When coming to school look to the left just before reaching the present US area.  You will see a group of old ‘farm’ buildings. Among them are some of the sheds of the first Feltwell aerodome. It was built during the 1914-1918 war and was one of the many aerodomes used to train airmen for the Royal Flying Corps in France where losses were very high. Many such training depots were set up, including a large one near Thetford. Marham was also a WW1 airfield and like Feltwell was built a little way off the present site.

 After the war forces quickly ‘drew down’ (we say demobilized!) and these aerodomes or landing grounds returned to agriculture. Britain being a small country needed every square foot of land for farming.

 In the mid-1930s when the threat from Nazi Germany developed many of the old wartime aerodome sites were acquired by the government and formed the basis for new, larger, elaborate aerodomes that were classified as ‘Permanent’- hence the tough structures still visible at Feltwell and indeed Mildenhall and certainly at Marham.

 All were specially designed to be as unobtrusive as possible, their buildings having a ‘Georgian’ ambiance while also being very cleverly designed to face possible air attacks.  Design received the support of the Council for the Preservation of Rural England and the Royal Fine Arts Commission. Layouts of the stations, too, was very cleverly devised, and flying grounds were oval shapes to allow for landings from almost any direction. Bomb dumps were placed as far as possible from the main ‘camp.'  Oddly,  because we were then so  good natured, the sites were protected only by low hawthorn hedge rows!

 Feltwell, its bold ‘C’ Type hangars still very evident across the Fens, opened in April 1937, as part of  3 Group. On April 19, 1937, Harrows of 214 Squadron arrived from Scampton. On April 26 ‘B’ Flight detached itself to become the 37 Squadron, also Harrow equipped, as an interim measure before both squadrons received their first Wellington  Is on May 6,1939.

 On August 27,1939, 37 squadron mobilized and 214, a reserve Squadron, mowed to a new landing ground at nearby Methwold. Apart from tents, toilets, and mess tents there was little there. The war was six hours old when six crews of 37 Squadron left to attack warships off Heliogen. Bad light and darkness defeated them.

 Although they flew sweeps over the North Sea, it was December 15 before they tried again. The sorties were fruitless. On December 22 they tried once more. The enemy, aware of the Wellington's undefended beam, had fighters waiting. For 80 miles they pestered the bombers and only one of the six crews returned.

 Already many Australians and New Zealanders (NZ) had arrived in Britain to help win the war and on April 4, 1940, the RNZAF Heavy Bomber Flight, flying Wellington's which New Zealand had bought before the war but had not delivered became 75 Squadron. As soon as Norway was violated 37 and 75 Squadrons went into action, trying to find the large battle cruiser Scharnhost, operating off the Norway and bombing the Danish airfield at Aalborg. Late on the The first pair dived in and raced away, followed by enemy fighters.  The second two then zoomed to the target, getting away at sea level pursued by Bd 109’s, one of which was claimed .The other bomber climbed into cloud chased by Bf 110’s which ten times made quarter attacks, and did not give up the chase until 70 miles from shore. Amazingly it was not hit, but the other two crews were missing.

On the night of May 10 Waalhaven aerodome in Holland was bombed by Feltwell’s Wellingtons and general support to the Allies was given at night. On June 11 six crews were ordered to Salon in France, but never allowed to bomb Italy as was intended. A hectic round of difficult operations followed. In june Feltwell’s  Wellingtons were among those which dropped phosphorous strips into the Black Forest area hoping to start large fires-or tempt a german into pocketing a souvenir which would burst into flashes an singe his person. The idea much appealed to Winston Churchill's sense of humor! For the Dutch they had better offerings, small bags of tea and sweets for all the children. But there was little merriment on most operations carried out a great risk and well into the Fatherland.

 Wellington L7781 was being bombed-up and August 3 1940 when a fuse ignited in a photo flash in an aircraft with 600 gallons of fuel aboard plus six 500 lb bombs. Four of the latter exploded and  splinters rain on N2937 which burst into flames.

 During that autumn the enemy mounted intruder attacks on the local airfields in earnest and on October 27  set ablaze one of Feltwell’s hangars and secured hits on air raid shelter.

 To increase the RAF's Middle East strength 37 Squadron moved to Malta between November 8 and 13. Their place was taken by 57 Squadron which arrived on November 18, dispatched its earliest Wellington sorties on January 13, and first went to Berlin on March 23, 1941. Based at feltwell, the squadron dispersed its aircraft at Methwold would do very little worthwhile damage. Such stations were called ‘satellites.’

 Nevertheless, the enemy had again found Feltwell, one raider dropping a bomb near the bomb dump on February 3 and attacking again, by flare light, o March 12. Five days later Dornier Do 17z raced across the aerodome strafing as it went, and after an attack on the next night 22 craters Hangar which was set on fire. Unexploded high exploded were later found, and there were three craters to fill on the tarmac.

 One of the most amazing events of the period happened on the night of february 14/15th when a German bomber landed at Deaden airfield, took off, landed on Newmarket Heath and then touched down at Feltwell. It is a proven try but very little detail has ever come to light. Nice tale to explore! Newmarket Heath, incidentally, was the world’s first night flying - it is claimed.

