2014

TF9905 : Headquarters site at RAF Shipdham - mural

taken 10 years ago, near to Letton Green, Norfolk, England

Headquarters site at RAF Shipdham - mural
Headquarters site at RAF Shipdham - mural
This is one of a number of murals created by USAAF airmen from the 44th Bomb Group during the time they were based at the Shipdham airfield. Having survived for seven decades in some of the derelict huts such as the Officers mess on the Wing headquarters site, the wall paintings were rescued and conserved by the new owners who during the past few years have converted a number of buildings into dwellings which now incorporate these unique pieces of wall art.
RAF Shipdham (USAAF Station 115)

Constructed in 1941/42, Shipdham airfield was the first US heavy bomber base in Norfolk and from September 1942 to June 1945 it was also the location of the headquarters of the 14th Combat Bombardment Wing, 2nd Air Division, VIII Bomber Command (later the Eighth Air Force).

The first unit to use the airfield was the 319th Bombardment Group (Medium), followed in October 1942 by the 44th BG (Heavy).

Between 1946 and 1947, the airfield was used as a transit centre for German POWs en route from the United States for repatriation to Germany. By 1963 all of the airfield had been sold and in the summer of 1970 part of it was re-opened to private flying. An industrial estate occupies the south-eastern part.

See also: Link

WW2 USAAF graffiti and artwork

During WW2 the US Army Air Force (USAAF) occupied many of the aerodromes in East Anglia. In their spare time some of the servicemen decorated the walls of the buildings they lived and spent some time in with graffiti and murals. The 'noses' of many of their aircraft too were often embellished with paintings and, presumably to boost morale, bombing missions flown and downed enemy aircraft were recorded by either painting bombs or swastikas, often several rows of them, onto their aircraft. Others drew personal mission boards onto the walls of their barracks huts. Skillfully executed paintings depicting aircraft, semi-clad women, cartoon characters or landscape scenes have also been recorded. Some of this wartime artwork has been preserved in restored buildings and some has been extracted and is now on display in museums, but much remains in situ, often unrecorded, deteriorating in decades-old damp buildings and sadly, a lot has already been lost.


Creative Commons Licence [Some Rights Reserved]   © Copyright Evelyn Simak and licensed for reuse under this Creative Commons Licence.
This photo is linked from: Automatic Clusters: · Number of Murals Created by USAAF Airmen [9] Title Clusters: · Headquarters site at RAF Shipdham - mural [9] ·
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TF9905, 32 images   (more nearby 🔍)
Photographer
Evelyn Simak   (more nearby)
Date Taken
Friday, 20 June, 2014   (more nearby)
Submitted
Saturday, 21 June, 2014
Subject Location
OSGB36: geotagged! TF 9916 0596 [10m precision]
WGS84: 52:36.8927N 0:56.4215E
Camera Location
OSGB36: geotagged! TF 9915 0597
View Direction
Southeast (about 135 degrees)
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Image classification(about): Supplemental image
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