RAF Martlesham Heath aerial image
These two aerial photographs show the remains of the former RAF Martlesham Heath airfield in Suffolk.
In one image, the lower red circle marks the original control tower, which still survives and today houses the Martlesham Heath Aviation Society museum. The upper red circle highlights the area where parts of the old airfield surface remain.
The second, closer image looks towards one of the surviving runway fragments, visible as a strip of cracked and overgrown concrete running across the heathland. Though nature has reclaimed much of the site, the outline of Martlesham’s once-important airfield can still be traced from the air.
History:
RAF Martlesham Heath was opened in 1917, originally as a Royal Flying Corps station for aircraft testing and experimental work. It became the base of the Aeroplane Experimental Unit (later the Aeroplane & Armament Experimental Establishment) until this work was moved to Boscombe Down in 1939.
During the Second World War, Martlesham Heath played a front-line role as a fighter station within No. 11 Group, Fighter Command. Several squadrons rotated through, flying Hurricanes and later Spitfires during the Battle of Britain. The base was also home to night-fighter units equipped with Blenheims, Beaufighters and Mosquitos.
In 1943, Martlesham Heath was transferred to the USAAF Eighth Air Force and designated Station 369. It was used by the 356th Fighter Group, flying P-47 Thunderbolts and later P-51 Mustangs, providing bomber escort and ground-attack operations over occupied Europe.
After the war the airfield returned to the RAF, but with the rapid rundown of front-line flying in East Anglia it saw only limited use. Flying ceased in the 1960s, and most of the site was redeveloped for housing and light industry. The control tower was preserved and now operates as the Martlesham Heath Aviation Society museum, keeping the history of the base alive.
Today, only fragments of the runways and perimeter tracks remain, scattered across the heathland. From above, though, the scale of the former airfield and its role in both experimental aviation and wartime operations can still be appreciated.
RAF Martlesham Heath aerial image
These two aerial photographs show the remains of the former RAF Martlesham Heath airfield in Suffolk.
In one image, the lower red circle marks the original control tower, which still survives and today houses the Martlesham Heath Aviation Society museum. The upper red circle highlights the area where parts of the old airfield surface remain.
The second, closer image looks towards one of the surviving runway fragments, visible as a strip of cracked and overgrown concrete running across the heathland. Though nature has reclaimed much of the site, the outline of Martlesham’s once-important airfield can still be traced from the air.
History:
RAF Martlesham Heath was opened in 1917, originally as a Royal Flying Corps station for aircraft testing and experimental work. It became the base of the Aeroplane Experimental Unit (later the Aeroplane & Armament Experimental Establishment) until this work was moved to Boscombe Down in 1939.
During the Second World War, Martlesham Heath played a front-line role as a fighter station within No. 11 Group, Fighter Command. Several squadrons rotated through, flying Hurricanes and later Spitfires during the Battle of Britain. The base was also home to night-fighter units equipped with Blenheims, Beaufighters and Mosquitos.
In 1943, Martlesham Heath was transferred to the USAAF Eighth Air Force and designated Station 369. It was used by the 356th Fighter Group, flying P-47 Thunderbolts and later P-51 Mustangs, providing bomber escort and ground-attack operations over occupied Europe.
After the war the airfield returned to the RAF, but with the rapid rundown of front-line flying in East Anglia it saw only limited use. Flying ceased in the 1960s, and most of the site was redeveloped for housing and light industry. The control tower was preserved and now operates as the Martlesham Heath Aviation Society museum, keeping the history of the base alive.
Today, only fragments of the runways and perimeter tracks remain, scattered across the heathland. From above, though, the scale of the former airfield and its role in both experimental aviation and wartime operations can still be appreciated.