RNAS Pulham
Encyclopedia
RNAS Pulham was an Royal Navy Air Service (RNAS) airship station, 18 mi (29 km) south of Norwich
, UK. Though land was purchased by the Navy
in 1912 the site was not operational until 1915. From 1918 to 1958, the unit was an RAF establishment.
Pulham was one of the main UK airship stations, with more than 3,000 men on the base, until the demise of the R101
in 1930 when the station was moved on to a care and maintenance basis only.
In its heyday Pulham had its own hydrogen
plant, one small and two large airship sheds (one was moved to Cardington
in 1930, the other scrapped in 1948) and a permanent mooring mast.
The R34 landed at RNAS Pulham to complete the first two-way flown crossing of the Atlantic in July 1919.
During World War II, Pulham Air Station was used as an aircraft salvage yard for the East of England
, with several huge dumps of scrapped aircraft. The resultant contamination of the land is visible even today. The RAF used Pulham for storage and Maintenance Unit work until closure in 1958.
Norwich
Norwich is a city in England. It is the regional administrative centre and county town of Norfolk. During the 11th century, Norwich was the largest city in England after London, and one of the most important places in the kingdom...
, UK. Though land was purchased by the Navy
Royal Navy
The Royal Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the British Armed Forces. Founded in the 16th century, it is the oldest service branch and is known as the Senior Service...
in 1912 the site was not operational until 1915. From 1918 to 1958, the unit was an RAF establishment.
Pulham was one of the main UK airship stations, with more than 3,000 men on the base, until the demise of the R101
R101
R101 was one of a pair of British rigid airship completed in 1929 as part of a British government programme to develop civil airships capable of service on long-distance routes within the British Empire. It was designed and built by an Air Ministry-appointed team and was effectively in competition...
in 1930 when the station was moved on to a care and maintenance basis only.
In its heyday Pulham had its own hydrogen
Hydrogen
Hydrogen is the chemical element with atomic number 1. It is represented by the symbol H. With an average atomic weight of , hydrogen is the lightest and most abundant chemical element, constituting roughly 75% of the Universe's chemical elemental mass. Stars in the main sequence are mainly...
plant, one small and two large airship sheds (one was moved to Cardington
RAF Cardington
RAF Cardington started life as a private venture when Short Brothers bought land there to build airships for the Admiralty. They constructed a Airship hangar in 1915 to enable them to build two rigid airships, the R-31 and the R-32. Shorts also built a housing estate, opposite the site, which...
in 1930, the other scrapped in 1948) and a permanent mooring mast.
The R34 landed at RNAS Pulham to complete the first two-way flown crossing of the Atlantic in July 1919.
During World War II, Pulham Air Station was used as an aircraft salvage yard for the East of England
East of England
The East of England is one of the nine official regions of England. It was created in 1994 and was adopted for statistics from 1999. It includes the ceremonial counties of Essex, Hertfordshire, Bedfordshire, Cambridgeshire, Norfolk and Suffolk. Essex has the highest population in the region.Its...
, with several huge dumps of scrapped aircraft. The resultant contamination of the land is visible even today. The RAF used Pulham for storage and Maintenance Unit work until closure in 1958.