The Wartime Memories Project

- RAF Bodney during the Second World War -


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World War 2 Two II WW2 WWII 1939 1945

RAF Bodney



   RAF Bodney opened as a Bomber Command satellite to Watton and was home to 21, 82, 90 and 105 squadrons. 90 Squadron were the first RAF Squadron to fly the new Fortress Mk1s on operations.

The base was transferred to 8th USAAF in May 1943, being home to the 352nd FG from July 1943 flying P-47D Thunderbolts. Later converting to P-51 Mustangs in April 1944. The 8th USAAF top scoring P-51 ace, Major George Preddy (27 victories) was based at Bodney until his death 25th December 44. The control tower was badly damaged by a mustang in a flying accident on D-Day and was later rebuilt. The Group left for the USA in November 1945 and the station closed.

Squadrons stationed at RAF Bodney

  • No. 21 Squadron
  • No. 82 Squadron. 1st Oct 1940 to 18 Apr 1941 & 3 May 1941 to 30 Jun 1942
  • No. 90 Squadron
  • No. 105 Squadron
  • 352nd Fighter Group. July 1943 to Nov 1945


 

1st Apr 1940 82 Squadron Blenheim lost

8th June 1940 Shot down

11th June 1940 Three aircraft lost

14th June 1940 Captured at sea

13th August 1940 Squadron wiped out

1st October 1940 Relocated

29th Oct 1940 Patrols

10th Nov 1940 82 Squadron Blenheim lost

18th April 1941 Relocated

28th April 1941 Detachment

3rd May 1941 Prepared for overseas

21st May 1941 Move to Malta

18th June 1941  Squadron moved to Malta

18th Oct 1941 Ops Cancelled

5th Dec 1941 Aircraft Lost

27th Dec 1941 Aircraft Lost

14th March 1942 Disbanded and reformed

14th March 1942 Reorganisation

30th March 1942 Posting

1st Apr 1942 Posting

4th Apr 1942 Posting

8th Apr 1942 Posting

13th Apr 1942 Training

16th Apr 1942 Posting

28th Apr 1942 Exercise

29th Apr 1942 Exercise

30th Apr 1942 Ground Crews

27th Jan 1943 Ops

10th Apr 1943 103 Squadron Lancaster lost


If you can provide any additional information, please add it here.



Those known to have served at

RAF Bodney

during the Second World War 1939-1945.

The names on this list have been submitted by relatives, friends, neighbours and others who wish to remember them, if you have any names to add or any recollections or photos of those listed, please Add a Name to this List



The Wartime Memories Project is the original WW1 and WW2 commemoration website.

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    25th Annversary

  • 1st of September 2024 marks 25 years since the launch of the Wartime Memories Project. Thanks to everyone who has supported us over this time.
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Want to find out more about your relative's service? Want to know what life was like during the War? Our Library contains an ever growing number diary entries, personal letters and other documents, most transcribed into plain text.




Wanted: Digital copies of Group photographs, Scrapbooks, Autograph books, photo albums, newspaper clippings, letters, postcards and ephemera relating to WW2. We would like to obtain digital copies of any documents or photographs relating to WW2 you may have at home.

If you have any unwanted photographs, documents or items from the First or Second World War, please do not destroy them. The Wartime Memories Project will give them a good home and ensure that they are used for educational purposes. Please get in touch for the postal address, do not sent them to our PO Box as packages are not accepted. World War 1 One ww1 wwII second 1939 1945 battalion
Did you know? We also have a section on The Great War. and a Timecapsule to preserve stories from other conflicts for future generations.



Want to know more about RAF Bodney?


There are:29 items tagged RAF Bodney available in our Library

  These include information on officers, regimental histories, letters, diary entries, personal accounts and information about actions during the Second World War.


F/Sgt Stan Pascoe 82 Squadron

This is a photo of Pilot Officer Dennis Gibbs and myself, F/Sgt Stan Pascoe after we returned to Bodney airfield after the raid on power stations near Cologne in 1941. Losses were 12 aircraft out of 56. Our Observer, Laurie Cash died of wounds when we crash landed near Acklington, Northumberland. Dennis eventually became Administrator of the Island of Montserrat and passed away suffering a brain haemorrhage.

I live in Australia just South of Brisbane in Queensland, and have just passed my 91st birthday. If anyone seeing this maybe remembers us, I would love to hear from them. A picture at the time may help my fading memory.

Stan Pascoe



Leroy F. Geary

My Dad, Roy Geary was stationed at Bodney in WW2. He was in the USAAF. He never discussed the war with his daughters, and we would love to know more. We are hitting deadends as far as getting info about what he did, If anyone could tell us how to get more information, it would be greatly appreciated. Thank You.

June Yerdon







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    The free section of the Wartime Memories Project website is run by volunteers. We have been helping people find out more about their relatives wartime experiences since 1999 by recording and preserving recollections, documents, photographs and small items.

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