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RAF Shipdham USAAF Station 115
RAF Shipdham, in Norfolk, opened in September 1942 was known as Station 115. It became home to the USAAF 44th Bomb Group, 'The Flying Eightballs' equipped with B-24s. The 44th flew 344 missions and lost 153 aircraft, the highest of all the B-24 units.
After the war the airfield was used for a short time as a repatriation centre for German POWs returning to Germany from the USA.
The land was returned to agricultural use with private flying taking place from 1970 onwards.
Most of the buildings remain in various states of decay, including the station headquarters close to the entrance, the control tower, MT sheds (motor transport), bomb store. The three original T.2 type Hangers are in use as warehouses. Part of the site is in use as an industrial estate. Several huts remain at the dispersal site to the south east (506th B.S.), there are two buildings remaining on the communal site, and the 14th CBW is almost intact, along with the 464th sub depot site.
The land is now privately owned and permission is required to visit the site.
A memorial to the 44th Bomb Group was erected in 1983 in the grounds of the parish church All Saints in the nearby village.
18th Nov 1943 Operations
If you can provide any additional information, please add it here.
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Those known to have served at RAF Shipdham USAAF Station 115 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
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The Wartime Memories Project is the original WW1 and WW2 commemoration website.
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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. |
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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
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Did you know? We also have a section on The Great War. and a
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Want to know more about RAF Shipdham USAAF Station 115? There are:1 items tagged RAF Shipdham USAAF Station 115 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. |
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Capt. William N. Doughten 506th Bomb Squadron 44th Bomb Group My grandfather, Captain William N. Doughten was stationed in Shipdham with the 506th from Sept 1943 to the end of the war. He was ground crew, I believe. He spoke of James Curtis McAtee, a colonel, who was stationed there and was one of the pilots of the Aug 1943 ploesti raid. Col. Mcatee is still alive and well.
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Col. James Curtis McAtee 44th Bomb Group
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2nd Lt. George Klindt Ramsey nav. (d. ) My uncle, George Klindt Ramsey is in the back row of the photo of Raymond C Houghtby's crew. Does anyone have a clearer copy of the photo for my genealogy files? My was my mother's brother and an important part of my life.
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Recomended Reading.Available at discounted prices.
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Bomber Bases of World War 2, Airfields of 2nd Air Division (USAAF): Liberator Squadrons in Norfolk and Suffolk Martin Bowman
This book looks at the history and personalities associated with each base, what remains today and explores the favourite local wartime haunts where aircrew and ground crew would go
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