Former RAF Fersfield (Winfarthing)

 Second World War 1939-1945, abandoned / shut down, RAF - Royal Air Force, interesting place, Army Air Field US, historical layer / disappeared object

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RAF Fersfield (originally known as RAF Winfarthing) is a former World War II airfield located 16 miles (26 km) southwest of Norwich, Norfolk. Built in 1943/1944, the airfield was originally a satellite of RAF Knettishall. It was constructed to Class-A bomber specifications, with a main 6,000 ft (1,800 m) runway (07/25), and two secondary runways (01/19, 13/31) of 4,200 ft (1,300 m). Accommodation for about 2,000 personnel were in Nissen huts along with an operations block and two T-2 hangars. Winfarthing was assigned USAAF station number 140; Fersfield was reassigned 554.

Fersfield was used by the 388th BG at Knettishall in the joint USAAF/USN project Aphrodite to use stripped down war weary bombers as explosive packed, radio controlled flying bombs. Pilots would take-off manually and then parachute to safety leaving the bomber under the control of another aircraft and then flown to its target in Europe. Several missions were flown but then halted when a PB4Y-1 exploded over England killing Lt. Kennedy, the brother of future President Kennedy.

One of RAF most secret operations, Operation Carthage, was launched from Fersfield on 21 March 1945. The target was the Gestapo HQ in Copenhagen. de Havilland Mosquitos from No 21 Sqn, No 464 Sqn RAAF and No 487 Sqn RNZAF made the trip across the North Sea and back. The raid was led by Group Captain R.N. Bateson, and was ranked as a success in spite of many civilian casualties, mostly children.