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Fairford, Gloucestershire, UK - July 14th, 2018: Canadian Air Force Mcdonnell Douglas F/A-18 Hornet performing its Aerobatic Display at Fairford International Air Tattoo RIAT 2018
Fairford, Gloucestershire, UK - July 14th, 2018: Belgian Air Force Lockheed Martin General Dynamics F-16 Fighting Falcon completes its Aerobatic Display at Fairford International Air Tattoo RIAT
Building 19A – Guard House, Fire Party Picket, SAA Store and Garage, Air Ministry Drg No: 959/25-1461/25 and 2262/25.
▪︎MARTLESHAM HEATH AIRFIELD – “The Cradle of British Aviation”▪︎
Martlesham Heath has enjoyed a long and varied aviation history, over many different periods of peace and war. They have attempted to summarise this into a number of key highlights.
For more information, facts, figures and insights please visit the MHAS Museum – They look forward to your visit !
▪︎World War I – Early beginnings –
The Royal Flying Corps came into being on 13th March 1912 and the Central Flying School was established at Upavon in Wiltshire at around the same time. Upavon soon began to expand its activities and in 1915 the Armament Experimental Flight of the Experimental Flying section of the Central Flying School was moved to Orfordness in Suffolk. Soon it became apparent that the Aircraft Testing Flight, which was still at Upavon, should be sited nearer to the Armament Flight.
Under the leadership of Henry Tizard, a technical officer, a survey was carried out to locate a suitable site, close to Orfordness and a railway station to London, capable of containing both the Armament Experimental Flight and the Aircraft Testing Flight. Martlesham Heath was chosen and thus began the aviation history of this area. The new airfield was dedicated on the 16th January 1917 but prior to its dedication, in late 1916, the Aeroplane Experimental Flight moved in and the new airfield was named as the Aeroplane Experimental Station.
▪︎Between the Wars –
On 1st April 1918, the RFC merged with the Royal Naval Air Service to become the Royal Air Force, with Martlesham’s importance continuing to grow, eventually being renamed the Aeroplane and Armament Experimental Establishment (A&AEE) in 1924. The A&AEE carried out the evaluation and testing of over 400 different aircraft types, both military and civilian, during the inter-war years and much of the armament and other equipment that would later be used during the Second World War tested over Orfordness.
▪︎World War II – The Battle of Britain 1940 –
The A&AEE moved to RAF Boscombe Down on 9th September 1939 at the outbreak of the Second World War and RAF Martlesham then undertook a key role in the “Battle of Britain”, becoming the most northerly station of No. 11 Group RAF Fighter Command. During the course of the battle several squadrons rotated through RAF Martlesham operating Bristol Blenheim's, Boulton Paul Defiants and Hawker Hurricane's.
During the latter stages of the ''Battle of Britain'', the German Luftwaffe targeted many RAF Fighter Command airfields and RAF Martlesham came under attack on the 15th August 1940, with the resulting extensive damage taking a full day to repair. On 11th November 1940 shortly after the end of the ''Battle Of Britain'', one of RAF Martlesham’s resident Hurricane squadrons (257) were involved in air to air combat with elements of the Italian Air Force’s Regia Aeronautica over the coast near Harwich claiming a number of Fiat BR.20 bombers and CR.42 biplane fighters destroyed.
▪︎World War II – On to the Offensive 1941–1942 –
During 1941-42 RAF Fighter Command operated a policy whereby their squadrons were regularly rotated to ensure that they did not become ‘battle weary’. This meant that often a squadron might only be based at an airfield for a few weeks and during this time RAF Martlesham saw around 30 different units stationed there. The RAF had an international flavour to it and squadrons of Canadians, Australians, New Zealanders, Poles, Czechs, Belgians and Norwegians were all based there.
As the Hawker Hurricane became obsolete these squadrons were primarily equipped with newer marks of the Supermarine Spitfire such as the Vb and at least four squadrons of the RAF’s new fighter bomber, the Hawker Typhoon. In early 1941 the RAF were mainly engaged in Home Defence duties, patrolling the coast line against German raiders or protecting convoys. By early 1942 however RAF Fighter Command’s primary objective was to take the war to the enemy over occupied Europe. This new offensive saw the RAF’s fighter squadrons embarking on a variety of routine operations, each type given a specific codename.
