| RAF Ludham RNAS Ludham (HMSFlycatcher)   | |||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ludham,Norfolk in England | |||||||||||
| Site information | |||||||||||
| Type | Royal Air Force station | ||||||||||
| Code | LU[1] | ||||||||||
| Owner | Air Ministry Admiralty | ||||||||||
| Operator | Royal Air Force Royal Navy | ||||||||||
| Controlled by | RAF Fighter Command 1941-43 & 1945 *No. 12 Group RAF Air Ministry Works Department 1943-44 Fleet Air Arm 1944-45 | ||||||||||
| Location | |||||||||||
  RAF Ludham Shown within Norfolk Show map of Norfolk RAF Ludham RAF Ludham (the United Kingdom) Show map of the United Kingdom | |||||||||||
| Coordinates | 52°43′13″N1°32′55″E / 52.72028°N 1.54861°E /52.72028; 1.54861 | ||||||||||
| Site history | |||||||||||
| Built | 1941 (1941) | ||||||||||
| Built by | Richard Costain Ltd | ||||||||||
| In use | October 1941 - October 1945 (1945) | ||||||||||
| Battles/wars | European theatre of World War II | ||||||||||
| Airfield information | |||||||||||
| Elevation | 12 metres (39 ft)[1]AMSL | ||||||||||
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Royal Air Force Ludham or more simplyRAF Ludham is a formerRoyal Air Force station located approximately 1 mile (1.6 km) northeast of the village ofLudham, and 16 miles (26 km) east-northeast ofNorwich, in the county ofNorfolk, England.
Although most of the airfield site has returned to agriculture, a small portion of the east–west runway is still used for private flying.
The airfield at Ludham was built by Richard Costain Ltd and became operational in November 1941 as a second satellite for the main fighter station atRAF Coltishall sited north ofNorwich, three tarmac-covered concrete runways and ancillary buildings being built on the land which had belonged to Fritton Farm. A total of ten RAF fighter squadrons (eight flying various marks ofSupermarine Spitfire, and two flying theHawker Typhoon 1B were based here between December 1941 and July 1945.
Fighter duties from Ludham were fairly regular and generally coastal and convoy patrols of little note, but the results of one sortie on 28 January 1943 byNo. 167 Squadron RAF, whose Spitfires were scrambled to intercept and shoot down a GermanJunkers Ju 88 that was harassing shipping off the East coast, was witnessed byHM The King andQueen, who happened to be visiting the station that same afternoon.[2]
Although allocated to theUnited States Army Air Forces (USAAF) as Station 177 in August 1943 no American units were based there and there was an uneventful period of little or no activity.
On 24 August 1944 it was transferred fromNo. 12 Group RAF to theAdmiralty and known asRoyal Naval Air Station Ludham, (orRNAS Ludham). Its primary function was a headquarters for theMobile Naval Airfields Organisation (MNAO). It was also theMobile Operational Naval Air Base (MONAB) Assembly Station and was able to provide accommodation for two MONABs.[3]
RNAS Ludham wascommissioned asHMS Flycatcher on 4 September[4] under the command ofCommander(A) J.B. Wilson,RN, Senior Officer Mobile Naval Airfields Organisation (SNOMNAO). Notably the airbase was not open for flying while in use by Royal Navy[3] but here the first five MONABs and one Transportable Aircraft Maintenance Yard (TAMY) were assembled and despatched.[5]
Captain L.J.S. Edes, RN, took command of RNAS Ludham and assumed the title SNOMNAO, on 1 November 1944. The airfield was quite a distance from the port of embarkation and had inferior road and rail links and the Air Ministry offered to swapRAF Middle Wallop for RNAS Ludham,[3] and therefore HMSFlycatcher was "paid off" and RNAS Ludham closed on 16 February 1945. The commission transferred to RNAS Middle Wallop.[4]
The RAF then took back control of Ludham, when some limited detachments by fighter squadrons took place, but the site was eventually closed down in 1946. By 1961 the land had been re-acquired by local farmers with various buildings still remaining around the perimeter and, although most of the airfield site has returned to agriculture, there is a small hangar for private aircraft that use a small portion of the east–west runway for private flying.[6][7][8]
The following units were here at some point:[7]
