Monument record BUN 056 - Bungay airfield (disused)

2nd world war airfield between Bungay and Flixton - 2 miles SW of Bungay. Originally planned as a satellite base for Hardwick airfield. Constructed by Kirk and Kirk Ltd in 1942. American unit arrived before completion - the 428th Bomb squadron who were assigned to the 310th bomb group with headquarters at Hardwick. Different units moved in and out.
In March 1943, Bungay became an independent heavy bomber station after the squadron in it joined the parent group at Harwick. Work was carried out to accommodate a USAAF heavy bomber.
IN 1945, no.53 maintenance unit, RAF took over and used it for bomb storage until 1955. Sold and disposed of in 1961-62. In 1978, the perimeter fences and runways existed (with rain gullies and storm drains). Control Tower demolished. In 1978, the dining hall was one of the few buildings standing. S1
Used by the Americans it was US station 125. Lots of Bomber squadrons took off from here, one of them the first heavy bomber mission of D Day (S3).
Communal site (see FLN 067) worthy of preservation. S4
The full extent of the Second World War Airfield at Bungay is visible on aerial photographs of 1944, the site centred on circa TM324868, Bungay parish, approximately two kilometres to the south-west of Bungay village (S5, S6).
A former Second World War military airfield, with a short period of use asa Prisoner of War camp. The military airfield opened in 1942 after construction by Kirk and Kirk Limited. Bungay Airfield was also known as "Flixton" after a nearby village. The airfield was used by the 8th United States Army Air Force. Initially these were contingents of 310 Bomb Group (428 Squadron) and then of 93 Bomber Group (329th Bomber Squadron). These forces were ingaged in small scale probing of German air defences, using so called "Moling" tactics designed to harass the German air raid warning systems. In 1943 the base was upgraded for use by a whole American Bomber Group, with the construction of more hard standings and hangars. 446 Bomber Group, nicknamed the "Bungay Buckaroos" then undertook many raids on German cities, including Berlin, Kiel, Bremen, Hamburg and Munich. The Americans left in June 1945. Bungay was used for a short time after this as a bomb store by the Royal Air Force and as a prisoner of war camp. By the 1960s part of the site had returned to agriculture but some of the basic concrete layout was said to be still extant in 2000 (S7).