RAF Stradishall
RAF Stradishall  | |||||||||||||||||||
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 Latin: Vires de caelo ("Might from the sky") | |||||||||||||||||||
 Aerial view in 1945 | |||||||||||||||||||
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| Summary | |||||||||||||||||||
| Airport type | Military | ||||||||||||||||||
| Owner | Ministry of Defence | ||||||||||||||||||
| Operator | Royal Air Force | ||||||||||||||||||
| Location | Stradishall, Suffolk | ||||||||||||||||||
| Built | 1937 (1937) | ||||||||||||||||||
| In use | 1938-1970 (1970) | ||||||||||||||||||
| Elevation AMSL | 381 ft / 116 m | ||||||||||||||||||
| Coordinates | 52°08′06″N 000°30′51″E / 52.13500°N 0.51417°E / 52.13500; 0.51417Coordinates: 52°08′06″N 000°30′51″E / 52.13500°N 0.51417°E / 52.13500; 0.51417 | ||||||||||||||||||
| Map | |||||||||||||||||||
  RAF Stradishall Location in Suffolk | |||||||||||||||||||
Runways | |||||||||||||||||||
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Royal Air Force Stradishall or more simply RAF Stradishall is a former Royal Air Force station located 4.7 miles (7.6 km) north east of Haverhill, Suffolk and 9 miles (14 km) south west of Bury St Edmunds, Suffolk, England.
Contents
1 History
2 Current use
3 References
3.1 Citations
3.2 Bibliography
4 External links
History
In his memoirs[1], Murray Peden, a Royal Canadian Air Force pilot, recounts his training at Stradishall. In the RAF's "heavy conversion unit" at the airfield, he and others were trained to fly four engine Stirlings. He describes in detail his experiences flying there, and the life on the ground of aircrew who were shortly to begin operations over Germany in Bomber Command.
The airfield was home to a number of squadrons during its lifetime:
No. 1 Squadron RAF,[2]No. 9 Squadron RAF,[3]No. 35 Squadron RAF,[4]No. 51 Squadron RAF,[5]No. 54 Squadron RAF,[6]No. 75 Squadron RAF,[7]No. 85 Squadron RAF,[8]No. 89 Squadron RAF.[8]
No. 101 Squadron RAF,[9]No. 109 Squadron RAF,[10]No. 115 Squadron RAF,[11]No. 125 Squadron RAF,[12]No. 138 Squadron RAF,[13]No. 148 Squadron RAF,[14]No. 149 Squadron RAF,[14]No. 150 Squadron RAF,[14]No. 152 Squadron RAF,[15]No. 158 Squadron RAF,[15]No. 186 Squadron RAF.[16]
No. 207 Squadron RAF,[17]No. 208 Squadron RAF,[17]No. 214 Squadron RAF,[18]No. 215 Squadron RAF,[18]No. 236 Squadron RAF,[19]No. 245 Squadron RAF,[20]No. 254 Squadron RAF,[21]No. 263 Squadron RAF.[22]
No. 311 Squadron RAF.[23]
214 Squadron Wellington being repaired and overhauled at RAF Stradishall
Current use
The airfield closed in 1970 and is now the site of two category C prisons: HMP Highpoint North and HMP Highpoint South. Part of the former airfield remains a Ministry of Defence training site which is not accessible to the public.
The airfield has been sold to a private buyer to be converted into farm land and is out of bounds to the public.
There is a memorial to RAF Stradishall outside Stirling House which was once part of the officers quarters and is now a training unit for the Prison service.
References
Citations
^ Peden, Murray, "A Thousand Shall Fall," Dundurn (April 1 2003)
^ Jefford 1988, p. 23.
^ Jefford 1988, p. 27.
^ Jefford 1988, p. 37.
^ Jefford 1988, p. 41.
^ Jefford 1988, p. 42.
^ Jefford 1988, p. 48.
^ ab Jefford 1988, p. 51.
^ Jefford 1988, p. 54.
^ Jefford 1988, p. 55.
^ Jefford 1988, p. 57.
^ Jefford 1988, p. 58.
^ Jefford 1988, p. 60.
^ abc Jefford 1988, p. 62.
^ ab Jefford 1988, p. 63.
^ Jefford 1988, p. 66.
^ ab Jefford 1988, p. 69.
^ ab Jefford 1988, p. 71.
^ Jefford 1988, p. 75.
^ Jefford 1988, p. 77.
^ Jefford 1988, p. 79.
^ Jefford 1988, p. 80.
^ Jefford 1988, p. 85.
Bibliography
- Jefford, C.G, MBE,BA ,RAF (Retd). RAF Squadrons, a Comprehensive Record of the Movement and Equipment of all RAF Squadrons and their Antecedents since 1912. Shrewsbury, Shropshire, UK: Airlife Publishing, 1988. .mw-parser-output cite.citationfont-style:inherit.mw-parser-output .citation qquotes:"""""""'""'".mw-parser-output .citation .cs1-lock-free abackground:url("//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/6/65/Lock-green.svg/9px-Lock-green.svg.png")no-repeat;background-position:right .1em center.mw-parser-output .citation .cs1-lock-limited a,.mw-parser-output .citation .cs1-lock-registration abackground:url("//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/d/d6/Lock-gray-alt-2.svg/9px-Lock-gray-alt-2.svg.png")no-repeat;background-position:right .1em center.mw-parser-output .citation .cs1-lock-subscription abackground:url("//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/a/aa/Lock-red-alt-2.svg/9px-Lock-red-alt-2.svg.png")no-repeat;background-position:right .1em center.mw-parser-output .cs1-subscription,.mw-parser-output .cs1-registrationcolor:#555.mw-parser-output .cs1-subscription span,.mw-parser-output .cs1-registration spanborder-bottom:1px dotted;cursor:help.mw-parser-output .cs1-ws-icon abackground:url("//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/4/4c/Wikisource-logo.svg/12px-Wikisource-logo.svg.png")no-repeat;background-position:right .1em center.mw-parser-output code.cs1-codecolor:inherit;background:inherit;border:inherit;padding:inherit.mw-parser-output .cs1-hidden-errordisplay:none;font-size:100%.mw-parser-output .cs1-visible-errorfont-size:100%.mw-parser-output .cs1-maintdisplay:none;color:#33aa33;margin-left:0.3em.mw-parser-output .cs1-subscription,.mw-parser-output .cs1-registration,.mw-parser-output .cs1-formatfont-size:95%.mw-parser-output .cs1-kern-left,.mw-parser-output .cs1-kern-wl-leftpadding-left:0.2em.mw-parser-output .cs1-kern-right,.mw-parser-output .cs1-kern-wl-rightpadding-right:0.2em
ISBN 1-84037-141-2.
External links
 | Wikimedia Commons has media related to RAF Stradishall. |
- History of Bomber Command
- Unit details
- RAF Stradishall
- RAF Stradishall history
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