RAF Docking

RAF Docking
	Norwich, Norfolk in England
	RAF Docking Shown within Norfolk
Coordinates	52°55′17″N 000°39′39″E
Site information
Owner	Air Ministry
Operator	Royal Air Force
Controlled by	RAF Coastal Command
Site history
Built	1940
In use	July 1940-1958
Battles/wars	Second World War
Airfield information
Runways
00/00	Grass

Royal Air Force Docking or more simply RAF Docking is a formerRoyal Air Force station a few miles from Bircham Newton in Norfolk, England.

History

It was a satellite airfield for the RAF Coastal Command station at RAF Bircham Newton and was mostly used for overflow from there.

A grass airfield, with eight blister hangars and one A1 hangar, was laid out soon after the outbreak of war and the first squadron to operate from there was No. 235 Squadron RAF using Bristol Blenheims for convoy escort and anti-shipping operations in the North Sea. These were then replaced by the Lockheed Hudson.

A meteorological observation unit No. 405 Flight of Bomber Command was set up as part of the effort to gain important weather information. When Coastal Command took over all the meteorological units this became No. 1401 (Met) Flight and received a greater variety of aircraft. As well as Blenheims it operated Spitfires, Gloster Gladiator biplanes and Hawker Hurricanes. These aircraft were all used to take measurements of temperature and humidity; from 40,000 ft downwards in precise areas. In August 1942 the Flight was made into a Squadron - No. 521 - with Hudsons Hampdens, Mosquitos and Venturas. The squadron's Mosquitos would operate deep into occupied Europe to take measurements over target areas; known as "PAMPA". In 1944 the squadron moved to the other satellite for Bircham Newton, RAF Langham

Posted aircraft types

Several types of aircraft have operated out of Docking, among these:

Posted units

Posted units:[1]

No. 22 Blind Approach Training Flight RAF
No. 27 Air Crew Holding Unit RAF
No. 53 Squadron RAF
No. 143 Squadron RAF
No. 221 Squadron RAF
No. 225 Squadron RAF
No. 235 Squadron RAF
No. 254 Squadron RAF
No. 268 Squadron RAF
No. 304 Polish Bomber Squadron
No. 401 Meteorological Flight RAF
No. 407 Squadron RAF
No. 415 Squadron RAF
No. 502 Squadron RAF
No. 521 Squadron RAF
No. 524 Squadron RAF
812 Naval Air Squadron
855 Naval Air Squadron
No. 1401 Meteorological Flight RAF
No. 1522 (Beam Approach Training) Flight RAF
No. 1525 (Beam Approach Training) Flight RAF
No. 1693 (General Reconnaissance) Flight RAF
No. 2731 Squadron RAF Regiment
No. 2749 Squadron RAF Regiment
No. 2765 Squadron RAF Regiment
Air Sea Rescue Training Unit RAF
Warwick Training Unit RAF

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References

Citations

"Docking". Airfields of Britain Conservation Trust. Retrieved 11 April 2020.

Bibliography

Norfolk Airfields in the Second World War Graham Smith, Countryside Books, 1997.

External links

This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.

[ABCT-1] "Docking". Airfields of Britain Conservation Trust. Retrieved 11 April 2020.