''The Eagle Squadrons'' – The Eagle Squadrons were three fighter squadrons of the Royal Air Force (71, 121 and 133), formed with volunteer pilots from the United States prior to America's entry into the war in December 1941. Under American law, it was illegal for United States citizens to join the armed forces of foreign nations. In doing so, they lost their citizenship. Even so many American citizens volunteered to fly with the Royal Air Force before America officially entered the war in December 1941. Although all three squadrons flew from RAF Martlesham only 71 Squadron were based at there on a permanent basis.
''AirSea Rescue'' – Sharing the airfield with the fighter squadrons between 1942 and the end of 1944 was an Air Sea Rescue unit - 'A' Flight, of 277 Squadron. The unit flew a variety of aircraft including Supermarine Walrus flying boats, Boulton Paul Defiants, Westland Lysander's and a number of ‘war weary’ Spitfire Mk. II’s & VB’s.
''Famous Faces'' – A number of ‘high profile’ pilots served at RAF Martlesham Heath with the most notably were Douglas Bader, Robert Stanford Tuck, Peter Townsend and John ‘Paddy’ Hemingway the last known surviving ''Battle Of Britain'' pilot.
▪︎World War II – Enter the USAAF 1943–1945 –
In 1943, RAF Martlesham Heath became one of a group of grass-surfaced airfields earmarked for use by fighters of the United States Army Air Forces (USAAF) Eighth Air Force. The airfield was assigned the USAAF designation Station 369 and subsequently ‘hardened’ through the laying of asphalt runways, on top of a base of compressed sand.
The Control Tower (now the museum), a USAAF requirement, was built to centralize aircraft and vehicle movements. During this period, the RAF jointly occupied the airfield, with 56 Squadron flying Hawker Typhoon's attacking targets in Europe and shipping in the North Sea as well as 277 Squadron continuing to provide their Air Sea Rescue Role. The airfield was first used by the P-47 Thunderbolt’s of the 356th Fighter Group, 8th USAAF in October 1943, arriving from RAF Goxhill after a period of training. The 356th Fighter Group consisted of three squadrons:
▪︎359th Fighter Squadron (OC)
▪︎360th Fighter Squadron (PI)
▪︎361st Fighter Squadron (QI)
The 356th flew combat from October 1943, initially operating as escorts for the B-17 Flying Fortresses and B-24 Liberator's of the 8th Air Force’s Bomb Groups. From early 1944 they began undertaking bombing and strafing missions against a range of targets in occupied Europe and these intensified in the run up to the D-Day landings on 6th June 1944. The 356th also played a critical role in support of ''Operation Market Garden'' (the Arnhem operation) in September 1944 to neutralize enemy gun emplacements, suffering heavy losses in the process. For this action they were awarded a Distinguished Unit Citation.
The 356th relinquished their Thunderbolt’s in November 1944 to be replaced by the P-51 Mustang. Unlike the P-47’s which carried no unit markings other than squadron codes, the 356th‘s Mustang's were among the most strikingly marked in the 8th AF and carried a red/blue diamond pattern on their engine cowlings as well as spinners, canopy rails and rudders in the individual squadron colours of Yellow for the 359FS, Red for the 360FS and Blue for the 361FS.
Between the first mission on 15th October 1943, and their final mission on 7th May 1945, the 356th was credited with destroying 277 enemy planes, probably destroying 23 more, and damaging a further 192. In addition, although exact numbers are unknown they were credited with the destruction of hundreds of vehicles, trains, rail cars, tanks, bridges, buildings, flak emplacements, munitions and fuel dumps, barges and a host of other ground targets. The 356th lost 122 aircraft in action and 71 pilots made the ultimate sacrifice either in combat or due to accidents. By October 1945 the 356th had left RAF Martlesham for home and the unit was formally deactivated on 10th November 1945.
