# Raf Sculthorpe march 2012



## urban phantom (Mar 27, 2012)

Hi all this is part of are norfolk weekend of urbex we didnt no if there was anything left here or not but got a surprise when we rocked up and found it still standing here is some history for you 

SCULTHORPE

Originally built to Class A standard, Sculthorpe was situated between the village of that name and Syderstone to the west, north of the A148 Fakenham to King's Lynn road. Its construction involved the closure of two country roads. The runway lengths were 06-24 at 2,000 yards and 1,400 yards for the two subsidiaries, 00-18 and 13-31. The usual 36 hardstandings were provided, all loops, while the technical area with two T2 hangars lay on the west side of the airfield, with two communal and seven domestic dispersed sites, for 1,773 males and 409 females further to the west. There were two more T2s, one on the southeast side, one between the thresholds of the 24 and 31 runways, and the other on the north-east side between the 18 and 24 runway heads. Bomb stores were south of the technical site. The contractors were Bovis Ltd and Constable Hart & Co. Ltd which had completed the station by October 1943.

The first operational unit to take up residence was No. 342 Squadron, recently formed at West Raynham with French personnel. Flying Bostons, the squadron spent its first weeks at Scunthorpe continuing training and flew its first sorties on June 12, 1943 when three of its Bostons were part of a force sent to attack a power station at Rouen by which time No. 2 Group was no longer part of Bomber Command. The Frenchmen moved to Great Massingham in July, their place being taken by Nos. 464 and 487 Squadrons from Methwold with Venturas. Pleasant aircraft that the Ventura was to fly, it proved far too slow and vulnerable for daylight operations as conducted by No. 2 Group, which began converting both squadrons to Mosquitos at Sculthorpe. They were soon joined by the remaining Ventura squadron - No. 21 - also converted to Mosquitos, commencing operations in October. Sculthorpe was retained by No. 2 Group longer than any of its Norfolk bases, the three squadrons not moving south until the end of the year, although during operations they had used advanced airfields to lessen the distance to their targets. No. 100 Group was the new custodian of Sculthorpe and moved in No. 214 Squadron, which it had gained from No. 3 Group at Downham Market. The squadron's Stirlings gave way to Boeing Fortresses modified for electronic counter-measures with highly secret equipment. The conversion took some weeks and RCM work did not begin in earnest until April 1944. At this juncture, No. 214 was alerted to be ready for another move as Sculthorpe was to be closed for reconstruction.

As far as is known, no aircraft of the squadron or of any other Bomber Command unit were lost in operations flown from this station. The Fortresses left for Oulton in early May and the contractors moved in to turn Sculthorpe into a `Very Heavy Bomber base. All the original runways were torn up, two more country roads closed, and new 300 foot-wide and substantially stronger runways were laid down. The main 00-18 was 3,000 yards long and the others both 2,000 yards. Major reconstruction work was not completed before the end of the war and thereafter some facilities still had to be finished. Not until 1949 was the airfield brought back into regular use when B-29 Superfortresses (for which the wartime restructuring was carried out) arrived to counter the Berlin crisis threat. Thereafter, Sculthorpe was used for three years for temporary duty assignments by the USAF Strategic Air Command with a succession of B-29 and B-50 units resident, usually for three months at a time. The USAF formerly took over the station as tenant in January 1951 and a substantial building programme took place over the next few years, providing both service and domestic accommodation.

In May 1952, the 47th Bomb Wing arrived as a true resident with B-45 Tornado tactical bombers. The three squadrons of the group were joined by a fourth flying the RB-45 reconnaissance version in 1954. Conversion to B-66 and RB-66 Destroyers took place in 1958 but as tactical fighters were by then able to perform the NATO mission more economically, the wing was inactivated in June 1962. Thereafter Sculthorpe became a standby base occasional hosting visiting USAF units particularly during exercises.

