Former RAF Swannington

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

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Located eight miles north-west of the centre of Norwich, this airfield was built east of the Swannington village to Brandiston road which was closed. The Cawston to Horsford road was also cut south of St Nicholas's church. The main contractor was Kent & Sussex Construction Co. Ltd, which started work on the £882,000 contract in October 1942.

Built to Class A standard, the three intersecting runways were 10-28 at 2,000 yards and OS-23 and 14-32 both 1,400 yards long. The usual 36 hardstandings were of the loop type. Two T2 hangars were positioned on the technical site between runway heads 23 and 28. A B1 hangar was located just west of the bomb stores, which were situated west of runway 32 between Moegoes Plantation and Crimea Covert.

The camp was dispersed between the airfield and Hall Farm, mostly in the park of Haverinland Hall. There was one communal, one WAAF, four domestic and a sick quarters site. The officers' mess was in the Hall, which had been requisitioned. Total accommodation was put at 1,956 male and 450 female.

Although construction began in 1942 the airfield was not completed until early in 1944. Under No. 100 Group administration, it became home to two Mosquito fighter squadrons, No. 85 from West Malling and No. 157 from Valley, both to be committed to bomber support operations over enemy territory. However, the V-1 onslaught saw both units move to West Malling for several weeks returning to Swannington in late August. The Mosquitos then flew bomber support operations right up to the end of the war, their last sorties being made on the night of May 2, 1945.

During the course of operations from the station the two squadrons had lost a total of 19 Mosquitos. In late June, No. 85 Squadron moved south to Castle Camps while No. 157 disbanded on August 16, 1945. The following month No. 100 Group relinquished control and Swannington became the headquarters station of No. 274 Maintenance Unit, which received and stored surplus Mosquitos at this and other airfields in the region.

The RAF withdrew from Swannington in November 1947 although the airfield was kept intact until sold ten years later. It then reverted to agricultural use with much of the concrete broken up for hardcore. A seed packing firm acquired the technical site, first using two hangars before erecting new units.

www.raf.mod.uk/bombercommand/s28.html