RAF Sedgeford was a

Royal Air Force The Royal Air Force (RAF) is the Air force, air and space force of the United Kingdom, British Overseas Territories and Crown Dependencies. It was formed towards the end of the World War I, First World War on 1 April 1918, on the merger of t ...

airfield, located approximately 15 miles north-northeast of

King's Lynn King's Lynn, known until 1537 as Bishop's Lynn and colloquially as Lynn, is a port and market town in the borough of King's Lynn and West Norfolk in the county of Norfolk, England. It is north-east of Peterborough, north-north-east of Cambridg ...

, in the county of

Norfolk Norfolk ( ) is a Ceremonial counties of England, ceremonial county in England, located in East Anglia and officially part of the East of England region. It borders Lincolnshire and The Wash to the north-west, the North Sea to the north and eas ...

, East Anglia.

History

RAF Sedgeford was used as an airfield in the

First World War World War I or the First World War (28 July 1914 – 11 November 1918), also known as the Great War, was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War I, Allies (or Entente) and the Central Powers. Fighting to ...

, as a satellite airfield (officially called "Night Landing Grounds") of RAF Great Yarmouth.

First World War

During the First World War, the airfield was used for home defence duties, and was initially attached to the

Royal Navy The Royal Navy (RN) is the naval warfare force of the United Kingdom. It is a component of His Majesty's Naval Service, and its officers hold their commissions from the King of the United Kingdom, King. Although warships were used by Kingdom ...

. By 1916, the

Royal Flying Corps The Royal Flying Corps (RFC) was the air arm of the British Army before and during the First World War until it merged with the Royal Naval Air Service on 1 April 1918 to form the Royal Air Force. During the early part of the war, the RFC sup ...

, a precursor to the current Royal Air Force, took over the facilities. After the conclusion of the war, RAF Sedgeford was abandoned around 1919 to 1920. ;Units * No. 3 Fighting School RAF between 21 September 1918 and 14 March 1919, became No. 7 Training Squadron RAF, disbanded during October 1919. * No. 9 Training Squadron RAF between 10 January and August 1918 *

No. 13 Squadron RAF Number 13 Squadron, also written as XIII Squadron, is a squadron of the Royal Air Force which operate the General Atomics MQ-9A Reaper unmanned aerial vehicle from RAF Waddington since reforming on 26 October 2012. The unit first formed as pa ...

between 27 March and 31 December 1919 when the squadron was disbanded. *

24th Aero Squadron The 24th Aero Squadron was a United States Army Air Service unit that fought on the Western Front (World War I), Western Front during World War I. The squadron was assigned as an Army Observation Squadron, performing long-range, strategic reconn ...

during 1918 * No. 45 Squadron RFC between 21 May and 12 October 1916 with the

Martinsyde S.1 The Martin-Handasyde Scout 1 was a British biplane aircraft of the early part of the First World War built by Martin-Handasyde Limited. Design and development It was a single-seat biplane with a Gnome engine in tractor configuration. An unusua ...

, Royal Aircraft Factory B.E.2C,

Bristol Scout The Bristol Scout was a single-seat rotary-engined biplane originally designed as a racing aircraft. Like similar fast, light aircraft of the period it was used by the RNAS and the RFC as a "scout", or fast reconnaissance type. It was one o ...

Royal Aircraft Factory F.E.2 Between 1911 and 1914, the Royal Aircraft Factory used the F.E.2 ("Farman Experimental 2") designation for three quite different aircraft that shared only a common "Farman" pusher biplane layout. The third "F.E.2" type was operated as a day a ...

B, Henry Farman F.20 &

Sopwith 1½ Strutter The Sopwith Strutter is a British single- or two-seat Multirole combat aircraft, multi-role biplane aircraft of the First World War.Lake 2002, p. 40. It was the first British two-seat tractor configuration, tractor fighter and the first Briti ...

. * No. 53 Reserve Squadron RFC formed here on 1 February 1917, staying until 14 February 1917. * No. 64 Squadron RFC formed here on 1 August 1916, staying until 14 October 1917. It operated the F.20, B.E.2C, F.E.2B,

Sopwith Pup The Sopwith Pup is a British single-seater biplane fighter aircraft built by the Sopwith Aviation Company. It entered service with the Royal Naval Air Service and the Royal Flying Corps in the autumn of 1916. With pleasant flying characteristi ...

Avro 504 The Avro 504 is a single-engine biplane bomber made by the Avro, Avro aircraft company and under licence by others. Production during World War I totalled 8,970 and continued for almost 20 years, making it the most-produced aircraft of any kind ...

& Airco DH.5 * No. 65 Reserve Squadron RFC between 10 and 31 May 1917 became No. 65 Training Squadron RFC between 31 May and 25 November 1917 * No. 72 Squadron RFC between 1 November and 25 December 1917 with the 504 and Pup * No. 87 Squadron RFC between 15 September and 19 December 1917 with various aircraft * No. 110 Squadron RAF between 26 November 1917 and 15 June 1918 with various aircraft * No. 122 Squadron RAF formed here on 1 January 1918, operated various aircraft and was disbanded here on 17 August 1918

Second World War

RAF Sedgeford was reused during the

Second World War World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...

, when it was classified as a 'Q-type' and 'K-type' bombing decoy. The buildings and hangars on site made it a dummy airfield, which prevented nearby, functional airfields from being bombed by enemy bombers. At night, the airfield was lit up to look like an active airfield in order to trick the enemy. Official records recorded RAF Sedgeford to be in operation from June 1940 to August 1942.

Present state

Smaller buildings, dating back to the First World War, survive, as does an air raid shelter that was built during the Second World War.

References

Citations

Bibliography

* *{{cite book , last1=Sturtivant, first1=Ray, last2=Hamlin, first2=John, title=Royal Air Force flying training and support units since 1912 , year=2007 , publisher= Air-Britain (Historians), location=

Tonbridge Tonbridge ( ) (historic spelling ''Tunbridge'') is a market town in Kent, England, on the River Medway, north of Royal Tunbridge Wells, south west of Maidstone and south east of London. In the administrative borough of Tonbridge and Mall ...

, UK, isbn=978-0851-3036-59

External links

Approximate location of RAF Sedgeford

Sedgeford Sedgeford is a village and civil parish in the English county of Norfolk, about 5 miles south of the North Sea and east of the Wash. It is 36 miles northwest of Norwich. Its area of had a population, including Fring, of 613 at the 2011 Ce ...