|
|
 |
Raydon
|
 |
 |
 |
|
1944
(© USAAF via Peter Randall)
|
|
RAF
Raydon airfield
|
||
|
Airfield Today:
|
Agriculture,
industry
|
|
|
Tower Type:
|
Watch Office for All
Commands 12779/41 with medium front windows to 343/43, temporary USAAF
rooftop VCR, the 'Crow's Nest'
|
|
|
Tower:
|
Demolished
in the 1960s
|
|
|
Other
Buildings:
|
Not
known
|
|
|
History:
|
 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 Fighter Group 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
Fighter Group 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. |
|
|
RAF
Raydon airfield - 353rd FG - 357th FG - 358th FG -
|
||
|
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)
|
||
 |
 |
 |
|
Saul
Jaffe on the control tower balcony
|
Captain
Henry Zielinski in the 'Crow's Nest'
|
Arthur
McCray
|
 |
 |
 |
|
Carmine
Ciampa with the mortar cover
|
Arthur
McCray 'watching the boys come home'
|
Captain
Karl Ulrey
|
|
RAF
Raydon airfield - 353rd FG - 357th FG - 358th FG -
|
 |
|
Up
in the 'Crow's Nest' 1944 (©
353rd Fighter Group USAAF via Simon Dunham)
|
 |
|
Top
floor of the tower 1944 (©
353rd Fighter Group USAAF via Simon Dunham)
|
|
RAF
Raydon airfield - 353rd FG - 357th FG - 358th FG -
|
||
|
Airfield:
|
Operational fighter
|
|
|
Opened:
|
11/1943
|
|
|
Closed:
|
/1958
|
|
|
Code:
|
RA
|
|
|
USAAF Station:
|
157
|
|
|
Runways:
|
3x - concrete
|
|
|
Hangars:
|
2x - T2
|
|
|
County:
|
Suffolk
|
|
|
Location:
|
3 miles SE of Hadleigh
|
|
|
OS Ref:
|
TM060390
|
|
|
©:
|
All
photographs copyright © as stated
|
|
|
RAF
Raydon airfield - 353rd FG - 357th FG - 358th FG -
|
||
 |
|
above;
On parade, below; Crash
crew 1945 (©
Arthur McCray via Ray Sims)
|
 |
|
RAF
Raydon airfield - 357th Fighter
Group
- 358th FG - 353rd FG -
|
 |
 |
|
Arthur
McCray sightseeing in Oxford
|
Victor
Maresca
|
 |
 |
|
Sunbathing
fully clothed in Torquay...
|
Northern
approach to Tower bridge
|
|
On
leave in England... 1945 (©
Arthur McCray via Ray Sims)
|
|
|
RAF
Raydon airfield - 357th FG - 358th Fighter Group - 353rd FG -
|
 |
 |
 |
|
Raydon
airfield from the air 1945 (©
Arthur McCray via Ray Sims)
|
|
RAF
Raydon airfield - 357th FG - 358th FG - 353rd Fighter Group -
|
 |
|
1973
(© Steve Bond)
|
|
RAF
Raydon airfield - 357th FG - 358th FG - 353rd FG -
|
|
|
|
RAF
Raydon 353 FG - 357 FG - 358 FG - airfield + control tower = www.controltowers.co.uk
© robert truman 2006 - Raydon
|