RAF Mousehold Heath

Royal Air Force Station Mousehold Heath
Active
Country	United Kingdom
Branch	Royal Air Force
Type	Flying station
Based near	Norwich, Norfolk, England
Royal Air Force Ensign
March	Royal Air Force March Past

The area of Norwich between the Salhouse and Plumstead roads (outside of the outer ring road) was originally the Cavalry Training Ground and then became the Royal Flying Corps Mousehold Heath aerodrome where Boulton Paul, among other manufacturers, passed over the aircraft they made for service. It was sometimes known as Norwich aerodrome by the Royal Flying Corps before it became Royal Air Force Station Mousehold Heath in April 1918.

After the First World War, Boulton and Paul continued to use the site. The Norwich & Norfolk Aero Club was formed at the airfield in 1927 which then became the first Norwich Airport in 1933. The airfield fell into disuse during the Second World War and has now mostly been redeveloped for housing.

Contents 1 Remains 2 RAF and RFC units and aircraft 3 References 4 See also

Remains

Several original buildings remain in industrial use, including hangars and other buildings on the Salhouse Industrial Estate. Part of the flying field survives as the playing field for the Open Academy, formerly Heartsease High School.^[1]

RAF and RFC units and aircraft

Unit	Dates	Aircraft	Notes
No. 18 Squadron RFC	August to November 1915	Vickers FB 5	Operated the Bristol Scout, Martinsyde S.1 and Farman Shorthorn for training before moving to France in November 1915 with the Vickers FB 5.[2]
No. 85 Squadron RFC	August to November 1917	Various	[2]
No. 117 Squadron RAF	July 1918 - November 1918	Airco DH.9	Operated various aircraft for training before gaining the DH.9s in October 1918.[2]
No 40 Elementary & Reserve Training School	August to September 1939	Miles Magister	Operated by Air Contractors Limited and also used the Hawker Audax and Hawker Hind.[3]
No 3 (Training) Group Navigation School	July to November 1919	Airco DH.9	[4]

• No. 37 Squadron RFC was official formed at Norwich on 15 April 1916 from elements of 9 RS before moving on the next day to Orfordness.^[2]

• No. 3 Aircraft Acceptance Park was formed at the aerodrome on 22 March 1917 originally as the Norwich Aircraft Acceptance Park later designated the No. 3 (Norwich) Aircraft Acceptance Park and on 26 July 1919 became the Norwich Storage Park. The park accepted aircraft into service from local manufacturers Boulton Paul, Mann Egerton, Portholme and Ransome Simms & Jeffries.^[5]

• No. 3 Group headquarters was based at Mousehold Heath between July and November 1919.^[6]

References

Notes

• Jefford, C.G. (1988). RAF Squadrons. Airlife Publishing Ltd. ISBN 1 85310 053 6. 
• Sturtivant, Ray (2007). RAF Flying Training and Support Units since 1912. Air-Britain. ISBN 0-85130 365 X. 

See also

• Royal Air Force station
• List of RAF stations
• List of Royal Air Force aircraft squadrons

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