The RAF in Suffolk

http://www.warbirdsnews.com/warbird-restorations/spitfire-mk-ia-n3200-flies.html

Thanks to Tarkey Barker for this picture of me on the flight line

Clipped winged BBMF example over DX

Hurricane on a pole at Hendon

RAF Hendon

http://www.warbirdregistry.org/spitregistry/spitfire-pt462.html

http://www.warbirdregistry.org/spitregistry/spitfire-mj271.html

Picture to follow

Why not a Seafire too

https://youtu.be/erFotLoKTL8 this Czech example at Legends Duxford 2015

Historic Aircraft Collection, Duxford http://www.historicaircraftcollection.ltd.uk/

http://www.historicaircraftcollection.ltd.uk/hurricane/

A huge base adjacent to RAF Mildenhall, this area is known as 'Little America' I had the privilege of doing a base tour here in July 2009 organised by The Martlesham Heath Aviation Society, I took many photos some of which I will place here later, if you have any memories or your own photographs then plea...

Pilot Paul Bonhomme https://youtu.be/kCxpNvf1gAw

http://www.raf.mod.uk/bbmf/theaircraft/spitfiremk356.cfm

I was based at RAF Wattisham from August 1967 until July 1969 after obtaining an exchange posting with another Aircraft Engine Fitter whilst I was stationed at RAF Stradishall. I worked on 29 (F) Squadron 1st line servicing with occasional stints in the hangar (or shed as we called it). 29 Squadron op...

Many an occasion I have been past this former base built as a satellite station initially for Stradishall. Polish Freedom Fighters formed two squadrons here during WWII Anyone with memories or their own photos to share

Seen together with a Storch at DX

We at MHAS have had a Tulip Wood Cross made and on it are 14 of the poppies that were dropped To remember the 14 names from Martlesham heath who are remembered at Madingley This will used as part of our Sunset service this coming Sunday There is a huge Tulip Tree in amongst the graves at Madingley and the tre...

Several years ago my friend tested his RC car on the runway*. I walked on the southern most end today and I don't think any RC vehicle can negotiate the runway unless it's a tank! Moss, weeds and general detritus. Even the footpath leading to the runway lighting generator hut had become overgrown...

Starting a new thread as the bandwidth on the old thread has exceeded its capacity

This Pitts Special G-IIIP was being flown out of Rougham Airfield by Nick Grace who also flies the Grace Spitfire

At Duxford Spitfire MKVc AR510

Z2389 Hurricane II, I have been looking through some of my earlier pics of Duxford and notice this one which is now at Brooklands once served with the Eagle Squadron [No 71] at Martlesham Heath

At Clacton airshow yesterday

You may well laugh but who knows. There are always ghost tales around an old airfield and Martlesham Heath is no different. There are tales of an airman in an Irvine Jacket playing the fruit machines in the Police HQ canteen I know of some one very recently when visiting the tower got a name and when check...

As most of you know the Queen has an 'Official Birthday' where the Armed Forces of the UK put on a Trooping the Ceremony Colour and other pageantry including a flypast over Buckingham Palace when most of the Royal Family gather to take the 'salute' This always occurs at 1300hrs on the second Saturday in...

I once lived on the Nacton Road which backed on to Ipswich Airport, in fact I had a back gate that led on to the periphery of the airfield. I was able to sit in the rear garden and watch those parachutists leave the Britten Islander parachute aircraft after the throttles were cut back, with anything up to 9...

Number 71 Squadron was based at MH see here for personnel from all bases http://www.americanairmuseum.com/unit/3977

Historic Flying Limited Duxford

John Romain pilot

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hawker_Hurricane_PZ865

New rebuild at Hawker Restorations Elmsett Airfield Suffolk due to fly in June 2017 https://twitter.com/hawkeraircraft

5 bladed Propellor Griffon Powered Spitfire

http://www.ml407.co.uk/history/ Based at Bent*waters I see this regularly Here is a photo when Carolyn based her at DX

Historic Aircraft Collection Duxford

I took this photo f LF363 at Martlesham Heath whilst briefly stationed at MH in August 1960, 363 was part of the BBMF then, today it is still flying from Coningsby

There is no doubting the hard work and fund raising that went into making MH Control Tower the Museum it is today. If any casual passer by just happens to pick up on this message whilst surfing the internet and you are in the A12 Trunk Road area East of Ipswich do pay this piece of history a visit [check for o...

