RAF Methwold
52^05’11” N, 00^5’54” E
RAF Methwold is located 2.1 miles [3.4 km] North East of Feltwell, and 10.9 miles North West of Thetford Norfolk.
The airfield was used during 1916 as an airfield, and was a reserve landing ground for RAF Feltwell until 1938
The Station was opened as a dispersal airfield for RAF Feltwell in the winter of 1938, and Vickers Wellington Bombers from Feltwell continued to use the grass airfield as a satellite Station until the Station was transferred to No 2 Bomber Group, during an exchange of Stations in the Summer of 1942.
Several asphalt hard standings were put down for aircraft during 1940 - 41.
The pre war Vickers Wellington bomber was being surpassed by the later Lancaster and the last of them left RAF Feltwell and Methwold on the 15th August 1942.
They were replaced by No 21 Squadron’s Lockheed Ventura, a light, twin engined bomber,
Lockheed Ventura
Developed from the Lockheed Hudson, there were 675 ordered by the RAF and used for Coastal Patrol duties.
The Ventura was not popular with the RAF as a bomber, it seemed to offer little more than the Hudson, and used more fuel.
Lockheed hudson
It had a rather tubby fuselage and was widely known as “the flying pig”
In April 1943 No 487 [NZ] Squadron, flying Ventura’s was moved from Feltwell to Methwold.
Their Squadron Commander was Squadron Leader Leonard Trent DFC.
Sqn Ldr L Trigg DFC in the center
His record going back to operations over France, before Dunkirk, long after the war was over he returned to the Norfolk area as Commander of 214 Squadron at Marham.
On the 2nd May 1943 an Australian Squadron of Venturas attacked the Royal Dutch Steel Works at Ljmuiden, with only limited success.
The next day Bomber Command decided to launch a follow up attack with Bostons and deployed 487 [NZ] Squadrons Venuras as a diversionary attack on the power station at Amsterdam.
Douglas Bostons of No 88 Squadron
The whole operation included 9 Squadrons of Spitfires and Mustangs from RAF Coltishall as escort.
The bombers were directed to fly at 10,000 feet to avoid the anti-aircraft flak, it should have been a successful raid but they were detected by German radar and confronted by a strong force of German fighters, the FW 190’s and Me 109’s.
The FW 190’s took on the fighter escortand the Me 109’s attacked the Venturas.
In a matter of minuets 8 Venturas were shot down, leaving 3 aircraft to continue with the attack.
Trent managed to shoot down a Me 109, but another of the Venturas went down.
He continued with the attack and suddenly realized that he was the only surviving Ventura.
Suddenly there was a violent explosion in the aircraft and it went out of control.
Trent ordered his crew to bale out, then moments later the whole aircraft blew up.
Trent was blown clear at a height of approx 7,000 feet and managed to land safely by parachute on the outskirts of Amsterdam, where he was quickly captured and reunited with his Navigator, the only other surviving member of his crew.
He was sent to Stalag Luft 111 and became involved in the escape committee, and took part in the “Great Escape”.
Fortunately for him, he was quickly recaptured, otherwise he might have been executed like so many of the other escapees were.
All the Venturas were lost with 55 air crew, After the war, Sqn Ldr L Trent was awarded the Victoria Cross for “His determined Leadership and Devotion to Duty”.
In July 1943 the remains of the Squadron were moved to recuperate.
In 1943, the Station was closed to flying while it was upgraded to “A” standard,
Three concrete runways were laid, 36 hard standings were built [35 of the loop type and a single pan].
These replaced the previous asphalt hard standings, which were not replaced.
Following this work, RAF Methwold was a higher standard Station than its parent, Feltwell.
On completion of the work the Station was returned to No 3 Bomber Group and became a sub Station to RAF Mildenhall.
The camp provided accomodation for 1,810 men and 332 WAAF’s.
In May 1944, No 149 Squadron, flying Short Stirlings was moved to Methwold, they were no longer considered suitable for raids over Germany and were mainly used on mine laying missions.
The last operational mission flown by the Stirlings was on 8th September 1944.
RAF Methwold also became a Battle School for experienced aircrew to learn self protection and defence procedures, to assist them evading capture, if shot down.
Also at this time, the Station played host to 22 American Servicemen for a short time.
The final bombing operation from Methwold was 21 Lancasters from No 141 Squadron bombed who Bremen on April 1945.
With the war drawing to an end, the Squadron then became involved with “Operation Manna”, dropping rations to the Dutch.
After VE Day, the Station became involved in “Operation Exodus”, the repatriation of British and Commonwealth POW’s from the various camps in Europe.
The Station was transfered to ‘Care and Maintenance’ and lay dormant for 10 years, with a short flurry of activity in 1955, and was finally closed in June 1958
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