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BUNGAY AIRFIELD

ALTERNATIVE NAME:

USAAF STATION 125, FLIXTON AIRFIELD, PRISONER OF WAR CAMP 171

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A former Second World War military airfield, with a short period of use asa Prisoner of War camp. The military airfield opened in 1942 after construction by Kirk and Kirk Limited. Bungay Airfield was also known as "Flixton" after a nearby village. The airfield was used by the 8th United States Army Air Force. Initially these were contingents of 310 Bomb Group (428 Squadron) and then of 93 Bomber Group (329th Bomber Squadron). These forces were ingaged in small scale probing of German air defences, using so called "Moling" tactics designed to harass the German air raid warning systems. In 1943 the base was upgraded for use by a whole American Bomber Group, with the construction of more hard standings and hangars. 446 Bomber Group, nicknamed the "Bungay Buckaroos" then undertook many raids on German cities, including Berlin, Kiel, Bremen, Hamburg and Munich. The Americans left in June 1945. Bungay was used for a short time after this as a bomb store by the Royal Air Force and as a prisoner of war camp. By the 1960s part of the site had returned to agriculture but some of the basic concrete layout was said to be still extant in 2000.

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Bungay airfield, Suffolk, TM 323 868. Opened 1942, closed 1945, used by the 8th Army Air Force. By December 1944 the airfield had three concrete and tarmac runways, Two T2 hangars and 50 loop shaped harsstandings. By this time there were 2894 men stationed at the base, with temporary accomodation. Use in 1985 given as "disused". (1)

Bungay airfield opened in 1942 after construction by Kirk and Kirk Limited. Bungay airfield was also known as "Flixton" after a nearby village. The airfield was used by the 8th United States Army Air Force. Initially these were contingents of 310 Bomb Group (428 Squadron) and then of 93 Bomber Group (329th Bomber Squadron). These forces were ingaged in small scale probing of German air defences, using so called "Moling" tactics designed to harass the German air raid warning systems. This involved indivdual aircraft operating deliberatley in bad weather. In 1943 the base was upgraded for use by a whole American Bomber Group, (446 Group) with the construction of more hard standings and hangars. The source contains useful reproductions of wartime photographs, including a Luftwaffe air photograph of Bungay. (2)

From 1943 onwards 446 Bomber Group, nicknamed the "Bungay Buckaroos" undertook many raids on German cities, including Berlin, Kiel, Bremen, Hamburg and Munich. The Americans left in June 1945. Bungay was used for a short time after this as a bomb store by the Royal Air Force. by the 1960s part of the site had returned to agriculture but some of the basic concrete layout was said to be still extant in 2000 when the source was published. (3)

TM 323 868, Airfield, (disused). The 1981 edition of sheet TM 38 NW still shows the core of the airfield layout intact. (4)

A Second World War prisoner of war camp located at Bungay Base Camp (TM 325 866), a former RAF airfield. It could have been in use up until 1948. The camp has since been removed. (5)

SOURCE TEXT

(1) Steve Willis and Barry Holliss 1987 Military airfields in the British Isles 1939-1945

Page(s)35

(2) Roger A Freeman 1978 Airfields of the eighth : then and now

Page(s)45-48

(3) General reference

Bowyer MJF, 2000: "Action Stationd revisited: the complete history of Britain's military airfields: No.1 Eastern England", pp 98-99.

(4) Ordnance Survey Map (Scale / Date)

1:10000, 1981

(5) Prisoner of War Camps (1939-1948) 20th Century Military Recording Project

Page(s)35

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