RAF Marham

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RAF Marham

Royal Air Force Station Marham, commonly known as RAF Marham, is a Royal Air Force station, a military

Military

A military is an organization authorized by its nation to use force, usually including use of weapons, in defending its country by combating actual or Threat of force ....
airbase

Airbase

An airbase is a military base that provides basing and support of military aircraft. They are different to civilian airports in that they do not provide for large volume of passenger transits, and cargo handling is not processed by the Customs and immigration facilities....
, near the village of Marham

Marham

Marham is a village and civil parish in the England county of Norfolk. A RAF station, RAF Marham, is situated nearby at Upper Marham. The civil parish has an area of 14.85 km? and in the United Kingdom Census 2001 had a population of 2951 in 788 households....
in the English

England

Counties of the United Kingdom

The county of the United Kingdom are a type of subnational division of historical origin; by the Middle Ages they had become established as a unit of local government....
of Norfolk

Norfolk

Norfolk is a low-lying Counties of England in the East of England. It has borders with Lincolnshire to the west, Cambridgeshire to the west and southwest and with Suffolk to the south....
, East Anglia

East Anglia

East Anglia is a region of eastern England. It was named after one of the ancient Heptarchy, the Kingdom of the East Angles, which was in turn named after the homeland of the Angles, Angeln, in northern Germany....
.

It is home to the No. 138 Expeditionary Air Wing

No. 138 Wing RAF

Currently based at RAF Marham, No 138 Expeditionary Air Wing specialises in the Fighter & Ground Attack role.No. 138 Wing fought with the Second Tactical Air Force in North-West Europe after D-Day....
(138 EAW), and as such, is one of the RAFs "Main Operating Bases". 138 EAW houses two Tornado GR4A and two Tornado GR4 squadrons.

The station crest is a Blue Bull - this was awarded with the arrival of nuclear

Nuclear

Nuclear may refer to:...
capability in 1957, and the station motto

Motto

A motto is a phrase meant to formally describe the general motivation or intention of a social group or organization. A motto may be in any language, but Latin is the most used....
is simply Deter; the glaring bull symbolises a deterrent which aptly refers to the acquirement of a nuclear deterrent capability - hence the motto "DETER".

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Encyclopedia

Royal Air Force Station Marham, commonly known as RAF Marham, is a Royal Air Force station, a military

Military

A military is an organization authorized by its nation to use force, usually including use of weapons, in defending its country by combating actual or Threat of force ....
airbase

Airbase

Marham

England

Counties of the United Kingdom

The county of the United Kingdom are a type of subnational division of historical origin; by the Middle Ages they had become established as a unit of local government....
of Norfolk

Norfolk

East Anglia

No. 138 Wing RAF

Nuclear

Nuclear may refer to:...
capability in 1957, and the station motto

Motto

Mission statement

A mission statement is a brief statement of the purpose of a company, organization. It is ideally used to guide the actions of the organization....
is "to provide and support Offensive Airpower".

History

Beginnings

Opened in 1916, close to the former Royal Naval Air Station

Royal Naval Air Service

The Royal Naval Air Service or RNAS was the air arm of the Royal Navy until near the end of World War I, when it merged with the British Army's Royal Flying Corps to form a new service , the Royal Air Force....
Narborough

Narborough, Norfolk

Narborough is a village of 1405 hectares in the Breckland district of Norfolk, England with a population of 1103. It is situated in the River Nar Valley, with the river River Nar flowing through on its way to the River Great Ouse....
, later RAF Narborough

RAF Narborough

RAF Narborough opened on 28 May 1915, originally as a Royal Naval Air Service for RNAS Great Yarmouth tasked with defending against Zeppelin raids....
, Marham was opened in August 1916 as a military night landing ground on an 80 acre site within the boundary of the present day RAF Marham. In 1916 the aerodrome was handed over to the Royal Flying Corps

Royal Flying Corps

The Royal Flying Corps was the over-land air arm of the British military during most of the First World War. During the early part of the war, the RFC's responsibilities were centred on support of the British Army, via artillery cooperation and photographic reconnaissance....
. The aerodrome was closed in 1919 when the last units moved out.

