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| RAF Old Buckenham USAAF Station 144  .png) | |||||||||||
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| Old Buckenham,Norfolk in England | |||||||||||
 Aerial Photo of Old Buckenham Airfield - 30 March 1946 | |||||||||||
| Site information | |||||||||||
| Code | OE | ||||||||||
| Owner | Air Ministry | ||||||||||
| Operator | Royal Air Force United States Army Air Forces | ||||||||||
| Controlled by | Eighth Air Force RAF Maintenance Command | ||||||||||
| Location | |||||||||||
  RAF Old Buckenham Location within Norfolk | |||||||||||
| Coordinates | 52°30′14″N1°03′47″E / 52.504°N 1.063°E /52.504; 1.063 | ||||||||||
| Site history | |||||||||||
| Built | 1942 (1942) | ||||||||||
| In use | 1943-1960 (1960) | ||||||||||
| Battles/wars | European Theatre of World War II Air Offensive, Europe July 1942 - May 1945 | ||||||||||
| Garrison information | |||||||||||
| Garrison | 453rd Bombardment Group | ||||||||||
| Airfield information | |||||||||||
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Royal Air Force Old Buckenham or more simplyRAF Old Buckenham is a formerRoyal Air Force station located 2 miles (3.2 km) south east ofAttleborough,Norfolk,England which was used during theSecond World War by the United States for the strategic bombing campaign against Germany.
The airfield is in civilian use asOld Buckenham Airport. At the centre of the modern-day airfield is a black granite memorial to the 366United States Army Air Force (USAAF) servicemen who died serving from the base in theSecond World War. The airfield mainly handles General Aviation traffic. A 1941Boeing Stearman operates from the airfield[1] and a 1943 D Day veteranPiper J-3 Cub is also based at the field. The airfield has adopted a shield carved in wood by a serving USAAF officer at the base during the war as its logo.[2]
Old Buckenham airfield was built during 1942–43 for the USAAFEighth Air Force. It was given designation USAAF Air Station 144.
The airfield was opened in late 1943 and was used by the453rd Bombardment Group (Heavy), arriving fromMarch Field,California on 23 December 1943. The 453d was assigned to the2nd Combat Bombardment Wing, and the group tail code was a "Circle-J". Its operational squadrons were:
The group flewConsolidated B-24 Liberators as part of the Eighth Air Force's strategic bombing campaign.
The 453d BG entered combat on 5 February 1944 with an attack against an airfield atTours. Throughout combat, the unit served chiefly as a strategic bombardment organization. Targets included a fuel depot atDülmen, marshalling yards atPaderborn, aircraft assembly plants atGotha, railway centres at Hamm, an ordnance depot atGlinde, oil refineries atGelsenkirchen, chemical works atLeverkusen, an airfield atNeumünster, a canal atMinden, and a railway viaduct atAltenbeken.
The group took part in the concentrated attack against the German aircraft industry during "Big Week", 20–25 February 1944. Besides strategic operations, the group engaged in support and interdiction missions. BombedV-weapon sites, airfields, and gun batteries in France prior to theinvasion of Normandy in June 1944; on 6 June hit shore installations betweenLe Havre andCherbourg and other enemy positions farther inland. Attacked enemy troops in support of the Allied breakthrough atSaint-Lô in July. Bombed German communications during theBattle of the Bulge, December 1944-January 1945. Ferried cargo on two occasions: hauled petrol, blankets, and rations to France in September 1944; dropped ammunition, food, and medical supplies near Wesel during theairborne assault across the Rhine in March 1945.
James "Jimmy" Stewart, the Hollywood movie star, was group operations officer at Old Buckenham during the spring of 1944. Stewart's fellow actorWalter Matthau was also based at Old Buckenham.
The 453d Bomb Group flew its last combat mission in April. Initially it was prepared for possible redeployment to thePacific theatre usingBoeing B-29 Superfortresses. However hostilities in Europe had ceased before the group had time to start its movement and it returned to New Castle AAFld,Delaware on 9 May 1945 to be inactivated on 12 September 1945.[3][4]
In May 1945, Old Buckenham reverted toAir Ministry control and was used as a satellite for maintenance units until being closed on 20 June 1960.
With the end of military control Old Buckenham has largely been converted back to agriculture with much of the concrete areas being ground into aggregate and being sold in theNorwich area. Today several original buildings and concrete pads remain at the site, the majority of which form part ofOld Buckenham Airport an active 126-acre airfield site with one hard runway and two grass strips.[6] Old Buckenham Airfield has recently been sold to an aviation enthusiast, Geoffrey LynchOBE who has pledged to keep aviation at the site.
In May 1983, during the 2nd Air Division reunion, the 453rd Bomb Group dedicated an extension to theVillage Hall atOld Buckenham as a memorial to the members of the group who lost their lives serving in the UK. The room contains various wartime artefacts and memorabilia and a large bronze plaque listing those who are remembered.
A large black granite memorial to the 366 USAAF servicemen is at the centre of the modern-day airfield. It is in the form of a tailplane from aConsolidated B-24 Liberator. In October 2012 the stone was moved from its previous location into a specially created memorial garden.[7] Under new airfield management since 2011 an annualRemembrance Sunday service is held which regularly attracts over 400 participants.
In February 2015, it was announced that the airfield has applied for permission to erect a museum at the site. The plans are for the erection of two Nissen Huts, one of which will house items described as having the potential to be the largest collection of 453rd Bomb Group memorabilia in existence.[8]
The 453rd Bombardment Group Museum opened onRemembrance Sunday 2015.[9]
An additional Museum, said to complement the 453rd Museum, was opened onRemembrance Sunday 2017 byUnited States NavyCaptain (United States O-6) Poston, whose Great Uncle served in the 453rd Bombardment Group at RAF Old Buckenham. The new museum covers the wider subject of theEighth Air Force of which the 453rd were a part.[10]
This article incorporatespublic domain material from the Air Force Historical Research Agency
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