RAF Bircham Newton

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.

RAF Bircham Newton
Near Bircham Newton, Norfolk in England
RAF Bircham Newton Shown within Norfolk
Coordinates	52°52′37″N 000°39′09″E
Type	Royal Air Force station
Site information
Owner	Ministry of Defence
Operator	Royal Air Force
Site history
Built	1917 (1917), 1938
In use	1918-1966 (1966)
Airfield information
Elevation	70 metres (230 ft) AMSL
Runways Direction Length and surface 00/00  Asphalt 00/00  Asphalt 00/00  Asphalt

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.[1]

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.[2]

It operated through the Second World War as part of No. 16 Group RAF as part of Coastal Command.[3]

No. 206 Squadron RAF was one of the squadrons being based there, on maritime patrol duties.[4] Two satellite airfields, RAF Docking[5] and RAF Langham were opened to accommodate units.[6]

In 1965 the airfield was used for evaluation trials of the Hawker Siddeley Kestrel V/STOL aircraft.[7]

Squadrons

• No. 7 Squadron RAF 1923–1927 Vickers Vimy, Vickers Virginia.[8]
• No. 11 Squadron RAF 1923–1924 de Havilland DH.9A, Fairey Fawn.[9]
• No. 18 Squadron RAF 1936 Hawker Hart, Hawker Hind.[10]
• No. 21 Squadron RAF 1935–1936 Hawker Hind.[11]
• No. 34 Squadron RAF 1935–1936 Hawker Hind.[12]
• No. 35 Squadron RAF 1929–1935 Fairey IIIF, Fairey Gordon.[13]
• No. 39 Squadron RAF 1928 de Havilland DH.9A.[14]
• No. 42 Squadron RAF 1939–1940 Vickers Vildebeest.[15]
• No. 49 Squadron RAF 1936 Hawker Hind.[16]
• No. 53 Squadron RAF 1941 Lockheed Hudson.[17]
• No. 60 Squadron RAF 1920 cadre for disbandment.[18]
• No. 90 Squadron RAF 1928 Bristol Blenheim.[19]
• No. 99 Squadron RAF 1924–1928 Aldershot, Vickers Vimy, Handley Page Hyderabad.[20]
• No. 101 Squadron RAF 1928–1929 Boulton Paul Sidestrand, de Havilland DH.9.[21]
• No. 119 Squadron RAF 1945 Fairey Swordfish.[22]
• No. 166 Squadron RAF 1918–1919 Handley Page V/1500.[1]
• No. 167 Squadron RAF 1918–1919 Handley Page V/1500.[1]
• No. 200 Squadron RAF 1941 Lockheed Hudson.[23]
• No. 206 Squadron RAF 1926–1941 Avro Anson, Lockheed Hudson.[4]
• No. 207 Squadron RAF 1920–1922 de Havilland DH.9A and 1929–1935 Fairey IIIF, Gordon.[4]
• No. 220 Squadron RAF 1936–1939 Avro Anson.[24]
• No. 221 Squadron RAF 1940–1941 Vickers Wellington.[24]
• No. 229 Squadron RAF 1940 detachment Hawker Hurricane.[25]
• No. 233 Squadron RAF 1944 Lockheed Hudson.[26]
• No. 235 Squadron RAF 1940–1941 Bristol Blenheim.[26]
• No. 248 Squadron RAF 1941 Bristol Blenheim.[27]
• No. 252 Squadron RAF 1940 re-formed and moved to RAF Chivenor to operate the Bristol Blenheim.[27]
• No. 254 Squadron RAF 1940 Bristol Blenheim.[28]
• No. 269 Squadron RAF 1936 Avro Anson.[29]
• No. 274 Squadron RAF 1919–1920 Handley Page V/1500.[30]
• No. 279 Squadron RAF 1941–1944 Lockheed Hudson.[31]
• No. 280 Squadron RAF 1942–1943 Avro Anson.[31]
• No. 320 Squadron RAF 1942 Lockheed Hudson.[32]
• No. 407 Squadron RCAF 1942 Lockheed Hudson.[33]
• No. 415 Squadron RCAF 1943–1944 Vickers Wellington.[34]
• No. 500 Squadron RAF 1941–1942 Bristol Blenheim, Lockheed Hudson.[35]
• No. 502 Squadron RAF 1942 Armstrong Whitworth Whitley.[36]
• No. 521 Squadron RAF 1942–1943 various types.[37]
• No. 524 Squadron RAF 1944–1945 Vickers Wellington.[37]
• No. 598 Squadron RAF 1945 various types.[38]
• No. 695 Squadron RAF 1943–1945 various types.[39]