▪︎Postwar - A return to aircraft research & development role –
With the departure of the USAAF, the airfield reverted to the RAF in a research and development role, although significantly scaled down from the pre-war days. In the immediate postwar years, Fighter Command squadrons were in residence at RAF Martlesham but the proximity to Ipswich and the physical limitations on lengthening the runways restricted jet operation. In an effort to improve the station and allow jet aircraft to operate the main runway was extended in 1955, by the addition of concrete aprons at the ends of the main runway.
The Blind Landing Experimental Unit and the Bomb Ballistics Unit both became operational in September 1945 at RAF Martlesham. The two units eventually merged and were finally moved from RAF Martlesham airfield to the Royal Aircraft Establishment at Farnborough and Bedford.
The Battle of Britain Flight moved to the airfield in 1958 and left in 1961. It consisted of Hurricane's and Spitfire's but without a Lancaster. Much later It was renamed “The Battle of Britain Memorial Flight.” once the Lancaster joined the unit. Following this, the airfield reverted to care and maintenance status, and passed the time as a Gliding and air experience unit for Air Training Corps (A.T.C), flying mainly at weekends. the Air Ministry closed the facility on 25th April 1963.
▪︎Today - A new role and focus –
RAF Martlesham Heath has now become a flourishing residential and industrial area, but much evidence of the airfield still remains. Nearby, on the old RAF parade ground, stands a memorial erected to the memory of 73 members of the 356th Fighter Group who lost their lives in World War II. Alongside is a memorial to those of the RAF (British and Commonwealth and Dominion Air Forces (French, Czech, Polish, Norwegian etc.) who flew with or worked alongside the RAF. In between the two memorials is a special one remembering the Scientists and Engineers from the British Aircraft industry, who mostly died in flying accidents whilst testing and helping develop aircraft at RAF Martlesham Heath. The Control Tower, built in the Second World War, has now been repurposed to become the location of the MHAS Museum since 2000 – keeping the story of the airfield alive.
Information sourced from – Airfield History share.google/cU9HNPi0fsN4QAm0u
Fairford, Gloucestershire, UK - July 14th, 2018: Canadian Air Force Mcdonnell Douglas F/A-18 Hornet performing its Aerobatic Display at Fairford International Air Tattoo RIAT 2018
The partially buried remains of an hexagonal type structure, there's appears to be no evidence of having a covering or a roof. The reinforced concrete walls are 6 inches thick, there are really bad cracks in sections of the wall, and broken sections of concrete lay nearby. The two large embrasures or openings, one of which the top section has broken away, these would probably have been for a close defence role. The rear entrance has a wall for protection, the overall condition is very poor, almost in a ruinous state.
The World War II Light Anti-aircraft (LAA) Weapons Pit, was a defensive position built to protect vulnerable points like airfields, factories, or towns from low-flying enemy aircraft. The pits typically housed rapid-firing machine guns or small-caliber cannons.
Construction and purpose: LAA Weapons Pits varied in their construction and features depending on the location, the weapon, and whether they were temporary or permanent.
Earthwork breastwork: Many simple LAA positions were earthwork pits or foxholes, which provided cover for the gun crew from ground-level attack and flying debris. A weapons pit might also be paired with a nearby slit trench for additional crew shelter.
Concrete emplacements: More permanent installations, particularly those protecting vital installations, were often built with concrete or brick. These offered greater protection and provided a stable platform for heavier guns like the Bofors.
Attached pillboxes: In some cases, a weapons pit was integrated with a pillbox. The open section of the pillbox provided a mounting for an LAA machine gun, while the enclosed area gave the crew better protection from ground attack.
Raised towers: To get a better field of fire over surrounding structures or terrain, some Bofors guns were mounted on concrete or steel towers.
Predictor pits: More advanced LAA emplacements, particularly for Bofors guns, included a separate, circular pit for a predictor. This equipment used radar or optical data to calculate a target's course and speed, and then relayed firing corrections to the gun crew.