Rearmament

In 1935 work started on a new airfield, this became active in 1 April 1937, with a resident heavy bomber unit from within 3 Group

No. 3 Group RAF

Number 3 Group of the Royal Air Force was an RAF Group first active in 1918, again in 1923-26, part of RAF Bomber Command from 1936 to 1967, and part of RAF Strike Command from 2000 until it disbanded on 1 April 2006....
, RAF Bomber Command

RAF Bomber Command

RAF Bomber Command was the organisation that controlled the Royal Air Force's bomber forces from 1936 to 1968. During World War II, the command destroyed a significant proportion of Nazi Germany's industries and many German cities, and in the 1960s, was at the peak of its postwar power with the V bombers and a supplemental force of English E...
. The first squadron, No 38

No. 38 Squadron RAF

No. 38 Squadron of the Royal Air Force was formed in 1916 and was disbanded for the last time in 1967. During the Second World War it operated out of RAF Marham, Norfolk, flying Vickers Wellington strategic bombers....
, arrived in May 1937 with Fairey Hendon

Fairey Hendon

The Fairey Hendon was a United Kingdom monoplane heavy bomber of the Royal Air Force designed by Fairey Aviation in the late 1920s, which served in small numbers with one Squadron of the RAF between 1936 and 1939....
bombers. In June No. 115 Squadron RAF

No. 115 Squadron RAF

No. 115 Squadron RAF was a Royal Air Force squadron during World War I. It was equipped with Handley Page O/400 heavy bombers....
re-formed at Marham with Handley Page Harrow

Handley Page Harrow

The name Harrow was given to two aircraft manufactured by Handley Page:*Handley Page H.P.31 Harrow, a single-engine torpedo-bomber of the 1920s...
s while 38 Sqn received Wellington I

Vickers Wellington

The Vickers Wellington was a United Kingdom twin-engine, long range medium bomber designed in the mid-1930s at Brooklands in Weybridge, Surrey, by Vickers-Armstrongs' Chief Designer, R....
bombers in December 1938, followed in 1939 by 115 Squadron.

During March 1944, Marham closed for the construction of new concrete runway

Runway

A runway is a strip of land on an airport, on which aircraft can Takeoff and landing. Runways may be a man-made surface or a natural surface ....
s, perimeter track, and dispersal

Dispersal

Dispersal may refer to:*Biological dispersal*Force dispersal...
areas, marking the end of wartime operations at Marham.

Post War

In the postwar period the airfield was home to RAF units operating the Boeing Washington

B-29 Superfortress

The Boeing B-29 Superfortress was a four-engine Fixed-wing aircraft#Propeller aircraft heavy bomber that was flown by the United States Military in World War II and the Korean War, and by other nations afterwards....
aircraft, and later the V-bomber force and tankers: Vickers Valiant

Vickers Valiant

The Vickers-Armstrongs Valiant was a United Kingdom four-jet bomber, once part of the Royal Air Force's V bomber force.The Valiant was originally developed for use as high-level strategic bomber....
and Handley Page Victor

Handley Page Victor

The Handley Page Victor was a United Kingdom jet bomber aircraft produced by the Handley Page Aircraft Company. It was the third and final of the "V bombers" which provided Britain's nuclear deterrent....
. The station is also one of the few large enough for the operation of the Boeing B-52 and a number of these aircraft visited on exercise in the 1970s and 1980s.

During 1977, 24 Hardened Aircraft Shelter

Hardened Aircraft Shelter

Hardened Aircraft Shelters , or Protective Aircraft Shelter , are a reinforced structure to house and protect military aircraft from enemy attack....
s were constructed to house future strike aircraft, which would eventually see the arrival of the Panavia Tornado

Panavia Tornado

The Panavia Tornado is a family of twin-engine combat aircraft, which was jointly developed by the United Kingdom, West Germany and Italy. There are three primary Panavia Tornado variants of the Tornado; the Tornado IDS Ground attack aircraft, the electronic warfare Tornado ECR and the Panavia Tornado ADV Interceptor aircraft....
in 1982. These shelters were equipped with the US Weapon Storage Security System (WS3), each able to store 4 WE.177

WE.177

WE.177 was the last air-launched Nuclear weapon of the United Kingdom British Armed Forces. There were three versions; WE.177A was a boosted fission weapon, while WE.177B and WE.177C were thermonuclear weapons....
nuclear bombs.

No. 138 Expeditionary Air Wing was formed at Marham on 1 April 2006 encompassing most of the non-formed unit personnel on station. The EAW does not include the flying units at the station.

The current Station Commander is dual-hatted; as the commander of the Wing and Station.

Current occupation

Wings

Six Wings are currently lodged at RAF Marham:

Operations Wing
Base Support Wing (BSW)
Depth Support Wing
Forward Support Wing (FSW)
Tactical Imagery Intelligence Wing
3(RAF) Force Protection Wing
No 3 Force Protection Wing RAF

Number 3 Royal Air Force Force Protection Wing Headquarters is based at RAF Marham....

