffolk
Suffolk is a non-metropolitan county of historic origin in East Anglia, England. It has borders with Norfolk to the north, Cambridgeshire to the west and Essex to the south. The North Sea lies to the east...
. Of the 8 crew and 5 passengers on board there were four survivors.
This was the last B-17 shot down in the European Theatre of Operations. After V-E Day, transported liberated prisoners and displaced persons from Austria to France and England.
The 95th Bomb Group returned to Sioux Falls AAF
Sioux Falls, South Dakota
Sioux Falls is the largest city in the U.S. state of South Dakota. Sioux Falls is the county seat of Minnehaha County, and also extends into Lincoln County to the south...
South Dakota
South Dakota
South Dakota is a state located in the Midwestern region of the United States. It is named after the Lakota and Dakota Sioux American Indian tribes. Once a part of Dakota Territory, South Dakota became a state on November 2, 1889. The state has an area of and an estimated population of just over...
during June-August 1945, where the personnel were demobilized and aircraft sent to storage.
Legacy
The United States Air Force
United States Air Force
The United States Air Force is the aerial warfare service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the American uniformed services. Initially part of the United States Army, the USAF was formed as a separate branch of the military on September 18, 1947 under the National Security Act of...
95th Bombardment Wing (1952–1966) was a front-line Strategic Air Command
Strategic Air Command
The Strategic Air Command was both a Major Command of the United States Air Force and a "specified command" of the United States Department of Defense. SAC was the operational establishment in charge of America's land-based strategic bomber aircraft and land-based intercontinental ballistic...
heavy bomb wing during the Cold War
Cold War
The Cold War was the continuing state from roughly 1946 to 1991 of political conflict, military tension, proxy wars, and economic competition between the Communist World—primarily the Soviet Union and its satellite states and allies—and the powers of the Western world, primarily the United States...
. Assigned to Biggs AFB Texas
Texas
Texas is the second largest U.S. state by both area and population, and the largest state by area in the contiguous United States.The name, based on the Caddo word "Tejas" meaning "friends" or "allies", was applied by the Spanish to the Caddo themselves and to the region of their settlement in...
, the wing was equipped initially with Consolidated B-36 "Peacemaker"s, the first operational bomber to truly have intercontinental range, then re-equipped with the Boeing B-52 "Stratofortress". Upon activation, the Wing was bestowed the lineage, legacy and honors of the USAAF World War II 95th Bomb Group. It was inactivated on 12 June 1966.
Redesignated as the 95th Strategic Wing (1966–1976) and reassigned to Goose Air Base Canada 2 October 1966 the wing supported SAC's KC-135 alert tanker forces in eastern Canada and North Atlantic. It was inactivated 30 September 1976.
RAF Maintenance Command use
After the war, Horham was returned to the RAF on 9 October 1945 and it became a satellite for Nos. 25 and 262 Maintenance Units. The hangars were dismantled and it was declared a surplus inactive station in October 1946. Later, an RAF Bristol Bloodhound missile site used one part of the airfield but when this was moved, the complete site was sold during the years 1961-64.Civil use
With the end of military control, a mushroom growing plant was established at the end of one runway during the 1960s, however much of the runways, perimeter track and hardstands were removed and ground into aggregate for construction projects in the area. The mushroom farm buildings have since been extended, and are used as a factory making glass-fibre mouldings until 2009. A small runway section is still used for light aircraft.There is a memorial of the 95th Bomb Group and an active museum (the Red Feather Club) on the site of the former NCO's Mess. The former airfield hospital is similarly maintained as a museum and has periodic open days. The Guard Room now serves as Denham Village Hall. Elsewhere there are scattered remains of the outlying airfield buildings and bunkers in various degrees of condition.