RAF Docking

RAF Docking
Norwich, Norfolk in England
RAF Docking Shown within Norfolk RAF Docking RAF Docking (the United Kingdom)
Coordinates	52°55′17″N 000°39′39″E
Type	Royal Air Force satellite station
Site information
Owner	Air Ministry
Operator	Royal Air Force
Controlled by	RAF Coastal Command * No. 16 Group RAF
Site history
Built	1939 (1939)/40
In use	July 1940-1958 (1958)
Battles/wars	European theatre of World War II Cold War
Airfield information
Elevation	64 metres (210 ft) AMSL
Runways Direction Length and surface 00/00  Grass 00/00  Grass 00/00  Grass

Royal Air Force Docking or more simply RAF Docking is a former Royal Air Force satellite station a few miles from Bircham Newton in Norfolk, England.

History

It was a satellite airfield for the RAF Coastal Command station at RAF Bircham Newton and was mostly used for overflow from there.

A grass airfield, with eight blister hangars and one A1 hangar, was laid out soon after the outbreak of war and the first squadron to operate from there was No. 235 Squadron RAF using Bristol Blenheims for convoy escort and anti-shipping operations in the North Sea. These were then replaced by the Lockheed Hudson.

A meteorological observation unit No. 405 Flight of Bomber Command was set up as part of the effort to gain important weather information. When Coastal Command took over all the meteorological units this became No. 1401 (Met) Flight and received a greater variety of aircraft. As well as Blenheims it operated Spitfires, Gloster Gladiator biplanes and Hawker Hurricanes. These aircraft were all used to take measurements of temperature and humidity; from 40,000 ft downwards in precise areas. In August 1942 the Flight was made into a Squadron – No. 521 – with Hudsons, Handley Page Hampdens, de Havilland Mosquitos and Lockheed Venturas. The squadron's Mosquitos would operate deep into occupied Europe to take measurements over target areas; known as "PAMPA". In 1944 the squadron moved to the other satellite for Bircham Newton, RAF Langham

Posted units

The following squadrons were here at some point:

• No. 53 Squadron RAF (1943)
• No. 143 Squadron RAF
• No. 221 Squadron RAF (1941-42)
• No. 225 Squadron RAF
• No. 235 Squadron RAF (1942)
• No. 254 Squadron RAF
• No. 268 Squadron RAF
• No. 288 Squadron RAF (1944)
• No. 304 Polish Bomber Squadron (1943)
• No. 407 Squadron RCAF
• No. 415 Squadron RCAF (1943-44)
• No. 502 Squadron RAF
• No. 521 Squadron RAF (1943-44)
• No. 524 Squadron RAF (1944)
• 812 Naval Air Squadron
• 855 Naval Air Squadron

Units

• No. 22 Blind Approach Training Flight RAF (October 1941) became No. 1522 (Beam Approach Training) Flight RAF (October 1941 – April 1942)
• No. 27 Air Crew Holding Unit RAF
• No. 401 Meteorological Flight RAF (October 1941 – ?)
• No. 1401 Meteorological Flight RAF (August – September 1943)
• No. 1525 (Beam Approach Training) Flight RAF (July 1942 – ?)
• No. 1693 (General Reconnaissance) Flight RAF (May 1945)
• No. 2731 Squadron RAF Regiment
• No. 2749 Squadron RAF Regiment
• No. 2765 Squadron RAF Regiment
• Air Sea Rescue Training Unit RAF (October 1943)
• Warwick Training Unit RAF (June – July 1943)

Current use

The site has reverted to farmland.

See also

• List of former Royal Air Force stations

References

Bibliography

• Falconer, J. (2012). RAF Airfields of World War 2. UK: Ian Allan Publishing. ISBN 978-1-85780-349-5.
• Norfolk Airfields in the Second World War Graham Smith, Countryside Books, 1997.
• Sturtivant, R.; Hamlin, J.; Halley, J. (1997). Royal Air Force flying training and support units. UK: Air-Britain (Historians). ISBN 0-85130-252-1.

External links

• Control Towers – RAF Docking
• Airfield Archeology – RAF Docking
• Bircham Newton Memorial Project