RAF Bury St. Edmunds
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RAF Bury St. Edmunds (Also known as Rougham) is a former World War II airfield in England. The field is located 3 miles E of Bury St Edmunds in Suffolk.
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[edit] USAAF Use
The airfield was originally known as Rougham as it was located north of that village between the A45 and the main railway line between Bury St Edmunds and Ipswich. It was built in 1941/1942 with three intersecting concrete runways. The main runway of 2,000 yards was aligned approximately E-W. As the airfield was designed for a USAAF bomb group, fifty concrete hardstands were constructed off the encircling perimeter track. Two T2-type hangars were erected, one on each side of the airfield. The technical site was on the southern side of the A45 and most of the living sites dispersed in woodland south of the main road around the village of Rougham. Accommodation was provided for some 3,000 personnel in Nissen and other temporary type buildings.
The airfield was opened in September 1942 and was used by the United States Army Air Force Eighth Air Force. Bury St. Edmunds was given USAAF designation Station 468 (BU).
From 13 September 1943 though 18 June 1945, Bury St. Edmunds served as headquarters for the 4th Combat Bombardment Wing of the 3d Bomb Division.
[edit] 47th Bombardment Group (Light)
The first USAAF group to use Bury St. Edmunds airfield was the 47th Bombardment Group (Light) arriving from Greensboro AAF North Carolina in mid-September 1942. The 47th was equipped with the Douglas A-20 "Havoc" bomber but the group quickly moved to RAF Horham as Bury St. Edmunds was still under construction. On 2 November the 47th was ordered to North Africa, departing for Medina Air Field 15 miles south of Casablanca in Morocco.
[edit] 322nd Bombardment Group (Medium)
The 322nd Bombardment Group (Medium) arrived in December 1942 from Drane AAF, Florida. The group was assigned to the 3d Bomb Wing and flew Martin B-26B/C Marauders. Operational squadrons of the 322d were:
- 449th Bombardment (PN)
- 450th Bombardment (ER)
- 451st Bombardment (SS) **(at RAF Rattlesden)
- 452d Bombardment (DR) **(at RAF Rattlesden)
Ongoing construction at Bury St. Edmunds forced two of the group's squadrons to locate at RAF Rattlesden, and the group's aircraft did not arrive until late in March 1943. Once operational, the 322d flew two low-level bombing operations from Bury St. Edmunds. The first, on 14 May when it dispatched 12 planes for a minimum-level attack on an electrical generating plant near Ijtnuiden. This was the first operational combat mission flown by B-26s.
The second was a disastrous mission to Holland on Monday, 17 May, when the group sent 11 aircraft on a similar operation from which none of the aircraft penetrating the enemy coast, returned. 60 crewmen were lost to flak and interceptors. Group morale was not improved when, on 29 May, a B-26 crashed onto the airfield killing the crew and damaging a hangar.
After these misisons, the group was re-equipped and trained for medium-altitude operations for several weeks before returning to combat operations. On 13 June, the 322d moved to RAF Andrews Field in Essex.
[edit] 94th Bombardment Group (Heavy)
The 94th Bombardment Group (Heavy) arrived from RAF Earls Colne on 15 June 1943. the 94th was assigned to the 4th Combat Bombardment Wing, and the group tail code was a "Square-A". It's operational squadrons were:
- 331st Bomb Squadron (BG)
- 332d Bomb Squadron (OE)
- 333d Bomb Squadron (ET)
- 410th Bomb Squadron (QW)
The group flew the B-17 Flying Fortress as part of the Eighth Air Force's strategic bombing campaign and served chiefly as a strategic bombardment organization throughout the war. The 94th flew its first mission on 13 June 1943, bombing an airfield at St Omer. After that, the groupo attacked such strategic objectives as the port of St Nazaire, shipyards at Kiel, an aircraft component parts factory at Kassel, a synthetic rubber plant at Hannover, a chemical factory at Ludwigshafen, marshalling yards at Frankfurt, oil facilities at Merseburg, and ball-bearing works at Eberhausen.
The group withstood repeated assaults by enemy interceptors to bomb an aircraft factory at Regensburg on 17 August 1943, being awarded a Distinguished Unit Citation for the mission. Braving adverse weather, heavy flak, and savage fighter attacks, the group completed a strike against an aircraft parts factory in Brunswick on 11 January 1944 and received a 2d DUC for this operation.
The 94th took part in the campaign of heavy bombers against the enemy aircraft industry during Big Week, 20-25 Feb 1944. Sometimes operated in support of ground forces and flew interdictory missions. Prior to D-Day in June 1944, helped to neutralize V-weapon sites, airfields, and other military installations along the coast of France. On 6 June the group bombed enemy positions in the battle area to support the invasion of Normandy. Struck troops and gun batteries to aid the advance of the Allies at St Lo in July and at Brest in August. Covered the airborne attack on Holland in September. Hit marshalling yards, airfields, and strong points near the combat area during the Battle of the Bulge, Dec 1944-Jan 1945. Bombed transportation, communications, and oil targets in the final push over the Rhine and across Germany.
After V-E Day, the 94th BG dropped leaflets to displaced persons and German civilians. Returned to Camp Kilmer New Jersey in December 1945 and was inactivated on 21 December
[edit] Postwar Use
After the war, the field was turned over to RAF control in December 1945 and on 11 September 1946 the facility was turned over to the Air Ministry. It was left unused for several years before being closed in 1948. The runways were broken up and the concrete removed with most of the site being returned to agriculture. The old technical site has been developed into the Roughham Industrial Estate. The T-2 hangars still in use for storage purposes. The control tower was used for many years as a private dwelling, however it has now been restored and is used as a museum.
[edit] See also
[edit] References
- Freeman, Roger A., Airfields Of The Eighth, Then And Now, 1978
- www.controltowers.co.uk Bury St Edmunds
- mighty8thaf.preller.us Bury St. Edmunds
- Maurer Maurer, Air Force Combat Units Of World War II, Office of Air Force History, 1983
- USAAS-USAAC-USAAF-USAF Aircraft Serial Numbers--1908 to Present [1]
