RAF Raynham: UK Various visits 2012-2014

The abandoned RAF base at West Raynham was opened as an expansion scheme airfield with a grass runway.

July 1940 saw the first mission from the base. Oil tankers at German ports were attacked by indidvidual aircraft. This continued for over a year at a loss of fifteen aitcraft across 610 missions.

Various squadrons were based here during the war and there was a loss of nearly ninety aircraft during this period.

In 1943 the grass runway was replaced with two concrete runways also the housing was expanded to provide accomdation for 3000 people.

In 1964 a squadron of British, United States and German air forces was formed to evaluate the Hawker P1127, more commonly known as the Harrier Jump Jet.

At some point a large dome was built for Rapier missile training. The echo in this building is insane. I have never heard anything like it before. Even the camera shutter rattled around the room!

In 1968 Flight Lieutenant Alan Pollock based at Raynham wasn't happy that no aerial displays had been planned for the RAFs 50th anniversary. He took it upon himself to perform his own unauthorised display in his Hawker Hunter.

Pollock started by beating up (low level high speed pass) Dunsfold Aerodrome then flew low level over London. He circled the Houses Of parliment three times, then dipped his wings over the Royal Air Force Monument on the Embankment and for the finale he flew under the top span of Tower Bridge. Knowing he would be stripped of his flying status he proceeded to beat up three more airfields inverted at about 200 feet on his return to Raynham. Others have flown under the top span of Tower Bridge but Pollock was the first to do this in a jet aircraft.

The station was closed in 1994 and has been left abandoned since. It was sold to a developer in 2006 but not much work has gone on with the buildings. A large solar farm is being built at the moment, late 2014.

There seemed to be a standard design of buildings of buildings at the bases of this period as you can see if you look at RAF Upwood.