Squadrons

*No. 2 Squadron RAF - operating Tornado GR4A

No. IX Squadron RAF
No. IX Squadron RAF

No. 9 Squadron of the Royal Air Force was the first in the service to receive the Tornado GR4, which it currently operates from RAF Marham, Norfolk....
- operating Tornado GR4
No. 13 Squadron RAF - operating Tornado GR4A
No. 31 Squadron RAF
No. 31 Squadron RAF

No. 31 Squadron of the Royal Air Force, known as the 'Goldstars', currently operates the RAF Tornado GR4 from RAF Marham, Norfolk.History...
- operating Tornado GR4

The GR4A is the reconnaissance variant of the Panavia Tornado

Panavia Tornado

93 (Expeditionary Armament) Squadron

Formerly the Tactical Armament Squadron (TAS), its Mission statement

Mission statement

A mission statement is a brief statement of the purpose of a company, organization. It is ideally used to guide the actions of the organization....
is "To deliver and develop specialist, expeditionary armament capability to support UK defence policy".

2620 (County of Norfolk) Squadron Royal Auxiliary Air Force
Royal Auxiliary Air Force

The Royal Auxiliary Air Force is the volunteer active duty reserve element of the Royal Air Force, providing a primary reinforcement capability for the regular service....
Regiment (2620 RAuxAF Regt)

Other units

The Tornado (IDS) Engineering Development and Investigation Team (Tor (IDS) EDIT)

Supported units

RAF Marham is "parent" to

RAF Holbeach
RAF Holbeach

RAF Holbeach is a Royal Air Force bombing range situated between Boston%2C_Lincolnshire and Kings Lynn on The Wash, in Lincolnshire, eastern England....
Bombing Range
RAF Neatishead
RAF Neatishead

Royal Air Force Station Neatishead, more commonly known as RAF Neatishead, is a Royal Air Force military radar station in the England Counties of the United Kingdom of Norfolk, East Anglia, and was established during the World War II....

