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Royal Air Force Stradishall or more simply RAF Stradishall is a former
History of Bomber Command
{{DEFAULTSORT:Stradishall Military units and formations established in 1938 Royal Air Force stations in Suffolk Royal Air Force stations of World War II in the United Kingdom
Royal Air Force
The Royal Air Force (RAF) is the United Kingdom's air and space force. It was formed towards the end of the First World War on 1 April 1918, becoming the first independent air force in the world, by regrouping the Royal Flying Corps (RFC) and ...
station located north east of Haverhill, Suffolk
Suffolk () is a ceremonial county of England in East Anglia. It borders Norfolk to the north, Cambridgeshire to the west and Essex to the south; the North Sea lies to the east. The county town is Ipswich; other important towns include Lowes ...
and south west of Bury St Edmunds
Bury St Edmunds (), commonly referred to locally as Bury, is a historic market town, market, cathedral town and civil parish in Suffolk, England.OS Explorer map 211: Bury St.Edmunds and Stowmarket Scale: 1:25 000. Publisher:Ordnance Survey – ...
, Suffolk, England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Wales to its west and Scotland to its north. The Irish Sea lies northwest and the Celtic Sea to the southwest. It is separated from continental Europe b ...
. Part of the site remains in use as Stradishall Training Area.
History
In his memoirs, Murray Peden, aRoyal Canadian Air Force
The Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF; french: Aviation royale canadienne, ARC) is the air and space force of Canada. Its role is to "provide the Canadian Forces with relevant, responsive and effective airpower". The RCAF is one of three environm ...
pilot, recounts his training at Stradishall. In the RAF's "heavy conversion unit" (No. 1657 Heavy Conversion Unit) at the airfield, he and others were trained to fly Short Stirling
The Short Stirling was a British four-engined heavy bomber of the Second World War. It has the distinction of being the first four-engined bomber to be introduced into service with the Royal Air Force (RAF).
The Stirling was designed during t ...
bombers. He describes in detail his experiences flying there, and the life on the ground of aircrew who were shortly to begin operations over Nazi Germany
Nazi Germany (lit. "National Socialist State"), ' (lit. "Nazi State") for short; also ' (lit. "National Socialist Germany") (officially known as the German Reich from 1933 until 1943, and the Greater German Reich from 1943 to 1945) was ...
as part of RAF Bomber Command
RAF Bomber Command controlled the Royal Air Force's bomber forces from 1936 to 1968. Along with the United States Army Air Forces, it played the central role in the strategic bombing of Germany in World War II. From 1942 onward, the British bo ...
during World War II
World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...
.
The airfield was home to a number of squadrons during its lifetime:
* No. 1 Squadron RAF
Number 1 Squadron, also known as No. 1 (Fighter) Squadron, is a squadron of the Royal Air Force. It was the first squadron to fly a VTOL aircraft. It currently operates Eurofighter Typhoon aircraft from RAF Lossiemouth.
The squadron motto, '' ...
, No. 9 Squadron RAF
Number 9 Squadron (otherwise known as No. IX (Bomber) Squadron or No. IX (B) Squadron) is the oldest dedicated Bomber Squadron of the Royal Air Force. Formed in December 1914, it saw service throughout the First World War, including at the Somm ...
, No. 35 Squadron RAF, No. 51 Squadron RAF
Number 51 Squadron is a squadron of the Royal Air Force. Since 2014 it has operated the Boeing RC-135W Airseeker R.1, more commonly referred to as the Rivet Joint, from RAF Waddington, Lincolnshire.
It had previously flown the Hawker Siddel ...
, No. 54 Squadron RAF
Number 54 Squadron (sometimes written as No. LIV Squadron) is a squadron (aviation), squadron of the Royal Air Force based at RAF Waddington, Lincolnshire. On 1 September 2005, it took on the role of Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance ...
, No. 75 Squadron RAF, No. 85 Squadron RAF
("We hunt by day and night")
, colors=
, colors_label= Post-1950 aircraft insignia
, march=
, mascot=
, equipment=
, equipment_label=
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, battle_honours= Western Front, 1917–1918; France & Low Countrie ...
, No. 89 Squadron RAF
No. 89 Squadron was a Royal Air Force squadron, mainly active in the fighter role during its existence.
History
Formation and World War I
No. 89 squadron was formed on 1 September 1917 as a training unit at Netheravon. The squadron was not used f ...
.
* No. 101 Squadron RAF
No. 101 Squadron of the Royal Air Force operates the Airbus Voyager in the air-to-air refuelling and transport roles from RAF Brize Norton, Oxfordshire.
