RAF Watton

Infobox Military Structure
name= Royal Air Force Station Watton
USAAF Station 376
location= Located Near Thetford, Norfolk, England
coordinates=coord|52|33|50.04|N|000|51|46.24|E|


caption= Watton Airfield - 1945
type= Military Airfield
code=WN
built=Late 1930s
builder=
materials=
height=
used=1930s-Present
demolished=
condition=
ownership=
controlledby=Royal Air Force
United States Army Air Forces
garrison=Royal Air Force
Eighth Air Force
commanders=
occupants=
battles= European Theatre of World War II
Air Offensive, Europe July 1942 - May 1945 Location map|Norfolk
caption= RAF Watton, shown within Norfolk
lat= 52.563
long= 0.8608
width= 200

RAF Watton is a former World War II airfield in England. The field is located 11 miles NE of Thetford in Norfolk.

RAF Bomber Command use

RAF Watton was a permanent RAF station built in the late 1930s and first used as a light bomber airfield housing for varying periods Nos. 18, 21, 34, 82, 90 and 105 Squadrons, RAF.

USAAF use

In 1943 Watton was turned over to the United States Army Air Force Eighth Air Force for use as an air depot. The airfield was originally grass surfaced but, during the American tenure, the airfield had a 2,000-yard long concrete runway constructed. A concrete perimeter track was built and a total of fifty-three hardstandings, of which forty-one were spectacle and twelve of the frying-pan type. The four original C-type hangars, arranged in the usual crescent on the northern side of the airfield, were backed by the permanent buildings of the pre-war RAF camp. Additional hangars were added and three blister hangars at dispersals. The construction of the airfield necessitated the closure of two public roads.

Watton was given USAAF designation Station 376 (WN).

3rd Strategic Air Depot

Under the American tenancy, Watton was expanded to become the 3rd Strategic Air Depot, which was the major overhaul and repair of the B-24 Liberators of the 2nd Air Division. The air depot complex was adjacent to Watton airfield and built in the village of Griston to the south, bordering the B1077 road. However, the depot was known officially as Neaton, a village located to the north of Watton town.

The 3rd Strategic Air Depot remained operational until the American departure in July 1945.

25th Bombardment Group (Reconnaissance)

Watton was also the home of the 25th Bombardment Group (Reconnaissance) being formed at Watton as the 802nd Reconnaissance Group in February 1944. The unit was renamed the 25th in April. Operational units were:

* 652d Bombardment Squadron (Heavy) (YN/R4) B-17F/G, B-24J
* 653d Bombardment Squadron (Light) (WX) B-26G
* 654th Bombardment Squadron (Provisional) (XN) De Havilland Mosquito XVI The 652d Bomb Squadron originated as a provisional weather recon unit that was formed at RAF St Eval in Cornwall with B-17 Flying FortressFs on 8 September 1943 for conducting meteorological fights over the Atlantic Ocean. In November 1943 the unit moved to RAF Bovingdon after flying 231 weather sorties. At Bovington, the squadron was reorganized as the 8th Weather Reconnaissance Squadron on 28 March 1944, then transferred to Watton on 22 April 1944.

The 653d and 654th Bomb Squadrons were established at Watton on 22 April for special weather recon missions over enemy-occupied territory in advance of bomber formations and visual coverage of target strikes. Pilots for the Mosquitos came from former P-38 Lightning pilots of the 50th Fighter Squadron transferred from the 342d Composite Group based in Iceland.

From Watton the 25th continued weather flights over the waters adjacent to the British Isles and occasionally to the Azores to obtain meteorological data along with night photographic missions to detect enemy activity; and daylight photographic and mapping missions over the Continent.

Also, the group occasionally engaged in electronic-countermeasure missions in which chaff was spread to confuse enemy defences during Allied attacks.

The 25th Bomb Group moved to Moved to Drew AAF, Florida during July-August 1945 and was deactivated on 8 September 1945.

The group flew a total of 3,370 sorties for the loss of 15 aircraft.

Postwar RAF use

After the war, Watton reverted to RAF control on 27 September 1945. It was used by various flying units of RAF Signals Command, No. 199 Squadron, for example being based at Watton in the early 1950s with Mosquito NF36s operating with the Central Signals Establishment. The last three Lincolns serving with No. 151 Squadron on signals duties were withdrawn in March 1963.

By the 1970s, the aircraft at Watton had been replaced by technology and, at the beginning of 1973, the Matelo system of HF communication was supplied to Strike Command by Marconi Communications Systems.

In 1969, 1970, 1989 and 1990 RAF Watton was the location of the annual Royal Observer Corps summer training camps when up to 400 observers per week attended specialist training. For the latter two years Watton had already closed for active RAF use and was on a care and maintenance basis, temporary support catering and security staff being drafted in from nearby stations to support the ROC presence.

With the installation of secondary surveillance radar (SSR) at Watton, the station became one of the five units in the joint military/civil National Air Traffic Services Organisation with Eastern Radar until the 1980s. Then in the 1990s, the airfield came into use by the Army in connection with the nearby Stanford Training Area.

Part of the camp put up for sale in 1995 was sold to a developer for the creation of a new housing estate. Three of the type C hangars were used for grain stores for some years, prior to their demolition, which now leaves only one partially remaining.

The site is home to 611 VGS (Volunteer Gliding School) flying Viking Gliders for the Air Cadet Organisation Cadets.

ee also

* List of RAF stations
* USAAF Eighth Air Force - World War II

References

* Freeman, Roger A. (1978) Airfields of the Eighth: Then and Now. After the Battle ISBN 0900913096
* Freeman, Roger A. (1991) The Mighty Eighth The Colour Record. Cassell & Co. ISBN 0-304-35708-1
* Maurer, Maurer (1983). Air Force Combat Units Of World War II. Maxwell AFB, Alabama: Office of Air Force History. ISBN 0892010924.
* [http://www.controltowers.co.uk/W-Z/Watton.htm Watton at www.controltowers.co.uk]
* [http://mighty8thaf.preller.us/php/1Loc.php?Base=Watton Watton at mighty8thaf.preller.uk]

External links

* [http://www.rafwatton.info/keypages/index.html RAF Watton information website]
* [http://www.raf.mod.uk/bombercommand/s31.html Bomber Command history of RAF Watton]
* [http://www.multimap.com/map/photo.cgi?client=public&X=594000&Y=300000&scale=25000&width=700&height=400&gride=594150&gridn=299925&lang=&db=hcgaz&coordsys=gb Aerial photo of RAF Watton from Multimap.Com]
* [http://www.derelicte.co.uk/raf-watton RAF Watton] photos taken in 2006 and [http://www.derelicte.co.uk/raf-watton-revisited 2007]