Former RAF Old Buckenham

United Kingdom / England / Hingham /
 Second World War 1939-1945, abandoned / shut down, RAF - Royal Air Force, draw only border, Army Air Field US
USAAF Station 144
Old Buckenham airfield was built during 1942-43 for USAAF use. It was given designation Station 114.

453rd Bombardment Group (Heavy)
The group flew B-24 Liberators as part of the Eighth Air Force's strategic bombing campaign.

James "Jimmy" Stewart, the Hollywood movie star, was Group Operations Officer at Old Buckenham during the spring of 1944.

In May 1945, Old Buckenham reverted to Air Ministry control and was used as a, satellite for maintenance units until being closed on 20 June 1960. It has largely been converted back to agriculture with much of the concrete areas being ground into aggregate and being sold in the Norwich area. Today a single-bay perimeter track remains and one small section of full-width runway which is used by crop spraying aircraft in the 1970s and 80s and is now part of a 100 acre airfield site.

In May 1983, during the 2nd Air Division reunion, the 453rd Bomb Group dedicated an extension to the Village Hall at Old Buckenham as a memorial to the members of the Group who lost their lives serving in the U.K. The room contains various wartime artefacts and memorabilia and a large bronze plaque listing those who are remembered.

Another memorial to the 453rd was dedicated during the reunion in 1990. It is of black granite in the shape of a B24 fin and is near Touchdown Aero Centre buildings

oldbuck.com/
Wikipedia article: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/RAF_Old_Buckenham
Nearby cities:
Coordinates:   52°30'9"N   1°3'42"E

Comments

  • Iwas stationed at Old Buckenham from early 1955,for about 6 months, when it was used for the storage of bombs. We cleared the site of these bombs. Ihave many happy memories of this camp, and revisited it in 1990.
  • But of a delayed response bring 4 years and all but I don't suppose you remember or know of a Bob/ Robert MacDonald do you?
  • I served At Old Buc , for 6 months in1952 ,in the MT section .Had a great time. John Davies.
This article was last modified 12 years ago