Bircham Newton
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"Often claimed to be the best preserved disused airfield in Britain, Bircham Newton’s current owner the CITB highlights the enormous subtle effects our airfields have upon everyday life as every construction worker in England, Scotland and Wales receives training here. Handley Page V/1500 bombers also intended to take off from Bircham Newton on 9 November 1918 to mount an audacious bombing raid upon Berlin, well over twenty years before RAF Bomber Command actually achieved this feat. But bad weather stopped these biplanes from taking off for 48 hours, by which time the Armistice had been declared to end fighting.
"| Also known as: | Bircham / Bircham Newton Aerodrome / National Construction College (NCC) East / RAF Bircham Newton / RAF Station, Bircham Newton |
| County: | Norfolk |
| Current Status: | Industry (main position) / Museum |
| Date: | May 1918 - 18 December 1962 |
| Current Use: | Disused |
| Used By: | RAF / RAF (Dutch) / FAA / RCAF |
| Landing Surface Types: | Unpaved, later metal |
| Prominent People: | Raymond Collishaw |
| Aircraft Roles: | Air-sea rescue / Anti-aircraft co-operation / Anti-shipping / Bomber (main role) / Communications / Maritime patrol (main role) / Meteorological reconnaissance / Naval aviation / Trainer |
The following organisations are either based at, use and/or have at least potentially significant connections with the airfield (as at 01/09/2011):
- Bagthorpe with Barmer Parish Meeting
- Barwick Parish Meeting
- Bircham Parish Council
- CITB-ConstructionSkills
- Docking Parish Council
- RAF Bircham Newton Memorial Project
- St. Mary's Church, Great Bircham
Main unit(s) present:
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No 1 AACU 'B' Flight
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No 1 AACU 'C' Flight
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No 1 AACU 'D' Flight
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No 1 AACU 'K' Flight
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No 1 AACU 'M' Flight
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No 2 APC
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No 2 General Reconnaissance Unit
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No 3 Fighting School
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No 3 School of Aerial Fighting & Gunnery
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No 5 Comm Sqn
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No 6 Comm Sqn
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No 7 AACU
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No 7 Comm Sqn
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No 7 Sqn
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No 8 Comm Sqn
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No 11 Sqn
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No 18 Sqn
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No 18 (RCAF) ACHU
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No 21 Sqn
- No 22 Sqn
- No 27 (Operations) Group
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No 27 ACHU
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No 32 Sqn
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No 34 Sqn
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No 35 Sqn
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No 39 Sqn
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No 42 Sqn
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No 48 Sqn
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No 49 Sqn
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No 53 Sqn
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No 54 MU
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No 56 Sqn
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No 59 Sqn
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No 60 Sqn
- 86th (Night) Wing
- 87th (Night) Wing
- No 90 Sqn
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No 99 Sqn
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No 101 Sqn
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No 119 Sqn
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No 157 (General Reconnaissance) Wing
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No 166 Sqn
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No 167 Sqn
- No 168 Sqn
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No 200 Sqn
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No 206 Sqn
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No 207 Sqn
- No 217 Sqn
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No 220 Sqn
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No 221 Sqn
- No 229 Sqn
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No 233 Sqn
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No 235 Sqn
- No 236 Sqn
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No 248 Sqn
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No 252 Sqn
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No 254 Sqn
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No 269 Sqn
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No 274 Sqn
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No 279 Sqn
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No 280 Sqn
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No 320 Sqn
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No 401 Met Flight
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No 403 Met Flight
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No 407 Sqn
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No 415 Sqn
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No 500 Sqn
- No 502 Sqn
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No 521 Sqn
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No 524 Sqn
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No 598 Sqn
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No 695 Sqn
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No 811 Sqn
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No 812 Sqn
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No 815 Sqn
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No 816 Sqn
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No 819 Sqn
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No 826 Sqn
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No 855 Sqn
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No 1401 Met Flight
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No 1403 Met Flight
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No 1525 BAT Flight
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No 1555 RAT Flight
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No 1559 RAT Flight
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No 1611 (AAC) Flight
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No 1612 (AAC) Flight
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No 1626 (AAC) Flight
- No 2743 Sqn RAF Regiment
- No 2749 Sqn RAF Regiment
- No 2765 Sqn RAF Regiment
- No 3504 Servicing Unit
- No 4031 Anti-Aircraft Flight RAF Regiment
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Air Crew Allocation Centre
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Air Sea Rescue Training Unit
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Anti-Aircraft Co-operation Unit
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Coastal Command Preparation Pool
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Officers Advanced Training School
- Station Flight, Bircham Newton
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Transport Command Initial Conversion Unit
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Warwick Training Unit
The Guardroom, 15 July 2006.
Mixed period design support buildings now used by the Construction Industry Training Board (CITB), 15 July 2006.
Type C hangar and other facilities forming part of the Construction Industry Training Board (CITB), 15 July 2006.
Type C hangar and other buildings now part of the Construction Industry Training Board (CITB), 15 July 2006.
The control tower at Bircham Newton, 20 May 2007.
Parachute Store at Bircham Newton, 15 March 2008. © Richard Flagg
C Type Aircraft Shed at Bircham Newton, 15 March 2008. © Richard Flagg
Station Headquarters at Bircham Newton, 15 March 2008. © Richard Flagg
The old main stores buildings at Bircham Newton, 15 March 2009. © Richard Flagg
The Central Heating Station at Bircham Newton, 15 March 2009. © Richard Flagg
C Type Aircraft Shed at Bircham Newton, 15 March 2009. © Richard Flagg
Main Workshops at Bircham Newton, 15 March 2009. © Richard Flagg
Bellman Aircraft Shed at Bircham Newton, 15 March 2009. © Richard Flagg
The control tower at Bircham Newton, 15 March 2009. © Richard Flagg
Sergeants Mess at Bircham Newton, 15 March 2009. © Richard Flagg
Observation Post at Bircham Newton, 15 March 2009. © Richard Flagg
Aerial view of Bircham Newton, 15 March 2009. © Richard Flagg
Aerial view of Bircham Newton, 15 March 2009. © Richard Flagg
Battle Headquarters at Bircham Newton, 3 February 2012. © Richard Flagg
Airfield buildings at Bircham Newton, 14 September 2019.
King George V and Queen Mary visit Bircham Newton on Empire Air Day, 1934. Courtesy of British Pathé
A Construction School at Bircham Newton, 1968. Courtesy of British Pathé
An account of John Hurren's National Service at Bircham Newton and Padgate. Courtesy of Shirley2107
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