Former RAF Seething

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

Seething airfield was built in 1942-43 by John Laing & Son Ltd., to the standard Class A requirement for heavy bombers, the airfield had a main runway 6,000 ft. long aligned SW-NE and two secondary runways of 4,200 ft in length. The encircling perimeter track was three miles long. To meet USAAF requirements, there were fifty-one hardstands both of the loop and frying-pan type and two T-2 hangars, placed one on each side of the airfield, that on the south being adjacent to the technical site. The camp was of temporary buildings and the sites dispersed in farmlands to the south of the airfield

USAAF Station 146
The airfield was assigned USAAF designation Station 146. It's ID Code was "SE".

448th Bombardment Group (Heavy)

The 448th flew B-24 Liberators as part of the Eighth Air Force's strategic bombing campaign. The group enered combat on 22 December 1943, and until April 1945 served primarily as a strategic bombardment organization, hitting such targets as aircraft factories in Gotha, ball-bearing plants in Berlin, an airfield at Hanau, U-boat facilities at Kiel, a chemical plant at Ludwigshafen, synthetic oil refineries at Politz, aircraft engine plants at Rostock, marshalling yards at Cologne, and a Buzz-bomb assembly plant at Fallersleben. The group took part in the intensive campaign of heavy bombers against the German aircraft industry during Big Week, 20-25 February 1944.

After the war, the field was closed in 1945. Most of the airfield has reverted to farming, the eastern section, including part of the main runway and a section of perimeter track, is used by the Waveney Flying Group for the operation of light aircraft. They have built three small hangars and a clubroom and the airfield is active most days of the week.

To the south of the airfield, on some of the former dispersed barrack and communal sites, several of the old living quarters and associated buildings are still in existence. Some of these buildings are in a reasonable condition, although they are derelict and overgrown.

The former control tower has been renovated and has become a memorial museum to the 448th B.G. It contains a Group Roll Of Honor and various artifacts and memorabilia. It is open to the public on the first Sunday of the month May to October, but can be inspected at other times by special request.

In front of the control tower, dedicated during a veterans' reunion in 1990, stands a memorial to the men of the 448th B.G. who were missing or killed in action during service at Seething.

Two other memorials were dedicated during a veterans' reunion in 1984. One is on the airfield itself near the Waveney F.G. club-house and consists of an engraved stone plaque and rose garden; another similar plaque is in the churchyard of Seething Parish Church, which is a mile or so north of the airfield. The "Stars and Stripes" hang in the church itself while an oak sapling has been planted near the village hall to commemorate the Group's close association with the village.
www.controltowers.co.uk/S/Seething.htm

Below is a link to a to a Memorial to The 448th Bomber Group with homebase 146, Seething Airfield. The B -24 type Ford B-24H-10-FO Liberator had as number #42-52123, and the crew named there plane THIRTY DAY FURLOUGH.

www.soldiersoffreedom.nl/Exloo.vs.htm
mighty8thaf.preller.us/gallery/Seething