RAF Swannington

England

52.7421, 1.1698 — view on OpenStreetMap ↗

About

RAF Swannington opened in Norfolk in 1944 as a night-intruder base in the secretive No. 100 Group. The de Havilland Mosquitoes of Nos. 85 and 157 Squadrons flew with the bomber stream to hunt down German night-fighters, and when detached to West Malling in the summer of 1944 they destroyed scores of V-1 flying bombs. Flying ended in 1947, and the site is now farmland, with the control tower and stretches of runway surviving.

Photographs

WWII pillbox (Type FW3/22) Part of the ground defences of the [RAF Swannington](/airfields/6355/) airfield; reference no S0005569 in the Defence of Britain database. Same as 454695 - 528599, viewed from the southeast; in a small area seen to the right of the entrance the outer wall, the brick shuttering is still adhering to the concrete. The brick exterior covering was used as a mould in which to pour the concrete. Inside the pillbox has a central anti-ricochet wall. In an effort to prevent an anticipated German invasion, a network of defences, the most common being so-called pillboxes, was constructed in 1940 at strategic points, along rivers and canals, as well as along the coast and on airfields. It is estimated that less than 6,000 of a total of 28,000 pillboxes still survive. http://www.pillboxesuk.co.uk/
ⓘ licence & creditEvelyn Simak / CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons — https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:WWII_pillbox_(Type_FW3-22)_-_geograph.org.uk_-_764676.jpgView source & full licence →
Where WWII planes once passed ...there are now cornfields and a line of trees - between [Swannington](/airfields/6355/) and Brandiston.
ⓘ licence & creditZorba the Geek / CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons — https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Where_WWII_planes_once_passed_-_geograph.org.uk_-_551268.jpgView source & full licence →
Traces of old airfield between [Swannington](/airfields/6355/) and Brandiston Anywhere in Norfolk and Suffolk that you find back roads and farm tracks made of concrete, it is a good sign that here was a Second World War air base - and there are many, many of them. Not totally flat here but flat enough for use by the aircraft of the day.
ⓘ licence & creditZorba the Geek / CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons — https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Traces_of_old_airfield_between_Swannington_and_Brandiston_-_geograph.org.uk_-_527893.jpgView source & full licence →
Pillbox beside the road. Pillbox (Type FW3/22) - part of the ground defences of the [RAF Swannington](/airfields/6355/) airfield; reference no S0005569 in the Defence of Britain database. Same as 454695 - 528599, viewed from the southeast; in a small area seen to the right of the entrance the outer wall, the brick shuttering is still adhering to the concrete. The brick exterior covering was used as a mould in which to pour the concrete. Inside the pillbox has a central anti-ricochet wall. In an effort to prevent an anticipated German invasion, a network of defences, the most common being so-called pillboxes, was constructed in 1940 at strategic points, along rivers and canals, as well as along the coast and on airfields. It is estimated that less than 6,000 of a total of 28,000 pillboxes still survive. http://www.pillboxesuk.co.uk/
ⓘ licence & creditEvelyn Simak / CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons — https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Pillbox_beside_the_road_-_geograph.org.uk_-_764703.jpgView source & full licence →
Former RAF Station [Swannington](/airfields/6355/) World War 2 RAF Station Swannington, situated near the Haveringland Estate, was built in 1943 and disbanded in 1947. It was home to [85 Squadron](/squadrons/73/) and [157 Squadron](/squadrons/294/) both flying [Mosquito](/aircraft/9/) aircraft. At foreground left is shown part of one of the original aircraft perimeter tracks, and the line of trees follows the edge of one of the three main runways.
ⓘ licence & creditJurek and Trish Sienkiewicz / CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons — https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Former_RAF_Station_Swannington_-_geograph.org.uk_-_304185.jpgView source & full licence →
Concrete track Taxiway or service road on disused WWII airfield.
ⓘ licence & creditEvelyn Simak / CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons — https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Concrete_track_-_geograph.org.uk_-_753934.jpgView source & full licence →
Airfield remains Remains of the WWII airfield [RAF Swannington](/airfields/6355/), Norfolk for more info see RAF_Swannington
ⓘ licence & creditKeith Evans / CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons — https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Airfield_remains_-_geograph.org.uk_-_1801433.jpgView source & full licence →

Home to

People connected to this base

31 persons cross-referenced to this airfield — through a posting here, a squadron based here, or aircrew who flew from it.

NameRankConnectionDates
Ashcroft, Alfred Edward Flight Lieutenant Aircrew (squadron based here) —
Ashfield, Glyn Squadron Leader Aircrew (squadron based here) —
Babington, Henry Christopher Flying Officer Aircrew (squadron based here) —
Basan, Lawrence Wallace Flight Lieutenant Aircrew (squadron based here) —
Beale, Douglas David Flying Officer Aircrew (squadron based here) —
Chisholm, John Harry Mackellar Squadron Leader Aircrew (squadron based here) —
Clifton, John Lowrey Flying Officer Aircrew (squadron based here) —
Collins, James Francis Sergeant Aircrew (squadron based here) —
Crisford, Raymond Gavin Pilot Officer Aircrew (squadron based here) —
Cronin, Cornelius Patrick Finbarr Pilot Officer Aircrew (squadron based here) —
Davidson, Duncan Williams Flying Officer Aircrew (squadron based here) —
Eastwood, Albert Pilot Officer Aircrew (squadron based here) —
Fry, Peter William Flying Officer Aircrew (squadron based here) —
Graham-little, Esmond Birch Flying Officer Aircrew (squadron based here) —
Herbert, Mervyn Horatio Squadron Leader Aircrew (squadron based here) —
Herring, Duncan Flying Officer Aircrew (squadron based here) —
Jobling, Bernard Walter Pilot Officer Aircrew (squadron based here) —
Jones, Ronald Leslie Sergeant Aircrew (squadron based here) —
Kirk, Norman Frank Leading Aircraftman Aircrew (squadron based here) —
Lewis, Clifford Kenneth Flying Officer Aircrew (squadron based here) —
Miller, Bruce English Pilot Officer Aircrew (squadron based here) —
Moore, John Maurice Flight Sergeant Aircrew (squadron based here) —
Paul, Keith Walter Flying Officer Aircrew (squadron based here) —
Robertson, William Alexander Pilot Officer Aircrew (squadron based here) —
Spanton, Geoffrey Harold Pilot Officer Aircrew (squadron based here) —
Tanner, John Ormond Patrick Flying Officer Aircrew (squadron based here) —
Vale, William Searle Pilot Officer Aircrew (squadron based here) —
Walters, Wilfrid Arthur Clement Warrant Officer Aircrew (squadron based here) —
Weston, Frederick Thomas Pilot Officer Aircrew (squadron based here) —
Wills, David Ernest Flying Officer Aircrew (squadron based here) —
Wilson, Peter Geoffrey Pilot Officer Aircrew (squadron based here) —