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Leiston
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1944
(© USAAF)
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Leiston
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 all
Commands 12779/41, front window size reduced to 343/43
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Tower:
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Demolished
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Other
Buildings:
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Not
known
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History:
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11/43 to 1/44, 358th Fighter Group with P-47 Thunderbolts from Goxhill,
flew 17 combat missions before transferring to the 9th USAAF at Raydon.1/44 to 7/45, 362nd, 363rd and 364th Fighter Squadrons of the 357th Fighter Group 'The Yoxford Boys', 'Fighters for Victory', the first P-51 Mustang equipped unit of the 8th Air Force, moved here from Raydon. 11/2/44, First P-51B mission flown to Rouen. Flew 313 missions and pilots included Bud Anderson, Kit Carson and Chuck Yeager, moved to Germany as part of the Allied occupation forces.  10/45 to /53,
became No. 18 Recruit Centre, Technical Training Command, airfield sold
1965. |
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P-51K
Mustang 'Nooky Booky IV' flown by Major Carson of the 362nd FS, 357th
FG 1945 (©
USAAF)
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RAF and USAAF Station
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Airfield:
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Operational fighter
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Opened:
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1943
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Closed:
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1953
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ID Code:
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LI
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USAAF Station:
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373
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Runways:
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3 concrete, tarmac
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Hangars:
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2x - T2, 8x - Blister
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County:
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Suffolk
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Location:
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3 miles E of Saxmundham
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OS Ref:
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TM430645
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Links:
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©:
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All
photographs copyright ©
as stated
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Inside
the control tower 1944
(© USAAF via Peter Randall)
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1944
(© USAAF via Tim Clarke)
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Leiston
control tower post-war date
unknown (© via Peter Randall)
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1975
(© Robin Taylor)
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RAF
Leiston airfield 1943-53
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RAF
Leiston airfield + control tower = www.controltowers.co.uk © robert
truman 2006
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