RAF Bircham Newton
Near Bircham Newton, Norfolk in England
RAF Bircham Newton is located in Norfolk
RAF Bircham Newton
RAF Bircham Newton
Shown within Norfolk
Coordinates52°52′37″N 000°39′09″E / 52.87694°N 0.65250°E / 52.87694; 0.65250
TypeRoyal Air Force station
Site information
OwnerMinistry of Defence
OperatorRoyal Air Force
Controlled byRAF Coastal Command
* No. 16 Group RAF[1]
Site history
Built1916 (1916), 1938
In use1918-1966 (1966)
Battles/warsEuropean theatre of World War II
Cold War
Airfield information
Elevation70 metres (230 ft) AMSL
Runways
Direction Length and surface
00/00  Sommerfeld tracking
00/00  Sommerfeld tracking
00/00  Sommerfeld tracking

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.

History

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.[2]

There were several communication squadrons active at the airfield during 1919.

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.[3]

It operated through the Second World War as part of No. 16 Group RAF as part of RAF Coastal Command.[4]

No. 206 Squadron RAF was one of the squadrons being based there, on maritime patrol duties.[5] Two satellite airfields, RAF Docking[6] and RAF Langham were opened to accommodate units.[7]

In 1965 the airfield was used for evaluation trials of the Hawker Siddeley Kestrel V/STOL aircraft.[8]

Squadrons

First World War and Inter war years
Second World War
Royal Navy

Units

Second World War and Cold War

Current use

After closure as an operational airfield in 1966, the airfield became the home of the Construction Industry Training Board. The area of the airfield once occupied by the grass runways has disappeared under the activities of construction equipment, but the majority of buildings on the site remain in use by the CITB.[62] The control tower was demolished in 2010 due to its poor condition.[3]

In February 2020, the CITB announced it had sold the site to West Suffolk College, based in Bury St Edmunds, aiming to continue construction industry training provision at Bircham Newton.[63] Later in 2020, CITB decided not to continue with the sale of Bircham Newton to WSC but to remain a provider of Apprenticeship and Commercial Training for the Construction Industry, where it continues to this day.

See also

References

Citations

  1. ^ Falconer 2012, p. 52.
  2. ^ a b c Jefford 1988, p. 64.
  3. ^ a b "RAF Bircham Newton airfield". Control Towers. Retrieved 10 February 2014.
  4. ^ "RAF Bircham Newton". Air of Authority – A History of RAF Organisation. Retrieved 10 February 2014.
  5. ^ a b c Jefford 1988, p. 69.
  6. ^ Bowyer 1979, p. 61.
  7. ^ Bowyer 1979, p. 139.
  8. ^ Bowyer 1979, p. 68.
  9. ^ Jefford 1988, p. 26.
  10. ^ Jefford 1988, p. 27.
  11. ^ Jefford 1988, p. 30.
  12. ^ Jefford 1988, p. 31.
  13. ^ Jefford 1988, p. 36.
  14. ^ Jefford 1988, p. 37.
  15. ^ Jefford 1988, p. 38.
  16. ^ Jefford 1988, p. 41.
  17. ^ Jefford 1988, p. 44.
  18. ^ Jefford 1988, p. 51.
  19. ^ Jefford 1988, p. 53.
  20. ^ Jefford 1988, p. 54.
  21. ^ a b Jefford 1988, p. 72.
  22. ^ Jefford 1988, p. 81.
  23. ^ Jefford 1988, p. 82.
  24. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s "Bircham Newton". Airfields of Britain Conservation Trust. Retrieved 11 February 2013.
  25. ^ a b Sturtivant, Hamlin & Halley 1997, p. 96.
  26. ^ Jefford 1988, p. 39.
  27. ^ Jefford 1988, p. 42.
  28. ^ Jefford 1988, p. 57.
  29. ^ Jefford 1988, p. 67.
  30. ^ Jefford 1988, p. 74.
  31. ^ a b Jefford 1988, p. 75.
  32. ^ a b Jefford 1988, p. 78.
  33. ^ Jefford 1988, p. 79.
  34. ^ a b Jefford 1988, p. 83.
  35. ^ Jefford 1988, p. 86.
  36. ^ Jefford 1988, p. 89.
  37. ^ Jefford 1988, p. 90.
  38. ^ Jefford 1988, p. 94.
  39. ^ Jefford 1988, p. 95.
  40. ^ a b Jefford 1988, p. 96.
  41. ^ Jefford 1988, p. 98.
  42. ^ Jefford 1988, p. 105.
  43. ^ a b c d e Sturtivant, Hamlin & Halley 1997, p. 69.
  44. ^ Sturtivant, Hamlin & Halley 1997, p. 43.
  45. ^ Sturtivant, Hamlin & Halley 1997, p. 121.
  46. ^ Sturtivant, Hamlin & Halley 1997, p. 70.
  47. ^ Sturtivant, Hamlin & Halley 1997, p. 161.
  48. ^ Sturtivant, Hamlin & Halley 1997, p. 71.
  49. ^ Sturtivant, Hamlin & Halley 1997, p. 207.
  50. ^ Sturtivant, Hamlin & Halley 1997, p. 325.
  51. ^ Sturtivant, Hamlin & Halley 1997, p. 129.
  52. ^ Sturtivant, Hamlin & Halley 1997, p. 130.
  53. ^ Sturtivant, Hamlin & Halley 1997, p. 138.
  54. ^ a b Sturtivant, Hamlin & Halley 1997, p. 140.
  55. ^ Sturtivant, Hamlin & Halley 1997, p. 143.
  56. ^ Sturtivant, Hamlin & Halley 1997, p. 144.
  57. ^ Sturtivant, Hamlin & Halley 1997, p. 94.
  58. ^ Sturtivant, Hamlin & Halley 1997, p. 230.
  59. ^ Sturtivant, Hamlin & Halley 1997, p. 305.
  60. ^ Sturtivant, Hamlin & Halley 1997, p. 308.
  61. ^ Sturtivant, Hamlin & Halley 1997, p. 61.
  62. ^ Airfield Archeology – Bircham Newton Archived 9 October 2008 at Wikiwix
  63. ^ Lorenzato-Lloyd, Alice (24 February 2020). "CITB strikes deal to sell Bircham Newton home". Building. Retrieved 24 February 2020.

Bibliography

External links

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