The club was formed in early 2000 to reopen shipdham airfield. Nau aerial photography shows a number of features of linear form in southwest dispersal area which probably result from the airfield, but might possibly pre date it. Photos, maps, personal memories and local books of shipdham airfield. In 19461947, the airfield was used as a transit camp for german prisoners of war. As wallys crew took off from shipdham for the last time headed back to the united states, whalen described that a british jet pulled up next to them and waved goodbye before peeling off back towards england. Shipdham airfield airport egsa located in shipdham, england, united kingdom. Raf thorpe abbotts airfield, 100th bomb group, usaaf.
There is a mistake in the excellent military airfields book by steve willis and barry hollis. Fairoaks airport book reveals history of airfield earmarked for 1,500home garden village author michael jones carefully planned and researched the book, which is filled with more than 600 black. Should you wish to leave a small donation towards the upkeep and ongoing running of the website, it is really appreciated. Shipdham was the first us heavy bomber base in norfolk during world war ii and was home to the famous b24 liberator bombers. Station 115 shipdham the story of a usaaf airfield.
In the 2001 census the parish had a population of 2,145 in 899 households, 2 falling at the 2011 census to a population of 2,057 in 891 households. Shipdham flying club is a group of flyers and friends who operate at shipdham airfield. Runways taken up 1980 and used for swaffham bypass. Gunn is a lecturer in history at further education college.
Including books on bomber command, ww2 airfields, raf pathfinders and victoria cross. Though there were airfields in shropshire during the first world war, at shawbury, tern hill and monkmoor, it was in the late 1930s that a massive building programme began to dot the county with new raf airfields, mostly for training purposes, until there were over sixteen in some cases they were so close together that their circuits overlapped. The story of station 115 shipdham 1 600 acre wwii airfield built on norfolk farmland in the early 1940s. Should you wish to leave a small donation towards the upkeep and ongoing running of. Buy cheshire airfields of the second world war british airfields of world war ii. The story of a usaaf airfield paperback station 115 shipdham is the unique story of 600 acres of norfolk countryside in the center of the agricultural heartland of east anglia. I have been researching airfields and aviation memorials for a long time and i have. Lincolnshires haunted airfields october 15, 2016 february 16, 2019 mj wayland haunted airfield, weird world war a faint throb of a lancaster returning in the morning mist, a light flickers in a disused control tower and a roar of laughter comes from the derelict pilots quarters. This book details many of these paranormal encounters, gives a history of the airfield and the units based there and a plan of the airfield during the wartime. This fascinating book was compiled with the support of official archives, respected historians and former raf personnel, including four ex.
Shipdham airfield at norfolk was assigned to the 44th bombardment group heavy, arriving from will rogers field, oklahoma on 10 october 1942. Shipdham flying club summer newsletter by lauren bean issuu. Royal air force thurleigh or more simply raf thurleigh is a former royal air force station located 5 miles 8. Shipdham airfield museum american air museum in britain. It is a mere 10 minutes flying time from norwich between the market towns of dereham and watton.
I had planned to visit the mid norfolk railway at dereham. Visited shipdham on wednesday 24 july inbound from sywell and outbound to seething. A series of books on aviation history during the second world war. The story of a usaaf airfield is the history of a 600acre second world war airfield that was built on norfolk farmland in the early 1940s. Being an airfield member gives you a variety of benefits.
This is an example of the content for a specific image in the nivo slider. It then moves on to describe the airfield s reversion to farmland in the 50s, 60s and 70. Shipdham airfield, breckland area information, map. The airfield was busy with visiting aircraft as it was shipdhams air day open day. In their spare time, some servicemen painted murals. Just where did those usaaf chaps hang out in norfolk during wwii. Shipdham flying clubs summer edition of the club newsletter. Robena brown nee dodd, sue dewing nee head, marlene seckernee codling and helen crane nee abbot sharing the history of shipdham. Single storey converted old dairy with 2 good sized double bedrooms, shower room and open plan kitchenloungedinner with woodburner. On 18th november 1944, the airfield was renamed to raf blackbushe, due to confusion over a similar area in norfolk. Known as the bloody hundredth due to high combat losses, this unit lost no more than was average for their length of service.
