Former RAF Great Massingham

 Second World War 1939-1945, RAF - Royal Air Force, draw only border, closed / former military

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Only two miles separated West Raynham from the farmland taken in 1940 for its satellite aerodrome. The site directly adjacent to Great Massingham village was first used to disperse West Raynham's Blenheims but when sufficient facilities were constructed and requisitioned to maintain a squadron, No. 18 transferred from the parent station in September having sustained appalling attrition during the Battle of France. The squadron stayed until mid-April the following year when it was moved a few miles to Oulton, another satellite airfield.

A month later No. 107 Squadron, another Blenheim unit, was posted to Great Massingto Coastal Command, and a few days after that the Fortress Is of No. 90 Squadron arrived. It was thought that Great Massingham offered more space for these then-giant aircraft but it was obvious that the type was better suited to operating from hard runways and the few Fortresses available were soon moved over to Polebrook. No. 107 remained until mid-August 1943, longest resident squadron at this station, although in the late summer of 1941 the aircraft were flown off to Malta and the detachment disbanded.

Back at Great Massingham, the squadron was re-built this time to fly the Douglas Boston the first example arriving soon after New Year's Day 1942. No. 107's Bostons went into action on March 8 1942 with a medium altitude attack on Abbeville rail yards. Raids at both medium and low-level were carried out during the ensuing months from Great Massingham, the former eventually being the norm. However, by the time No. 2 Group was transferred to the Second Tactical Air Force, No. 107 had suffered the highest loss rate of all its squadrons although it is said to have flown the highest number of sorties. In operations from Massingham, 11 Blenheims and 26 Bostons were lost in some one hundred raids. In July 1943, shortly before No. 2 Group vacated the airfield, No. 342 Squadron, a French-manned Boston unit, was moved in from Sculthorpe although it remained only a few weeks before moving to Hartford Bridge to where No. 107 had preceded them.

Soon after, the station was relinquished by No. 2 Group for the Unit Construction Company Ltd to lay hard runways. In doing this the area of the airfield was extended to the west so that the distance from West Raynham was reduced to 1.5 miles resulting in an overlap when aircraft were circling to land. The runways were the main 10-28 at 2,000 yards and the 04-22 and 15-33, both 1,400 yards. Only 16 of the existing pan hardstandings remained after the runway and perimeter track building programme, so 20 loop types were added to make the number up to 36. Four T2 hangars had been erected in previous years, two on the east side of the airfield north of the village and two on the north-east side between runway heads 22 and 28. A single B 1 hangar was located south-east between runway heads 28 and 33. Bomb stores were to the north between runway heads 15 and 22. The camp, north-west of the village, eventually consisted of dispersed sites, two communal. two WAAF, five domestic and sick quarters. Accommodation catered for 1,778 males and 431 females.

The station was re-opened in late April 1944 under No. 100 Group, the first operational squadron to be based at the rejuvenated airfield being No. 169, equipped with Mosquitos from Little Snoring. Also present was No.1692 Flight, a bomber support training unit with Beaufighters and Mosquitos. No. 169's main effort was night Ranger and later Serrate sorties to seek out any night fighters operating against Bomber Command main force operations. The last sorties from Great Massingham were flown on the night of May 2, 1945. During hostilities a total of 52 Bomber Command aircraft were lost in operations from station: 11 Blenheims, 28 Bostons and 13 Mosquitos.

No. 1692 Flight was disbanded in June 1945 and No. 169 Squadron two months later.

In August 1945 Great Massingham came under the auspices of Fighter Command but its proximity to test Raynham seems to have precluded further use as a base for flying units, although the station was retained as satellite. The hangars were used for storage for some years but in the late 1950s the whole station was sold.