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RAF Sutton Bridge
RAF Sutton Bridge opened in 1929 near Sutton Bridge on the border of Lincolnshire and Norfolk. It was equipped with three runways, one grass, one Sommerfeld Tracking and Marsden Matting Pierced Steel Planking. The airfield closed in 1958 and today only a few buildings remain.
Units based at RAF Sutton Bridge during WW2
- No. 3 Recruits Training Pool, September to November 1939
- No. 264 Squadron, Royal Air Force November 1939 to 25 November 1939
- No. 266 Squadron, Royal Air Force October 1939 to February 1940
- Towed Target Flight, January 1940 to November 1940
- No. 254 Squadron, Royal Air Force, left January 1940
- No. 6 Operational Training Unit March 1940 to October 1940
- No. 56 Operational Training Unit November 1940 to March 1942
- No. 1489 Flight (Target Towing Flight) October 1941 to April 1942
- No. 2884 (Light Anti-Aircraft) Squadron, RAF Regiment, June 1943 to November 1943
- RAF Central Gunnery School April 1942 to February 1944
- No. 2750 Squadron RAF Regiment, June 1943 to October 1943
- No. 7 (Pilot) Advanced Flying Unit from March 1944
- No. 16 (Pilot) Service Flying Training School to August 1944
- No. 7 (French Air Force) Service Flying Training School September 1944 to November 1944
- No. 1 Ground & Target Towing Flight, USAAF May 1944 to November 1944[5]
- No. 7 (Pilot) Advanced Flying Unit June 1944 to November 1944
11th Oct 1939 Training
14th Oct 1939 Training
17th Oct 1939 Training
30th Oct 1939 New CO
18th December 1939 Aircraft Lost The British Air Ministry decided to launch an attack on German surface ships to prevent them supporting the U-boats in the North Atlantic. Wellington bomber squadrons had undertaken a number of sweeps over the North Sea during October and November against any enemy shipping. On 18th December 1939, a force of 24 Wellington bombers – nine from no.9 Squadron at Honington, six from 37 Squadron at Feltwell, and nine from 149 Squadron at Mildenhall – was sent to attack German ships in the Heligoland Bight and sink or damage as many as possible. The mission was a disaster.
The Wellingtons took off for the daylight raid around 0930, led by the C/O of 149 Squadron, Wing Commander Richard Kellet. Two of the aircraft turned back early, leaving 22 Wellingtons to fly on to the target area. No German ships were found at sea. Several German Navy warships were sighted in Wilhelmshaven Harbour, but orders had been given not to bomb the port area in case civilians were hit, so the Wellingtons turned for home.
The theory was that the well armed Wellington had the fire power to defend itself from attack by fighters, especially if they were flying in tight formation. However the 22 aircraft on this return flight were strung out in a straggle when they were intercepted by 44 Luftwaffe fighters – a mixture of Me Bf 110s and Bf 109s. In the battle that followed 10 were shot down, two ditched in the sea before reaching the English coast and three more crash landed in East Anglia - a total loss of 68% of the force. 56 RAF aircrew were killed and five were taken prisoner. 37 Squadron lost five of its six aircraft shot down and 9 Squadron also lost 5 aircraft. The aircraft and crews lost were:
9 Squadron:
- N2939 Crashed off Wilhelmshaven
- Pilot: F/O John Thomas Irvine Challes
- 2nd Pilot: P/O Alistair Hugh Richmond Bourne
- Observer: Sgt Frank Michael Mason
- Wop/AG: Sgt Thomas Henry English
- AG: LAC Gurth Ernest Cox
- AG: AC1 Alexander Telfer
- N2940 Crashed off Wilhelmshaven
- Pilot: P/o Eric Francis Lines
- 2nd Pilot: Flt Sgt Alfred Kitto Fearnside
- WOp/AG: AC1 Edward Malcolm George Polhill
- AG: LAC Alex Morrison Dickie
- AG: AC2 Clifford Walker
- N2941 Crashed off Wilhelmshaven
- Pilot: F/O Douglas Bellamy Allison
- 2nd Pilot: F/O Donald Charles Ephraim Bailey
- Observer: Sgt John Archibald Brister
- Air Bomber: Sgt Joseph Buglasi Adamson Turnbull
- Wop/AG: Sgt Reginal Thomas Black
- AG: LAC Albert George Goodenough
- N2872 Crashed off Wilhelmshaven
- Pilot: Squadron Ldr Archibald John Guthrie
- 2nd Pilot: P/O John Edgar Atkinson
- Observer: Sgt Harold Walter Tyrrell
- Wop/AG: LAC Thomas Leo Marlin
- Wop/AG: Sgt Bertie Joseph Pickess
- AG: LAC Josias Melville Fletcher Key
- N2983 Badly damaged by gunfire and Crashed off Cromer, Norfolk. Four survivors were picked up by a trawler.