Common weapons: Two common British LAA weapons used in these pits were the Lewis gun and the Bofors gun.
Lewis gun: A light machine gun, the Lewis was used as an improvised LAA weapon, often mounted on a pintle to enable an anti-aircraft role. Lewis gun pits could be as simple as a circular earthen depression or a concrete pipe pit. The gun required a two-person crew for effective operation: one to fire and one to load the ammunition drum.
Bofors 40mm gun: The standard LAA cannon for the British Army, the Bofors fired 40mm shells at a high rate to take down aircraft of any size. In static positions, the Bofors gun was fixed to a central concrete pedestal, or "holdfast," which was surrounded by a low wall with recesses for ammunition. Because Bofors guns were effective against low-flying aircraft but could also target ground forces, their pits were positioned strategically to defend against both types of attacks.
Military Landies at Coningsby.
One a hard top, the other canvas. Both FFR, and both have NATO hitches.
Both have white painted diff covers (for reflecting the light from the small lamp above the diff when in convoy)
Building 19 – Aircraft Shed No.2 - Type A Hangar, Air Ministry Drg No: 19/244-1260/24 and 720-725/25
The 7 pitched-roof building is the first type of the permanent and opening hangars designed in 1924. It measures 107ft 3in wide and 249ft long. It is constructed of steel stanchions spaced 38ft apart supporting steel frame girders with cantilever gable trusses and steel doors. The wall infill is constructed of reinforced concrete. The hangar was home to 22 Squadron Flight where they tested and reported on bomber types and large civil passenger aircraft. Testing at Martlesham ended in 1939, when the Experimental Units were moved to Boscombe Down. By the late Spring of 1940 Martiesham was a fully operational airfield, when 264(F) Squadron operated Defiant fighters over the beaches of Dunkirk, as troops were being evacuated.
At the far end of the building are metal tracks where the steel doors would have opened and metal rods to which winding handles would have been fitted. At the rear of the building are bullet and shell holes in the wall. The original RAF Watch Office was nearby and was destroyed by a Luftwaffe attack on 15th August 1940. The Blind Landing Experimental Unit moved to Martlesham Heath in early 1946, tasked with the development of blind landing approach and landing systems for the RAF, Navy and Civilian Aircraft.
In front of the hangar-towards the road, is what was the Airfield Guard Room-built in 1929, with offices for the store, fire party, barrack room and guard room with detention cells. Small windows over the doorway show where the cells were. The Control Tower Museum is open Sunday afternoons from Easter-end October. School groups and private visits welcomed by prior arrangement, for a small fee. This information board is provided with support and help from Logicor and The Martlesham Heath Aviation Society.
Information sourced from the MHAS information board.
A gloomy day with lots of cloud and weird light at RAF. Coningsby.
RAF Typhoons ZK360, ZK947, ZK424, ZK331, and ZK917 at rest
Canada - Armed Forces Bristol Fairchild Bolingbroke IVT (Canadian Built Bristol Blenheim MK IV)1942. The Royal Air Force's first all - metal monoplane bomber , built 1936. Photograph taken November 2011 whilst on a visit to East Fortune Airfiled East Lothian
Fairford, Gloucestershire, UK - July 14th, 2018: Belgian Air Force Lockheed Martin General Dynamics F-16 Fighting Falcon completes its Aerobatic Display at Fairford International Air Tattoo RIAT
RAF Coltishall was opened in 1940 and was originally built as a Bomber Station. it was home to a variety of aircraft including Bristol Blenheims, Hawker Hurricanes and Supermarine Spitfire's and after World War Two became the home of Polish Squadrons until they returned to their homeland. In later years other aircraft were based at RAF Coltishall including de Havilland Mosquito's, Gloster Meteor's, Gloster Javelin's and English Electric Lightning's and from 1963 The ''Historic Aircraft Flight'' now known as ''The Battle of Britain Flight''. The last Lightning's left RAF Coltishall in 1974 and later in the year RAF Coltishall became a SEPECAT Jaguar station with the arrival of No. 54 Squadron, in fact the SEPECAT Jaguar served at RAF Coltishall without a break for over thirty years.
