RAF Bircham Newton

Infobox Military Unit
unit_name = Royal Air Force Station Bircham Newton


caption = Station crest
dates = 1916 – 1965
country = United Kingdom
branch = Royal Air Force
command_structure = No. 16 Group RAF
type = Flying station
role = Coastal Command
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 = Handley Page V/1500,
Fairey Swordfish,
Royal Aircraft Factory S.E.5,
Vickers Vimy,
Airco DH.9A,
Fairey IIIA,
Fairey Gordon,
Hawker Hart,
Hawker Hind,
Avro Anson,
Vickers Vildebeest,
Lockheed Hudson,
Vickers Wellington,
Fairey Swordfish,
Bristol Blenheim,
Airspeed Oxford,
de Havilland Canada DHC-1 Chipmunk
battles =
notable_commanders =
identification_symbol =
identification_symbol_label = Station crest heraldry
anniversaries =

RAF Bircham Newton was a Royal Air Force airfield in the west of the county of Norfolk in the United Kingdom, eight miles west of Fakenham.

History

The site was first used during the First World War and received the largest British bomber of the time, the Handley Page V/1500. They would have carried out bombing missions against Berlin but the Armistice was arranged before any missions were actually flown.

The airfield was equipped with one aircraft repair shed and three double bay general service sheds, although these had been demolished by 1937. It had two Belfast hangars, three C Type hangars, three Bellman hangars, and ten Blister hangars.

It operated through the Second World War as part of No. 16 Group RAF as part of Coastal Command. No. 206 Squadron RAF was one of the squadrons being based there, on maritime patrol duties. Two satellite airfields, RAF Docking and RAF Langham were opened to accommodate units.

In 1965 the airfield was used for evaluation trials of the Hawker Siddeley Kestrel V/STOL aircraft.

Current Use

After closure as an operational airfield in 1966, the airfield became the home of the Construction Industry Training Board. The runways have gone, but the majority of buildings on the site, including some hangars and the control tower, remain in use by the CITB. The control tower was scheduled for demolition in 2008 due to its poor condition. [ [http://airfieldarchaeology.fotopic.net/c1495033.html Airfield Archeology - Bircham Newton] ]

Bircham Newton Aicraft

Several types of aircraft have operated out of Bircham Newton, among these:
*Handley Page V/1500
*Avro Aldershot
*Handley Page Hyderabad
*Fairey Swordfish
*Royal Aircraft Factory S.E.5
*Vickers Vimy
*Airco DH.9A
*Fairey IIIA
*Fairey Gordon
*Hawker Hart
*Hawker Hind
*Vickers Vildebeest
*Lockheed Hudson
*Vickers Wellington
*Fairey Swordfish
*Bristol Blenheim
*Avro Anson
*Airspeed Oxford
*de Havilland Canada DHC-1 Chipmunk
*Hawker Siddeley Kestrel

Bircham Newton Squadrons

* No. 7 Squadron RAF
* No. 53 Squadron RAF
* No. 59 Squadron RAF
* No. 99 Squadron RAF
* No. 119 Squadron RAF
* No. 166 Squadron RAF
* No. 236 Squadron RAF
* No. 206 Squadron RAF
* No. 207 Squadron RAF
* No. 235 Squadron RAF
* No. 500 Squadron RAF
* No. 320 Squadron RAF
* No. 407 Squadron RCAF, the "Demon Squadron"

References

External links

* [http://www.rafbnmp.org.uk/ RAF Bircham Newton Memorial Project]
* [http://www.controltowers.co.uk/B/Bircham_Newton.htm Control Towers - Bircham Newton]
* [http://www.wartimememories.co.uk/airfields/birchamnewton.html Wartime Memory Projects - Bricham Newton]
* [http://jollygreenp.co.uk/jonzpage2/dad/raf19271935.html Interwar photographs of Bircham Newton]

ee also

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