Units

• 'B' Flight of No. 1 Anti-Aircraft Co-operation Unit RAF (1 AACU)[40]
• 'C' Flight of No. 1 AACU[40]
• 'D' Flight of No. 1 AACU[40]
• 'K' Flight of No. 1 AACU[40]
• 'M' Flight of No. 1 AACU[40]
• No. 2 Armament Practice Camp RAF[40]
• No. 2 General Reconnaissance Unit RAF[40]
• No. 3 School of Aerial Fighting & Gunnery RAF became No. 3 Fighting School RAF[40]
• No. 5 (Communication) Squadron RAF[40]
• No. 6 (Communication) Squadron RAF[40]
• No. 7 Anti-Aircraft Co-operation Unit RAF[40]
• No. 7 (Communication) Squadron RAF[40]
• No. 8 (Communication) Squadron RAF[40]
• No. 18 (RCAF) Air Crew Holding Unit[40]
• No. 27 Air Crew Holding Unit[40]
• No. 54 Maintenance Unit RAF[40]
• No. 157 (General Reconnaissance) Wing RAF[40]
• No. 401 Meteorological Flight RAF became No. 1401 Meteorological Flight RAF[40]
• No. 403 Meteorological Flight RAF became No. 1403 Meteorological Flight RAF[40]
• 811 Naval Air Squadron[40]
• 812 Naval Air Squadron[40]
• 815 Naval Air Squadron[40]
• 816 Naval Air Squadron[40]
• 819 Naval Air Squadron[40]
• 826 Naval Air Squadron[40]
• 855 Naval Air Squadron[40]
• No. 1525 (Beam Approach Training) Flight RAF[40]
• No. 1555 (Radio Aids Training) Flight RAF[40]
• No. 1559 (Radio Aids Training) Flight RAF[40]
• No. 1611 (Anti-Aircraft Co-operation) Flight RAF[40]
• No. 1612 (Anti-Aircraft Co-operation) Flight RAF[40]
• No. 1626 (Anti-Aircraft Co-operation) Flight RAF[40]
• No. 2743 Squadron RAF Regiment[40]
• No. 2749 Squadron RAF Regiment[40]
• No. 2765 Squadron RAF Regiment[40]
• Air Crew Allocation Centre[40]
• Anti-Aircraft Co-operation Unit RAF[40]
• Coastal Command Preparation Pool RAF[40]
• Officers Advanced Training School RAF[40]
• Transport Command Initial Conversion Unit RAF[40]
• Warwick Training Unit RAF became Air Sea Rescue Training Unit RAF[40]

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.[41] The control tower was demolished in 2010 due to its poor condition.[2]

Constructionarium is also based within the estate, providing a week's practical learning opportunity for undergraduates.[42]

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.[43]

See also

• List of Norfolk airfields
• List of former Royal Air Force stations
• List of Royal Air Force aircraft squadrons

References

Citations

1. Jefford 1988, p. 64.
2. "RAF Bircham Newton airfield". Control Towers. Retrieved 10 February 2014.
3. "RAF Bircham Newton". Air of Authority - A History of RAF Organisation. Retrieved 10 February 2014.
4. Jefford 1988, p. 69.
5. Bowyer 1979, p. 61.
6. Bowyer 1979, p. 139.
7. Bowyer 1979, p. 68.
8. Jefford 1988, p. 26.
9. Jefford 1988, p. 27.
10. Jefford 1988, p. 30.
11. Jefford 1988, p. 31.
12. Jefford 1988, p. 36.
13. Jefford 1988, p. 37.
14. Jefford 1988, p. 38.
15. Jefford 1988, p. 39.
16. Jefford 1988, p. 41.
17. Jefford 1988, p. 42.
18. Jefford 1988, p. 44.
19. Jefford 1988, p. 51.
20. Jefford 1988, p. 53.
21. Jefford 1988, p. 54.
22. Jefford 1988, p. 57.
23. Jefford 1988, p. 67.
24. Jefford 1988, p. 72.
25. Jefford 1988, p. 74.
26. Jefford 1988, p. 75.
27. Jefford 1988, p. 78.
28. Jefford 1988, p. 79.
29. Jefford 1988, p. 81.
30. Jefford 1988, p. 82.
31. Jefford 1988, p. 83.
32. Jefford 1988, p. 86.
33. Jefford 1988, p. 89.
34. Jefford 1988, p. 90.
35. Jefford 1988, p. 94.
36. Jefford 1988, p. 95.
37. Jefford 1988, p. 96.
38. Jefford 1988, p. 98.
39. Jefford 1988, p. 105.
40. "Bircham Newton". Airfields of Britain Conservation Trust. Retrieved 11 February 2013.
41. Airfield Archeology - Bircham Newton Archived 9 October 2008 at Wikiwix
42. "Where is it held". Constructionarium. Retrieved 1 February 2014.
43. Lorenzato-Lloyd, Alice (24 February 2020). "CITB strikes deal to sell Bircham Newton home". Building. Retrieved 24 February 2020.

Bibliography

• Bowyer, M J.F. (1979). Action Stations: Vol 1. Wartime military airfields of East Anglia 1939-1945. Cambridge: Patrick Stephens Limited. ISBN 0-85059-335-2.
• 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.

External links

• RAF Bircham Newton Memorial Project
• Wartime Memory Projects - Bricham Newton
• Interwar photographs of Bircham Newton
• Royal Air Force Administrative Apprentice Association Royal Air Force Bircham Newton