- Pilot: Sgt Jack Richardson Ramshaw DFM – injured
- 2nd Pilot: Sgt Robert Hewitt – injured
- Wop/AG: LAC D.J.Connolly – injured
- AG: LAC Walter Lilley – killed
- AG: AC1 Charles Ronald Driver DFM - injured
- N2871 badly damaged and made forced landing at RAF North Coates Fitties
- N2873 badly damaged and made forced landing at RAF Sutton Bridge, two crew injured.
37 Squadron:
- N2904 LF-B Last reported with the Starboard wing burning furiously and heading out to sea off Wilhelmshaven.
- Pilot: Squadron Ldt Ian Victor Hue-Williams
- 2nd Pilot: Flt Lt Thomas Gaufrey Wearmouth Appleby
- Observer: F/O Arthur Richard Vaughan Williams
- Wop/AG: Sgt Alister Raymond Norris
- Wop/AG: LAC John Arundel Barstow
- AG: LAC Ernest Lowe
- N2888 LF-A crashed into the sea off Borkum Island
- Pilot: F/O Peter Arabin Wimberley - survived and taken PoW
- Observer: Sgt Leslie Alfred Sheppard - killed
- Navigator: P/O Michael Ratcliffe - killed
- Wop/AG: AC1 Alexander Maxwell Hill - killed
- AG: LAC Alfred William Walter Lane - killed
- N2889 LF-P Broke up in the air and crashed into the sea off Borkum following a sustained attack by Lt. Helmut Lent of 3./ZG-76.
- Pilot: F/O Oliver John Trevor Lewis RAAF
- Observer: Sgt Maurice William Barrington-Taylor
- Wop/AG: LAC Peter Thomas Jones
- Wop/AG: P/O Roderick Menzie Ross
- AG: AC1 George Warne Geddes
- N2935 LF-H Shot down out to sea off Wilhelmshaven: three of the crew are buried in the Sage War Cemetery but two were missing and are commemorated on the Runnymede Memorial.
- Pilot: F/O Arthur Telford Thompson
- Navigator: P/O Matthew Infield Drawwater
- Observer: Sgt Alfred John Tilley
- Wop/AG: Cpl Wilson Robinson
- AG: LAC Leonard Arthur Stock
- N2936 LF-J Crashed Borkum Islands.
- Pilot: Sgt Herbert Ruse – survived and taken PoW.
- Observer: Sgt Thomas William Holley – killed and buried on Sage War Cemetery
- Wop/AG: Sgt Thomas K.May – survived and taken PoW.
- Wop/AG: Cpl Frederick James Taylor - killed and buried on Sage War Cemetery
- AG: LAC Harry Jones – survived and taken PoW.
149 Squadron:
- N2961 Ditched off Cromer Norfolk. There were no survivors
- F/O Michael Franklin Briden
- P/O W.S.F.Brown
- Sgt Valentine Henry Garner Richardson
- AC2 A.G.Foster
- AC1 Isaac Davidson Leighton
- AC1 Peter John Warren
- N2962 OJ-B Shot down and crashed into the North Sea. All reported missing and commemorated on the Runnymede Memorial
- P/O Fred Norman Lines
- F/O James Heggie Cumming Speirs
- AC2 William James Ellis
- Sgt Richard Robin Hammond
- LAC John Humble Sinton
A direct outcome of this air battle was the decision to fit Wellingtons with armour plate and self-sealing fuel tanks to make them more robust. Another outcome was that this was the last unescorted daylight bombing raid undertaken by Bomber Command until the closing stages of the war.
Wellington N2980 which was flown by the 149 Squadron crew of Squadron Ldr P.I.Harris is an exhibit in the Brooklands Museum.
18th December 1939 Aircraft Lost
3rd Aug 1940 Postings
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Those known to have served at RAF Sutton Bridge during the Second World War 1939-1945. - Palmer DFC.. Cyril Dampier. Sqn.Ldr. (d.27th Oct 1942)
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,
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Want to know more about RAF Sutton Bridge? There are:6 items tagged RAF Sutton Bridge available in our Library
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Sqn.Ldr. Cyril Dampier Palmer DFC. No.1 Squadron (d.27th Oct 1942) Cyril Palmer was born to British parents in March 1918 in Cleveland OH, USA.
He participated in: the Battle of France with No 1 Squadron with 2 confirmed kills, 2 shared and 1 probable.
On 23rd of November 1939 a D017, on 15th of May 1940 a Me109E, on 17th of May 1940 an Me110 and 19th of May 1940 a share in a He111.
He was shot down 3 times in France, on 23rd of November 1939, 2nd of April 1940 and 17th of May 1940.
On 28th of May 1940 he was posted to No.6 OTU at Sutton Bridge as an instructor. On 6th of October 1942 he was posted to 234 Squadron at Portreath, his rank is given as Squadron Leader.
Cyril went missing in action on 27th of October 1942, the squadron flying Spitfire VBs, was on a sweep off the French coast when they were bounced by Folke Wolf 190s over the Ile de Batz.
Cyril was seen bailing out of his stricken aircraft but he was never seen thereafter. He was 24 years old..
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