RAF Wendling
Encyclopedia
RAF Station Wendling is a former World War II airfield in Norfolk
, England. The airfield is located approximately 4 miles (6.4 km) west-northwest of East Dereham.
Opened in 1942, it was used by both the Royal Air Force
and United States Army Air Force. During the war it was used primarily as a bomber airfield, being the home of the United States Army Air Forces
Eighth Air Force
392nd Bombardment Group.
After the war, it was used by the RAF as a standby airfield before being finally closed in 1961 and returned to agriculture. With the end of military control the airfield has become a turkey farm.
heavy bomber fields. Planned originally for RAF bomber use, and built by Taylor-Woodrow Ltd., in 1942, the airfield featured a 6000 feet (1,828.8 m) long main runway angled on a NE-SW as and two intersecting 4200 feet (1,280.2 m) long secondary runways, all within a perimeter track and constructed in reinforced concrete.
Another twenty hardstands (loop type) were added to the thirty of the frying-pan type when the airfield was re-scheduled as a Eighth Air Force
heavy bomber station. Two T2-type hangars were provided plus the usual full technical facilities, Mark II airfield lighting and dispersed accommodation for some 2,900 persons. The domestic sites were in the parish of Beeston to the west of the airfield and the bomb dump and ammunition stores were in Honeypot Wood to the south-east.
on 18 July 1943. The 453d was assigned to the 14th Combat Bombardment Wing, and the group tail code was a "Circle-D". Its operational squadrons were:
The group flew B-24 Liberator
s as part of the Eighth Air Force
's strategic bombing campaign.
The 392d BG entered combat on 9 September 1943 and engaged primarily in bombardment of strategic objectives on the Continent until April 1945. The group attacked such targets as an oil refinery at Gelsenkirchen
, a marshalling yard at Osnabrück
, a railroad viaduct at Bielefeld
, steel plants at Brunswick
, a tank factory at Kassel
, and gas works at Berlin.
The group took part in the intensive campaign of heavy bombers against the German aircraft industry during Big Week
, 20–25 February 1944, being awarded a Distinguished Unit Citation for bombing an aircraft and component parts factory at Gotha
on 24 February. The unit sometimes supported ground forces or carried out interdictory operations along with bombing airfields and V-weapon sites in France prior to the Normandy invasion
in June 1944 and struck coastal defenses and choke points on D-Day.
The group hit enemy positions to assist ground forces at Saint-Lô
during the breakthrough in July 1944. Bombed railroads, bridges, and highways to cut off German supply lines during the Battle of the Bulge
, December 1944-January 1945. Dropped supplies to Allied troops during the air attack on Holland in September 1944 and during the airborne assault across the Rhine
in March 1945.
The 392d Bomb Group flew its last combat mission on 25 April 1945, then carried food to the Dutch. The unit returned to Charleston Army Airfield South Carolina
on 25 June 1945 and was deactivated on 13 September 1945.
and was used as a satellite airfield, later becoming an inactive station before being finally closed on 22 November 1961. It was used between June 1960 and April 1964 by the United States Air Force
as a radio facility before being finally closed and sold in 1964.
A granite obelisk monument to the men of the 392nd Bomb Group was dedicated in September 1945, and stands well maintained and cared for in a small plot just off the airfield on the road to Beeston
.
Norfolk
Norfolk is a low-lying county in the East of England. It has borders with Lincolnshire to the west, Cambridgeshire to the west and southwest and Suffolk to the south. Its northern and eastern boundaries are the North Sea coast and to the north-west the county is bordered by The Wash. The county...
, England. The airfield is located approximately 4 miles (6.4 km) west-northwest of East Dereham.
Opened in 1942, it was used by both the Royal Air Force
Royal Air Force
The Royal Air Force is the aerial warfare service branch of the British Armed Forces. Formed on 1 April 1918, it is the oldest independent air force in the world...
and United States Army Air Force. During the war it was used primarily as a bomber airfield, being the home of the United States Army Air Forces
United States Army Air Forces
The United States Army Air Forces was the military aviation arm of the United States of America during and immediately after World War II, and the direct predecessor of the United States Air Force....