The USAF withdrew and the base closed at the end of 1992. The housing, mostly bungalows, built for USAF personnel, and now known as Wicken Green Village, was sold in the mid-1990s.

now for some pics




raf sculthorpe 027 by urban phantom, on Flickr




raf sculthorpe 035 by urban phantom, on Flickr




raf sculthorpe 031 by urban phantom, on Flickr




raf sculthorpe 022 by urban phantom, on Flickr




raf sculthorpe 015 by urban phantom, on Flickr




raf sculthorpe 019 by urban phantom, on Flickr




raf sculthorpe 002 by urban phantom, on Flickr




raf sculthorpe 003 by urban phantom, on Flickr




raf sculthorpe 024 by urban phantom, on Flickr




raf sculthorpe 032 by urban phantom, on Flickr




raf sculthorpe 005 by urban phantom, on Flickr




raf sculthorpe 004 by urban phantom, on Flickr




raf sculthorpe 001 by urban phantom, on Flickr

thanks for looking all comments welcome


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## flyboys90 (Mar 27, 2012)

That looked like a great day out,thanks for sharing.


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## urban phantom (Mar 27, 2012)

flyboys90 said:


> That looked like a great day out,thanks for sharing.




its still worth a look


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## paulpdh007 (Apr 7, 2012)

These gave me the creeps, went yesterday. 






RAF Sculthorpe by paulpdh, on Flickr




RAF Sculthorpe by paulpdh, on Flickr


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## urban phantom (Apr 7, 2012)

verry nice mate its not a bad explore


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## paulpdh007 (Apr 7, 2012)

Yeah it was good, I wanted to get onto the airfield, but no farmers were working, so couldn't ask. It was also pretty well secured. I really wanted to go to the tower.


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## urban phantom (Apr 7, 2012)

that is still owned by the mod and used about twice a week training


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## paulpdh007 (Apr 7, 2012)

ok thanks for the info, glad I didn't jump the fence then! I see others have made it to the tower. Lots of farm vehicles on that site, lots of electric fencing too.


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## urban phantom (Apr 7, 2012)

ive seen reports on this and i no the electric fence still works i gave it a miss


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## hydealfred (Apr 7, 2012)

Interesting report - thanks for posting.


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## urban phantom (Apr 7, 2012)

Thanks mate


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## AntoniC (Apr 8, 2012)

I actually lived here from 1967 to 1968 , as my father was stationed here with the RAF.

Thanks for the pictures !.


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## urban phantom (Apr 8, 2012)

Thanks mate it must be hard to see the place now


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## AntoniC (Apr 8, 2012)

Not really as I was only 1 when I lived there and so cant remember anything !


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## Black Shuck (Apr 8, 2012)

Nice work Phantom. I've been here a few times and it always delivers. This was the biggest American Base in the UK at one point. There were over 10,000 yanks stationed here.....[ame]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K7H8QghVs9k[/ame]


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## urban phantom (Apr 8, 2012)

thanks mate this video clip is good its a shame you dont get to see more of the buildings


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## urban phantom (Apr 8, 2012)

AntoniC said:


> Not really as I was only 1 when I lived there and so cant remember anything !



thats a shame i bet it was quite a place then


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## SeffyboyUK (Apr 8, 2012)

Very nice shots of the place mate.


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## urban phantom (Apr 9, 2012)

Thanks mate


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## Maddie220790 (Apr 9, 2012)

Fabulous photos! Would love to go and take a look!


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## Flexible (Apr 9, 2012)

I always enjoy this and WR. Thanks for posting, for those of us who don't quite live near enough to have a look ourselves!


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## urban phantom (Apr 9, 2012)

Maddie220790 said:


> Fabulous photos! Would love to go and take a look!



Many thanks mate


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## urban phantom (Apr 9, 2012)

Flexible said:


> I always enjoy this and WR. Thanks for posting, for those of us who don't quite live near enough to have a look ourselves!



Thanks mate were going back w r this summer still lots to do we didnt make the other tower its a must


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