RAF Foulsham

Infobox Military Unit
unit_name = Royal Air Force Station Foulsham


caption = Station crest
dates = May 1942 – 1945
country = United Kingdom
branch = Royal Air Force
command_structure = No. 100 Group RAF
type = Flying station
role = Bomber / Special operations
size =
current_commander =
garrison = Norwich, Norfolk, England
garrison_label = Based near
ceremonial_chief =
ceremonial_chief_label =
colonel_of_the_regiment =
colonel_of_the_regiment_label =
nickname =
motto =
colors =
colors_label = Royal Air Force Ensign
march = Royal Air Force March Past
mascot =
equipment = B-25 Mitchell,
Shorts Stirling,
Avro Lancaster,
Vickers Wellington,
de Havilland Mosquito,
Handley Page Halifax
battles =
notable_commanders =
identification_symbol =
identification_symbol_label = Station crest heraldry
anniversaries =

The former Royal Air Force Station Foulsham, more commonly known as RAF Foulsham was a Royal Air Force station, a military airbase, 15 miles North-West of Norwich, in the English county of Norfolk, East Anglia, from 1942 to 1945.

History

RAF Foulsham at Foulsham in Norfolk was built between 1941 and 1942 for No.2 Group RAF Bomber Command and opened on 26 June 1942. Foulsham was one of the few airfields to be fitted with FIDO in 1944, a fog dispersal system which used fires at the sides of the runways.

The airfield was equipped with three tarmac and woodchip runways and 37 hardstandings. It also had 9 hangars, five of which were built for storing Horsa glider aircraft ready for D Day.

The first residents were No. 98 Squadron RAF and No. 180 Squadron RAF, flying North American Mitchell bombers. The station was then used by No. 3 Group RAF who used Short Stirling and Avro Lancaster bombers. No. 514 Squadron RAF was formed at Foulsham, flying Lancasters.

The station then became the home of No. 192 Squadron RAF, which was part of No. 100 Group RAF, an electronic warfare unit which had its headquarters at Bylaugh Hall. 192 Squadron was later joined by another 100 Group squadron, No. 462 Squadron, Royal Australian Air Force, which operated Handley Page Halifax aircraft.

During World War II, 45 aircraft based at RAF Foulsham were lost. Many aircraft made emergency landings at Foulsham, including USAAF B17 F "Ruthie II", which made an emergency landing there in 1943 after an epic return flight for which co-pilot John C. Morgan was awarded the highest U.S. medal, the Medal of Honor. The airfield remained the property of the Ministry of Defence until the 1980s.

Foulsham Aicraft

Several types of aircraft have operated out of Foulsham, among these:
*B-25 Mitchell
*Shorts Stirling
*Avro Lancaster
*Vickers Wellington
*de Havilland Mosquito
*Handley Page Halifax

Foulsham Squadrons

* No. 98 Squadron RAF
* No. 180 Squadron RAF
* No. 192 Squadron RAF
* No. 462 Squadron RAAF
* No. 514 Squadron RAF
* No. 1678 Heavy Conversion Flight RAF

External links

* [http://www.raf.mod.uk/bombercommand/s21.html] RAF site relating to RAF Foulsham
* [http://www.controltowers.co.uk/F/Foulsham.htm] Details of the former airfield
* [http://s133.photobucket.com/albums/q51/norwichpaul/RAF%20Foulsham/] Post-closure photographs

ee also

*Royal Air Force station
*List of RAF stations
*List of Royal Air Force aircraft squadrons