RAF Honington

 Second World War 1939-1945, military, headquarters, regiment, RAF - Royal Air Force, training center

RAF Honington is the RAF's main centre of Force Protection and has approx 2000 permanent Service and civilian personnel but also accommodates a large number of personnel undergoing training at any one time. The Station can be split into operational, training and support functions.

Order of Battle

Wings:
RAF FP Force HQ - www.raf.mod.uk/rafhonington/aboutus/headquarters.cfm
FP Centre - www.raf.mod.uk/rafhonington/aboutus/fp_centre.cfm
Jt CBRN Regt - www.raf.mod.uk/rafhonington/aboutus/jt_cbrn_regt.cfm
Support Wing - www.raf.mod.uk/rafhonington/aboutus/support_wg.cfm
Training Wing - www.raf.mod.uk/rafhonington/aboutus/trg_wg.cfm

Squadrons:
I Sqn RAF Regt - www.raf.mod.uk/rafhonington/aboutus/1_sqn.cfm
II Sqn RAF Regt - www.raf.mod.uk/rafhonington/aboutus/ii_sqn.cfm
15 Sqn RAF Regt - www.raf.mod.uk/rafhonington/aboutus/15_sqn.cfm
26 Sqn RAF Regt - www.raf.mod.uk/rafhonington/aboutus/26_sqn.cfm
27 Sqn RAF Regt - www.raf.mod.uk/rafhonington/aboutus/27_sqn.cfm
2623 Sqn RAuxAF Regt - en.wikipedia.org/wiki/No._2623_(East_Anglian)_Squadron_...

The Station is home to 1 Sqn RAF Regt, II Sqn RAF Regt, a para-capable Field Squadron and 15 Sqn RAF Regt. The RAF Force Protection Centre conducts Force Protection training for the RAF as well as providing specialist NBC sampling capability and part of the UK Nuclear Accident Response capability.

The last major operational unit based at RAF Honington is the Joint Chemical, Biological, Radiological and Nuclear Regiment. This joint unit, one of a number of major joint outcomes of the Strategic Defence Review, provides specialist NBC defence capability for all 3 Services. Training Wing, also known as the RAF Regt Depot, is located in a purpose built building and provides all initial training for RAF Regt personnel, together with Further Training for RAF Regt NCOs and signals training for all of the RAF Regt.

The Station is also home to the RAF Force Protection Force HQ. Providing administrative and logistics support for all elements of the Station is Support Wg; the Wg is quite unique for a Station of this size in that it combines engineering, operations and administrative functions under one unit.

www.raf.mod.uk/rafhonington/aboutus/why_we_are_here.cfm

Wartime History

This was an expansion scheme aerodrome built in 1935-37 on the edge of the Breckland six miles south of Thetford. The camp was situated on the south-east corner of the landing ground which was fronted by four Type C hangars with a fifth to the rear on the west side. Technical, administrative and barrack buildings were mostly in brick with flat roofs, the camp backing onto the country road to Honington village, two miles to the east. The light nature of the soil proved to be reasonably free draining.

In July 1937 Nos. 77 and 102 Squadrons arrived, the former with Wellesleys and a few Audax, and No. 102 with Heyfords. They had come from Finningley in Yorkshire and in July 1938 returned to that county changing places with Nos. 75 and 215 Squadrons at Driffield. These newcomers were flying Harrows, which were to be concentrated in No. 3 Group, albeit that the squadrons commenced conversion to Wellingtons in the summer of 1939. Both were designated as No. 3 Group Pool Squadrons and No. 75 moved to Stradishall from whence No. 9 Squadron arrived to replace it at Honington. Shortly before the outbreak of war No. 215 was also moved leaving No. 9 to undertake the first RAF bombing raid of the war on September 4, 1939, an attempt to attack naval vessels off the German Baltic coast resulting in the loss of two Wellingtons to fighters. No. 9 had Honington to itself until the summer of 1940 when two of the depleted Battle squadrons, which had escaped from France found shelter there for a month. In late July No. 311 Squadron was formed with Czech airmen to use Wellingtons, flying their first raid on the night of October 10/11, 1940 shortly before being moved to Honington's satellite at East Wretham. No. 9 Squadron continued as the sole resident operational unit until it was transferred to No. 5 Group in August 1942 and left for Waddington. However, it was joined by No. 214's Wellingtons for a week in January 1942 while work was carried out on their home airfield at Stradishall. All told, 79 of No. 9's Wellingtons failed to return or were lost in operational crashes while the squadron was based at Honington.

During 1939-41, 18 small pan hardstandings were laid down at Honington, most off exceptionally long access tracks, those to the south crossing the public road. A tarmac perimeter road was also constructed during the same period. The runways remained grass with 1,400 yard runs NE-SW and SE-NW.

Use by the USAAF
Former USAAF Station 375

Honington was then transferred to the USAAF which had been allocated the station in June 1942 for development to a Class A standard bomber base. In September, VIII Air Service Command arrived to establish an air depot which eventually became the 1st Strategic Air Depot providing major servicing, repair and modification for B-17 Fortresses of the 3rd Bomb Division.

From February 1944 the station also housed the 364th Fighter Group and its three squadrons, first flying P-38 Lightnings and later P-51 Mustangs. The fighter group departed in November 1945 but Honington continued as an air depot until February 1946 becoming the last USAAF station to be returned to the RAF.

During the American occupation a perimeter track and 68 loop and a single pan hardstandings were put down, several of these on the special depot site built on the west side of the airfield and officially named Troston. A single T2 hangar was added on this site and eight Blister type were also erected on the airfield. Concrete runways were never built but the Americans put down 2,000 yards of steel planking on the main 05-23 runway.

www.raf.mod.uk/bombercommand/s39.html
Post war

Post-war, Honington was used by maintenance units until the early 1950s when a 3,000-yard concrete runway was laid. When re-opened for flying in 1955, four Canberra equipped squadrons were installed. From the following year Valiants were also present and from 1959 Victors. The V-bomber squadrons were withdrawn in the mid-1960s and after four years without resident squadrons the station became host to shore-based Buccaneers. These remained until the early 1980s when Tornado squadrons took over and were present for ten years. Then in 1994 Honington became the depot station of the RAF Regiment with much upgrading of buildings. The flying field with reserve status has been maintained and improved and is used during exercises.

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/RAF_Regiment