RAF Thorpe Abbots.. Norfolk December 2011

[Black Shuck]

Thorpe Abbotts airfield was built during 1942 and early 1943 for the RAF as a satellite airfield for RAF Horham but the rapid buildup of the 8th Air Force resulted in both airfields being handed over to the Americans. The thirty-six hardstandings originally planned were increased to fifty. Two T-2 hangars were erected, one on the east side of the flying field and one on the south side adjacent to the technical site. This and several of the domestic sites were in woodland stretching south and bordering the A143 Diss to Harleston road. The group flew the Boeing B-17 Flying Fortress as part of the Eighth Air Force's strategic bombing campaign. In combat, the 100th operated chiefly as a strategic bombardment organization until the war ended. The group gained the nickname "The Bloody Hundredth" due to its heavy losses during eight missions to Germany when the group experienced several instances where it lost a dozen or more aircraft on a single mission, whereas most units suffered losses in consistent small amounts.

From June 1943 to January 1944, the 100th Bomb Group concentrated its efforts against airfields in France and naval facilities and industries in France and Germany. The 100th BG received a Distinguished Unit Citation for seriously disrupting German fighter plane production with an attack on an aircraft factory at Regensburg on 17 August 1943.

The unit bombed airfields, industries, marshalling yards, and missile sites in western Europe, January-May 1944. Operations in this period included participation in the Allied campaign against enemy aircraft factories during "Big Week", 20-25 February 1944. The group completed a series of attacks against Berlin in March 1944 and received a second Distinguished Unit Citation for the missions.

Beginning in the summer of 1944, oil installations became major targets. In addition to strategic operations, the group engaged in support and interdictory missions, hitting bridges and gun positions in support of the Invasion of Normandy in June 1944. The unit bombed enemy positions at Saint-Lô in July and at Brest in August and September Other missions were striking transportation and ground defenses in the drive against the Siegfried Line, October-December 1944; attacking marshalling yards, defended villages, and communications in the Ardennes sector during the Battle of the Bulge, December 1944-January 1945; and covering the airborne assault across the Rhine in March 1945. The Pics.....

[oneandsix]

Ok would be interesting to see them.

was a fun day for sure.

[KingElvis]

Just out of interest, up the road is the ex RAF Tibenham which was closed back in the 1960s and is now used by a gliding club. The tower was demolised back in the 1970s but interestingly, the runway was extended for use by possible jet aircraft...sadly this didn't happen.

The Hollywood star James Stewart flew from this airfield in WW2. Not much original remains I'm afraid.

And just up the road the other way is the ex RAF Eye which is now totally defunct and has a bit of main runway, a power station and a truck depot, this depot used to have hundreds of Russian Trucks stored there, I will dig out some pics.