RAF Bodney

Royal Air Force Bodney or more simply RAF Bodney is a former Royal Air Force Station located 4.5 miles (7.2 km) west of Watton, Norfolk, England.

RAF Bodney USAAF Station 141
Watton, Norfolk in England
Aerial photograph of Bodney airfield, looking north, 18 April 1944
RAF Bodney Location in Norfolk Show map of Norfolk RAF Bodney RAF Bodney (the United Kingdom) Show map of the United Kingdom
Coordinates	52°33′44″N 000°42′48″E
Type	Royal Air Force station
Code	BO[1]
Site information
Owner	Air Ministry
Operator	Royal Air Force[2] United States Army Air Forces
Controlled by	RAF Bomber Command * No. 2 Group RAF (1940-1943) Eighth Air Force (1943-1945)
Site history
Built	1939 (1939)-40
In use	March 1940 - November 1945 (1945)
Battles/wars	European theatre of World War II
Airfield information
Elevation	45 metres (148 ft)[1] AMSL
Runways Direction Length and surface 00/00  Grass 00/00  Grass 00/00  Grass

Originally built as an RAF Bomber Command airfield during 1939-1940, Bodney was transferred to the United States Army Air Forces in the summer of 1943. Placed under the jurisdiction of VIII Fighter Command of Eighth Air Force, it was primarily the home of the 352d Fighter Group, the "Blue Nosed Bastards of Bodney". The unit briefly moved to Belgium in January 1945 due to the Battle of the Bulge, although it returned in April. It was closed after the 352d returned to the United States in November.^[3]

History

Royal Air Force use

Initially it was used by aircraft of No. 21 Squadron RAF and No. 82 Squadron RAF^[4] (No. 2 Group) Bomber Command. They carried operations over France and later the Netherlands and even Norway. Their Bristol Blenheim IVs were joined on occasions by, in May 1941, 90 Squadron evaluating its new Boeing Fortress Mk 1s^[2] some Handley Page Hampdens for mining operations. 90 Squadron suffered heavy casualties and the use of the Fortress I was discontinued. Towards October 1942, the Blenheims were changed to Lockheed Venturas but the squadron moved on to RAF Methwold before the Venturas were operational.^[5] Relief Landing Ground for No. 17 (Pilots) Advanced Flying Unit RAF between January 1942 and May 1943.^[6]

United States Army Air Forces use

Pilots of the 486th Fighter Squadron, 352nd Fighter Group, in front of P-47 Thunderbolt (PZ-R, serial number 42-8412), named "Sweetie" at Bodney air base in March 1944.

A P-51 Mustang (PE-Z, serial number 42-106459) nicknamed " La Riena Peg " of the 352nd Fighter Group at Bodney, April 1944 running on a revetment at Bodney Lt Col E Clark. PE-Z, 42106459 La Riena Peg.'

Lt. Lincoln Delmar Bundy, a North American P-51 Mustang fighter pilot flying from here, was shot down over occupied France on 10 June 1944.^[7] Eluding capture, he joined a mixed group of French resistance fighters and British soldiers in the SAS. Their mission, known as Operation Bulbasket, was sabotage of SS units coming north to oppose the Normandy invasion. The group was ultimately captured, and Bundy, along with the others, was murdered.

USAAF Station Units assigned to RAF Bodney were:^[3]

• 1st Service Group (VIII Air Force Service Command)^[8]

352nd Fighter Group

Ground crew in front of P-51 Mustang (PE-P, serial number 44-14906), named "Cripes A' Mighty" and flown by Major George E. Preddy Jr. of the 328th Fighter Squadron, 352nd Fighter Group. 1944.

Memorial to the 352d Fighter Group at Bodney Airfield.

• 328th Fighter Squadron^[4]
• 486th Fighter Squadron^[4]
• 487th Fighter Squadron^[4]

See also

• United Kingdom portal
• Aviation portal

• List of former Royal Air Force stations

References

 This article incorporates public domain material from the Air Force Historical Research Agency

Citations

1. Falconer 2012, p. 54.
2. "RAF Bodney". Control Towers. Retrieved 26 March 2015.
3. "Bodney". American Air Museum in Britain. Retrieved 1 March 2015.
4. "Bodney". Airfields of Britain Conservation Trust. Retrieved 12 April 2020.
5. Smith 1994, p. 00.
6. Sturtivant, Hamlin & Halley 1997, p. 43.
7. MacIntyre, Ben. Rogue Heroes: the History of the SAS, Britain's Secret Special Forces Unit that Sabotaged the Nazis and Changed the Nature of War. Broadway Books, 2017; see also "Lincoln Delmar Bundy," American Air Museum in Britain. http://www.americanairmuseum.com/person/148807
8. "1st Service Group". American Air Museum in Britain. Retrieved 2 March 2015.

Bibliography

• Falconer, J (2012). RAF Airfields of World War 2. UK: Ian Allan Publishing. ISBN 978-1-85780-349-5.
• Freeman, Roger A. (1978) Airfields of the Eighth: Then and Now. After the Battle ISBN 0-900913-09-6
• Freeman, Roger A. (1991) The Mighty Eighth The Colour Record. Cassell & Co. ISBN 0-304-35708-1
• Maurer, Maurer (1983). Air Force Combat Units Of World War II. Maxwell AFB, Alabama: Office of Air Force History. ISBN 0-89201-092-4.
• Smith, G. Norfolk Airfields in the Second World War. Countryside Books. 1994. ISBN 978-1853063206.
• Sturtivant, R; Hamlin, J; Halley, J (1997). Royal Air Force flying training and support units. UK: Air-Britain (Historians). ISBN 0-85130-252-1.
• mighty8thaf.preller.us Bodney
• 352d Fighter Group on www.littlefriends.co.uk
• USAAS-USAAC-USAAF-USAF Aircraft Serial Numbers--1908 to present

External links

• Photographs of RAF Bodney from the Geograph British Isles project
• The Wartime Memories Project - RAF Bodney
• 352d Fighter Group website
• RAF Bodney photos taken in 2007
• RAF Bodney photo album