Former squadrons

Squadron	Present	Aircraft
No. 12 Squadron RAF No. 12 Squadron RAF No. 12 Squadron of the Royal Air Force currently operates the Panavia Tornado from RAF Lossiemouth....	1993-1994	Panavia Tornado
No. 15 Squadron RAF	1950-1951	Avro Lincoln Avro Lincoln The Avro Type 694 Lincoln was a United Kingdom four-engined heavy bomber of the World War II, first flying on 9 June 1944 and entering service in August 1945, too late to be used in action....
No. 27 Squadron RAF No. 27 Squadron RAF No. 27 Squadron of the Royal Air Force operates the Boeing Chinook from RAF Odiham....	1983-1993	Tornado
No. 35 Squadron RAF	1951-1956	Boeing Washington, English Electric Canberra English Electric Canberra The English Electric Canberra is a first-generation jet-powered light bomber manufactured in large numbers through the 1950s. It proved to be highly adaptable, serving in such varied roles for tactical bomber, photographic, electronics, and meteorological reconnaissance....
No. 38 Squadron RAF No. 38 Squadron RAF No. 38 Squadron of the Royal Air Force was formed in 1916 and was disbanded for the last time in 1967. During the Second World War it operated out of RAF Marham, Norfolk, flying Vickers Wellington strategic bombers....	1937-1940	Fairey Hendon Fairey Hendon The Fairey Hendon was a United Kingdom monoplane heavy bomber of the Royal Air Force designed by Fairey Aviation in the late 1920s, which served in small numbers with one Squadron of the RAF between 1936 and 1939.... , Vickers Wellington Vickers Wellington The Vickers Wellington was a United Kingdom twin-engine, long range medium bomber designed in the mid-1930s at Brooklands in Weybridge, Surrey, by Vickers-Armstrongs' Chief Designer, R....
No. 39 Squadron RAF No. 39 Squadron RAF No. 39 Squadron of the Royal Air Force operates the MQ-9 Reaper since 2007, operating from Creech AFB, Nevada, USA....	1993-2006	English Electric Canberra.
No. 44 Squadron RAF No. 44 Squadron RAF No. 44 Squadron of the Royal Air Force is no longer operational. For most of its history it served as a heavy bomber squadron....	1946-1951	Avro Lincoln Avro Lincoln The Avro Type 694 Lincoln was a United Kingdom four-engined heavy bomber of the World War II, first flying on 9 June 1944 and entering service in August 1945, too late to be used in action.... , Boeing Washington
No. 49 Squadron RAF No. 49 Squadron RAF No. 49 Squadron was a bomber squadron of the Royal Air Force from 1938 to 1965. They received their first Handley Page Hampden in September 1938....	1961-1965	Vickers Valiant Vickers Valiant The Vickers-Armstrongs Valiant was a United Kingdom four-jet bomber, once part of the Royal Air Force's V bomber force.The Valiant was originally developed for use as high-level strategic bomber....
No. 51 Squadron RAF No. 51 Squadron RAF No. 51 Squadron of the Royal Air Force operate the Hawker-Siddeley Nimrod#R.1 from RAF Waddington, Lincolnshire....	1917-1919	RAF F.E.2b
No. 55 Squadron RAF No. 55 Squadron RAF No. 55 Squadron of the Royal Air Force was formed in 1916 at Castle Bromwich. It is currently a flying training squadron based at RAF Cranwell in Lincolnshire....	1966-1993	Handley Page Victor Handley Page Victor The Handley Page Victor was a United Kingdom jet bomber aircraft produced by the Handley Page Aircraft Company. It was the third and final of the "V bombers" which provided Britain's nuclear deterrent....
No. 57 Squadron RAF No. 57 Squadron RAF No. 57 Squadron RAF is a Royal Air Force flying training squadron....	1951-1951	Avro Lincoln Avro Lincoln The Avro Type 694 Lincoln was a United Kingdom four-engined heavy bomber of the World War II, first flying on 9 June 1944 and entering service in August 1945, too late to be used in action.... , Boeing Washington
No. 57 Squadron RAF No. 57 Squadron RAF No. 57 Squadron RAF is a Royal Air Force flying training squadron....	1966-1993	Handley Page Victor Handley Page Victor The Handley Page Victor was a United Kingdom jet bomber aircraft produced by the Handley Page Aircraft Company. It was the third and final of the "V bombers" which provided Britain's nuclear deterrent....
No. 90 Squadron RAF	1950-1956	Avro Lincoln, Boeing Washington, English Electric Canberra English Electric Canberra The English Electric Canberra is a first-generation jet-powered light bomber manufactured in large numbers through the 1950s. It proved to be highly adaptable, serving in such varied roles for tactical bomber, photographic, electronics, and meteorological reconnaissance....
No. 100 Squadron RAF No. 100 Squadron RAF No. 100 Squadron of the Royal Air Force is based at RAF Leeming in North Yorkshire, United Kingdom, and operates the Hawker-Siddeley Hawk....	1976-1982	English Electric Canberra English Electric Canberra The English Electric Canberra is a first-generation jet-powered light bomber manufactured in large numbers through the 1950s. It proved to be highly adaptable, serving in such varied roles for tactical bomber, photographic, electronics, and meteorological reconnaissance....
No. 105 Squadron RAF No. 105 Squadron RAF No. 105 Squadron was a Royal Air Force squadron, it was the first to operate the de Havilland Mosquito. It became a Bomber Command Pathfinder Squadron....	1942-1944	de Havilland Mosquito De Havilland Mosquito The de Havilland Mosquito was a United Kingdom combat aircraft that excelled in a number of roles during the World War II. Originally conceived as an unarmed fast bomber, uses of the Mosquito included: low to medium altitude daytime tactical bomber, high altitude night bomber, Pathfinder , Day fighter or Night fighter fighter aircraft, fighte...
No. 109 Squadron RAF No. 109 Squadron RAF No. 109 Squadron RAF was an aircraft squadron of the Royal Air Force during World War II. It operated Vickers Wellingtons....	1943-1944	de Havilland Mosquito
