WWII, T2 Hangar, St Thomas Lane, RAF Hethel Airfield.
A T2 Hangar moved and erected on the northern side of the airfield Post War, presumably for farming use, history unknown. During the inter-war period, and after resumption of hostilities in 1939, the Directorate of Works and Buildings developed a number of different Hangar types including the Type T, developed in collaboration with the Teeside Bridge and Engineering Company. 906 examples of this type of hangar were built on RAF airfields/stations in Britain and abroad from 1940.
A Type T2 hangar is a type of temporary, steel-framed aircraft hangar that became the standard for the RAF during World War II. Developed in response to the obsolescence of earlier designs like the Bellman Shed, the T2 hangar featured a welded and bolted steel framework clad in galvanized corrugated iron. Over 900 T2 hangars were built to house and maintain aircraft during the war.
The T2 hangar was designed by architect A.E. Cotton and built by Teesside Bridge & Engineering Ltd. It utilized a modular design of steel lattice wall and roof units, clad with corrugated iron. The doors were typically six-leaf, opening the full width of the hangar. The Type T2 hangar served as a standard, temporary solution for housing and maintaining aircraft at RAF stations during World War II.
RAF Hethel airfield was built in 1942 for use by the U.S.A.A.F as A.A.F Station 114 and was initially used as a staging airfield for units of the Twelfth Air Force deploying to North Africa, at this time, RAF Hethel was also used as a training airfield for other B-24 Liberator Groups in the Second Air Division of the Eighth Air Force. After the base was fully complete it was assigned to the 389th Bombardment Group (Heavy) and being part of the Second Air Division it was equipped with B-24 Liberator's. After arriving in England, a detachment was sent to Libya, where it began operations on 9th July 1943. The detachment flew missions to Crete, Sicily, Italy, Austria, and Rumania.
The group received a DUC for the detachment’s participation in the famed low-level attack against oil refineries at Ploesti on 1st Aug 1943. For his action during the same operation, 2d Lt Lloyd H Hughes was awarded the Medal of Honor - refusing to turn back although gasoline was streaming from his flak-damaged plane, Lt Hughes flew at low altitude over the blazing target area and bombed the objective; the plane crashed before Hughes could make the forced landing that he attempted after the bomb run.
From October 1943 the 389th Bomb Group flew operations into occupied Europe and Germany attacking strategic targets such as the shipbuilding yards at Vegesack, industrial areas of Berlin, oil facilities at Merseburg, factories at Munster, railroad yards at Sangerhausen, and V-weapon sites at Pas de Calais. The group also took part in “Big Week” between the 20th and 25th February 1944 which saw the Eighth Air Force launch a series of raids against German aircraft production sites, and also flew tactical missions in support of the D-Day landings and the Battle of the Bulge in December 1944 and January 1945. Having lost 107 aircraft during its campaign, the 389th flew its last combat mission on 25th April 1945, returning to the U.S.A on 30th May.
Like many of the Eighth Air Force stations in the immediate aftermath of World War Two, RAF Hethel was handed over for use by the RAF where it was used by Polish Squadrons equipped with the Mustang. In mid-1947, RAF Hethel became a Personnel Transit Centre but was transferred to RAF Technical Training Command. However, as the RAF was scaled down, the station was finally closed in 1948 and was finally sold by the Air Ministry in 1964.
Today the site is used by Lotus Cars who built a factory on the site in 1966 where some of the former runways and taxiways were converted for use as a test track. A small museum dedicated to the former airfield has been created nearby. This museum is a commemoration of the contribution made by the 389th Heavy Bombardment Group and is housed in the original Chapel/Gymnasium building - the only major building from the camp area of Hethel to remain. The building features an original mural of Christ on the cross in the chapel and of a map of Europe in the Chaplin’s quarters next door. The exhibits include memorabilia, uniforms, decorations, combat records and photographs. There are two recently reconstructed Nissen Huts which have extended the display space and added facilities for visitors, one of these also includes artefacts from the nearby 466th Bomb Group at RAF Attlebridge.
Information sourced from - guide.8theast.org/389th-bomb-group-memorial-exhibition-he...
