2014

TF9941 : Memorial at RAF Langham

taken 10 years ago, near to Langham, Norfolk, England

Memorial at RAF Langham
Memorial at RAF Langham
For a wider view see > Link.

It is a strange type of memorial in that the largest part of the inscription is taken up by the name of the organisation, a charity, which put it up, and the name of its Director General, whereas the units supposedly commemorated here remain anonymous. A number of exactly the same stones have been erected at disused airfields all over Great Britain during the last few years. Airfield marker stone might perhaps be a more apt term.
RAF Langham

Langham Airfield opened during 1940 as a satellite airfield for Bircham Newton. The airfield has a complex and somewhat confused history, as aircraft from RAF Bircham Newton initially dispersed at Langham, while the No. 1 Anti-Aircraft Co-operation Unit was also based on the field until towards the end of 1942, providing target-towing facilities for the Army firing camps at Stiffkey. In July 1942 became an independent RAF station but was put into Care & Maintenance in November, when it received three concrete runways and a number of other facilities.

When the airfield reopened in February 1944, the 455th and 489th squadrons formed a strike wing to mount anti-shipping operations over the North Sea, flying Bristol Beaufighters. 524th and 612th squadrons were also based on the field, flying Vickers Wellingtons.

The airfield closed in May 1946 but continued to be used by a Technical Training School for the Royal Netherlands Air Force, before being put into Care & Maintenance again in September 1947. From March 1953 until November 1958 the airfield was used by the No. 2 Civilian Anti-Aircraft Cooperation Unit, assisting Army firing camps by towing drogues for gunners to aim at.

In October 1961, after serving as a very basic Emergency Landing Ground for Sculthorpe, the airfield was eventually sold. It was Bernard Matthews Farms Ltd for use as a turkey farm.

See also: Link


Creative Commons Licence [Some Rights Reserved]   © Copyright Evelyn Simak and licensed for reuse under this Creative Commons Licence.
Geographical Context: Historic sites and artefacts
This photo is linked from: Automatic Clusters: · Memorial [5] · Airfield Marker Stone [2] Other Photos: · Memorial at RAF Langham ·
1:50,000 Modern Day Landranger(TM) Map © Crown Copyright
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TF9941, 61 images   (more nearby 🔍)
Photographer
Evelyn Simak   (more nearby)
Date Taken
Sunday, 22 June, 2014   (more nearby)
Submitted
Sunday, 22 June, 2014
Subject Location
OSGB36: geotagged! TF 9956 4179 [10m precision]
WGS84: 52:56.1838N 0:58.0845E
Camera Location
OSGB36: geotagged! TF 9955 4178
View Direction
Northeast (about 45 degrees)
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Image classification(about): Supplemental image
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