Baker Barracks

 Second World War 1939-1945, military, artillery, barracks

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The RAF airfield on Thorney Island was built in 1938, the runways being metalled in 1942.
A great variety of squadrons and aircraft were based at Thorney Island during the war including No. 59 Squadron RAF which flew the Bristol Blenheim, Lockheed Hudson, Consolidated Liberator the B-17 Flying Fortress; the No. 404 Coastal Fighter Sqn (RCAF) which flew the Bristol Beaufighter and de Havilland Mosquito and the No. 407 Coastal Strike Squadron (RCAF) which flew the Bristol Blenheim, Lockheed Hudson and Vickers Wellington.

After the war, between 1948 and 1950, 222 Squadron (flying Meteor jets) was based at RAF Thorney Island.
After this, the base was primarily used for training navigators. In the 1960s, 242 OCU of Transport Command took over, initially flying Blackburn Beverleys and then the C-130 Hercules. Additionally, from June 1955, a Search and Rescue flight of 22 Sqn equipped with Whirlwinds was based at Thorney Island.

The RAF Base closed in 1976, and in 1980 became host to hundreds of displaced Vietnamese families, accepted by the British Government for settlement in the United Kingdom. Finally, in 1984 control was handed to the Royal Artillery; Baker Barracks is now home to 47 and 12 Regiments Royal Artillery.

In 2009, the airfield was used as a test track for a British-built steam car hoping to smash the longest standing land speed record.