| Ensign | Ensign of the Royal Air Force.svg |
|---|---|
| Location | Little Snoring, Norfolk |
| Country | England |
| Coordinates | 52°51′43″N 000°54′52″E |
| Ownership | Air Ministry |
| Operator | Royal Air Force |
| Controlledby | RAF Bomber Command * No. 3 Group RAF * No. 100 (BS) Group RAF |
| Code | LS[1] |
| Built | 1943 |
| Used | July 1943 - October 1958 |
| Elevation | 58 metres (190 ft)[1] |
| R1-number | 01/19 |
| R1-length | 1,280 metres (4,199 ft) |
| R1-surface | Concrete |
| R2-number | 07/25 |
| R2-length | 1,830 metres (6,004 ft) |
| R2-surface | Concrete |
| R3-number | 13/31 |
| R3-length | 1,280 metres (4,199 ft) |
| R3-surface | Concrete |
Royal Air Force Little Snoring or more simply RAF Little Snoring is a former Royal Air Force station located immediately north of the Norfolk village of Little Snoring, approximately 2 miles (3 km) east-northeast from the town of Fakenham. The airfield remains open for general aviation use as Little Snoring Airfield.[2][3]
History
The station opened in July 1943[4] and was built to be a satellite station and dispersal for RAF Foulsham which is 6.0 miles (9.7 km) south-east of Little Snoring. Just a month after the station became operational, the stations status changed when No. 3 Bomber Group gave the station full status.
| Squadron | Period | Aircraft |
|---|---|---|
| 23 Squadron | 1944–1945 | de Havilland Mosquito VI and XX |
| 115 Squadron | 1943[5] | Avro Lancaster II |
| 141 Squadron | 1945 | de Havilland Mosquito XXX |
| 169 Squadron | 1943–1944 | de Havilland Mosquito II |
| 515 Squadron | 1943–1945 | Bristol Beaufighter, de Havilland Mosquito II and VI |
| 1678 Heavy Conversion Flight | 1943 | Avro Lancaster II |
After this the airfield was retained on a care and maintenance until an anti-aircraft co-operation unit on civilian contract operated from Little Snoring for several years during the 1950s. Supermarine Spitfire were the main type used, but were replaced by de Havilland Vampires before the unit was disbanded in 1958.[6]
- Additional units[7]
- No. 2 Civilian Anti-Aircraft Co-operation Unit
- No. 15 Heavy Glider Maintenance Section
- No. 274 Maintenance Unit RAF
Current use
The site is currently used as Little Snoring Airfield, operated by the McAully Flying Group, formerly the Fakenham Flying Group. Airfield facilities include a private hangar and a clubhouse with pre-flight briefing facilities, kitchen and toilets.[8] The eastern and southern parts of all three runways have been removed but the remainder are retained for flying.
The airfield is also used for aircraft manufacturing, The Light Aircraft Company has an aircraft maintenance facility which produces the Sherwood Ranger microlight.[6]
The former mortuary is now a toilet and shower block at the villages' camp site. The site also features an air raid shelter and concrete pads for vehicles and temporary buildings.
References
Citations
- ^ Falconer 2012, p. 131.
- ^ Moyes 1976, p. 162.
- ^ "Little Snoring airfield control tower". controltowers.co.uk. Archived 2021-12-06 at the Wayback Machine.
- ^ Smith, Graham (2007). "Section 17 – Little Snoring – Reference to location, usage and operational timeline". Norfolk Airfields in the Second World War. Countryside Books. p. 147. ISBN 9781853063206.
- ^ Collins & Halladay 1983, p. 35.
- ^ "The Snorings Website: The Little Snoring Airfield". the-snorings.co.uk. Retrieved 2024-09-14.
- ^ "Little Snoring". Airfields of Britain Conservation Trust. Retrieved 12 April 2020.
- ^ "Little Snoring Airfield | McAully Flying Group". Archived from the original on 14 December 2013. Retrieved 2014-06-21. McAully Flying Group
Bibliography
- Collins, Dick & Halladay, Jim (1983). Despite the Elements. The History of Number 115 Squadron 1917-1982. Brize Norton, UK: Nettlebed Press.
- Falconer, Jonathan (2012). RAF Airfields of World War 2. UK: Ian Allan Publishing. ISBN 978-1-85780-349-5.
- Moyes, Philip J. R. (1976). Bomber squadrons of the R.A.F. and their aircraft. 2nd ed. London: Macdonald and Jane's. ISBN 978-0-354-01027-6.
- "RAF Stations – L". Air of Authority – A History of RAF Organisation. Retrieved 2024-09-14.