It is quite easy to load your own photos on to these pages you just tick the box at the bottom of the page where it says Attach Images, please only load your own photos or photos that you have got permission to use These can be photos of the days when you were stationed here or the immediate area [aviation rel...

Anyone with information of any aircraft that came to grief whilst operating out of Martlesham can you place them here please 20th July 1960 Chipmunk T10 WD305 was written off [Cat 5] after hitting an obstruction whilst taxiing on the airfield

Still an active service station and probably the only one that is in full time use in Suffolk exclusively to the RAF, today the incumbents are the RAF Regiment, but it hasn't always been thus. I only ever landed there once in 'cadging' a lift in a MR3 Shackleton from St Mawgan, the place was operating V-B...

Anyone based here?

Again one of these USAAF bases that I know nothing about so if anyone knows any details or has photos can you please share same

Sunday saw Lt Col Mark Ciero from RAF Lakenheath address the crowd and being welcomed by Bob Dunnett Vice Chairman MHAS

These aircraft were just one of several types based here in WWII Maurice Hammond's Marinell

http://mhas.org.uk/pg/displayimage.php?pid=384&;fullsize=1

We know Thunderbolts were flown out of MH and very successfully too, if anyone can supply dates, squadronsÂ or memories then please feel free to place them here This one at The American Museum Duxford

This includes the USAAF/USAAC and anyone with the Eagle Squadron 71 Squadron RAF, if you were here or had a relative based here please let us know

This was once a very large base used by the British and American forces, I have been to Metfield but do not know much [if anything] about this station so any memories/photographs would be more than welcomeÂ

Anyone ever based here I recall passing this base on my way to Thetford and seeing many Tanks in the compound here, this was also a base for Nuclear Weapons storage On another visit en route Thetford - Swaffham I came across a convoy [1970's] with RN markings complete with civvy motorcycle outriders an...

The last airfield in the 8th Air Force to be built for the USAAF, the runways were not up to scratch when built and had to be resurfaced, now used as large warehousing facilities. Once held PoW's, anyone with a connection, memories or their own photos to share, and anyone with an update on the Control Tow...

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~http://Suffolk.activeboard.com/ R...

Use this section for telling us about your memories of the area, good or bad

http://www.activeboard.com/forum.spark?aBID=46291&p=3&topicID=40617260

I haven't any photos of this area from my time at MH but I did take some of the unveiling of the new memorial stone where we were fortunate to have three or four passes by the BBMF Spitfire and Hurricane, two of which were stationed here as BBMF in the late 50's early 60's If anyone has any memories of this are...

I had this information passed to me by a friend some time back he writes: [he tells me these notes were written up by a Police Inspector in a diary from Felixstowe Police Station]Â Â I have come across a wartime diary relating to events around the Felixstowe area from 1939 to 1945. It covers events to do...

In WWIIÂ many different types of aircraft were based at MH,Â if anyone has any original photos that are not under copyright please contact us so that we may show them, I have plenty of photos in my own library to show similar types that flew or were stationed here. If you have any memories of your own or y...

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/RAF_Martlesham_Heath

http://yakdisplay.com/gallery_scrapbook1.shtml Nigel Willson the YAK52 display Pilot often displays over MHAS Tower on Open Day

I know very little about this airfield apart from seeing many boats being stored on an industrial site many years ago, so if anyone has any memories please let us know about them here I took this pic at Rougham Airfield last week Richard Flagg informs me they were moved to Rougham from Shepherds Grove, t...

