former RAF Bodney

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

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RAF Bodney is a former World War II RAF Station and USAAF airfield in England. The field is located 4½ miles west of Watton in Norfolk.Bodney was established in 1940 as a satellite field for RAF Watton. The airfield was grass-surfaced and located on slightly rolling land with a hard surface perimeter track.

Initially it was used by aircraft of No. 21 Squadron RAF and No. 82 Squadron RAF (No. 2 Group RAF Bomber Command. They carried operations over France and later Holland and even Norway.

USAAF use

In the summer of 1943 Bodney was turned over to the USAAF and was assigned designation Station 141. The field was then prepared for the use of the Eighth Air Force. Improvements to the field included the addition of steel mat and pierced-steel planking hardstands for use by the American fighters and extra taxiways and roads laid down in macadam and concrete.

352nd Fighter Group
The airfield was opened in May 1943 and was used by the United States Army Air Forces Eighth Air Force 352d Fighter Group. The group was under the command of the 67th Fighter Wing of the VIII Fighter Command.

The group consisted of three squadrons: 328th Fighter Squadron (PE), 486th Fighter Squadron (PZ) and the 487th Fighter Squadron (HO).


With the end of military control, Bodney airfield was closed and was returned to agriculture in November 1945. Almost the entire facility was completely reverted to farmland, although a few derelict buildings remain as well as its control tower.

www.raf.mod.uk/bombercommand/s20.html
www.wartimememories.co.uk/airfields/bodney.html