About Raf Debach
Royal Air Force Debach or more simply RAF Debach is a former Royal Air Force station located northwest of Woodbridge, Suffolk, England. United States Army Air Forces useDebach was one of the last Eighth Air Force heavy bomber stations to be occupied. being built by the 820th Engineer Battalion (Aviation) of the US Army during 1943 /1944. It was assigned USAAF designation Station 152 (DC). USAAF Station Units assigned to RAF Debach were: 480th Sub-Depot 18th Weather Squadron 330th Station Complement Squadron 1143rd Military Police Company 1227th Quartermaster Company 1788th Ordnance Supply & Maintenance Company 878th Chemical Company 2117th Engineer Fire Fighting Platoon493rd Bombardment Group (Heavy)The airfield was opened in April 1944 and was used by the United States Army Air Forces 8th Air Force 493d Bombardment Group (Heavy), arriving from RAF Elveden Hall. The 493d was assigned to the 93d Combat Bombardment Wing, and the group tail code was a "Square-X" while equipped with B-24s. Its operational squadrons were: 860th Bombardment Squadron (NG) 861st Bombardment Squadron (G6) 862d Bombardment Squadron (8M) 863d Bombardment Squadron (Q4) The group flew both the Consolidated B-24 Liberator and the Boeing B-17 Flying Fortress as part of the Eighth Air Force's strategic bombing campaign. Debach airfield was the last Eighth Air Force heavy bomber station to become operational, the group flying its first mission on D-Day. Unfortunately the American engineers had not made a very satisfactory job of constructing the runway and the concrete soon started to break up. By the end of 1944, the runway was so bad that the group had to move temporarily to RAF Little Walden while runways were repaired and strengthened. The group returned to Debach in March 1945.
Raf Debach Description
Royal Air Force Debach or more simply RAF Debach is a former Royal Air Force station located northwest of Woodbridge, Suffolk, England. United States Army Air Forces useDebach was one of the last Eighth Air Force heavy bomber stations to be occupied. being built by the 820th Engineer Battalion (Aviation) of the US Army during 1943 /1944. It was assigned USAAF designation Station 152 (DC). USAAF Station Units assigned to RAF Debach were: 480th Sub-Depot 18th Weather Squadron 330th Station Complement Squadron 1143rd Military Police Company 1227th Quartermaster Company 1788th Ordnance Supply & Maintenance Company 878th Chemical Company 2117th Engineer Fire Fighting Platoon493rd Bombardment Group (Heavy)The airfield was opened in April 1944 and was used by the United States Army Air Forces 8th Air Force 493d Bombardment Group (Heavy), arriving from RAF Elveden Hall. The 493d was assigned to the 93d Combat Bombardment Wing, and the group tail code was a "Square-X" while equipped with B-24s. Its operational squadrons were: 860th Bombardment Squadron (NG) 861st Bombardment Squadron (G6) 862d Bombardment Squadron (8M) 863d Bombardment Squadron (Q4) The group flew both the Consolidated B-24 Liberator and the Boeing B-17 Flying Fortress as part of the Eighth Air Force's strategic bombing campaign. Debach airfield was the last Eighth Air Force heavy bomber station to become operational, the group flying its first mission on D-Day. Unfortunately the American engineers had not made a very satisfactory job of constructing the runway and the concrete soon started to break up. By the end of 1944, the runway was so bad that the group had to move temporarily to RAF Little Walden while runways were repaired and strengthened. The group returned to Debach in March 1945.