Eighth Air Force
Eighth Air Force
The Eighth Air Force is a numbered air force of the United States Air Force Global Strike Command . It is headquartered at Barksdale Air Force Base, Louisiana....
392nd Bombardment Group.
After the war, it was used by the RAF as a standby airfield before being finally closed in 1961 and returned to agriculture. With the end of military control the airfield has become a turkey farm.
Overview
Wendling airfield was originally planned for RAF Bomber Command use, however in 1942 was assigned as a United States Army Air Force heavy bomber installation. It was the most northerly placed of Eighth Air ForceEighth Air Force
The Eighth Air Force is a numbered air force of the United States Air Force Global Strike Command . It is headquartered at Barksdale Air Force Base, Louisiana....
heavy bomber fields. Planned originally for RAF bomber use, and built by Taylor-Woodrow Ltd., in 1942, the airfield featured a 6000 feet (1,828.8 m) long main runway angled on a NE-SW as and two intersecting 4200 feet (1,280.2 m) long secondary runways, all within a perimeter track and constructed in reinforced concrete.
Another twenty hardstands (loop type) were added to the thirty of the frying-pan type when the airfield was re-scheduled as a Eighth Air Force
Eighth Air Force
The Eighth Air Force is a numbered air force of the United States Air Force Global Strike Command . It is headquartered at Barksdale Air Force Base, Louisiana....
heavy bomber station. Two T2-type hangars were provided plus the usual full technical facilities, Mark II airfield lighting and dispersed accommodation for some 2,900 persons. The domestic sites were in the parish of Beeston to the west of the airfield and the bomb dump and ammunition stores were in Honeypot Wood to the south-east.
392nd Bombardment Group (Heavy)
The airfield was opened in 1943 and was used by the 392d Bombardment Group (Heavy), arriving from ppAlamogordo Army Airfield]] New MexicoNew Mexico
New Mexico is a state located in the southwest and western regions of the United States. New Mexico is also usually considered one of the Mountain States. With a population density of 16 per square mile, New Mexico is the sixth-most sparsely inhabited U.S...
on 18 July 1943. The 453d was assigned to the 14th Combat Bombardment Wing, and the group tail code was a "Circle-D". Its operational squadrons were:
- 576th Bombardment Squadron (CI)
- 577th Bombardment Squadron (DC)
- 578th Bombardment Squadron (EC)
- 579th Bombardment Squadron (GC)
The group flew B-24 Liberator
B-24 Liberator
The Consolidated B-24 Liberator was an American heavy bomber, designed by Consolidated Aircraft of San Diego, California. It was known within the company as the Model 32, and a small number of early models were sold under the name LB-30, for Land Bomber...
s as part of the Eighth Air Force
Eighth Air Force
The Eighth Air Force is a numbered air force of the United States Air Force Global Strike Command . It is headquartered at Barksdale Air Force Base, Louisiana....
's strategic bombing campaign.
The 392d BG entered combat on 9 September 1943 and engaged primarily in bombardment of strategic objectives on the Continent until April 1945. The group attacked such targets as an oil refinery at Gelsenkirchen
Gelsenkirchen
Gelsenkirchen is a city in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. It is located in the northern part of the Ruhr area. Its population in 2006 was c. 267,000....
, a marshalling yard at Osnabrück
Osnabrück
Osnabrück is a city in Lower Saxony, Germany, some 80 km NNE of Dortmund, 45 km NE of Münster, and some 100 km due west of Hanover. It lies in a valley penned between the Wiehen Hills and the northern tip of the Teutoburg Forest...
, a railroad viaduct at Bielefeld
Bielefeld
Bielefeld is an independent city in the Ostwestfalen-Lippe Region in the north-east of North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. With a population of 323,000, it is also the most populous city in the Regierungsbezirk Detmold...
, steel plants at Brunswick
Braunschweig
Braunschweig , is a city of 247,400 people, located in the federal-state of Lower Saxony, Germany. It is located north of the Harz mountains at the farthest navigable point of the Oker river, which connects to the North Sea via the rivers Aller and Weser....
