Raf Knettishall

RAF Knettishall is a former World War II airfield in England. The field is located 6 miles SE of Thetford in Suffolk between the villages of Knettishall and Coney Weston, which lies to the south. This location is on the southern side of the Little Ouse Valley and bordering the area of heath and forest known as the Breckland. OverviewKnettishall was built for United States Army Air Forces Eighth Air Force use during 1942 /1943 by W. & C. French Ltd. It was a late-design, heavy bomber airfield to Class A specification, and had the standard fifty-yard-wide concrete runways, the main being 6, 000 feet long and the two intersecting secondary runways of 4, 200 feet each in length, with an encircling perimeter track. There were fifty hardstands, two T2-type hangars and full technical services. Mark II airfield lighting permitted night flying. Accommodation – largely Nissen huts – was provided in some dozen dispersed sites to the south of the flying airfield in the village of Coney Weston. The bomb store was situated on the far side of the field in a wood near Knettishall village. USAAF useKnettishall was one of several stations in East Anglia which was associated with a single Eighth Air Force unit for the whole of its operational period. It was assigned USAAF designation Station 136. 388th Bombardment Group (Heavy)The airfield was opened on 10 June 1943 and was used by the USAAF 388th Bombardment Group (Heavy). The 388th arrived from Wendover AAF Utah and was assigned to the 45th Combat Bombardment Wing. Its group tail code was a "Square-H". Its operational squadrons were: 560th Bombardment Squadron 561st Bombardment Squadron 562d Bombardment Squadron 563d Bombardment Squadron The group flew Boeing B-17 Flying Fortresses as part of the Eighth Air Force's strategic bombing campaign.

RAF Knettishall is a former World War II airfield in England. The field is located 6 miles SE of Thetford in Suffolk between the villages of Knettishall and Coney Weston, which lies to the south. This location is on the southern side of the Little Ouse Valley and bordering the area of heath and forest known as the Breckland. OverviewKnettishall was built for United States Army Air Forces Eighth Air Force use during 1942 /1943 by W. & C. French Ltd. It was a late-design, heavy bomber airfield to Class A specification, and had the standard fifty-yard-wide concrete runways, the main being 6, 000 feet long and the two intersecting secondary runways of 4, 200 feet each in length, with an encircling perimeter track. There were fifty hardstands, two T2-type hangars and full technical services. Mark II airfield lighting permitted night flying. Accommodation – largely Nissen huts – was provided in some dozen dispersed sites to the south of the flying airfield in the village of Coney Weston. The bomb store was situated on the far side of the field in a wood near Knettishall village. USAAF useKnettishall was one of several stations in East Anglia which was associated with a single Eighth Air Force unit for the whole of its operational period. It was assigned USAAF designation Station 136. 388th Bombardment Group (Heavy)The airfield was opened on 10 June 1943 and was used by the USAAF 388th Bombardment Group (Heavy). The 388th arrived from Wendover AAF Utah and was assigned to the 45th Combat Bombardment Wing. Its group tail code was a "Square-H". Its operational squadrons were: 560th Bombardment Squadron 561st Bombardment Squadron 562d Bombardment Squadron 563d Bombardment Squadron The group flew Boeing B-17 Flying Fortresses as part of the Eighth Air Force's strategic bombing campaign.