Latitude 52°26'07"N Longitude 01°36'18"E

   

ACQUISITION

 Lodger facilities from R.A.F. No.16 Group. Transferred on loan in July 1945.

 

COMMISSIONED

 01 July 1945

 

PAID OFF

To Care and Maintenance Status ?

 

CLOSED

18 July 1953?

 

   

C.O.

 Captain J.H.I. Wood

   

FUNCTION

 Satellite airfield to R.N.A.S. Halesworth.

 

ADDRESS

 R.N. Air Station

Beccles,

Nr. Lowestoft,

Suffolk

 

LOCALITY

 The airfield lies 5 mile SE of Lowestoft.

 

LANDMARKS

 The River Waveney.

 

ROAD AND RAIL ACCESS

 Railway station at Beccles L.N.E.R.

   
   

CONTROL

Not known.

 

ELEVATION

 50' above M.S.L.

 

RUNWAYS

Three, Tarmac.


09/28 QDM. 099° -279° .... 2,000 x 50 yds. 

17/25 QDM. 172° -248° .... 1,400 x 50 yds.

23/04 QDM. 226° -046° .... 1,400 x 50 yds.

 

TRACKS

 
   

OBSTRUCTIONS

Navigation

None.

Circuit

 None.

Approach

None.

 

APPROACH

No special approach recommended.

 

WIND INDICATOR

Not known.

   
   

HOMING - VISUAL

By day

None.

By night

None.

 

HOMING--RADIO

D/F

Not known.

Beacons

Not known.

 

APPROACH - VISUAL

By day

None.

By night

Not known.

 

APPROACH - RADIO

Not known.

 

COMMUNICATION EQUIPMENT

M/F & H/F

 transmitters,  receivers.

VH/F

  transmitters,   receivers.

 

GROUND RADAR

Not known.

   
   

ACCOMMODATION

Capacity: (based on RAF manning)

Officers:

115

Chiefs, P.O.s and ratings:

2.552

W.R.N.S. Officers:

3

W.R.N.S.  Chiefs, P.O.s and ratings;

24

 

ARMOURIES

 Not known.

 

COMPASS BASE

 Not known.

 

DISPERSAL

 50 loop hardstands.

 

HANGARS

Hangars

Number /Type

Size

Door Height

Door Width

 2 x T.2

 135' 5" x 113' 6

25'

113' 6"  

       

MEDICAL

 Not known.

 

METEOROLOGICAL

Not known.

 

FUEL AND OIL

Aviation:

Not known.

M/T:

Not known.

Oil :

Not known.

   

TEST BASE

 Not known.

 

TEST BUTT

 Not known.

 

WORKSHOPS

 Not known.

 

EXPLOSIVES

 Not known.

 

BOMBING AND FIRING RANGES

 Not known.

Air to air

 

Air to ground and R. p. Firing

 

Live and practice bombing

 

Practice bombing

 

Assault training

 
   
   

Information taken from CB 4368 B. Admiralty Handbook of Naval Air Stations Aug. 45

 

 

List of first and second line squadrons, station flight and other flying units based at this location

 

762

 

Twin Engine Conversion Unit

Possible daily usage by aircraft from this unit operating out of R.N.A.S. Halesworth, between 03.12.45 and 15.01.46.


798

Advanced Single .Engine Conversion & Refresher Flying Training Unit..

Possible daily usage by aircraft from this unit operating out of R.N.A.S. Halesworth, between 06.09.45 and 28.02.46


810

Torpedo, Bomber, Reconnaissance Squadron.

Moved here from R.A.F. Thorney Island 08.03.45 and operated under control of R.A.F. Coastal command. Moved to R.N.A.S. Machrihanish 08.08.45.

Equipped with 12 x Barracuda IIs.


827

Torpedo, Bomber, Reconnaissance Squadron.

Disembarked from H.M.S. FURIOUS 15.09.44 and operated under No. 16 group R.A.F. control until 28.10.44 when it moved to R.A.F. Langham.

Equipped with 18 Barracuda IIs.


 

 

PAGE UNDER CONSTRUCTION

 

Built in 1943 for the U.S.A.A.F but never taken up.. The airfield soon came under control by RAF bomber command from early 1944. In August 1944 RAF coastal command took over.

Originally the RN had lodger rights from No.16 group but little use was made of this facility before the end of the war in Europe; only two squadrons of Barracudas operated from Beccles, one for a five week period in September/October 1944 and March to August 1945. In late October 1944 the airfield was loaned to the Admiralty

 

There is some confusion over what status of the RN presence at Beccles - there is mention of the RN presence being 'on the Books of HORNBILL' and then later as being 'HORNBILL II' which seems an odd choice since 'H.M.S. HORNBILL was R.N.A.S. Culham in Berkshire (now Oxfordshire). Since Beccles was near to RNAS Halesworth (approx 11 miles by road) logic suggests that it should have been 'SPARROWHAWK II'...


 

 

Click here for a list of Primary sources


Additional sources:

 

Admiralty Fleet Orders:

 

Confidential Admiralty Fleet Orders:

 

 

 

 

 


View Larger Map

 

 

 

 

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