RAF Snailwell

RAF Snailwell is a former Royal Air Force station located near to the village of Snailwell, Cambridgeshire, located 3 miles (4.8 km) north of Newmarket, Suffolk, England.

RAF Snailwell USAAF Station 361
Aerial photograph of Snailwell airfield, 26 July 1942
IATA: none ICAO: none
Summary
Airport type	Military
Owner	Air Ministry
Operator	Royal Air Force
Location	Snailwell
Built	1940
In use	1941-1945
Coordinates	52°16′28″N 000°25′11″E
Map
RAF Snailwell Location in Cambridgeshire
Runways
Direction Length Surface ft m 00/00 0 0 Concrete 00/00 0 0 Concrete 00/00 0 0 Concrete

Photograph of segment of taxiway remaining on the site of RAF Snailwell in December 2005, taken at grid reference TL 652 668 looking roughly North East

History

• Army Cooperation Command
• US 41st Base Complement Squadron
• 51st Service Squadron
• 9th USAAF 350th and 347th Fighter Group (P39 Airacobras)
• 1426 Enemy Aircraft Flight (captured Luftwaffe aircraft)

Operational Royal Air Force units and aircraft

• No. 56 Squadron RAF (1942) - Hawker Typhoon IA and IB.[1]
• No. 137 Squadron RAF (1942) - Westland Whirlwind I.[2]
• No. 152 Squadron RAF (1941) - Supermarine Spitfire IIA.[3]
• No. 168 Squadron RAF (1942) - Curtiss Tomahawk II.[4]
• No. 170 Squadron RAF (1943) - North American Mustang I.[5]
• No. 181 Squadron RAF (1943) - Hawker Typhoon IB.[5]
• No. 182 Squadron RAF (1943) - Hawker Typhoon IB.[6]
• No. 183 Squadron RAF (1943) - Hawker Typhoon IB.[6]
• No. 184 Squadron RAF (1943) - Hawker Hurricane IV.[6]
• No. 247 Squadron RAF (1943) - Hawker Typhoon IB.[7]
• No. 268 Squadron RAF (1941) - Curtiss Tomahawk IIA.[8]
• No. 268 Squadron RAF (1942) - North American Mustang I.[8]
• No. 309 Squadron RAF (1943) - North American Mustang I.[9]
• No. 527 Squadron RAF (1944) - Hawker Hurricane IIB.[10]
• No. 613 Squadron RAF (1943) - North American Mustang I.[11]
• No. 2 Heavy Glider Maintenance Unit[12]
• No. 3 Group Communication Flight RAF[12]
• No. 5 (RCAF) Casualty Air Evacuation Unit[12]
• No. 22 Elementary Flying Training School RAF[12]
• No. 417 Repair & Salvage Unit[12]
• No. 2720 Squadron RAF Regiment[12]
• No. 2751 Squadron RAF Regiment[12]
• No. 2759 Squadron RAF Regiment[12]
• No. 2794 Squadron RAF Regiment[12]
• No. 2809 Squadron RAF Regiment[12]
• No. 2876 Squadron RAF Regiment[12]
• RAF (Belgian) Training School RAF[12]

Current use

The site has now returned to agriculture and paddocks.

References

Citations

1. Jefford 1988, p. 43.
2. Jefford 1988, p. 60.
3. Jefford 1988, p. 62.
4. Jefford 1988, p. 64.
5. Jefford 1988, p. 65.
6. Jefford 1988, p. 66.
7. Jefford 1988, p. 77.
8. Jefford 1988, p. 81.
9. Jefford 1988, p. 85.
10. Jefford 1988, p. 96.
11. Jefford 1988, p. 100.
12. "Snailwell". Airfields of Britain Conservation Trust. Retrieved 17 May 2020.

Bibliography

• Jefford, C G (1988). RAF Squadrons. A comprehensive record of the movement and equipment of all RAF squadrons and their antecedents since 1912. Shrewsbury: Airlife. ISBN 1-85310-053-6.