Part 10 Swaffham and her neighbours (part 3)

The third and final part of this visit takes in two airfields, Shipdam and Wendling. 

RAF Shipdam (Station 115)

Shipdam's remaining hangers

On leaving Watton (see part 9), we travel NE across the countryside to the Small village of Shipdam. If you miss the turn, you will pass along the main road and a row of memorial trees dedicated to the parishioners of Shipdam who died in both wars. A list of those concerned is on a large board placed adjacent to the road. Turn back, return toward the village and take the left turn toward the site. Opened in 1942, it was the first airfield to receive the Mighty 8th, who named it Station 115. Operating B24 Liberators, the 44th Bomb Group became known as the 'Flying Eightballs' carrying out their first mission on 7th November that year.  They went on to complete 343 missions using six different marks of B24 during this time. Their first Distinguished Unit Citation came on 14th May 1944 in operations against Kiel, an operation that had been officially scrubbed. The message to abort did not reach Shipdam and out of the 17 aircraft that took off, 6 failed to return. They earned themselves a second Unit Citation for action after moving to North Africa later that year.

The CT sits surrounded by industry

The Unit achieved one of the highest mission records of any B24 group for the loss of 153 aircraft. The only 'bad mark' on the record was when they mistakenly bombed Schaffhausen (Switzerland) instead of the intended target Ludwigshafen in Germany.

Following cessation of conflict, the mighty 8th left, and the airfield became a POW camp, closing in 1947. It then remained in care until finally being sold off in 1963. It is now an industrial complex covered with the usual buildings and structures commonly found in this area.. However, flying activity has managed to keep a small part of Shipdam alive with the Shipdam Aero Club utilising part of one of the runways. If you drive round the site to the industrial area, you

Shipdam's runway used for storage.

can clearly see the remaining two hangers through the fence. Behind these, are a small selection of dilapidated buildings from what was the technical site, including the control tower and operations block. The tower now a mere shell and in jeopardy of demolition. For those not tempted to venture further, views of these can be seen from across the fields on the aero club side of the site.Further views reveal one runway covered in farm storage units, but the runway they sit on remains intact.

This is a large site, much of which is now either agriculture or industry, but at least there is a small part of this airfield alive and kicking, whilst the more physical features cling on by their finger nails desperate for the care and attention they deserve.

Amazing and rare original footage of the 44BG taken at Station 115 can be found
http://youtu.be/8JHW8wcjoAg This features B24H 42-7535 'Peepsight' of the 506th crash landing after a mission in which 9 out of the 10 crew members were injured and two of them received Purple Hearts from the Queen.

On leaving the site go back to the village and head toward our next stop Wendling.

RAF Wendling (Station 118)

RAF Wendling, Otherwise known as Beeston from the nearby village,

Runway looking west

was classified as Station 118 by the Americans. Opening in 1943, it saw great activity but only housed one group, the 392nd. They conducted some 285 missions with a high rate of loss, some 184 aircraft in total. They dropped around 17,500 tons of bombs on targets overseas and took part in some of the second world war's most significant aerial battles.

A fabulous website gives great information about the airfield, it's crews, buildings and missions, and can be found at http://www.b24.net/wendling/map.htm I recommend a visit. The unit earned themselves a Distinguished Unit Citation on February 24th 1944 for action in the raid on Gotha. The worst day being 18th March 1944 when they lost 49 aircraft (149 crew members) in one raid.Two of these aircraft collided, two crash landed in Switzerland and the remainder shot down over enemy territory. On 12 August 1944 a heroic pilot, John Ellis, following a collision with a B17, managed to steer his stricken aircraft away from residential areas crashing the aircraft near to the A10 road. Unfortunately all on board were killed in the incident and a memorial in their memory, lies in the nearby library at Cheshunt.The 392nd left Wendling in 1945 and the site became dormant until it's disposal in 1963.

Bomb dump buildings

Today, two the main runways, which survive, house turkey farms synonymous with Norfolk. The third is only as a path. The bomb dump is part of a local nature reserve and access to the buildings there is straight forward bar the thorn bushes and roaming deer! Many of the buildings, which are scattered throughout the village of Beeston are used by local businesses or on private land. Some are quite well preserved, but well hidden.Parts of the perimeter track are evident as are some of the path ways to the airfield.

Unfortunately time ran out on this visit and the reducing light forced me to make a retreat and head for home. A return visit is certainly in hand perhaps in the summer months when the daylight is kinder and time less of an issue.Like many other airfields in this part of the country, loses were high, the toll on human life dramatic, both here, 'back home' and of course, beneath the many thousand tons of high explosives that were dropped over occupied Europe. Now a high number of these sites house turkey farms, small industrial units or have simply been dug up, and forgotten. I hope, that we never forget and that they all get the honour and respect they deserve.

On a last note, there is a remarkable memorial in the Village of Beeston to the west of the airfield site. This is in itself worth a visit.Not only does it mention the 392nd, but all the auxiliary units stationed on the base, something we often forget when considering the second world war. A nice and moving end to the trip.

 Do please visit the 392nd BG website, it has a wide range of interesting photos and facts. http://www.b24.net/index.html