 | This articleneeds additional citations forverification. Please helpimprove this article byadding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. Find sources: "RAF Shipdham" – news ·newspapers ·books ·scholar ·JSTOR(March 2013) (Learn how and when to remove this message) |
| RAF Shipdham USAAF Station 115  .png) | |
|---|---|
| Located NearDereham,Norfolk,England | |
 Shipdham Airfield - 31 January 1946 | |
| Site information | |
| Type | Royal Air Force station |
| Code | SJ |
| Owner | Air Ministry |
| Operator | Royal Air Force United States Army Air Forces |
| Controlled by | Twelfth Air Force Eighth Air Force |
| Location | |
  Location in Norfolk | |
| Coordinates | 52°37′N0°55′E / 52.62°N 0.92°E /52.62; 0.92 |
| Site history | |
| Built | 1942 (1942) |
| In use | 1942-1957 (1957) |
| Battles/wars | European Theatre of World War II Air Offensive, Europe July 1942 - May 1945 |
| Garrison information | |
| Garrison | 319th Bombardment Group (Medium) 44th Bombardment Group (Heavy) |
Royal Air Force Shipdham or more simplyRAF Shipdham is a formerRoyal Air Force station located 3 miles (5 km) south ofDereham,Norfolk,England.
The airfield now operates as Shipdham Airfield.
RAF Shipdham was the first US heavy bomber base in Norfolk and was also the continuous host toConsolidated B-24 Liberators longer than any otherEighth Air Force combat airfield in Britain - from October 1942 to late 1945. It was constructed 1941-42[1] and was assigned USAAF designation Station 115 (SJ).[2]
From 13 September 1943 though 13 June 1945, Shipdham served as headquarters for the14th Combat Bombardment Wing,2d Air Division,VIII Bomber Command (laterEighth Air Force).[3]
The319th Bombardment Group (Medium) was aTwelfth Air ForceMartin B-26 Marauder medium bomber group[4] which arrived at Shipdham on 12 September 1942 fromHarding Army Air Field,Louisiana.[5]
The personnel of the group used the base as a staging and assembly point before moving in early October forRAF Horsham St Faith in Norfolk.[6] From there the unit moved toAlgeria in theMediterranean Theater of Operations (MTO) in November as part of theOperation Torch invasion forces.[citation needed]
With the departure of the 319th BG, Shipdham was assigned to the44th Bombardment Group (Heavy),[7] arriving fromWill Rogers Field,Oklahoma on 10 October 1942.[8]
The 44th was assigned to the 14th Combat Bombardment Wing, and the group tail code was a "Circle-A". Its operational squadrons were:
The group flewConsolidated B-24 Liberators as part of the Eighth Air Force's strategic bombing campaign. The 44th was the first USAAF group to be equipped with the Liberator and the unit had helped form other groups destined to fly the type. The Group was initially under strength, one of its four squadrons having been detached in the US. In March 1943 the 506th Squadron was assigned to the group.[6]
The 44th Bomb Group's operations consisted primarily of assaults against strategic targets inFrance,Belgium, theNetherlands,Germany,Italy,Romania,Austria,Poland, andSicily. Among the targets attacked were submarine installations, industrial establishments, airfields, harbors, shipyards, and other objectives, November 1942 - June 1943.[7]
The unit received aDistinguished Unit Citation (DUC) for an extremely hazardous mission against naval installations atKiel on 14 May 1943: Its B-24's flew in the wake of the main formation and carried incendiaries to be dropped after threeBoeing B-17 Flying Fortress groups had released high explosive bombs, thus the group's aircraft were particularly vulnerable lacking the protection of the firepower of the main force. This vulnerability increased when the group opened its own formation for the attack; but the 44th blanketed the target with incendiaries in spite of the concentrated flak and continuous interceptor attacks it encountered.[7]
Late in June 1943 a large detachment moved toLibya to help facilitate theAllied invasion of Sicily by bombing airfields and marshalling yards in Italy. The detachment also participated in the famouslow-level raid on the Ploesti oil fields on 1 August 1943. The group was awarded a DUC for its part in this raid and its commander,ColonelLeon W. Johnson, was awarded theMedal of Honor for his daring and initiative in leading his men into smoke, flame, and alerted fighter and antiaircraft opposition over the target, which already had been bombed in error by another group.[7]