, a tank factory at Kassel
Kassel
Kassel is a town located on the Fulda River in northern Hesse, Germany. It is the administrative seat of the Kassel Regierungsbezirk and the Kreis of the same name and has approximately 195,000 inhabitants.- History :...
, and gas works at Berlin.
The group took part in the intensive campaign of heavy bombers against the German aircraft industry during Big Week
Big Week
Between February 20–25, 1944, as part of the European strategic bombing campaign, the United States Strategic Air Forces launched Operation Argument, a series of missions against the Third Reich that became known as Big Week. The planners intended to lure the Luftwaffe into a decisive battle by...
, 20–25 February 1944, being awarded a Distinguished Unit Citation for bombing an aircraft and component parts factory at Gotha
Gotha (town)
Gotha is a town in Thuringia, within the central core of Germany. It is the capital of the district of Gotha.- History :The town has existed at least since the 8th century, when it was mentioned in a document signed by Charlemagne as Villa Gotaha . Its importance derives from having been chosen in...
on 24 February. The unit sometimes supported ground forces or carried out interdictory operations along with bombing airfields and V-weapon sites in France prior to the Normandy invasion
D-Day
D-Day is a term often used in military parlance to denote the day on which a combat attack or operation is to be initiated. "D-Day" often represents a variable, designating the day upon which some significant event will occur or has occurred; see Military designation of days and hours for similar...
in June 1944 and struck coastal defenses and choke points on D-Day.
The group hit enemy positions to assist ground forces at Saint-Lô
Saint-Lô
Saint-Lô is a commune in north-western France, the capital of the Manche department in Normandy.-History:Originally called Briovère , the town is built on and around ramparts. Originally it was a Gaul fortified settlement...
during the breakthrough in July 1944. Bombed railroads, bridges, and highways to cut off German supply lines during the Battle of the Bulge
Battle of the Bulge
The Battle of the Bulge was a major German offensive , launched toward the end of World War II through the densely forested Ardennes mountain region of Wallonia in Belgium, hence its French name , and France and...
, December 1944-January 1945. Dropped supplies to Allied troops during the air attack on Holland in September 1944 and during the airborne assault across the Rhine
Operation Varsity
Operation Varsity was a successful joint American–British airborne operation that took place toward the end of World War II...
in March 1945.
The 392d Bomb Group flew its last combat mission on 25 April 1945, then carried food to the Dutch. The unit returned to Charleston Army Airfield South Carolina
South Carolina
South Carolina is a state in the Deep South of the United States that borders Georgia to the south, North Carolina to the north, and the Atlantic Ocean to the east. Originally part of the Province of Carolina, the Province of South Carolina was one of the 13 colonies that declared independence...
on 25 June 1945 and was deactivated on 13 September 1945.
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RAF Maintenance Command use
When the Americans left, Wendling was transferred to RAF Maintenance CommandRAF Maintenance Command
RAF Maintenance Command was the Royal Air Force command which was responsible for controlling maintenance for all the United Kingdom-based units from formation on 1 April 1938 until being renamed RAF Support Command on 31 August 1973.- History :...
and was used as a satellite airfield, later becoming an inactive station before being finally closed on 22 November 1961. It was used between June 1960 and April 1964 by the United States Air Force
United States Air Force
The United States Air Force is the aerial warfare service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the American uniformed services. Initially part of the United States Army, the USAF was formed as a separate branch of the military on September 18, 1947 under the National Security Act of...
as a radio facility before being finally closed and sold in 1964.
Civil use
With the end of military control the airfield has become a turkey farm, with large coops built along its runways. Most of the buildings and hardstands have been torn down and the concrete removed. Also much of the perimeter track has been reduced to a single lane road.A granite obelisk monument to the men of the 392nd Bomb Group was dedicated in September 1945, and stands well maintained and cared for in a small plot just off the airfield on the road to Beeston
Beeston, Norfolk
Beeston is a village in the county of Norfolk, England, in the civil parish of Beeston with Bittering, west of East Dereham and south of Fakenham...
.