Lakenheath 2000

A Website of Information for Residents and Visitors

Royal Air Force History

This section has been started as a place to record the history of the Royal Air Force units at RAF Lakenheath, which is lesser known than its 52 years or so of USAF use. Below is a brief history of the airfield and following that are links to more pages on this site on the RAF history.

RAF Mildenhall and RAF Feltwell were built in the 1930's, but during WW2 a total of 92 military airfields were built in East Anglia and RAF Lakenheath was one of them. At the beginning of the war, in 1939, a 'decoy' airfield was built on the Lakenheath Warren, where the Rod and Gun Club is now. It was called a 'Q-site' and deceived attacking aircraft into bombing open country rather than the real airfields a number of times.

The 'real' airfield was built in 1941, as part of 3 Group, RAF. The first recorded flight from Lakenheath was by a Percival Proctor from No.34 Wing, which arrived on 12th September 1941 to collect a high ranking Army officer who was delivered to RAF Wittering. He had been attending a review of an Armoured Division on Lakenheath Warren by King George VI. In November that year No. 20 Operational Training Unit, with Vickers Wellington Mk lc aircraft, were the first unit flying from the airfield, on a temporary posting. The first operation to take place from RAF Lakenheath was a secret supply dropping operation by a specially modified, Polish crewed, Halifax (L9618; NF-W) from No.138 Squadron under the code name 'Jacket'. It was tasked with dropping six agents plus containers and packages on a Polish drop zone, in the area of Radom, to the south of Warsaw.

In January 1942 the RAF's 149 Squadron partially started flying from Lakenheath with Stirling III bomber aircraft, moving in fully by the April. They were previously at RAF Mildenhall. During June 1943, 199 Squadron, RAF, also moved in, without planes, having previously flown Wellingtons. They received and converted to Stirling aircraft, before starting operations on 31st July 1943. With 199 Squaron's arrival Lakenheath became the first station to have two bomber squadrons.

Both squadrons moved out in May 1944 as construction started to lay runways suitable for heavy bombers and, as the war finished, RAF Lakeneath was inactive until 1947 when support and instruction units moved in.

The Americans moved in B-29 aircraft in mid 1948 and on 1st May 1951 took over administrative control of the airfield.

RAF Pages

If you have anything you would like to contribute to this section please email:

laken.heathDELETE@virgin.net  (please remove the word DELETE from the address first)

'The Crash Of RAF Stirling Bomber R9334 At Lakenheath on 3rd January 1943'
Details a crash near the playing field in which people from the village rescued crew members - to read CLICK HERE

'The Sortie of RAF Stirling Bomber EF343 OJ-N of 149 Squadron, Lakenheath, 9th March 1943'
Flown by the crew who were rescued, above - to read CLICK HERE

'The Sortie of RAF Stirling Bomber BK696 OJ-V of 149 Squadron, Lakenheath, 1st May 1943'
Another account about the crew when they had to bail out of their aircraft - to read CLICK HERE

'Squadron Leader D. Stewart Robertson's Service with 149 Squadron and Lakenheath' - (also flew BK696, OJ-V) - to read CLICK HERE

Some History & Photos Of 149 Squadron - kindly provided by Nick Carter, author of a forthcoming book on the Squadron CLICK HERE

'How The Crew of Stirling Bomber Aircraft BK-701, Designated G-George OJ-G of 149 Squadron, 3 Group, RAF, Took Off From Lakenheath In The Early Evening of Sunday, February 28, 1943, With The Intention of Causing Serious Damage to the German U-boat Servicing Sheds at St.-Nazaire, But Went To A Party Instead And Returned to Base By Train (a page from Bob Baxter's Bomber Command Site) - CLICK HERE
- also CLICK HERE to see Bob's main site

For a 149 Squadron History - CLICK HERE