|
Early days: Martlesham and Mildenhall
Prior
to World War II, Suffolk was not particularly noted in the field
of aviation. There were a few civil aerodromes, while military airfields
were few and far between.
Probably,
the most important airfield in Suffolk during the 1930s was at Martlesham
Heath, which was responsible for the development of RAF warplanes
and their armaments.
Probably, the most important airfield in Suffolk during the
1930s was at Martlesham Heath  |
| |
In
1939, RAF Mildenhall was in use in the west of the county by RAF
Bomber Command, based there were the then new Wellington Bombers.
Most
airfields did not have concrete runways, Newmarket Heath, a Wellington
station, being typical with good drainage providing useable runways
even during the winter, when mud became a feature of many British
airfields.
The US arrives: preparing for war
It
was events far away in the Pacific Ocean which was to have a most
dramatic effect on England’s most easterly county. In December 1941
the Japanese Naval Air Arm attacked US Navy and Army bases at Pearl
Harbour and brought the United States into the war.
|
Suffolk villages with little known names were soon to become
known across the world |
|
|
Immediately
plans were put in place for American forces to be moved to the UK.
The
United States Army Air Force (USAAF) wanted bases which would place
their long-range bombers as close to Germany as possible and more
importantly the fighters which would give them protection from the
Luftwaffe’s fighters.
With
the USAAF on the way, concrete runways and taxi-ways began appearing
all over Suffolk. Many farms and country houses were bulldozed to
make way for the US air armada.
Our
villages made famous
Suffolk
villages with little known names were soon to become known across
the world. Bungay, Parham, Leiston and Holton to name a few, were
to become household names during the war and for long after.
In
1942 the USAAF arrived bringing B-17 Flying Fortress and B-24 Liberator
Bombers along with their ‘little friends’ P-38 Lightning, P-47 Thunderbolt
and P-51 Mustang fighters.
Most
of the American pilots had learned to fly in Texas or Arizona where
clouds and poor visibility were almost unheard of and where airfields
were massive.
"Airfields
the size of a dime!"
England
was a big shock for them, more than half the time the visibility
was less than five miles and the clouds were often below 1,000 feet!
One
young American flyer commented: "The airfields are the size of a
dime!"
Training
accidents were common and many lost their lives in Suffolk fields.
It was decided by the allies that 24-hour bombing would bring the
enemy war machine to its knees.
The
RAF would bomb by night while the USAAF would bomb by day. The RAF
operating from stations in the west of Suffolk would depart for
Germany at sunset, as they returned after a night amidst flak and
night fighters, the Americans would take-off and form up in large
formations off the Suffolk coast before heading East.
|
The RAF would bomb by night while the USAAF would bomb by day
|
|
|
In
theory the American bombers were protected by their numbers, tight
formations and heavy firepower from 0.5 inch guns but in reality,
cannon-armed Luftwaffe fighters flown by veteran pilots took a terrible
toll.
"Little
fields of America"
For
many of the young Americans, the "little fields of Suffolk" soon
became "the little fields of America" and after returning to them
the required number of times after completing a mission they were
the passport back home to the USA. But sadly
for many, there was to be no return.
After
VE Day in 1945 the USAAF departed as quickly as they had arrived.
Many of their airfields became ghostly reminders of the past.
More
about Suffolk's part in the Cold War »
|
