Rahul Sharma (Editor)

RAF Bircham Newton

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Operator
  
Royal Air Force

In use
  
1918-1966 (1966)

00/00
  
Asphalt

Owner
  
Ministry of Defence

Built
  
1917 (1917), 1938

00/00
  
Asphalt

Elevation
  
70 m

RAF Bircham Newton wwwmarhammattersonlinecoukwpcontentuploads2

Type
  
Royal Air Force station

Royal Air Force Bircham Newton or more simply RAF Bircham Newton is a former Royal Air Force station located 2.1 miles (3.4 km) south east of Docking, Norfolk and 13.4 miles (21.6 km) north east of King's Lynn, Norfolk, England.

Contents

RAF Bircham Newton RAF Bircham Newton airfield

History

RAF Bircham Newton Old workshops at RAF Bircham Newton Evelyn Simak ccbysa20

The site was first used during the First World War and received the largest British bomber of the time, the Handley Page V/1500. They would have carried out bombing missions against Berlin but the Armistice was arranged before any missions were actually flown.

RAF Bircham Newton RAF 1927 1935 Bircham Newton

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.

RAF Bircham Newton The Haunted Squash Court The Squash Life Blog

It operated through the Second World War as part of No. 16 Group RAF as part of Coastal Command.

RAF Bircham Newton History amp heritage centre The Birches

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.

Squadrons

RAF Bircham Newton RAF Bircham Newton Aviation Trails

  • No. 7 Squadron RAF 1923–1927 Vickers Vimy, Vickers Virginia.
  • No. 11 Squadron RAF 1923–1924 de Havilland DH.9A, Fairey Fawn.
  • No. 18 Squadron RAF 1936 Hawker Hart, Hawker Hind.
  • No. 21 Squadron RAF 1935–1936 Hawker Hind.
  • No. 34 Squadron RAF 1935–1936 Hawker Hind.
  • No. 35 Squadron RAF 1929–1935 Fairey IIIF, Fairey Gordon.
  • No. 39 Squadron RAF 1928 de Havilland DH.9A.
  • No. 42 Squadron RAF 1939–1940 Vickers Vildebeest.
  • No. 49 Squadron RAF 1936 Hawker Hind.
  • No. 53 Squadron RAF 1941 Lockheed Hudson.
  • No. 60 Squadron RAF 1920 cadre for disbandment.
  • No. 90 Squadron RAF 1928 Bristol Blenheim.
  • No. 99 Squadron RAF 1924–1928 Aldershot, Vickers Vimy, Handley Page Hyderabad.
  • No. 101 Squadron RAF 1928–1929 Boulton Paul Sidestrand, de Havilland DH.9.
  • No. 119 Squadron RAF 1945 Fairey Swordfish.
  • No. 166 Squadron RAF 1918–1919 Handley Page V/1500.
  • No. 167 Squadron RAF 1918–1919 Handley Page V/1500.
  • No. 200 Squadron RAF 1941 Lockheed Hudson.
  • No. 206 Squadron RAF 1926–1941 Avro Anson, Lockheed Hudson.
  • No. 207 Squadron RAF 1920–1922 de Havilland DH.9A and 1929–1935 Fairey IIIF, Gordon.
  • No. 220 Squadron RAF 1936–1939 Avro Anson.
  • No. 221 Squadron RAF 1940–1941 Vickers Wellington.
  • No. 229 Squadron RAF 1940 detachment Hawker Hurricane.
  • No. 233 Squadron RAF 1944 Lockheed Hudson.
  • No. 235 Squadron RAF 1940–1941 Bristol Blenheim.
  • No. 248 Squadron RAF 1941 Bristol Blenheim.
  • No. 252 Squadron RAF 1940 re-formed and moved to RAF Chivenor to operate the Bristol Blenheim.
  • No. 254 Squadron RAF 1940 Bristol Blenheim.
  • No. 269 Squadron RAF 1936 Avro Anson.
  • No. 274 Squadron RAF 1919–1920 Handley Page V/1500.
  • No. 279 Squadron RAF 1941–1944 Lockheed Hudson.
  • No. 280 Squadron RAF 1942–1943 Avro Anson.
  • No. 320 Squadron RAF 1942 Lockheed Hudson.
  • No. 407 Squadron RCAF 1942 Lockheed Hudson.
  • No. 415 Squadron RCAF 1943–1944 Vickers Wellington.
  • No. 500 Squadron RAF 1941–1942 Bristol Blenheim, Lockheed Hudson.
  • No. 502 Squadron RAF 1942 Armstrong Whitworth Whitley.
  • No. 521 Squadron RAF 1942–1943 various types.
  • No. 524 Squadron RAF 1944–1945 Vickers Wellington.
  • No. 598 Squadron RAF 1945 various types.
  • No. 695 Squadron RAF 1943–1945 various types.

    • Units

  • No. 1 AACU 'B' Flight.
  • No. 1 AACU 'C' Flight.
  • No. 1 AACU 'D' Flight.
  • No. 1 AACU 'K' Flight.
  • No. 1 AACU 'M' Flight.
  • No. 2 APC.
  • No. 2 General Reconnaissance Unit.
  • No. 3 Fighting School.
  • No. 3 School of Aerial Fighting & Gunnery.
  • No. 5 Communications Squadron.
  • No. 6 Communications Squadron.
  • No. 7 Anti-Aircraft Co-operation Unit.
  • No. 7 Communications Squadron.
  • No. 8 Communications Squadron.
  • No. 18 (RCAF) Air Crew Holding Unit.
  • No. 27 Air Crew Holding Unit.
  • No. 54 Maintenance Unit RAF.
  • No. 157 (General Reconnaissance) Wing.
  • No. 401 Met Flight.
  • No. 403 Met Flight.
  • 811 Naval Air Squadron.
  • 812 Naval Air Squadron.
  • 815 Naval Air Squadron.
  • 816 Naval Air Squadron.
  • 819 Naval Air Squadron.
  • 826 Naval Air Squadron.
  • 855 Naval Air Squadron.
  • No. 1401 Met Flight.
  • No. 1403 Met Flight.
  • No. 1525 BAT Flight.
  • No. 1555 (Radio Aids Training) Flight RAF.
  • No. 1559 (Radio Aids Training) Flight RAF.
  • No. 1611 (AAC) Flight.
  • No. 1612 (AAC) Flight.
  • No. 1626 (AAC) Flight.
  • No. 2743 Squadron RAF Regiment.
  • No. 2749 Squadron RAF Regiment.
  • No. 2765 Squadron RAF Regiment.
  • Air Crew Allocation Centre.
  • Air Sea Rescue Training Unit.
  • Anti-Aircraft Co-operation Unit.
  • Coastal Command Preparation Pool.
  • Officers Advanced Training School.
  • Transport Command Initial Conversion Unit.
  • Warwick Training Unit.

    • Current use

    After closure as an operational airfield in 1966, the airfield became the home of the Construction Industry Training Board. 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 demolished in 2010 due to its poor condition.

    Constructionarium is also based within the estate, providing a week's practical learning opportunity for undergraduates.

    References

    RAF Bircham Newton Wikipedia
    (Text) CC BY-SA