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Norfolk Heritage Explorer

Record Details

NHER Number:	4260
Type of record:	Monument
Name:	Deopham Green World War Two airfield

Summary

Sometimes known locally as Ellingham Airfield, this was from 1943 home to the 452nd Bombardment Group of the United States 8th Army Air Force, equipped with B17 Flying Fortresses and flying missions over Europe. Handed back to the RAF in 1945, it was closed in 1948 and sold off in 1959. Several runways, hangars and an air raid shelter remain. One of the hangars has two contemporary murals, one of a cowboy and the other of a line of dancing girls.

Images - none

Location

Grid Reference:	TM 030 987
Map Sheet:	TM09NW
Parish:	DEOPHAM, SOUTH NORFOLK, NORFOLK
	GREAT ELLINGHAM, BRECKLAND, NORFOLK
	HINGHAM, SOUTH NORFOLK, NORFOLK

Full description

June 1975. Visit. Deopham Green Airfield. World War Two.
Most of runways survive; some as public roads, but some being destroyed. At least one hangar and one shelter, ground under crop.
E. Rose (NAU), 30 June 1975.

Breckland District Council state that one building has a contemporary mural; building at present in use as council store but to be sold off.
E. Rose (NLA), 29 June 1992.

Opened 1943; sometimes called Ellingham. USAAF 452nd Bomb Group. 1945 to RAF Maintenance Command. Closed 1948, sold off 1959.
Information from (S1).
Press cutting (S2) in file.
E. Rose (NLA), 3 March 1993.

This airfield was constructed in 1943 as USAAF Station 142 and the 452nd Bomb Group commenced operations on 5th February 1944 and left in August 1945. The airfield was turned over to RAF Maintenance Command, finally closing in 1959.
For further information and photographs of remaining buildings, see (S3).
A. Cattermole (NLA), 13 January 2010.

November 2012. Norfolk NMP.
The extent of the site has been enlarged to include all parts of the airfield, including slightly dispersed perimeter airfield defences and buildings visible on the aerial photographs dating to 1946 (S4-S6). Although due to the lack of pre-1946 aerial photography available, it appears that the majority of the sort of relatively temporary defences usually visible at airfields during this period have already been removed. Time constraints within the NMP project have meant that detailed mapping of sites such as airfields is not undertaken when it is likely detailed military plans and records exist already. Consequently no mapping was undertaken at the airfield other than to mark on the runways, hangars and dispersal roads. Further reference should be made to (S4-S5) if further research on the airfield is undertaken. The sewerage works for the site is located to the southwest at TM 0236 9781. The accommodation for the airfield is located to the west of the airfield and has been recorded under NHER 57400.
S. Horlock (NMP), 02 November 2012.

2018-January2019.
Part of the runway may have been removed [1].
A second source has indicated that the stretch of runway running parallel to Old Runway Lane was removed around this time ("a couple of years" prior to 2021). [2]
A. Beckham (HES), 18 January 2019. Amended H. Hamilton (HES), 23 March 2021.

Pre-March 2021.
An area of runway running parallel to Stallard Lane has been cleared [2].
H. Hamilton (HES), 23 March 2021.

Monument Types

AIR RAID SHELTER (World War Two - 1939 AD to 1945 AD)
AIRCRAFT HANGAR (World War Two - 1939 AD to 1945 AD)
MILITARY AIRFIELD (World War Two - 1939 AD to 1945 AD)
MILITARY BUILDING (World War Two - 1939 AD to 1945 AD)

Associated Finds

WALL PAINTING (World War Two - 1939 AD to 1945 AD)

Protected Status

SHINE

Sources and further reading

---	Aerial Photograph: TM0398 A-B; TM0399 B-E.
---	Record Card: NAU Staff. 1974-1988. Norfolk Archaeological Index Primary Record Card.
---	Secondary File: Secondary File.
<S1>	Article in Serial: 1973. Airfields of Norfolk and Suffolk. Norfolk and Suffolk Aviation Museum. Vol 7, pp 6-7.
<S2>	Newspaper Article: Eastern Daily Press. 1979. Americans tour old airfield. 17 August.
<S3>	Monograph: McKenzie, R.. 2004. Ghost Fields of Norfolk. pp 23-25.
<S4>	Vertical Aerial Photograph: RAF. 1946. RAF 3G/TUD/UK/101 6074-5 30-MAR-1946 (NMR).
<S5>	Vertical Aerial Photograph: Various. Various. Vertical Aerial Photography from the Historic England Archive. RAF 106G/UK/1634 3139-40 09-JUL-1946.