Snettisham Heath
SNETTISHAM HEATH: Military airstrip
Military user: USAAF (United States Army Air Force)
Note: Strip used for liaison with USAAF command HQs
Location: Near to the coast and W of Snettisham village on the A149, 4nm S to SSE of Hunstanton
Period of operation: Probably 1943 to 1944?
NOTES: A bit of research reveals that in early WW2 the RAF established a gunnery range here. However, in 1943 the U.S. 8th Air Force took over with a Provisional Gunnery School, apparently only for Boeing B-17 Fortress air-gunners.
Officers it seems used requisitioned bungalows and chalets on the beach front, and the gunners lived under canvas on the Diglea holiday camp site.
It cannot be proved I'm sure, but it does appear that virtually all the sites used by U.S. Army forces in WW2 had an airstrip to aid communications. It would certainly make a lot of sense as the road network was woefully inadequate, and often chock a block with convoys of trucks.
Neil Marshall
This comment was written on: 2020-09-14 14:46:07Site of runway to NNW of Snettisham clearly visible on Google Earth
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