History
Formation and early years
101 Squadron RFC was formed at Farnborough on 12 July 1 ...
, No. 109 Squadron RAF, No. 115 Squadron RAF, No. 125 Squadron RAF
Number 125 (Newfoundland) Squadron was a Royal Air Force squadron active during World War II and briefly in the mid-1950s. Throughout its service the squadron primarily operated night fighters.
History First World War
No. 125 Squadron was initial ...
, No. 138 Squadron RAF
No. 138 Squadron RAF was a squadron of the Royal Air Force that served in a variety of roles during its career, last disbanded in 1962. It was the first 'V-bomber' squadron of the RAF, flying the Vickers Valiant between 1955 and 1962.
History
...
, No. 148 Squadron RAF
No. 148 Squadron of the Royal Air Force has been part of the RAF since the First World War.
History First World War
The squadron was formed at Andover Aerodrome on 10 February 1918, it moved to Ford Junction Aerodrome on 1 March 1918 where ...
, No. 149 Squadron RAF
No. 149 Squadron RAF was a Royal Air Force Squadron between 1918 and 1956. Formed 1918 in the Royal Flying Corps as a night-bomber unit, it remained in that role for the rest of its existence which spanned three periods between 1918 and 1956.
...
, No. 150 Squadron RAF, No. 152 Squadron RAF, No. 158 Squadron RAF
No. 158 Squadron RAF was a World War I proposed ground attack squadron that did not become operational in time to see action, and a World War II bomber squadron. After World War II had ended in Europe the squadron operated in the transport role ...
, No. 186 Squadron RAF
No. 186 Squadron of the Royal Air Force was formed on 1 April 1918 at East Retford, providing night pilot training for home defence and on the Western front. On 31 December 1918 it was reformed as an operational shipboard unit aboard . In 1919, ...
.
* No. 207 Squadron RAF
("Always prepared")Halley 1988, p. 268.
, colors =
, colors_label =
, march =
, mascot =
, equipment = Lockheed Martin F-35B Lightning
, equipment_label = Aircraft
, battles =
, anniversaries =
, decorations =
, battle_honours = ...
, No. 208 Squadron RAF
No 208 (Reserve) Squadron was a reserve unit of the Royal Air Force, most recently based at RAF Valley, Anglesey, Wales. It operated the BAe Hawk aircraft, as a part of No. 4 Flying Training School. Due to obsolescence of its Hawk T.1 aircraft ...
, No. 214 Squadron RAF
No. 214 Squadron is a former unit of the Royal Air Force.
History
World War I
No 214 Squadron was formed from No. 14 Squadron Royal Naval Air Service (RNAS), itself formerly ''No. 7A Squadron RNAS'' only taking on the new number on 9 December ...
, No. 215 Squadron RAF, No. 236 Squadron RAF
No. 236 Squadron RAF was a Royal Air Force aircraft squadron, which served during the First World War in the anti-submarine role, and for most of Second World War employed on anti-shipping operations.
History
The squadron was formed on 20 August ...
, No. 245 Squadron RAF
No. 245 Squadron was a squadron of the Royal Air Force. It flew as an anti-submarine squadron during World War I and as a fighter squadron during World War II. After the war it was first a jet-fighter squadron and its last role was as a radar-cal ...
, No. 254 Squadron RAF
No. 254 Squadron of the Royal Air Force was the designation of a number of units formed throughout the 20th century.
History World War One
No. 254 Squadron first formed in 1918 as a coastal reconnaissance squadron operating from Prawle Point. ...
, No. 263 Squadron RAF
No 263 Squadron was a Royal Air Force fighter squadron formed in Italy towards the end of the First World War. After being disbanded in 1919 it was reformed in 1939 flying mainly strike and heavy fighter aircraft until becoming No 1 Squadron ...
.
* No. 311 Squadron RAF.
Current use
The airfield closed in 1970 and is now the site of two category C prisons: HMP Highpoint North and HMP Highpoint South. Part of the former airfield remains aMinistry of Defence
{{unsourced, date=February 2021
A ministry of defence or defense (see spelling differences), also known as a department of defence or defense, is an often-used name for the part of a government responsible for matters of defence, found in states ...
training site which is not accessible to the public.
The airfield has been sold to a private buyer to be converted into farm land and is out of bounds to the public.
Update 2021: The Airfield is now a Solar Farm with grazing for cattle and nature walk. It is open from dawn to dusk.
There is a memorial to RAF Stradishall outside Stirling House which was once part of the officers quarters and is now a training unit for the Prison service.
References
Citations
Bibliography
*External links
History of Bomber Command
{{DEFAULTSORT:Stradishall Military units and formations established in 1938 Royal Air Force stations in Suffolk Royal Air Force stations of World War II in the United Kingdom