WWII, T2 Hangar, St Thomas Lane, RAF Hethel Airfield.
A T2 Hangar moved and erected on the northern side of the airfield Post War, presumably for farming use, history unknown. During the inter-war period, and after resumption of hostilities in 1939, the Directorate of Works and Buildings developed a number of different Hangar types including the Type T, developed in collaboration with the Teeside Bridge and Engineering Company. 906 examples of this type of hangar were built on RAF airfields/stations in Britain and abroad from 1940.
A Type T2 hangar is a type of temporary, steel-framed aircraft hangar that became the standard for the RAF during World War II. Developed in response to the obsolescence of earlier designs like the Bellman Shed, the T2 hangar featured a welded and bolted steel framework clad in galvanized corrugated iron. Over 900 T2 hangars were built to house and maintain aircraft during the war.
The T2 hangar was designed by architect A.E. Cotton and built by Teesside Bridge & Engineering Ltd. It utilized a modular design of steel lattice wall and roof units, clad with corrugated iron. The doors were typically six-leaf, opening the full width of the hangar. The Type T2 hangar served as a standard, temporary solution for housing and maintaining aircraft at RAF stations during World War II.
RAF Hethel airfield was built in 1942 for use by the U.S.A.A.F as A.A.F Station 114 and was initially used as a staging airfield for units of the Twelfth Air Force deploying to North Africa, at this time, RAF Hethel was also used as a training airfield for other B-24 Liberator Groups in the Second Air Division of the Eighth Air Force. After the base was fully complete it was assigned to the 389th Bombardment Group (Heavy) and being part of the Second Air Division it was equipped with B-24 Liberator's. After arriving in England, a detachment was sent to Libya, where it began operations on 9th July 1943. The detachment flew missions to Crete, Sicily, Italy, Austria, and Rumania.
The group received a DUC for the detachment’s participation in the famed low-level attack against oil refineries at Ploesti on 1st Aug 1943. For his action during the same operation, 2d Lt Lloyd H Hughes was awarded the Medal of Honor - refusing to turn back although gasoline was streaming from his flak-damaged plane, Lt Hughes flew at low altitude over the blazing target area and bombed the objective; the plane crashed before Hughes could make the forced landing that he attempted after the bomb run.
From October 1943 the 389th Bomb Group flew operations into occupied Europe and Germany attacking strategic targets such as the shipbuilding yards at Vegesack, industrial areas of Berlin, oil facilities at Merseburg, factories at Munster, railroad yards at Sangerhausen, and V-weapon sites at Pas de Calais. The group also took part in “Big Week” between the 20th and 25th February 1944 which saw the Eighth Air Force launch a series of raids against German aircraft production sites, and also flew tactical missions in support of the D-Day landings and the Battle of the Bulge in December 1944 and January 1945. Having lost 107 aircraft during its campaign, the 389th flew its last combat mission on 25th April 1945, returning to the U.S.A on 30th May.
Like many of the Eighth Air Force stations in the immediate aftermath of World War Two, RAF Hethel was handed over for use by the RAF where it was used by Polish Squadrons equipped with the Mustang. In mid-1947, RAF Hethel became a Personnel Transit Centre but was transferred to RAF Technical Training Command. However, as the RAF was scaled down, the station was finally closed in 1948 and was finally sold by the Air Ministry in 1964.
Today the site is used by Lotus Cars who built a factory on the site in 1966 where some of the former runways and taxiways were converted for use as a test track. A small museum dedicated to the former airfield has been created nearby. This museum is a commemoration of the contribution made by the 389th Heavy Bombardment Group and is housed in the original Chapel/Gymnasium building - the only major building from the camp area of Hethel to remain. The building features an original mural of Christ on the cross in the chapel and of a map of Europe in the Chaplin’s quarters next door. The exhibits include memorabilia, uniforms, decorations, combat records and photographs. There are two recently reconstructed Nissen Huts which have extended the display space and added facilities for visitors, one of these also includes artefacts from the nearby 466th Bomb Group at RAF Attlebridge.
Information sourced from - guide.8theast.org/389th-bomb-group-memorial-exhibition-he...