Record Details

NHER Number:13616
Type of record:Monument
Name:World War One airfield and World War Two to Cold War Observer Corps post

Summary

This was a World War One Class I Military landing ground between 1916 and 1918. In the southeast corner of the airfield a Royal Observer Corps site was constructed during World War Two. This underground room and toilet were opened in 1934 and closed in 1968. The site has now been demolished. A medieval coin was found on the airfield by a metal detectorist.

Images - none

Location

Grid Reference:TG 41 05
Map Sheet:TG40NW
Parish:FREETHORPE, BROADLAND, NORFOLK

Full description

Class I Military landing ground 1916 to 1918.
Site not known, probably south of village. Officially '2 miles from Reedham railway station'.
Information from Norfolk and Suffolk Aviation Museum.

Site indicated by villagers. Not south to village but east of church, known still as 'the airfield'. In southeast corner a brick and concrete tower, with deep air raid shelter at base of 4.5m (15 feet) shaft leading to rectangular room and lavatory. This work looks more recent; was the field reused as a decoy airfield in 1939 and 1945?
E. Rose (NAU), 24 June 1981.

In fact the above buildings are a Royal Observer Corps post opened in 1934. Tower rebuilt 1953, underground room 1959, closed 1968.
Information from Norfolk and Suffolk Aviation Museum.
E. Rose (NAU), 30 June 1981.

June to July 1999. Metal detecting.
Medieval coin.
See list in file.
A. Rogerson (NLA), 13 September 1999.

(S1) states the tower was demolished 1985 and the underground room removed in 1995; only rubble remains.
E. Rose (NLA), July 2000.

May 2007. Norfolk NMP
A World War Two Observer Corps post is visible on aerial photographs (S2-S3). A rectangular brick or concrete tower with a smaller rectangular annexe adjoining its northwest corner was present. This appears to have been the World War Two Observer Corps post recorded at this site.
J. Albone (NMP), 09 May 2007

Monument Types

  • MILITARY AIRFIELD (World War One - 1914 AD to 1918 AD)
  • ROYAL OBSERVER CORPS SITE (Mid 20th Century to Late 20th Century - 1959 AD to 1968 AD)

Associated Finds

  • COIN (Medieval - 1066 AD to 1539 AD)

Protected Status - none

Sources and further reading

---Record Card: NAU Staff. 1974-1988. Norfolk Archaeological Index Primary Record Card.
<S1>Article in Serial: Catford, N.. 1999. ROC Underground Posts in Norfolk.. NIAS Journal. Vol 6, No 4. pp 59ff.
<S2>Vertical Aerial Photograph: RAF. 1945. RAF 106G/UK/930 3017-8 16-OCT-1945 (NHER TG 4105A-B).
<S3>Vertical Aerial Photograph: RAF. 1953. RAF 82/724 17 16-FEB-1953 (NHER TG 4105A).

Related records - none

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