The USAAF operated P51 Mustangs from Leiston and were a highly successful escort fighter base, anyone with memories or photos please place them here, there is a connection with Yoxford as some of the pilots were known as the 'Yoxford Boys' anyone know the reason?

In 1935 King George V reviewed his Air Force at Mildenhall, there were over 350 aircraft on display and then they all flew over the King after he had driven to Duxford I have visited the non base side on several occasions but have never visited the base, viewing areas are few and far between, a Caravan Par...

No doubt there was a connection with RAF Bawdsey, RADAR and Martlesham Heath, anyone with any memories?

The F100D of the type that once was based at BW

Home to the USAAF during the latter part of WWII, it once was a satellite to Wattisham but was not used, it eventually became a Bloodhound Missile base before disbandment

There is plenty to keep you occupied on two floors of the Martlesham Heath Aviation Society Control Tower museum [Thanks to MHAS for the use of the photos]

No sunset this year at the Martlesham Heath Sunset Parade & ServiceBack row: Martyn Cook [MHAS Chairman] & Robert [Bob] Dunnett [MHAS Vice Chairman]Front row: Bishop Walsh, Suffolk Police Representative, Richard Barker [President MHAS], Col Mark Ciero [USAF AFB Ramstein] & Wing C...

I don't recall the whole story that my father told me about Capt. Troge's crash...what I seem to remember is that the plane was loaded with gas, something went wrong (I assume on take-off) and he went off the runway and flipped upside down...in the second picture(according to Dad) while crew were tryi...

Crash of a DH10 from Martlesham Heath, 1921A collection of photos and cuttings etc Put together By Laurence Garey. Many years ago he lived next to the airfield in Deben Ave but now in Switzerland. I have had to convert his document into jpgs to make it possible to load up. Unfortunately it make the lin...

Today I popped along to the Martlesham Heath Aviation Control Tower Museum, here there is a wealth of information and history regarding aviation from 1917-1963. From the days of The Royal Flying Corps until its closure just about every land aircraft that could fly and was to enter RAF/RN service and...

The Beardmore Inflexible was a huge land based aircraft for its time in the late 1920's and made its maiden flight from Martlesham Heath on 5 March 1928, there are two YouTube films from that period http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Beardmore_Inflexible http://www.google.co.uk/search?sourcei...

Apparently this unit was formed at RAF Martlesham Heath, does anyone know anything about it?

Sunday September 11th 2016 The Dakota has gone U/S and has been replaced by a BBMF Spitfire

http://www.martleshamheath-rollofhonour.co.uk/index.html

http://www.britainfromabove.org.uk/image/eaw008067?ref=3&user=24001

When I was based here in 1960 there were two aircraft in the flight a Spitfire and Hurricane [the bottom left pic is my own] Thanks to MHAS

Special thanks must go to the Martlesham Heath Aviation Society [MHAS], local businesses and sponsors and the village people of Martlesham in remembering all those [service personnel & civilians] that lived, died and played at this former RFC/RAF/USAAF base. There are three memorials on th...

There must still be someone around that was associated with A&AEE, so if you do please tell us about your experiences and perhaps share a photo or three. To generalise Martlesham Heath has a fantastic history going right back to the days of The Royal Flying Corps [RFC] and prior to this A&AEE w...

I am undertaking some research on RAF Martlesham Heath, this base became the most Northern of Fighter Commands 11 Group Airfields during 1939, there was a total of 55 Squadrons based at Martlesham from 1917-63. As number 1 [F] Squadron is the first in the list from the RFC days, 201 Squadron was the old...

The USAAF operated P51 Mustangs out of Raydon during WWII. There used to be a fantastic fly in/airshow a few years ago, sadly no longer. I flew over what is left of the old airfield about 5 years ago with a pilot friend

Knettishall 10m NE Bury St Edmunds 388th Bomb Group was based here, perhaps this scene is reminiscent to some

Not to be confused with the Tuddenham near Ipswich, this is the airfield that was built in 1943 near Mildenhall, I know nothing about this drome except that Short Stirlings operated from here as Mine Laying aircraft and that Special Ops [SOE] were also carried out from here. I believe the USAF had cont...

