Watton
WATTON: Military aerodrome later gliding school
Note: Both of these pictures were obtained from Google Earth ©
By 2018, although much of the infrastructure had gone, such as the disperal areas which make fine hardcore for building projects, the outline of the WW2 aerodrome and runway can still be clearly seen.
Military users: 1939: RAF Bomber Command 2 Group
18, 21 & 82 Sqdns (Bristol Blenheims)
17 (P)AFU, (Miles Masters)
WW2: 8th USAAF 25th Bomb Group
(R) 325th Photo Reconnaissance Wing
652, 653 & 654 Sqdns (Boeing B.17 Flying Fortresses)
1948: RN Air Section (Books of HMS DAEDALUS)
751 Naval Air Squadron
1950s: RAF
90 Signals Group
98 Sqdn (English Electric Canberras)
115, 192 & 360 Squadrons
Army
611 VGS (Volunteer Gliding School)
Flying club/school: 1959 ‘snapshot’. RAF Watton Flying Club
Location: S of B1108, E to NE of A1075, ESE of Whatton, N of Griston, 11nm NNE of Thetford
Period of operation: 1939 to 1978 according to one source but almost certainly used much later for gliding by 611 VGS. See 'Comment' below.
Runway: WW2: 11/29 1829x46 hard
NOTES: By 1944 this aerodrome had just one runway which was most unusual during WW2. Presumably there was a good reason. Does anybody know what this reason was? Also, was WATTON previously an 'all-over' grass airfield?
192 SQUADRON
The history of 192 Squadron is well worth looking into. During WW2 they were employed on counter-intelligence work such as identifying German radar patterns and wavelengths, operating a mix of obsolete and latest types. When the ‘Cold War’ developed the squadron was ‘reformed’ here to undertake similar work such as ELINT (ELectronic Signals INTelligence), duties. I think the mix of types they were given to perform these duties is fascinating. Avro Lincolns, Boeing B.29 Washingtons, English Electric Canberras, Vickers Varsitys and lastly, the DH.106 Comet C.2 (RC). A derivative I’m sure I hadn’t heard of before 2010 but possibly part of the process that culminated in the Nimrod?
EARLY WW2 BOMBER STRENGTH
In Max Hastings most excellent book Bomber Command, he tells us that in September 1939 the average daily availabity of aircraft stood at 280 out of a total strength of 349 - 77 Wellingtons, 61 Whitleys, 71 Hampdens, 140 Blenheims. In those days of course the Fairey Battle was also considered to be viable bomber. This was soon to be proved tragically wrong regarding the Fairey Battle in the 'Battle of France', the Blenheims didn't fair much better, and the bulk of the British Army were totally defeated, ending in the famous evacuation from Dunkerque, (Dunkirk in English), in northern France.
Faced with a vastly superior Luftwaffe, in numbers only it must be said, the defence of Britain then depended entirely on fighters. As it turned out the Junkers Stuka dive-bomber, when attacking England, suffered pretty much the same fate as the Fairey Battle in France. RAF fighters had a hey-day, they were so easy to shoot down.
Put very simply, what the entire Nazi military regime had failed to realise, including Hitler, is that you cannot drive tanks across the English Channel. It's too deep.
The so-called invasion plans never stood a chance, as Hitler and his military advisers soon quickly reliased. But it well suited the British government to keep the myth alive and running. Keep the public fearful.
This said, another myth is that the the majority of people in Britain were patriotic, and supporting the war effort. They certainly were not, at least not those employed in trade unions, which of course were in favour of the Russian regime, and in effect although it seems they perhaps didn't realise it, taking action which in reality supported the Nazi regime.
As Max Hastings points out, "Heavy bomber production was delayed at several critical periods by industrial action. For those who believe that the war was a halcyon era of British unity, it is worth recalling that wartime production lost by strikes in the metal, engineering and shipbuilding industries alone rose from a low of 163,000 days in 1940 to a high of 1,048,000 days in 1944"
Clearly, as the situation became inevitable that the Nazi regime was losing the war, the major trade unions were doing everything they could to help the failing Nazi regime. Needless to say, once the outcome of the war was announced, these people changed their allegiance to the Communist regime in Russia. One has to wonder -why? Without any doubt the British trade unions certainly were not at all interested in protecting their members jobs and interests, so why did so many people support them?
Terry Clark
This comment was written on: 2018-05-01 00:24:24I think the 1978 date refers to the RAF's last powered aircraft (Canberras) leaving Watton because 611 Gliding School continued operating there until 2012. There have been rumours of a 'new' landowner basing a private aircraft there. Additionally after 1978, there remained a Joint Air Traffic Control Radar unit equipped with a Type 82 radar originally designed to detect enemy aircraft which might be attacking the East Anglian Thor ICBM bases (eg Feltwell) and directing the Bloodhound missiles at West Raynham onto them. After the Thor Squadrons were disbanded, Watton and its companions at Lindholme and North Luffenham were too good to dismantle so the radar was used for Air Traffic Control rather than air defence. Eastern Radar, as it came to be known, finally closed in early 1988.
Les Wood
This comment was written on: 2021-04-02 21:42:23192 Squadron was renumbered 51 Squadron in, I think 1957 and continued in Eli the operations. I served on 51 Squadron as a Spec op from 1958 to 1962.
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