 Early on July 8, 1941, Squadron Leader Widdowson of No 75 (NZ) Squadron was returning from a raid on Munster when over the Ijsselmeer f Bf 110 fighter attacked. The rear gunner of Wellington L7818, hit in the foot, fired back and put the fighter out of control. Fire the broke out for the Wellington's starboard engine had been hit. It was fed fuel from a broken pipe and which threatened to engulf the entire wing. Sergeant J.A. Ward, the co-pilot, left his seat and fade aft. The crew made a hole amidships in the fuselage and tried to douse the fire, even emptying the coffee in their Thermos flask. They were warned to prepare to abandon the aircraft, at which point Sergeant Ward offered to try to smother the flames with an engine cover left by chance in the Wellington.

  He was reluctant to wear his parachute for fear its bulk tore him from the aircraft, but accepted it and then was tied by a cord to he geodetic frame. He had decided to slide out on to the wing to put out the blaze. Ward squeezes through the astro hatch, then attached his parachute before making foot holes in the fabric for the perilous journey. By supreme effort he succeeded I smothering part of the wing fire. He was unsuccessful in putting out the blaze in the pipe line, but since most of the fabric was burnt away from it the future was brighter for them all. Satisfied that he had done his best, he made his was back into the aircraft.

 For the crew anxiety would remain, brought to a climax later when petrol in the wing again briefly burned. Widdowson landed at Feltwell, and for his selfless courage Sergeant Ward received the highest British military award, the red cross.

 Wellington raids continues at a fast pace and in July a DSO was awarded to Flying Officer Pritchard whose badly damaged Wellington skidded to a wheels-up landing. Both squadrons participated in many major raids of the period and in January 1942, began to re-equip with more powerful Bristol Hercules engined, Wellington IIIs, taking them into action during the ‘Channel Dash’ on February 12. Then came Lubeck, Rostock, and the ‘Thousand Bomber’ raid when Feltwell’s two squadrons won the honor of dispatching 37 Wellingtons to Cologne, the highest number of aircraft operated Bu an one station on May 30, and managed 39 for the Essen raid next night. As a sideline, 75 Squadron maintained its ability to deliver gas attack, the only Squadron in the group so trained. Summer 1942 saw the arrival in quantity of the Lockheed Vega Ventura, a bomber based on the Hudson and one forced upon day bomber based on the Hudson and one forced upon day bomber squadron as a Blenheim replacement.

 On august 15 No 2 Group (day bombers) took over Feltwell, 75 Squadron moving to Mildenhall. Then, on September 4, 57 Squadron also left Methwold. Long the home of New Zealanders, this link would be retained when 487 (RNZAF) Squadron formed here on August 15 1942, and then came Australians manning 464 (RAF) Squadron which formed in September.

 These squadrons took four months to work up, but when they went into action they did so spectacularly, on Sunday December 6, 1942 In mid morning the station launched a fleet of 30 Venturas all carrying incendiaries and bound for the Philips works at Eindhover. In immaculate formation they crossed Feltwell and flew low over the sea to avoid radar  detection. Exactly on time they went into the attack, leaving the factory a mass of flames.

 Thereafter these unpopular, Cumbersome bombers were used for Circus  daylight operations over Occupied territories until April 1943. There had been a brief interlude when Dutchmen of 320 Squadron had been Stationed here and at Methwold, But 3 group, forced out of stations needed for 8 Group, again obtained Feltwell. No 192 ( Special Duty) Squadron and the Bomber Development Unit (BDU) arrived from Grasnden. Mosquitoes and Wellington Xs of 192 Squadron began snooping on enemy radio transmissions during bomber raids and the BDU continued to develop bombing aids, equipment and techniques. Among the unusual aircraft the tested were and A-31 Vengeance, a B-24  Liberator and a B-26 Marauder, still rare sights in RAF hands at this time in Britain.

 On September 14 1943, 1473 Radio Counter Measures Flight, 80 Wing, arrived for operations under 3 Group. Upon deciding 3 Group should have Lancasters, No 3 Lancaster Finishing School Training RAF Lancaster crews, was established at Feltwell at the turn of the year after 192 Squadron  the BDU and 1473 Flight had moved out. Kancaster training commenced in December and, With sufficient crews trained, ended in January 1945. This freed Feltwell for the BDU which, before the war ended, was testing the Avro Kincoln bomber for Britain's contribution to the bombing of Japan. Even more important for future were the world's first in-flight refueling trials to involve bombers undertaken at Feltwell in 1945 using Lancasters fitted with huge ‘ saddle’ tanks.

 After the BDU left for Marham the station was thoroughly cleaned for post-war use. No 1688 Bomber Defense Training Flight, which arrived on February 26, 1945, left for Wton on March 19 1946. Then No 3 Flying Training School arrived with Tiger Moths withdrew. At the end of 1954 Provosts began to replace prentices and sereced until the School closed to flying in April 1958. On May 1 1958 two groups of six Provosts left Feltwell. A farewell beat-up by a Valetta virtually brought flying to an end.

 In the early 1960’s Feltwell became the first base in Britain to hold RAF Thor IRBM’s three of which were held here by No 77 Strategic Missile Squadron, until their vulnerability forced their withdrawal. Feltwell served as a center for Women's RAF training and then took on its dual role as a signals center and uniquely the only RAF station ever to have been converted into a school for children

Sources: Official files and Personal Memories!