RAF Docking
Royal Air Force Station Docking | |
---|---|
Active | July 1940 – 1958 |
Country | United Kingdom |
Branch | Royal Air Force |
Type | Flying station |
Role | Bomber / Coastal Command |
Based near | Norwich, Norfolk, England |
Royal Air Force Ensign |
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March | Royal Air Force March Past |
Equipment |
Avro Anson, Airspeed Oxford, Gloster Gladiator, Bristol Beaufighter, Vickers Wellington, Lockheed Hudson, Lockheed Ventura Supermarine Spitfire, Hawker Hurricane |
RAF Docking was a RAF Station of the Second World War a few miles from Bircham Newton in Norfolk.
It was a satellite airfield for the RAF Coastal Command station at RAF Bircham Newton and was mostly used for overflow from there.
A grass airfield, with eight blister hangars and one A1 hangar, was laid out soon after the outbreak of war and the first squadron to operate from there was No. 235 Squadron RAF using Bristol Blenheims for convoy escort and anti-shipping operations in the North Sea. These were then replaced by the Lockheed Hudson.
A meteorological observation unit No. 405 Flight of Bomber Command was set up as part of the effort to gain important weather information. When Coastal Command took over all the meteorological units this became No. 1401 (Met) Flight and received a greater variety of aircraft. As well as Blenheims it operated Spitfires, Gloster Gladiator biplanes and Hawker Hurricanes. These aircraft were all used to take measurements of temperature nd humidity; from 40,000 ft downwards in precise areas. In August 1942 the Flight was made into a Squadron - No. 521 - with Hudsons Hampdens, Mosquitos and Venturas. The squadron's Mosquitos would operate deep into occupied Europe to take measurements over target areas; known as "PAMPA". In 1944 the squadron moved to the other satellite for Bircham Newton, RAF Langham
Docking aircraft
Several types of aircraft have operated out of Docking, among these:
- Avro Anson
- Airspeed Oxford
- Gloster Gladiator
- Bristol Beaufighter
- Vickers Wellington
- Lockheed Hudson
- Lockheed Ventura
- Supermarine Spitfire
- Hawker Hurricane
Docking Squadrons
- No. 206 Squadron RCAF
- No. 235 Squadron RAF
- No. 500 Squadron RAF
- No. 407 Squadron RCAF
- No. 320 Squadron RAF
- No. 415 Squadron RCAF
- No. 521 Squadron RAF
See also
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Wikimedia Commons has media related to Royal Air Force. |
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Wikimedia Commons has media related to Aircraft of the air force of the United Kingdom. |
- Royal Air Force station
- List of former Royal Air Force stations
- List of Royal Air Force aircraft squadrons
References
- Norfolk Airfields in the Second World War Graham Smith, Countryside Books, 1997.
- Control Towers - RAF Docking
- Airfield Archeology - RAF Docking
- Bircham Newton Memorial Project