Another Norfolk World War Two airfield that I visited. A nice wander around but it’s fairly spread out. Was quite a few bits to look about and a few bits in quite good condition. Most of the remains are on the technical site and in use for light industry. The control tower was bought ten years ago. It was painstakingly restored and is used as a house and a fantastic B&B. The main runways are a solar farm now. A memorial was erected in 2021 after a huge fundraiser for four years by the owners of the tower. It was opened by a veteran who served at North Creake. It consists of a metal memorial known at the “moving roll of honour”. This is due to the fact you can see through the names on the memorial so it looks different from what angle you stand at. Also they have a steel Stirling bomber of the type based at North Creake and took off for D Day on June 6th 1944.
Raf North Creake originally started life as a decoy site for RAF Docking a bit nearer the coast. It was decided to turn it into an operating airfield in 1942. Two T2 hangars were built and a B1 hangar. The airfield was considered for a heavy bomber upgrade, but this was passed on to RAF Sculthorpe. When the airfield war ended it had lost seventeen aircraft. After the war it was used for storage and scrapping of aircraft. The airfield was relinquished by the RAF in 1947.
Heading into the airfield are two pillboxes as part of the outer airfield defences.
Here we have a Air Ministry Bombing Teacher. This was basically used to train pilots and the bomb aimer on dropping bombs precisely. Through the use of projections from above. They could use this to get there bearings and co ordinates. For a more detailed look at one and diagram see link.
airminded.org
The training tower is in great condition.
Looking up to the projector holes
Up the top is the projector room.
Boiler for the building.
Next to the trainer is a turret trainer building. These two were always side by side or even joined together. It was to train crew in the turrets and usually consisted of a metal crane sphere with a screen. An fairly intact one was still at RAF Sleap in Shropshire.
Not sure what this building was, but could be to do with water as close to a water tower.
The old cinema projection room, the main area would have been a Nissen hut. You can still see the shape in the wall.
Water tower.
Standby set house.
A few building still in use like the old workshops and stores.
The B1 hangar now used by Adnams brewery of Southwold for storage.
And finally the fantastic memorial for all those who lost their lives defending us.
Raf North Creake originally started life as a decoy site for RAF Docking a bit nearer the coast. It was decided to turn it into an operating airfield in 1942. Two T2 hangars were built and a B1 hangar. The airfield was considered for a heavy bomber upgrade, but this was passed on to RAF Sculthorpe. When the airfield war ended it had lost seventeen aircraft. After the war it was used for storage and scrapping of aircraft. The airfield was relinquished by the RAF in 1947.
Heading into the airfield are two pillboxes as part of the outer airfield defences.
Here we have a Air Ministry Bombing Teacher. This was basically used to train pilots and the bomb aimer on dropping bombs precisely. Through the use of projections from above. They could use this to get there bearings and co ordinates. For a more detailed look at one and diagram see link.
The bombing teacher
The above drawing (click to enlarge), which appeared in the 3 May 1934 issue of Flight, depicts an ingenious bombing simulator manufactured by Vickers-Armstrongs -- the Vickers-Bygrave Bombing Teacher. The basic idea is that an image of the area around a bomb target (which is printed on a glass...
airminded.org
The training tower is in great condition.
Looking up to the projector holes
Up the top is the projector room.
Boiler for the building.
Next to the trainer is a turret trainer building. These two were always side by side or even joined together. It was to train crew in the turrets and usually consisted of a metal crane sphere with a screen. An fairly intact one was still at RAF Sleap in Shropshire.
Not sure what this building was, but could be to do with water as close to a water tower.
The old cinema projection room, the main area would have been a Nissen hut. You can still see the shape in the wall.
Water tower.
Standby set house.
A few building still in use like the old workshops and stores.
The B1 hangar now used by Adnams brewery of Southwold for storage.
And finally the fantastic memorial for all those who lost their lives defending us.