No. 115 Squadron RAF No. 115 Squadron RAF No. 115 Squadron RAF was a Royal Air Force squadron during World War I. It was equipped with Handley Page O/400 heavy bombers....	1937-1941	Fairey Hendon Fairey Hendon The Fairey Hendon was a United Kingdom monoplane heavy bomber of the Royal Air Force designed by Fairey Aviation in the late 1920s, which served in small numbers with one Squadron of the RAF between 1936 and 1939.... , Handley Page Harrow Handley Page Harrow The name Harrow was given to two aircraft manufactured by Handley Page:Handley Page H.P.31 Harrow, a single-engine torpedo-bomber of the 1920s... , Vickers Wellington Vickers Wellington The Vickers Wellington* was a United Kingdom twin-engine, long range medium bomber designed in the mid-1930s at Brooklands in Weybridge, Surrey, by Vickers-Armstrongs' Chief Designer, R....
No. 115 Squadron RAF No. 115 Squadron RAF No. 115 Squadron RAF was a Royal Air Force squadron during World War I. It was equipped with Handley Page O/400 heavy bombers....	1950-1957	Avro Lincoln Avro Lincoln The Avro Type 694 Lincoln was a United Kingdom four-engined heavy bomber of the World War II, first flying on 9 June 1944 and entering service in August 1945, too late to be used in action.... , Boeing Washington, English Electric Canberra English Electric Canberra The English Electric Canberra is a first-generation jet-powered light bomber manufactured in large numbers through the 1950s. It proved to be highly adaptable, serving in such varied roles for tactical bomber, photographic, electronics, and meteorological reconnaissance....
No. 139 Squadron RAF	1942-1943	De Havilland Mosquito De Havilland Mosquito The de Havilland Mosquito was a United Kingdom combat aircraft that excelled in a number of roles during the World War II. Originally conceived as an unarmed fast bomber, uses of the Mosquito included: low to medium altitude daytime tactical bomber, high altitude night bomber, Pathfinder , Day fighter or Night fighter fighter aircraft, fighte...
No. 148 Squadron RAF No. 148 Squadron RAF No. 148 Squadron of the Royal Air Force has been part of the RAF since World War I....	1956-1965	Vickers Valiant Vickers Valiant The Vickers-Armstrongs Valiant was a United Kingdom four-jet bomber, once part of the Royal Air Force's V bomber force.The Valiant was originally developed for use as high-level strategic bomber....
No. 149 Squadron RAF No. 149 Squadron RAF No. 149 Squadron was a Royal Air Force Squadron between 1918 and 1956. Formed 1918 in the Royal Flying Corps as a bomber unit, it remained in that role for the rest of its existence....	1950-1950	Avro Lincoln Avro Lincoln The Avro Type 694 Lincoln was a United Kingdom four-engined heavy bomber of the World War II, first flying on 9 June 1944 and entering service in August 1945, too late to be used in action....
No. 207 Squadron RAF	1951-1956	Boeing Washington, English Electric Canberra English Electric Canberra The English Electric Canberra is a first-generation jet-powered light bomber manufactured in large numbers through the 1950s. It proved to be highly adaptable, serving in such varied roles for tactical bomber, photographic, electronics, and meteorological reconnaissance....
No. 207 Squadron RAF	1956-1965	Vickers Valiant Vickers Valiant The Vickers-Armstrongs Valiant was a United Kingdom four-jet bomber, once part of the Royal Air Force's V bomber force.The Valiant was originally developed for use as high-level strategic bomber....
No. 214 Squadron RAF No. 214 Squadron RAF No. 214 Squadron is a former unit of the Royal Air Force....	1956-1965	Vickers Valiant Vickers Valiant The Vickers-Armstrongs Valiant was a United Kingdom four-jet bomber, once part of the Royal Air Force's V bomber force.The Valiant was originally developed for use as high-level strategic bomber....
No. 214 Squadron RAF No. 214 Squadron RAF No. 214 Squadron is a former unit of the Royal Air Force....	1966-1977	Handley Page Victor Handley Page Victor The Handley Page Victor was a United Kingdom jet bomber aircraft produced by the Handley Page Aircraft Company. It was the third and final of the "V bombers" which provided Britain's nuclear deterrent....
No. 218 Squadron RAF No. 218 Squadron RAF No. 218 Squadron RAF was an aircraft squadron of the Royal Air Force....	1940-1942	Vickers Wellington Vickers Wellington The Vickers Wellington was a United Kingdom twin-engine, long range medium bomber designed in the mid-1930s at Brooklands in Weybridge, Surrey, by Vickers-Armstrongs' Chief Designer, R.... , Short Stirling Short Stirling The Short Stirling was the first four-engined United Kingdom heavy bomber of the World War II. The Stirling was designed and built by Short Brothers to an Air Ministry specification from 1936, and entered service in 1941....
No. 242 Squadron RAF No. 242 Squadron RAF No. 242 Squadron RAF was a Royal Air Force squadron. It flew in many roles during it's active service and it is also known for being the first squadron Douglas Bader commanded....	1959-1964	Bristol Bloodhound Surface to air missile
No. 617 Squadron RAF No. 617 Squadron RAF No. 617 Squadron of the Royal Air Force is better known as the "Dambusters" squadron. It currently operates the Tornado GR4 from RAF Lossiemouth, Scotland....	1983-1994	Panavia Tornado GR1
No 232 OCU		Handley Page Victor Handley Page Victor The Handley Page Victor was a United Kingdom jet bomber aircraft produced by the Handley Page Aircraft Company. It was the third and final of the "V bombers" which provided Britain's nuclear deterrent.... K2

External links

from

RAF Marham

History

Beginnings

Rearmament

Post War

Current occupation

Wings

Squadrons

Other units

Supported units

Former squadrons

See also

External links