Norfolk Airfields.

Noddy

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42F Squadron Air Training Corps will be commemorating and remembering 100 years of the RAF in conjunction with Norfolk Airfields.

Cadets have been researching airfields and discovering the types of aircraft and activities that have happened there over the past 100 years. Working with local schools and the Heritage centre at RAF Marham, maps of the airfields have been designed as an educational trail.

The trail will start in March until October 2018 and take in 40 WW1 and WW2 airfields around Norfolk. With the help of Open-reach trail markers will be erected on telegraph poles near to each airfield.

I live next to a WW1 and WW2 airfield known as RAF Thetford or Snarehill aerodrome. It was a training field for the original Royal Flying Corps and was active November 1915 to September 1920 although it was probably in use from 1911. From March 1940 to August 1942 it was in use again as a decoy airfield and a bombing range. I can recall local people telling of their visits to the airfield to watch the biplanes taking off and landing, quite heavily in some instances.

The marker for Snarehill is now up along with an information board, about one mile from Thetford on the A1088. I took a quick spin out yesterday afternoon around the area visiting the following airfields at Honnington, Knetishall, Snetterton, Deopham, Watton, Bodney and Methwold but could not find any more markers.

Take a look around your area if you have an old airfield near you and post up some location info.
 

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When I was statationed at Honnington in the 80's we lived at Barnham camp, not sure if it was ever an airfield but quite a few buildings there as I recall, also Coltishall.

Al.

Edit. Just googled it, weapons storage(nukes) and RAF Regiment training area.
 
Thanks for this. I saw one yesterday on a post as I type past Bodney Camp. I wondered what it was all about.

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When I was statationed at Honnington in the 80's we lived at Barnham camp,
Al.
Edit. Just googled it, weapons storage(nukes) and RAF Regiment training area.

Nukes buildings still there, interesting place.
 

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Catfield (near Stalham, 1132 used to volunteer there), Sprowston; now mostly lost to a trading estate but there’s a USAF memorial there. There’s another one outside Aylsham that I used to see when flying out of Norwich airport but not sure exactly where. Of course NWI used to be RAF Horsham St Faith and also hosted the USAF. Not sure if the grass strip at Shipdham saw service.
 
RAF Davidstow Moor, built in 1942 to extend the reach of Coastal Command despite the advice of locals. Little used and closed in 1954, command tower and a few other buildings still there, also a small private museum charting the WW2 history which was brief because of the prevailing conditions which meant even on a bright sunny day, the moor is fogbound 50% of the time :blast

Top tip: use the runway to get to the back of Crowdy Resevoir for a bit of secret wobbly box camping.
 
Not sure if the grass strip at Shipdham saw service.

Think you are confusing Shipdham with another field Shakey, Shipdham was built 1941 for USAF heavy bomber squadron flying Liberators.

Part of the original concrete main runway is still in use by a flying club.

We had about 20 GS riders on a run out around the local airfields on remembrance Sunday a few years back and just managed to get onto the old control tower a few minuets before 11am.
 
Swanton Morley - just down the road from me. Learned to glide there when I was 16 - caught the train from Bristol to do the one week course. ATC was great for that kind of thing... :thumb2
 
Aah, I spotted a plane on a pole next to one of our warehouses at Roudham last week. :thumb2 I wondered what it was all about! Cheers Graham. :clap
That's that cleared up. :thumb2

Also, sadly, I can see some of those model planes disappearing off the poles cos they look great. :blast
 


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