RAF Coltishall was also the home of the (SAR) Search and Rescue Helicopters of 22 and 202 Squadrons. When RAF Coltishall had its full complement of SEPECAT Jaguar's, there were four Squadrons, No. 6, No. 16 R, No. 41 and No. 54. When it was announced that RAF Coltishall was to close this was going to bring an end to this historic station, which was the RAF's last Battle of Britain base. The first SEPECAT Jaguar Squadron's to disband were No. 16 R and No. 41 Squadrons, who disbanded on 11th May 2005. With the final Squadrons, No. 6 and No. 54 departing on 1st April 2006. RAF Coltishall Airfield finally closed its gates on 30th November 2006 with a celebration which included a flypast by four SEPECAT Jaguar's from No. 6 Squadron at RAF Coningsby in Lincolnshire and a flypast and display by a Hawker Hurricane from The Historic Aircraft Collection based at the Imperial War Museum at Duxford in Cambridgeshire, the aircraft was flown by Squadron Leader Al Pinner OC BBMF.
Finally RAF Coltishall's two ''Gate Guardians'' went to new homes, with the Hawker Hurricane going to High Wycombe in Buckinghamshire and the SEPECAT Jaguar moving down the road to Norwich in the grounds of Norfolk County Council. The final curtain came down at RAF Coltishall on 30th December 2006, when a large group of enthusiasts and local people congregated outside RAF Coltishall's historic Headquarters to witness the last parade and flypast of this World War Two Fighter Station. The RAF Servicemen who took part in the parade were joined by The City of Norwich Pipe Band.
The reviewing Officer, Air Vice-Marshal David Walker CBE AFC took the salute as a Flypast of four SEPECAT Jaguar aircraft from No. 6 Squadron at RAF Coningsby overflew the parade. Closely followed by The Historic Aircraft Collection's Hawker Hurricane from the Imperial War Museum Duxford which was flown by Squadron Leader Al Pinner Officer Commanding ''The Battle of Britain Memorial Flight''. As the parade marched off the Station a short ceremony was performed to lock RAF Coltishall's gate for the last time. This was followed by Squadron Leader Pinner carrying out a spirited flying display in the Hawker Hurricane just outside the Stations main gate.
Information sourced from – www.simplyplanes.co.uk/royal_air_force_coltishall.shtml
Building 19 – Aircraft Shed No.2 - Type A Hangar, Air Ministry Drg No: 19/244-1260/24 and 720-725/25
The 7 pitched-roof building is the first type of the permanent and opening hangars designed in 1924. It measures 107ft 3in wide and 249ft long. It is constructed of steel stanchions spaced 38ft apart supporting steel frame girders with cantilever gable trusses and steel doors. The wall infill is constructed of reinforced concrete. The hangar was home to 22 Squadron Flight where they tested and reported on bomber types and large civil passenger aircraft. Testing at Martlesham ended in 1939, when the Experimental Units were moved to Boscombe Down. By the late Spring of 1940 Martiesham was a fully operational airfield, when 264(F) Squadron operated Defiant fighters over the beaches of Dunkirk, as troops were being evacuated.
At the far end of the building are metal tracks where the steel doors would have opened and metal rods to which winding handles would have been fitted. At the rear of the building are bullet and shell holes in the wall. The original RAF Watch Office was nearby and was destroyed by a Luftwaffe attack on 15th August 1940. The Blind Landing Experimental Unit moved to Martlesham Heath in early 1946, tasked with the development of blind landing approach and landing systems for the RAF, Navy and Civilian Aircraft.
In front of the hangar-towards the road, is what was the Airfield Guard Room-built in 1929, with offices for the store, fire party, barrack room and guard room with detention cells. Small windows over the doorway show where the cells were. The Control Tower Museum is open Sunday afternoons from Easter-end October. School groups and private visits welcomed by prior arrangement, for a small fee. This information board is provided with support and help from Logicor and The Martlesham Heath Aviation Society.
Information sourced from the MHAS information board.