Halesworth flying sites
Note: This map gives the location of the WW2 airfield.
HALESWORTH: Temporary Landing Ground?
NOTES: In 1928 it appears that members of the Suffolk and Eastern Counties Aeroplane Club arranged a visit to Halesworth. Does anybody know if this was a ‘one off’ visit, or perhaps a regularly used site, and of course, the location used?
And indeed, as is often the case, did the site used during the 1930s later become the WW2 airfield listed below?
HALESWORTH: Military aerodrome
Note: This picture (2017) was obtained from Google Earth ©
Another example of just how clearly the layout of this airfield can still be seen seventy years later.
Military users: 8th USAAF
5th Emergency Rescue Sqdn (Consolidated PBY-5 Catalinas)
Location: W of A144 7nm W of Southwold
Period of operation: 1942 to 1946
Runways: 06/24 1829x46 hard 01/19 1280x46 hard
11/29 1280x46 hard
NOTES: Amongst advice given to pilots in WW2 regarding landmarks to find this aerodrome was the River Blythe by moonlight. I now wonder how many pilots found this advice useful? Quite a few I expect.
My night flying experience is very limited, but on a clear night it is quite remarkable how easy it is to navigate due to many major roads and towns showing up really well as they are so well lit. In WW2 of course, with total black-out conditions in place, the situation was entirely more difficult.
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