This site must be included here with Martlesham Heath as the equivalent to what MH achieved in the A&AEE Field FXT achieved the equivalent in the MAEE Field throughout the early years of aircraft development and testing I can't add too much myself to this despite working at The Port of FXT for a num...

If you take a ten mile radius of Martlesham Heath then you will see that this area has provided some of the most important military sites the UK has built over the decades/centuries 1> Martlesham itself testing almost evrerything that flew from land from 1917 until 1939 and then becoming a fighter...

The 356th consisted of three squadrons [from Wiki] The group consisted of the following squadrons:359th Fighter Squadron (OC)360th Fighter Squadron (PI)361st Fighter Squadron (QI)

the next meeting of the Martlesham Heath Aviation Society Friday 4 th MarchÂ 27150 feet in a Microlite amongst other World records http://www.mhas.org.uk/meetings/forthcoming.html

https://youtu.be/m49bh2UBm50 Armistice & Remembrance Day

...........or have a relative that was? I took this photo in August 1960 at MH I was stationed here briefly with the University of Birmingham Air Squadron from July 1960 to September 1960 [Summer Camp]

I know at least two people that was attached to this unit at MH, if anyone wishes to share their memories or photos please feel free From 1946 until its disbandment The BLEU was based at MH later changing its name to The Armament & Instrument Experimental Unit [A&IEU] in 1950, from MH BLEU/A&am...

I will be adding a circular tour of Martlesham Heath starting and finishing at The Control Tower Museum. I wish to have this thread closed so that the walk is a continuous one, so a read only thread for the time being. This might take a little while to complete as I wish to get things exact re co-ordinates o...

RAF Flixton was there long before the Museum but the Norfolk & Suffolk Aviation Museum is one of the most fantastic museums I have visited, I have been here many times and have never been disappointed. But going back to the RAF/USAAF base there are many tales to be told here I know but those can be kep...

http://www.487thbg.org/

Once was the West Suffolk Aero Club when founded in 1938, always had a grass strip and operated Lysanders, Tiger Moths and AOP Austers

Thursday I went past here on the A14, I was a passenger in a car and could see the Racecourse and Grandstand through the trees, did any of you know that the first flight of any jet aircraft to enter service in the UK took place here, it was unofficial regarding the Gloster Prototype, the aircraft lifted of...

This was built for the USAAF operations in 1943 but RAF Coastal Command used the airfield extensively later in WWII, flying Warwick aircraft equipped with Airborne liferafts for use of ditched pilots in the North Sea. Gorleston and Felixstowe ASR were used in coordinated searches with the Warwick...

Anyone has any memories in connection with MH and Sutton Heath please tell us about them.......

[URL=http://rides.webshots.com/photo/2726415730035970728iwwpye][IMG]http://inlinethumb33.webshots.co...

I have no records or photos of this wartime base so if anyone can help or has any memories please feel free to let us have them

RAF Rougham was taken over by the USAAF almost as soon as it was completed, anyone with memories or photos, there is a memorial garden in the Abbey Gardens at nearby Bury St Edmunds with variousÂ erected memorials

[Sir] Douglas Bader https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Douglas_Bader OC 242 Squadron

Just to put you in the picture who I am: John Cooper Born Cricklade, Wiltshire 14th July 1939, my father was based in the RAF at nearby South Cerney in Gloucestershire My early years took me to where my father was based until I too 'joined up' so my formative years were based on and around aviation thus: 19...

The airfield is nearer to Upper Holton than Halesworth does anyone have any memories or their own photos to share?

