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RAF Leiston
Royal Air Force Leiston or more simply RAF Leiston is a former Royal Air Force station located 1.5 km (0.93 mi) northwest of Leiston and 1 km (0.62 mi) south of Theberton, Suffolk, England.
Originally intended as a fighter station for RAF Fighter Command, RAF Leiston airfield (actually located in Theberton) was allocated to the Eighth Air Force of the United States Army Air Forces (USAAF) on 22 September 1942 and designated Station 373 (LI).
The airfield was constructed to Class A airfield standards between September 1942 and September 1943 by John Mowlem and Company Ltd. and first occupied by the USAAF in October 1943. Leiston's proximity to the coast meant that the airfield was used on many occasions by battle-damaged aircraft returning from operations over Europe. The first aircraft to land on the airfield - while it was still under construction - are believed to have been two Boeing B-17 Flying Fortresses which were returning from operations on 30 July 1943. One aircraft nearly hit a contractor's vehicle when coming in to land as some of the runways were still partly obstructed by tree stumps and other materials.
The three runways were concrete overlaid with asphalt, with 62 aircraft dispersals (38 concrete pans and 12 twin pens with blast walls) situated along its perimeter track. The USAAF added 17 PSP parking squares and a walled 6-plane revetment for additional aircraft parking. Support structures included two T-2 hangars (each 239+1⁄2 × 115 × 29 ft (73.0 × 35.1 × 8.8 m) in dimension) and 12 corrugated steel 60 ft (18 m) wide Over Blister hangars dispersed on all sides of the perimeter track. The ten living sites located west of the airfield had a capacity for 1,709 personnel.
The 358th Fighter Group arrived at Leiston from RAF Goxhill on 29 November 1943 after completing training. The group was assigned to the 66th Fighter Wing of the VIII Fighter Command. Aircraft of the group were identified by yellow cowlings.
The group consisted of the following squadrons:
The 358th FG began operations on 20 December 1943 and engaged in escort work until April 1944 to cover the operations of Boeing B-17 Flying Fortress/Consolidated B-24 Liberator bombers that the USAAF sent against targets on the Continent. On 31 January 1944 the group relocated to RAF Raydon near Ipswich and became part of the Ninth Air Force, which in turn transferred the North American P-51 Mustang-equipped 357th Fighter Group from Raydon to the Eighth Air Force.
The 357th Fighter Group, arrived at Leiston from RAF Raydon on 31 January 1944, replacing the P-47-equipped 358th Fighter Group in the 66th Fighter Wing, VIII Fighter Command. After March 1944 aircraft of the group were identified by red-yellow-red rings on the propeller spinner and a 12" red and yellow band around the forward part of the nose in the checkerboard pattern of the 66th Fighter Wing groups.
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RAF Leiston
Royal Air Force Leiston or more simply RAF Leiston is a former Royal Air Force station located 1.5 km (0.93 mi) northwest of Leiston and 1 km (0.62 mi) south of Theberton, Suffolk, England.
Originally intended as a fighter station for RAF Fighter Command, RAF Leiston airfield (actually located in Theberton) was allocated to the Eighth Air Force of the United States Army Air Forces (USAAF) on 22 September 1942 and designated Station 373 (LI).
The airfield was constructed to Class A airfield standards between September 1942 and September 1943 by John Mowlem and Company Ltd. and first occupied by the USAAF in October 1943. Leiston's proximity to the coast meant that the airfield was used on many occasions by battle-damaged aircraft returning from operations over Europe. The first aircraft to land on the airfield - while it was still under construction - are believed to have been two Boeing B-17 Flying Fortresses which were returning from operations on 30 July 1943. One aircraft nearly hit a contractor's vehicle when coming in to land as some of the runways were still partly obstructed by tree stumps and other materials.
The three runways were concrete overlaid with asphalt, with 62 aircraft dispersals (38 concrete pans and 12 twin pens with blast walls) situated along its perimeter track. The USAAF added 17 PSP parking squares and a walled 6-plane revetment for additional aircraft parking. Support structures included two T-2 hangars (each 239+1⁄2 × 115 × 29 ft (73.0 × 35.1 × 8.8 m) in dimension) and 12 corrugated steel 60 ft (18 m) wide Over Blister hangars dispersed on all sides of the perimeter track. The ten living sites located west of the airfield had a capacity for 1,709 personnel.
The 358th Fighter Group arrived at Leiston from RAF Goxhill on 29 November 1943 after completing training. The group was assigned to the 66th Fighter Wing of the VIII Fighter Command. Aircraft of the group were identified by yellow cowlings.
The group consisted of the following squadrons:
The 358th FG began operations on 20 December 1943 and engaged in escort work until April 1944 to cover the operations of Boeing B-17 Flying Fortress/Consolidated B-24 Liberator bombers that the USAAF sent against targets on the Continent. On 31 January 1944 the group relocated to RAF Raydon near Ipswich and became part of the Ninth Air Force, which in turn transferred the North American P-51 Mustang-equipped 357th Fighter Group from Raydon to the Eighth Air Force.
The 357th Fighter Group, arrived at Leiston from RAF Raydon on 31 January 1944, replacing the P-47-equipped 358th Fighter Group in the 66th Fighter Wing, VIII Fighter Command. After March 1944 aircraft of the group were identified by red-yellow-red rings on the propeller spinner and a 12" red and yellow band around the forward part of the nose in the checkerboard pattern of the 66th Fighter Wing groups.