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Raydon
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1944
(© USAAF via Peter Randall)
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RAF
Raydon airfield
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Airfield Today:
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Agriculture,
industry
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Tower Type:
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Watch Office for All
Commands 12779/41 with medium front windows to 343/43, temporary USAAF
rooftop VCR, the 'Crow's Nest'
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Tower:
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Demolished
in the 1960s
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Other
Buildings:
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Not
known
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History:
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 11/43 to
01/44, 362nd, 363rd and 364th Fighter Squadrons of the 357th Fighter Group
from the USA with P-51 Mustangs, originally assigned to the IX USAAF,
1/44 transferred to VIII USAAF and moved to Leiston.
01/44 to 04/44, 365th, 366th and 367th FS of the 358th FG with P-47D Thunderbolts
from
Leiston, 1/44 transferred from VIII to IX USSAF,
moved
again to High Halden.
04/44 to 10/45, 350th, 351st and 352nd FS of the 353rd
FG from
Metfield
with P-47 Thunderbolts, from 10/44 P-51 Mustangs, returned
to the USA. Flew 447 missions, lost 137 aircraft in action, claimed 330
air and 414 enemy ground kills, last mission 25/02/45. 12/45, Returned
to the RAF but not used again for flying, land sold off between 1952 and
1958. |
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RAF
Raydon airfield
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Below;
A series of rare colour slides taken on the roof of Raydon control tower
by Arthur McCray, discovered in Oklahoma in 2007 for $6 by Ray Sims,
1945 (© Arthur McCray via Ray Sims)
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Saul
Jaffe on the control tower balcony
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Captain
Henry Zielinski in the 'Crow's Nest'
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Arthur
McCray
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Carmine
Ciampa with the mortar cover
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Arthur
McCray 'watching the boys come home'
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Captain
Karl Ulrey
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RAF
Raydon airfield
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Inside
Raydon control tower 1945 (©
353rd FG USAAF via Ian Warren)
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above;
On parade, below; Crash
crew 1945 (©
Arthur McCray via Ray Sims)
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RAF
Raydon airfield
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Airfield:
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Operational fighter
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Opened:
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11/1943
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Closed:
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/1958
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Code:
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RA
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USAAF Station:
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157
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Runways:
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3x - concrete
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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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3 miles SE of Hadleigh
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OS Ref:
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TM060390
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©:
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All
photographs copyright © as stated
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RAF
Raydon airfield
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Arthur
McCray sightseeing in Oxford
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Victor
Maresca
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Sunbathing
fully clothed in Torquay...
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Northern
approach to Tower bridge
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On
leave in England... 1945 (©
Arthur McCray via Ray Sims)
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RAF
Raydon airfield - 357th FG - 358th FG - 353rd FG -
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Raydon
airfield from the air 1945 (©
Arthur McCray via Ray Sims)
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RAF
Raydon airfield - 357th FG - 358th FG - 353rd FG -
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1973
(© Steve Bond)
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RAF
Raydon airfield - 357th FG - 358th FG - 353rd FG -
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RAF
Raydon 353 FG - 357 FG - 358 FG - airfield + control tower = www.controltowers.co.uk
© robert truman 2006 - Raydon
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