Langham
Did you know?
"The Airfields of Britain Conservation Trust (ABCT), would not have been born were it not for a holiday during founder Kenneth’s Bannerman’s childhood and a chance encounter with Langham Airfield in 1973.
"Also known as: | Langham Aerodrome / RAF Langham |
County: | Norfolk |
Current Status: | Farmland / Heritage site |
Date: | 1940 - November 1958 |
Current Use: | Limited flying |
Used By: | RAF / Civil / US |
Langham opened during 1940 as a satellite airfield for Bircham Newton – aircraft from there initially often dispersed at Langham, while Flights of No 1 Anti-Aircraft Co-operation Unit notably resided here until towards the end of 1942 to provide vital target-towing facilities for army firing camps at Stiffkey.
Langham became an independent RAF station in July 1942 but then reverted to Care & Maintenance the following November for extensive redevelopment, receiving three concrete runways and numerous other facilities.
The airfield reopened in February 1944, seeing considerable success during April-October of that year as Bristol Beaufighters of Nos 455 and 489 Squadrons formed a Strike Wing to mount anti-shipping operations over the North Sea amid frequently ferocious fighting. Vickers Wellingtons of Nos 524 and 612 Squadrons subsequently attacked German E-boats at night until the end of the Second World War.
Also late on in the Second World War, and for a while afterwards, Langham became noteworthy for meteorological reconnaissance duties as 521 Squadron flew a wide variety of aircraft from elderly Gloster Gladiator biplanes to Boeing B-17 Fortresses between October 1944 and November 1945.
The airfield closed to flying in May 1946 but was used by a Technical Training School for the Royal Netherlands Air Force, being reduced again to Care & Maintenance status in September 1947.
However, Langham reopened between March 1953 and November 1958 for Beaufighter and Mosquito target towers of No 2 Civilian Anti-Aircraft Co-operation Unit, importantly assisting Army firing camps by towing drogues for gunners to aim at; some jet-engined de Havilland Vampires also appeared towards the end of this period.
There was also limited American military use during the 1950s as U.S. Army radio-controlled model aircraft were used here, again for gunnery practice.
Langham Airfield was eventually sold in October 1961, after serving as a very basic Emergency Landing Ground for Sculthorpe, and bought by Bernard Matthews for use as a turkey farm.
Evidence of the airfield is still fairly tangible today, with the runways, perimeter track and control tower still existing; the Dome Trainer on the east side is one of the best known individual airfield buildings in Britain and is now listed. For more information on the Dome Trainer see: https://langhamdome.org/
The following organisations are either based at, use and/or have at least potentially significant connections with the airfield (as at 01/09/2011):
- Bernard Matthews Farms Ltd
- Binham and Cockthorpe Parish Council
- Kelling Model Flying Club
- Langham Parish Council
- Morston Parish Council
- North Norfolk Historic Buildings Trust
- St. Andrew and St Mary Church, Langham
- The Bluebell
Main unit(s) present:
- No 1 AACU 'K' Flight
- No 1 AACU 'M' Flight
- No 2 Anti-Aircraft Practice Camp
- No 2 APC
- No 2 CAACU
- No 3 (Coastal) OTU
- No 24 ACHU
- No 254 Sqn
- No 280 Sqn
- No 407 Sqn
- No 455 Sqn
- No 489 Sqn
- No 521 Sqn
- No 524 Sqn
- No 612 Sqn
- No 819 Sqn
- No 827 Sqn
- No 1402 Met Flight
- No 1561 Met Flight
- No 1562 Met Flight
- No 1611 (AAC) Flight
- No 1612 (AAC) Flight
- No 1626 (AAC) Flight
- No 2705 Sqn RAF Regiment
- No 2731 Sqn RAF Regiment
- No 2765 Sqn RAF Regiment
- No 2776 Sqn RAF Regiment
- No 2802 Sqn RAF Regiment
- No 2809 Sqn RAF Regiment
- No 2820 Sqn RAF Regiment
- No 2848 Sqn RAF Regiment