Before returning to England at the end of August, the detachment bombed an aircraft factory in Austria and supported ground forces in Sicily. In September 1943 the group struck airfields in theNetherlands and France and convoys in theNorth Sea. Also in September, a detachment was sent to North Africa to support theSalerno operations.[8]
This proved to be the 44th's last detachment and in October when several new B-24 groups were arriving in Norfolk, the 44th was fully committed to the combined bomber offensive from the UK. From November 1943 to April 1945, the group carried out operations against targets in western Europe, concentrating on airfields, oil installations, and marshalling yards.[8]
The group took part in the intensive campaign of heavy bombers against the German aircraft industry duringBig Week, 20–25 February 1944. The group flew support and interdictory missions; struck airfields, railroads, and V-weapon sites in preparation for theNormandy invasion; supported the invasion in June 1944 by attacking strong points in the beachhead area and transportation targets behind the front lines. The group aided theCaen offensive and theSaint-Lô breakthrough in July; and dropped food, ammunition, and other supplies to troops engaged in theairborne attack on the Netherlands in September. The group also helped to check the enemy offensive during theBattle of the Bulge, December 1944–January 1945, by striking bridges, tunnels, choke points, rail and road junctions, and communications in the battle area. The group attacked airfields and transportation in support of the advance into Germany, and flew a resupply mission during theairborne assault across the Rhine in March 1945.[8]
The 44th Bomb Group flew its last combat mission on 25 April 1945. During the course of hostilities, the 44th flew a total of 343 missions and its gunners were credited with 330 enemy fighters shot down; its own losses, the highest of any B-24 group in the Eighth, were 153.[citation needed] The unit returned to Sioux Falls Army Airfield,South Dakota in June 1945.[8]
Reassigned toGreat Bend Army Airfield,Kansas 25 July 1945. In preparation forOperation Downfall, the overall Allied plan for the invasion of Japan, the group was redesignated the44th Bombardment Group (Very Heavy) in August 1945 in preparation for receivingBoeing B-29 Superfortresses. Assigned toStrategic Air Command on 21 March 1946. Reassigned toSmoky Hill Army Airfield,Kansas, 14 December 1945. Inactivated 12 July 1946.[8]
Between 1946 and 1947, the airfield was used as a transit centre for German POWs en route from the United States for repatriation to Germany.[2]
The base was also home toNo. 258 Maintenance Unit RAF[9]
Part of Shipdham was sold in 1957 and the remainder between 1962 and 1963.[6]
With the end of military control Arrow Air Services acquired the airfield from a local farmer and applied for planning permission to re-open the airfield. This was granted in September 1969, and the following April. work began on refurbishing the facility. Two of the concrete runways were refurbished, together with the approach road and perimeter track. The runway lights were found to be still serviceable, although they had to be brought up to modern standards.[6]
Shipdham was opened to private flying on 16 June 1970[2] and currently is the home of the Shipdham Aero Club. Its clubhouse is home to their museum and the airfield is unlicensed. Most of the airfield buildings remain in various states of decay, and part of the site is in use as an industrial estate.[6]
In 2012, Powererd Paraglider training operation - Ufly4fun Pilots Club moved to the airfield from Northrepps Aerodrome.
It was reported in July 2023 that the airfield would close for good in November 2023 and would be redeveloped as asolar farm.[10]
This article incorporatespublic domain material from the Air Force Historical Research Agency
| Formations and units |
| ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Branches and components | |||||||
| Reserve forces | |||||||
| Equipment | |||||||
| Personnel | |||||||
| Appointments | |||||||
| Symbols and uniform | |||||||
| Associated civil organisations | |||||||
| |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| |||||||||||||||||||||||||
