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Royal Air Force Bury St Edmunds or more simply RAF Bury St Edmunds is a former Royal Air Force station located 3 miles (4.8 km) east of Bury St Edmunds, Suffolk, England. It is not to be confused with the RAF grass strip on the western side of Bury St Edmunds known as RAF Westley, an area now part of the town itself.
| RAF Bury St Edmunds USAAF Station 468   | |||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Near Bury St Edmunds, Suffolk in England | |||||||||||
 Bury St Edmunds/Rougham Airfield - 6 June 1955 | |||||||||||
  RAF Bury St Edmunds Shown within Suffolk | |||||||||||
| Coordinates | 52°14′39″N 000°45′44″E / 52.24417°N 0.76222°E | ||||||||||
| Type | Royal Air Force station | ||||||||||
| Code | BU | ||||||||||
| Site information | |||||||||||
| Owner | Air Ministry | ||||||||||
| Controlled by | Royal Air Force United States Army Air Forces | ||||||||||
| Site history | |||||||||||
| Built | 1941 | ||||||||||
| In use | 1942–1948 | ||||||||||
| Events | European Theatre of World War II Air Offensive, Europe July 1942 – May 1945 | ||||||||||
| Airfield information | |||||||||||
| Elevation | 63 metres (207 ft) AMSL | ||||||||||
| |||||||||||
The airfield was originally and is now again known as Rougham as it is located north of that village between the A14 and the main railway line between Bury St Edmunds and Ipswich.
History
editIt was built during 1941 and 1942 with three intersecting concrete runways. The main runway of 2,000 yards was aligned approximately E–W. It saw extensive use during the Second World War.
The following units were here at some point:[1]
Current use
editWith the end of military control, Bury St Edmunds airfield's concreted areas were broken up with most of the site being returned to agriculture.
The old technical site has been developed into the Rougham Industrial Estate. The T2 hangars are still in use for storage. The control tower, used for many years as a private dwelling, has been restored and is operated as an aviation museum dedicated to the 94th bomb group. The museum is open to the public every Sunday from Easter until October, admission free.[2]
The museum site is also home to the Bury St Edmunds Amateur Radio Society BSEARS radio club.
The airfield, once again known as Rougham has been returned to agriculture.
The airfield was closed in June 2023.[3]
See also
edit
References
edit
This article incorporates public domain material from the Air Force Historical Research Agency
Citations
edit- ^ "Bury St Edmunds II (Rougham)". Airfields of Britain Conservation Trust. Retrieved 16 July 2024.
- ^ Museum, Rougham Control Tower Aviation. "Rougham Control Tower Aviation Museum". Rougham Control Tower Aviation Museum. Retrieved 16 July 2024.
- ^ "Skyward Flight Training Closure". Skyward Flight Training. Retrieved 16 July 2024.
Bibliography
edit- Freeman, R. Airfields of the Eighth - Then and Now. After the Battle. London, UK: Battle of Britain International Ltd., 2001. ISBN 0-9009-13-09-6.
- Maurer, M. Air Force Combat Units of World War II. USAF Historical Division. Washington D.C., USA: Zenger Publishing Co., Inc, 1980. ISBN 0-89201-092-4.
- Bury St Edmunds - Rougham airfield
- Bury St. Edmunds Airfield
- USAAS-USAAC-USAAF-USAF Aircraft Serial Numbers--1908 to present
External links
edit