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Great
Ashfield
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Great
Ashfield control tower hiding behind an unknown soldier sitting astride
a 2,000lb GP bomb c.1944 (©
USAF via Adam Smith)
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Great
Ashfield airfield
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Airfield Today:
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Agriculture
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Tower Type:
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Watch Office for Bomber
Satellite and OTU's, 13726/41
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Tower:
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Demolished
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Other
Buildings:
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Very
few
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History:
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05/43, 1651 Conversion Unit with Short Stirlings.  26/06/43
to 08/45, 548th, 549th, 550th and 551st Bombardment Squadrons of the 385th
Bombardment Group (H), 'Vans Valiant's' (named after first Group CO Col.
Elliott Vandevanter) with B-17 Flying Fortress bombers. First mission
17/07/43, last mission 20/04/45, flew 296 missions losing 129 B-17's in
action. The Group won two Distinguished Unit Citations and was the last
Group to be shot at in May 1945, returned to the USA. 10/45 to 03/57,
No. 94 Maintenance Unit bomb storage, airfield sold 1960. |
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Great
Ashfield
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Great
Ashfield Airdrome welcome sign, thought to have survived post-war - anyone
know where it is today? c.1945
(© via Robert Dyball)
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RAF Station
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Airfield:
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Operational Bomber
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Opened:
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03/43
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Closed:
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07/45
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ID Code:
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??
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USAAF Station:
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155
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Runways:
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3x - concrete, wood
chips
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Hangars:
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2x - T2
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County:
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Suffolk
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Location:
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10 miles E of Bury St
Edmunds
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OS Ref:
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TM010663
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Links:
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©:
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All
photographs copyright ©
as stated
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Great Ashfield - 385th BG 'Van's Valiants' -
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It
was a big sign! c.1945 (©
USAF)
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Roof
of the control tower c.1945 (©
USAF)
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c.1944
(© USAF via Adam Smith)
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RAF
Great Ashfield airfield
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A
few scattered buildings are all that now remains... 2002
(© Bill Daysh)
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RAF
Great Ashfield airfield
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RAF
Great Ashfield airfield + control tower = www.controltowers.co.uk ©
robert truman 2002 - Great Ashfield -
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