After exploring the old runway where the pigs had been and the battle headquarters, we decided to have a look a bit further away . We came across some buildings which sat tucked in the woods and decided to have a look about . Some of the buildings we could get in and others we couldn't ,the site I think is the technical side and maybe had some of the women's auxiliary Air Force there ?or other squadrons who were stationed there .. 1 of the buildings which we couldn't get in was a decontamination chamber which at the time didn't register with me even though I have seen quite a few of these .. A good explore and some nice history left here if you are willing to have a look about.would like to go back and get some footage of the pillboxes that are there at some point as well .
wikipedia info
.RAF Methwold opened as a dispersal airfield for RAF Feltwell in the winter of 1938. Vickers Wellington bombers from Feltwell continued to use the site as a satellite base until the grass airfield was transferred to No. 2 Group in the exchange of bases with No. 3 Group, in the summer of 1942. Several asphalt hardstandings were put down for aircraft during 1940-1941.
In August 1943, the airfield was closed to flying while it was upgraded to A standard. Three concrete runways were built, the main aligned on 06-24 (2,000 yards), 11-29 (1,600 yards) and 17-35 (1,500 yards). 36 hardstandings were built, 35 of the loop type and a single pan. The original asphalt pans were not retained.
Following this work, RAF Methwold was a higher standard base than its parent at Feltwell. The airfield was returned to No. 3 Group and became a sub-station of RAF Mildenhall.
43 aircraft either failed to return or crashed during the operations from RAF Methwold; 25 Venturas, 6 Stirlings, and 12 Lancasters.
Units[edit]
Based units[1]
No. 57 Squadron RAF
No. 214 Squadron RAF
No. 21 Squadron RAF
No. 464 Squadron RAAF
No. 487 Squadron RNZAF
No. 149 Squadron RAF
No. 218 Squadron RAF
No. 207 Squadron RAF
No. 320 (Netherlands) Squadron RAF
No. 3 Flying Training School RAF
No. 3 Service Flying Training School RAF
No. 21 Heavy Glider Maintenance Section
Current use[edit]
After closure as an operational airfield in April 1946, the airfield remained under care and maintenance until it was finally sold in the 1960s. Today the majority of the site has been returned to agriculture, with two hangars remaining in use as agricultural grain stores and two others used for packaging Quorn and Cauldron products (Marlow Foods) for sale in supermarkets. To the southern edge of the site a well-preserved battle headquarters and some gunpits along with a number of air raid shelters may be found.
26 июл 2024
