RAF Oulton

RAF Oulton
RAF Oulton
Oulton, near Aylsham, Norfolk in England
	Aerial photograph of Oulton airfield 20 April 1944
	RAF Oulton Shown within Norfolk
Coordinates	52°47′57″N 001°10′53″E / 52.79917°N 1.18139°E
Type	Royal Air Force Satellite station
Site information
Owner	Air Ministry
Operator	Royal Air Force
Site history
Built	1940
In use	1940-1952
Garrison information
Garrison	No. 2 Group RAF; No. 3 Group RAF; No. 100 Group RAF
Airfield information
Elevation	47 metres (154 ft) AMSL
Runways
06/24	1,220 metres (4,003 ft) Concrete
12/30	1,760 metres (5,774 ft) Concrete
16/34	1,350 metres (4,429 ft) Concrete

Royal Air Force Oulton or more simply RAF Oulton is a former Royal Air Force satellite station located 3 miles (4.8 km) west of Aylsham, Norfolk and 12.5 miles (20.1 km) northwest of Norwich, Norfolk, England.

The airfield was built over 1939 and 1940 as a bomber airfield with T2 type hangars and grass runways, the facility operating as a satellite airfield of nearby RAF Horsham St. Faith between July 1940 and September 1942 after which it operated as a satellite airfield of RAF Swanton Morley.

History

In September 1943, Oulton was transferred from 2 Group to 3 Group and closed to flying for re-construction as a heavy bomber base with concrete runways, taxiways and parking areas. The work was completed in April 1944 and the airfield transferred to No. 100 Group RAF.^[1] Flying operations ceased at the end of July 1945, after which it was taken over by RAF Maintenance Command which used it to store de Havilland Mosquitos until November 1947.^[2]

**RAF Oulton Order of Battle**
Squadron	Aircraft	Dates at RAF Oulton
114	Blenheim Mk.IV	July 1940 to March 1941^[2]^[3]
18	Blenheim Mk.IV	April 1941 to July 1941 and November to December 1941^[1]
139	Blenheim Mk.IV	December 1941 to February 1942^[1]^[2]
1428 Hudson Conversion Flight	Hudson Mk.III	December 1941 to May 1942^[1]
236	Beaufighter Mk.IC	July 1942 to September 1942^[1]
88	Boston Mk.III and IIIA	September 1942^[1] to March 1943^{[citation needed]}
21	Ventura Mk.I and II	April 1943 to September 1943^[1]
No. 1699 (Bomber Support) Flight RAF	Fortress	May 1944^[1] to June 1945^{[citation needed]}
214	Fortress	May 1944 to July 1945^[1]
803rd Bomb Squadron	Boeing B-17 Flying Fortress and Consolidated B-24 Liberator	May 1944 to August 1944^[1]
223	Flying Fortress and Liberator	August 1944 to July 1945^[1]

Additional Units: ^[4]

Current use

The site is now farmland.^[4]

Museum

The RAF Oulton Museum is housed on the Blickling Hall estate, belonging to the National Trust.^[5]

References

Citations

^ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e ^f ^g ^h ⁱ ^j ^k Bowyer 1990, p. 172.
^ ^a ^b ^c Air Pictorial October 1967, p. 373.
^ Bowyer 1990, pp. 171–172.
^ ^a ^b "Oulton". Airfields of Britain Conservation Trust. Retrieved 23 April 2015.
^ "Blickling Estate's RAF Oulton museum". National Trust. Retrieved 8 November 2019.

Bibliography

Bowyer, J.F. Action Stations 1: Wartime military airfields of East Anglia 1939. Wellingborough, UK: Patrick Stephens Limited, Second edition, 1990. ISBN 1-85260-377-1.
"Your Questions Answered...Oulton, Norfolk". Air Pictorial, October 1967. p. 373.

External links

Map and aerial photos

[Act_p172-1] ^ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e ^f ^g ^h ⁱ ^j ^k Bowyer 1990, p. 172.

[pict-2] Air Pictorial October 1967, p. 373.

[Act_p171-2-3] Bowyer 1990, pp. 171–172.

[ABCT-4] "Oulton". Airfields of Britain Conservation Trust. Retrieved 23 April 2015.

[5] "Blickling Estate's RAF Oulton museum". National Trust. Retrieved 8 November 2019.

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