This base was once in Suffolk and was part of the Home Chain RADAR Stations, I don't think there was an airfield here but its role was as important as Darsham and Bawdsey in the early warning detection system

The USAAF had this airfield for a short while in WWII operating Liberators and was placed on a care and maintenance basis after WWII, it was to be upgraded for USAF work in the 1950's but thisÂ never materialised. I know Sudbury well, but have only been to Acton Church once and never been to the old airfi...

I cannot remember a RAF Station here but there are still some old Blocks/Buildings near to the Bucklesham Road/A14 Road Junction, there used to be one in the middle of the field alongside the A14 just outside the periphery of Trimley St Martin I do know that a Radio/RADAR station was connected here to R...

I arrived at RAF Stradishall, Suffolk in September 1965, this was the RAFâ€™s No: 1 School of Air Navigation. The station operated Varsities, Meteor NF14â€™s, a Meteor T7 and the newly acquired Dominies. My job as an engine fitter was to report to No: 1 Hangar Station Servicing Flight on Meteors but a...

The USAAF moved in to Eye in 1944 and moved out after cessation of hostilities in 1945, I have no historical records of the base other than what I have read in books, so if anyone has any memories or photos of their own they can share please do so

The only thing I recall here is that well after the USAAF left the site the base was put into Care & Maintenance and that Bloodhound Ground to Air Missiles were based here I seem to remember an incident that someone once told me that after D-Day the USAAF took an extended flight to the Warsaw area and d...

Again this was like Hopton and Bawdsey and involves a Home Chain RADAR base, I was once asked if I knew anything about the history of Darsham, at that time I could not find out anything on the Internet. Someone did tell me that all that is left now are the concrete bases that supported the mastsÂ

With the close proximity of Orfordness to MH there must have been some connection regarding research, as both these stations along with MAEE and Bawdsey [RADAR] were researching different things it all involved aviation of sorts. Anyone with a connection....... -- Edited by John Cooper on Friday...

http://mighty8thaf.preller.us/php/1Loc.php?Base=ElvedenHallÂ

This is an appeal to all those that might have had a connection with RFC, RAF, A&AEE, Bleu & BB, A&AIEU, USAAF Martlesham Heath, the 100th anniversary is to take place in 2017, read about it here and contribute if you can http://mh100.org.uk/Courtesy of MHAS the history of MH https://...

An excellent day with copious amounts of sunshine and a flypast by The Battle of Britain Memorial Flight Dakota completing three passes, great credit to all the volunteers concerned in making this an enjoyable day out for young and old alike Winston making another appearance in his 140th year

http://www.ipswichstar.co.uk/news/tributes_paid_to_ace_fighter_pilot_major_general_donald_strait_who_was_based_at_martlesham_during_second_world_war_1_4021301?action=login&forgotpassword

Hi all Links or books I can look in - very welcome Rogier

Many thanks to all that made the day a roaring success, I couldn't stay long but I did manage a few photos which I will post later........

I'm sure everyone who reads this forum must feel privileged to have the treat of seeing some fantastic photos and stories of Lt. Thomas (TA) Cook, Fighter Pilot of the 356th Fighter Group, Fighter Squadron 360 when Thomas Cook was based at RAF Martlesham Heath, Suffolk, England Thomas Cook's son To...

This talk in Ipswich on 18th November was so poorly advertised, that I missed it. Did anyone go? Will it be repeated? Learning I'd missed it really spoilt my week!

Sorry I couldn't attend this year, the weather didin't look good, this is my first Remembrance service I have missed in over 10 years If anyone has any comments or photos to post please feel free to add them

I would just like to take the opportunity of thanking everyone for organising yesterdays sunset parade and service at Martlesham Heath, I was particularly encouraged to see so many of our youth taking part in the proceedings, I will post some still photos up on these pages, meanwhile a 26 minute vide...

For anyone attending the Martlesham Heath Open day today and wish to tell us about the day or want to upload any photos of the events please feel free to do so

If you or someone you know was stationed at Martlesham Heath during the War Years 1939-45 please state so here by using the REPLY button