RAF's Norfolk Jewel
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feature Celebration of an RAF ‘jewel in the crown’ Fifty years after RAF Bircham Newton closed, the former air station’s long and distinguished service is about to be celebrated in grand style, as Steve Snelling reports. o new arrivals it appeared the former base’s historic significance. wretched in its isolation, “So far as Norfolk is concerned,” he with shabby, wind-blown huts says, “it is a uniquely important airfield. scattered across a sprawling It was opened in the first world war and ridge-top base in a corner of was continuously operational throughout north-west Norfolk that was the inter-war period, for most of which Tlikened to a wasteland. time it was the only RAF airfield in the Almost a century on from those early and county. decidedly unfavourable impressions, the “A lot of airfields, like Coltishall, aspect is much altered and the verdict of Marham and West Raynham, opened prior history altogether more complimentary. to the second world war, and some were Remnants of the former Royal Air Force temporarily open during the first world station perched on high ground in the war, but Bircham was the only one to span parish of Bircham Newton, where the that entire period and went on to give 44 sorry state of the buildings was once bad years of continuous service during which enough to prompt fears of a pneumonia it became arguably the most important epidemic, now stand proud as enduring Coastal Command airfield along the east monuments to a unique record of coast. It was a distinguished service which is about to be “Between the wars, particularly, it celebrated and commemorated afresh. was right at the forefront of aircraft very With its towering barrack blocks, its development. Bircham was a place where iconic guardroom and former officers’ a lot of aircraft were introduced into the important mess, it is a service, where place steeped vital trials were base, a real in aeronautical carried out. It was history spanning a very important almost half a base, a real jewel jewel in the century of war in the crown of the Air Training Corps will be helping us aeronautical development and latterly a and peace. the air force in crown of to relive that historic moment by lowering key Coastal Command base, had also been It was here, in those days.” the RAF ensign just as it was done 50 overtaken by technological advances. the autumn of His enthusiasm the air years ago.” “The coming of the jet age and heavier 1918, that giant, for a base that The sounding of ‘Last Post’ promises bombers changed everything,” says David. biplane bombers remains close to force in to be an emotional moment not just for “For jets you needed concrete runways p r e p a r e d t o his heart is plain the hundreds of spectators expected and Bircham was a grass airfield. There embark on a and is reflected in to be drawn to the former base, but for were still Ansons and Oxfords flying there trailblazing the biggest event those days. the small band of dedicated volunteers when it was acquired for a short time by mission to raid yet planned by the who have devoted years to ensuring a Transport Command, but aircraft were Berlin only to memorial project piece of Norfolk’s aviation history is not rapidly disappearing.” have the mission cancelled by the signing trustees to help keep memories alive of forgotten. Indeed, while David pedalled off to of the armistice. the former air force station. The memorial project was launched in West Raynham and Sculthorpe to gain It was from here, less than 20 years later, Designed to mark the 50th anniversary 2005, following publication of local author inspiration for his own future RAF career that Edward VIII made his first flight as of the base’s closure in December 1962, Peter Gunn’s seminal history of RAF by watching RAF Hunters and Javelins king, travelling to the capital by air with the special open day on September 30 Bircham Newton and David’s own study and US B45s and B66s roar over his head, his brother, the Duke of York and future will honour the history of RAF Bircham of the neighbouring satellite airfield at Bircham ended its days as an air force King George VI, just hours after the death Newton with a range of activities and Docking. training school with a solitary Chipmunk of their father at Sandringham. displays, including, weather-permitting, a Together with former RAF officers, Neil providing a last link to its glory days as a And it was from Bircham Newton that flypast by a Tiger Moth, Hornet Moth and Grant and Brian Hall, David was one of frontline flying base. squadrons of Coastal Command aircraft Chipmunk from Felthorpe Flying Group. the original triumvirate of trustees. Now living near Diss, the former Halton flew countless sorties in defence of a Marshal of the Royal Air Force Sir His ties to one of Norfolk’s most apprentice, who worked as a technician on beleaguered realm during the darkest Michael Beetham, trust patron Sir distinctive former air stations, however, the RAF’s V-bomber nuclear strike force days of the second world war when an Michael Oswald and Andrew Walder, the date back much further. A child of the before becoming an education officer and invasion of the eastern shoreline seemed director of the National Construction second world war, his father served as teaching at air force training schools, imminent. College which now occupies the former a ground crew fitter at Bircham and, has, metaphorically speaking, come full The myriad flying feats which took wing base, are expected to join civic dignitaries following demobilisation, in the late 1940s, circle. from this corner of Norfolk represent and a host of heritage organisations a prefabricated hut on the old Docking A personal aviation odyssey that began an epic saga about which David Jacklin at the ex-RAF station for a celebratory airfield site became his home. in and around Docking has brought him is unusually well-acquainted. A retired afternoon culminating in a re-creation of “It was still then exactly as the air force back to north-west Norfolk as part of squadron leader and chairman of the the original closing ceremony. had left it,” he recalls. “All the buildings a group of like-minded trustees whose Bircham Newton Memorial Project, he “As a symbolic act of remembrance, were there; the control tower, hangar first aim was to establish a heritage grew up on the neighbouring satellite we will be performing a special ‘sunset and Nissen huts.” By then, neighbouring room where the history of his father’s airfield at Docking and is in no doubt about ceremony’,” explains David. “Members of Bircham, once at the forefront of old wartime base could be displayed and 6 EDP Weekend n September 22, 2012 Main picture: saved for future generations. Docking. The result was twin memorials, the run-up to the second world war. Bircham Newton “We wanted to build up an archive which were duly dedicated at the two sites Taken over by the Construction A day to remember Memorial Project of people’s memories, logbooks, in 2006 and 2007. Industry Training Board in the 1960s, Trust chairman ◆ photographs, plans and all sorts of air Five years on and with the trust’s original many of the surviving air force Military vehicles and model aircraft will David Jacklin. force memorabilia,” explains David. objective’s more or less achieved, the work buildings have found new uses, not least feature among the activities planned for the Inset left: Coastal “There had been something in the distant continues to ensure a remarkable history the station’s former wartime operations 50th anniversary event at Bircham Newton. Command past and the CITB-Construction Skills had endures and is more widely recognised. centre which now serves as the college ◆ There will also be music from the Lockheed Hudson some historic photographs and a board “Our main focus now is expand and reception. In acknowledging the great Fakenham Town Band (3-4.30pm) and, of 206 Squadron at featuring all the former commanding improve the heritage room,” says David, debt owed to the CITB, David adds: “We weather-permitting, a flypast by aircraft from Bircham Newton in officers which we inherited, but there who is also seeking to forge closer links have to thank the people at the college the Felthorpe Flying Group (3pm approx). 1940. wasn’t a place where the general public with schools in the area. “It’s a dynamic for maintaining the buildings and Top: Avril ◆ Chairman of the memorial project trustees could visit to view the history of the situation. We are continuously seeking even re-roofing some of them. They’ve MacArthur (in pink) David Jacklin will give an illustrated talk on airfield.” to enhance it and, of course, people are generally kept them in good nick since and Denise ‘Dizzy’ the history of the former RAF air station The gift of pictures from present donating photographs and other pieces of they moved in.” Goff MBE. Avril ◆ (3.15-4pm) occupiers to the trust keen to preserve memorabilia all the time. All of which contrives to make handles the trust’s which will be memories of the site’s past occupants “But we’d like to increase access to the Bircham Newton that rarest of all publicity while followed by has proved merely the beginning of an general public. At the moment, we open relics of a vanished era in Norfolk’s Dizzy is treasurer the ‘sunset enduring and fruitful collaboration.