- No 4044 Anti-Aircraft Flight RAF Regiment
- No 4054 Anti-Aircraft Flight RAF Regiment
- No 4149 Anti-Aircraft Flight RAF Regiment
- Coastal Command Fighter Affiliation Training Unit
Photographs and video from the unveiling of the ABCT memorial marker on 26 February 2011:
![001IWM (MH 6837).jpg](/media/2717/iwm-mh-6837.jpg)
Bristol Beaufighter of No 455 Squadron RAAF, about to depart from Langham on an anti-shipping strike. © IWM MH 6837
![002IWM (MH 6451).jpg](/media/2715/iwm-mh-6451.jpg)
A Bristol Beaufighter of No 455 Squadron RAAF at Langham in the Second World War. © IWM (MH 6451)
![003IWM (MH 6449).jpg](/media/2714/iwm-mh-6449.jpg)
A Bristol Beaufighter of No 489 Squadron RNZAF, setting out from Langham on an anti-shipping strike during the Second World War. © IWM (MH 6449)
![004IWM (CE 158).jpg](/media/2716/iwm-ce-158.jpg)
A Bristol Beaufighter crash landed at Langham after being damaged on an attack on shipping in the harbour of Marsdiep, Holland, 12 September 1944. © IWM (CE 158)
![009Balloon Filling Hut - 26 February 2011.png](/media/6368/balloon-filling-hut-26-february-2011.png)
Balloon Filling Hut at Langham, 26 February 2011. © Richard Flagg
![010Battle Headquarters - 15 March 2011.png](/media/6367/battle-headquarters-15-march-2011.png)
Battle Headquarters at Langham, 15 March 2011. © Richard Flagg
![011Floodlight Tractor & Trailer Shed - 15 March 2011.png](/media/6364/floodlight-tractor-trailer-shed-15-march-2011.png)
Floodlight Tractor and Trailer Shed at Langham, 15 March 2011. © Richard Flagg
![012Night Flying Equipment Store - 1 August 2011.png](/media/6365/night-flying-equipment-store-1-august-2011.png)
Night Flying Equipment Store at Langham, 1 August 2011. © Richard Flagg
![013Taxiway at the east of the airfield. Looking east from Cockthorpe Road - 15 October 2011.png](/media/6360/taxiway-at-the-east-of-the-airfield-looking-east-from-cockthorpe-road-15-october-2011.png)
Taxiway at the east of the airfield, looking east from Cockthorpe Road, 15 October 2011. © Richard Flagg
![014Runway 07:25. Looking north east from the runway 02:20 intersection - 15 October 2011.png](/media/6362/runway-07-25-looking-north-east-from-the-runway-02-20-intersection-15-october-2011.png)
Runway 07:25, looking north east from the runway 02:20 intersection, 15 October 2011. © Richard Flagg
![015Control Tower : Watch Office- 15 October 2011.png](/media/6363/control-tower-watch-office-15-october-2011.png)
The control tower at Langham, 15 October 2011. © Richard Flagg
![017geograph-4038555-by-Evelyn-Simak.jpg](/media/2713/geograph-4038555-by-evelyn-simak.jpg)
Looking along the perimeter track at Langham, 22 June 2014. © Evelyn Simak and licensed for reuse under this Creative Commons Licence
![018Runway 07:25. Looking south west from the runway 02:20 intersection - 30 June 2015.png](/media/6358/runway-07-25-looking-south-west-from-the-runway-02-20-intersection-30-june-2015.png)
Runway 07:25, looking south west from the runway 02:20 intersection, 30 June 2015. © Richard Flagg
![019Runway 02:20. Looking south from the runway 07:25 intersection - 30 June 2015.png](/media/6359/runway-02-20-looking-south-from-the-runway-07-25-intersection-30-june-2015.png)
Runway 02:20, looking south from the runway 07:25 intersection, 30 June 2015. © Richard Flagg
![022Aerial View of RAF Langham Airfield - 25 September 2016.png](/media/6361/aerial-view-of-raf-langham-airfield-25-september-2016.png)
Aerial view of Langham, 25 September 2016. © Richard Flagg
![023Aerial View of RAF Langham Airfield 2 - 25 September 2016.png](/media/6366/aerial-view-of-raf-langham-airfield-2-25-september-2016.png)
Aerial view Langham, 25 September 2016. © Richard Flagg
Footage of Langham, July 1944. Courtesy of Martin Barrett
Aerial footage of Langham. Courtesy of MalcolmSpringett
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