Former RAF North Creake

 Second World War 1939-1945, abandoned / shut down, RAF - Royal Air Force, draw only border, historical layer / disappeared object, former air force base

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Five miles north-west of Fakenham and two miles east of North Creake village, this was another Class A airfield, construction starting in October 1942. Taylor Woodrow built the flying field on a £331,000 contract and W. Lawrence & Son Ltd put up the buildings for £336,000. The site was on an area of farmland known as Bunker's Hill with the camp on the east side. The road from Burnham Thorpe to Little Walsingham running across the airfield site was closed. The technical and administrative sites bordered the unclassified country roads that ran from Wells to Fakenham and domestic sites for 2,951 males and 411 females were dispersed in farmland to the east. The three intersecting runways were 04-24 at 2,000 yards and O1-19 and 13-31 both at 1,400 yards. All 36 hardstandings were the loop type, six on the east side of the Egmere Wells to Crabbe's Castle road, which was closed to civilian traffic. Hangarage was the standard two T2 and a single B1.

Originally intended for No. 2 Group, North Creake passed to No. 3 and then, m December 1943, to No. 100. It was not immediately occupied as it was tentatively selected for upgrading to very heavy bomber standard. However, apparently after further survey work had taken place, the airfield fell from favour and Sculthorpe took its place.

Reverting to usage by No. 100 Group, in May 1944 the Stirlings of No. 199 Squadron were transferred from No. 3 Group and Lakenheath to engage in Window and Mandrel sorties against enemy radar tracking of Bomber Command raids. In September 1944, No. 199's `C' Flight was used to re-form a squadron, No. 171, and boost No. 100 Group's radio counter-measures capability.

Initially equipped with Stirlings, No. 171 converted to Halifaxes before the end of the year, No. 199 following suite in March 1945 - the last Bomber Command squadron still with Stirlings. The final sorties of the war from North Creake were flown on the night on May 2. The two squadrons had lost a total of 17 aircraft during operations from the airfield, eight Stirling and nine Halifaxes. Three months later both squadrons had been disbanded and the airfield was being pressed into use for aircraft storage, mainly for Mosquitos. The RAF finally relinquished North Creake in the autumn of 1947 whereupon the flying field was returned to agriculture and the runways eventually removed apart from narrow strips used as farm roads. The former technical site buildings were used for a number of years by an animal feed company. The control tower has now been converted into a house. In 1999 the site was proposed as a tourist facility, mainly for caravans.

www.raf.mod.uk/bombercommand/s25.html