Former RAF West Raynham
| Second World War 1939-1945, RAF - Royal Air Force, closed / former military
United Kingdom /
England /
Fakenham /
World
/ United Kingdom
/ England
/ Fakenham
World / United Kingdom / England
Second World War 1939-1945, RAF - Royal Air Force, draw only border, closed / former military
RAF West Raynham was a Royal Air Force station located 2 miles (3.2 km) west of the village of West Raynham in Norfolk, England. It opened in the 1930s and closed in 1994. During the Second World War, RAF Bomber Command operations from RAF West Raynham claimed 86 aircraft. The site was sold by the Ministry of Defence (MoD) in 2006. Tamarix Investments, which now owns the site, plans to renovate the 170 houses at RAF West Raynham and build more homes and a hotel.
History
RAF West Raynham was a Royal Air Force station located to the west of the village of West Raynham in Norfolk, England. It opened in the 1930s and closed in the 1990s. In the mid- to late-1950s RAF West Raynham was Central Fighter Establishment of the Royal Air Force. It still had at least two operational Meteor jet fighters, a squadron of twin tail-boomed Venoms and Vampire trainer jets. The very 'latest' arrival in 1957 was a flight of Gloster Javelins, which also appeared at Farnborough the same year.
Its main pilot training squadrons in 1957 were Hawker Hunters - comprising two wings - Red and Yellow. The airfield and technical site remain the property of the Ministry of Defence but the site is currently disused and falling into disrepair. In December 2005 it was announced that the whole site was to be sold at Auction.
Notable units based at RAF West Raynham included:
No. 85 Squadron of 100 Group with the de Havilland Mosquito during World War II.
The tripartite Hawker Kestrel training and evaluation unit (the Kestrel was the forerunner to the successful Hawker Siddeley Harrier "Jump Jet").
The last units to operate at RAF West Raynham were an RAF Regiment Rapier Short Range Air Defence Missile Unit and 85 Squadron with long range Bloodhound surface to air missiles.
www.raf.mod.uk/bombercommand/s32.html
www.derelicte.co.uk/raf-west-raynham
www.edp24.co.uk/news/tenants_at_west_raynham_park_reass...
History
RAF West Raynham was a Royal Air Force station located to the west of the village of West Raynham in Norfolk, England. It opened in the 1930s and closed in the 1990s. In the mid- to late-1950s RAF West Raynham was Central Fighter Establishment of the Royal Air Force. It still had at least two operational Meteor jet fighters, a squadron of twin tail-boomed Venoms and Vampire trainer jets. The very 'latest' arrival in 1957 was a flight of Gloster Javelins, which also appeared at Farnborough the same year.
Its main pilot training squadrons in 1957 were Hawker Hunters - comprising two wings - Red and Yellow. The airfield and technical site remain the property of the Ministry of Defence but the site is currently disused and falling into disrepair. In December 2005 it was announced that the whole site was to be sold at Auction.
Notable units based at RAF West Raynham included:
No. 85 Squadron of 100 Group with the de Havilland Mosquito during World War II.
The tripartite Hawker Kestrel training and evaluation unit (the Kestrel was the forerunner to the successful Hawker Siddeley Harrier "Jump Jet").
The last units to operate at RAF West Raynham were an RAF Regiment Rapier Short Range Air Defence Missile Unit and 85 Squadron with long range Bloodhound surface to air missiles.
www.raf.mod.uk/bombercommand/s32.html
www.derelicte.co.uk/raf-west-raynham
www.edp24.co.uk/news/tenants_at_west_raynham_park_reass...
Wikipedia article: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/RAF_West_Raynham
Nearby cities:
Coordinates: 52°47'16"N 0°44'19"E
- Former RAF Shipdham 21 km
- Former RAF Langham 22 km
- Former RAF Watton 25 km
- former RAF Horsham St Faith 37 km
- Former RAF Coltishall 40 km
- former RAF Rackheath 44 km
- Former RAF Wainfleet (Range) 47 km
- Former RAF Spilsby 59 km
- Former RAF East Kirkby 64 km
- Former RAF Strubby 71 km
- West Raynham Solar Power Plant 0.4 km
- Runway 06/24 6.7 km
- Industrial Estate 7 km
- RAF Sculthorpe 7.1 km
- Colkirk C.P. 7.2 km
- Fakenham Racecourse 8.7 km
- Starmoor Woods 10 km
- Pensthorpe Nature Reserve (Home of BBC Springwatch) 11 km
- North Creake Airfield Solar Power Plant 15 km
- Robertson Barracks 17 km
Comments