Bodney

Airfield
Aerial photograph of Bodney airfield, looking south east, the barrack sites are in the top centre of the image, 8 June 1945. Photograph taken by No. 542 Squadron, sortie number RAF/106G/UK/369. English Heritage (RAF Photography). eh-168.jpg RAF_106G_UK_369_RP_3060 Aerial photograph of Bodney airfield, looking south east, the barrack sites are in the top centre of the image, 8 June 1945. Photograph taken by No. 542 Squadron, sortie number RAF/106G/UK/369. English Heritage (RAF Photography). Historic England

IWM, English Heritage Collection

Object Number - RAF_106G_UK_369_RP_3060 - Aerial photograph of Bodney airfield, looking south east, the barrack sites are in the top centre of the image, 8 June 1945. Photograph taken by No....

Before the Americans arrived Bodney was a grass-surfaced airfield. So when the 352nd Fighter Group arrived with heavy P-47 Thunderbolts, work was carried out to strengthen its roads and runways with steel matting, concrete and tarmac. Nissen huts also had to be quickly built to accommodate up to 1,500 American personnel. The 352nd flew P-47s Thunderbolts until March 1944 when they converted to P-51 Mustangs. There was one fatality at the airfield on D-Day. Taking off in poor visibility, one P-51 Mustang took the wrong heading and crashed into the control tower, killing the pilot. Between December 1944 and April 1945 only a skeleton staff remained at Bodney while most of the Group moved to Belgium to assist in the Battle of the Bulge.

Connections

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Detailed History

Royal Air Force Use:



Bodney was established in 1940 as a satellite field for RAF Watton. The airfield was grass-surfaced and located on slightly rolling land with a hard surface perimeter track.



Initially it was used by aircraft of No. 21 Squadron RAF and No. 82 Squadron RAF (No. 2 Group) Bomber Command. They carried operations over France and later the Netherlands and even Norway.



Their Bristol Blenheim IVs were joined on occasions by, in May 1941, 90 Squadron evaluating its new Boeing Fortress Mk 1s some Handley Page Hampdens for mining operations. 90 Squadron suffered heavy casualties and the use of the Fortress I was discontinued.



Towards October 1942, the Blenheims were changed to Lockheed Venturas but the squadron moved on to RAF Methwold before the Venturas were operational.



United States Army Air Forces Use:



In the summer of 1943 Bodney was turned over to the USAAF and was assigned designation Station 141. The field was then prepared for the use of the Eighth Air Force. Improvements to the field included the addition of steel mat and pierced-steel planking hardstands for use by the American fighters and extra taxiways and roads laid down in macadam and concrete.



Current use: Memorial to the 352d Fighter Group at Bodney Airfield.



With the end of military control, Bodney airfield was closed and was returned to agriculture in November 1945. Almost the entire facility was completely reverted to farmland, although a few derelict buildings remain as well as its control tower.

People

  • Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
  • Nationality: American
  • Unit: 352nd Fighter Group 328th Fighter Squadron
  • Service Numbers: O-660088
  • Highest Rank: Major
  • Role/Job: Fighter Pilot
  • Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
  • Nationality: American
  • Unit: 352nd Fighter Group 496th Fighter Training Group 487th Fighter Squadron
  • Service Numbers: O-732110
  • Highest Rank: Captain
  • Role/Job: Fighter Pilot
  • Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
  • Nationality: American
  • Unit: 352nd Fighter Group 487th Fighter Squadron
  • Service Numbers: O-612731
  • Highest Rank: Captain
  • Role/Job: Fighter Pilot
  • Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
  • Nationality: American
  • Unit: 352nd Fighter Group 328th Fighter Squadron 487th Fighter Squadron
  • Service Numbers: 18117130 / O-?
  • Highest Rank: First Lieutenant
  • Role/Job: Fighter pilot
  • Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
  • Nationality: American
  • Unit: 352nd Fighter Group 328th Fighter Squadron
  • Service Numbers: T-060973 / O-2045126
  • Highest Rank: Lieutenant Colonel
  • Role/Job: Fighter Pilot

Aircraft

  • Aircraft Type: P-51 Mustang
  • Nicknames: Channel Belle / Miss Cherokee
  • Unit: 352nd Fighter Group 487th Fighter Squadron
Lieutenant William T Whisner of the 487th Fighter Squadron, 352nd Fighter Group with his P-51 Mustang nicknamed "Princess Elizabeth". Handwritten caption on reverse: '487th F.S., 352nd F.G., 8th Air Force, Lt. William T. Whisner.'
  • Aircraft Type: P-51 Mustang
  • Nicknames: Princess Elizabeth
  • Unit: 352nd Fighter Group 487th Fighter Squadron
A P-51 Mustang (PE-Z, serial number 42-106459) nicknamed " La Riena Peg " of the 352nd Fighter Group at Bodney, April 1944. Written on slide casing: '4/44 Bodney, Lt Col E Clark. PE-Z, 42106459 La Riena Peg.'
  • Aircraft Type: P-51 Mustang
  • Nicknames: La Riena Peg
  • Unit: 352nd Fighter Group 328th Fighter Squadron
  • Aircraft Type: P-51 Mustang
  • Nicknames: Jean Louise
  • Unit: 352nd Fighter Group 328th Fighter Squadron
  • Aircraft Type: P-51 Mustang
  • Unit: 20th Fighter Group 352nd Fighter Group 486th Fighter Squadron 77th Fighter Squadron

Revisions

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Personal Collection of George Arnold

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Contributorajgoebel
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Punctuation Change - edit

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Contributorajgoebel
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From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/RAF_Bodney

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Contributorusxpat
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Atkins private collection

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ContributorAAM
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Sources

Barry Anderson, Army Air Forces Stations (Alabama, 1985) / Roger Freeman, Airfields of the Eighth Then And Now (London, 1978)

Bodney: Gallery (237 items)