RAF Bury St Edmunds

RAF Bury St Edmunds USAAF Station 468
Near Bury St Edmunds, Suffolk in England
Bury St Edmunds/Rougham Airfield - 6 June 1955
RAF Bury St Edmunds Shown within Suffolk
Coordinates	52°14′39″N 000°45′44″E / 52.24417°N 0.76222°E / 52.24417; 0.76222
Type	Royal Air Force station
Code	BU
Site information
Owner	Air Ministry
Controlled by	Royal Air Force United States Army Air Forces
Site history
Built	1941 (1941)
In use	1942–1948 (1948)
Events	European Theatre of World War II Air Offensive, Europe July 1942 – May 1945
Airfield information
Elevation	63 metres (207 ft) AMSL
Runways Direction Length and surface 03/21 1,170 metres (3,839 ft) Concrete 08/26 1,745 metres (5,725 ft) Concrete 14/32 1,260 metres (4,134 ft) Concrete

Royal Air Force Bury St Edmunds or more simply RAF Bury St Edmunds is a former Royal Air Force station located 3 miles (4.8 km) east of Bury St Edmunds, Suffolk, England. It is not to be confused with the RAF grass strip on the western side of Bury St Edmunds known as RAF Westley, an area now part of the town itself.

The airfield was originally and is now again known as Rougham as it is located north of that village between the A14 and the main railway line between Bury St Edmunds and Ipswich.

It was built during 1941 and 1942 with three intersecting concrete runways. The main runway of 2,000 yards was aligned approximately E–W. It saw extensive use during the Second World War.

The following units were here at some point:^[1]

• 94th Bombardment Group
• 322nd Bombardment Group
• 331st Bombardment Squadron
• 332nd Bombardment Squadron
• 333rd Bombardment Squadron
• 410th Bombardment Squadron

With the end of military control, Bury St Edmunds airfield's concreted areas were broken up with most of the site being returned to agriculture.

The old technical site has been developed into the Rougham Industrial Estate. The T2 hangars are still in use for storage. The control tower, used for many years as a private dwelling, has been restored and is operated as an aviation museum dedicated to the 94th bomb group. The museum is open to the public every Sunday from Easter until October, admission free.^[2]

The museum site is also home to the Bury St Edmunds Amateur Radio Society BSEARS radio club.

The airfield, once again known as Rougham has been returned to agriculture.

The airfield was closed in June 2023.^[3]

• List of former Royal Air Force stations

 This article incorporates public domain material from the Air Force Historical Research Agency

• Freeman, R. Airfields of the Eighth - Then and Now. After the Battle. London, UK: Battle of Britain International Ltd., 2001. ISBN 0-9009-13-09-6.
• Maurer, M. Air Force Combat Units of World War II. USAF Historical Division. Washington D.C., USA: Zenger Publishing Co., Inc, 1980. ISBN 0-89201-092-4.
• Bury St Edmunds - Rougham airfield
• Bury St. Edmunds Airfield
• USAAS-USAAC-USAAF-USAF Aircraft Serial Numbers--1908 to present

Wikimedia Commons has media related to RAF Bury St Edmunds.

• 94th Bomb Group website
• 322d Bomb Group website
• Rougham Tower Association
• Rougham Airfield Underground Battle HQ photos
• First person accounts of 4 crewman's bailout from 94BG, 333BS B-17 "Pride of the Yanks" photos

This page was last edited on 26 September 2024, at 12:40