The story of a usaf airfield tells of a 600 acre second world war airfield built on norfolk farmland in the early 1940s. Isbn 0955191602, stoke ferry, liberator publishing, 2006. Raf shipdham usaaf station 115 in the second world war. We had a great welcome on our arriavl and were provided with hangarage for our motor glider overnight, having flown in from hintoninthehedges. This website is run entirely as a hobby and in my spare time, it is paid for out of my own pocket. A history of the 44th bomb group fit for the 21st century.
Wallis days 2004 shipdham airfield, norfolk, england. Military history shipdham airfield description, history and pictures. Shipdham airfield is located in united kingdom, using icao code egsa. Lincolnshires haunted airfields weird history with. A video of the control tower that i took on 15 october 2011. Shipdham war memorial was unveiled by the dean of norwich on 6 february 1921 and, like many norfolk war memorials, was situated within the churchyard. Witness the daring exploits and dangerous challenges that form the story of flight in this beautifully illustrated book, filled with rare photographs and historical. Thuxton is situated 3 miles east of shipdham airfield. The membership of eshott airfield runs from april to april every year and is mandatory for all pilots, hangar owners, student pilots and commercial users of the airfield site. Although the installation originally bore the official title of pyote army airfield. Many usaaf squadrons deployed throughout norfolk and some of the airfields remained in usaaf hands after the wwii ended and still to this day. Raf shipdham usaaf station 115 geograph britain and. Thuxton is a small village and former civil parish, now in the parish of garvestone, reymerston and thuxton, in the english county of norfolk, six miles north west of wymondham and five miles south east of dereham. Journalist and author chris wadsworth collaborates with matt johnson, manager and historian at the southwest florida museum of history, to take readers on a trip back in time, as the proud history of buckingham army air field comes alive through vivid photographs and the stories of the soldiers and civilians who once called buckingham home.
Since 1990, he has been a professional indexer of books and journals in history mainly. On 15th november 1946, the raf had moved out, and the airport was handed over to the ministry of civil aviation, becoming blackbushe airport. The 44th was assigned to the 14th combat bombardment wing, and the group tail code was a circlea. The american poet hyam plutzik was stationed at shipdham c. Francis frith the uks leading publisher of local photographs since 1860. There is ample parking including space for larger vehicles.
During the second world war, the us army airforce had bases across suffolk and norfolk. Cheshire airfields of the second world war british airfields of world. It was turned into a major second world war airfield in. The third runway is given as being on a heading of 03 which is of course the reciprocal heading for runway 21 listed beforehand. Constructed in 194142, shipdham airfield was the first us heavy bomber base in norfolk, and from september 1942 to june 1945 it was also the location of the headquarters of the 14th combat bombardment wing, 2nd air division, viii bomber command later the eighth army air force. It commemorates 29 local servicemen who fell in the first world war and 10 men who fell in the second world war. The airfield was sold in the late 1950s and early 1960s. Thurleigh was transferred to the united states army air forces eighth air force on 9 december 1942 and designated station 111, and used for heavy bomber operations against nazi germany. Other places near shipdham airfield, breckland ip25 7sd. Map of airfield industrial estate, shipdham, ip25 7, uk. Welcome to uk airfields, this website is to show my photography of airfields, aircraft and aviation related memorials around the uk and overseas. Today, it is still operated as a general aviation airfield, and it is also home to a museum telling the story of shipdham and the 44th bomb group. Airport information including flight arrivals, flight departures, instrument approach procedures, weather, location, runways, diagrams, sectional charts, navaids, radio communication frequencies, fbo and fuel prices, hotels, car rentals, sunrise and sunset times, aerial photos, terminal maps, and destination travel. The airfield was the wartime base of the 44th bombardment group, known as the flying eight balls.
Shipdham is a village and civil parish in the breckland district, in norfolk, england, approximately 5 miles 8. Raf shipdham airfield 44th bomb group 319th bomb group. It covers this period of the involvement of the usaaf 8the air force from a more personal and human view than many of the excellent books written on the more technical aspect of the war. Outstanding line, immaculate steam locomotives br standard 4mt 264t 80079 on my visit if you are interested and well worth a visit for the scenery alone. It is a mere ten minutes flying time from norwich, between the market towns of dereham and watton. Royal air force station shipdham or more simply raf shipdham is a former royal air force station located 3 miles south of dereham, norfolk, england.