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RAF Marham
RAF Marham (IATA: KNF, ICAO: EGYM) is a Royal Air Force station near the village of Marham in the county of Norfolk, East Anglia, south of King's Lynn and Boston, west of Norwich.
It is home to No. 138 Expeditionary Air Wing (138 EAW) and, as such, is one of the RAF's 'main operating bases' (MOB). Since 6 June 2018, it has been home to the fifth generation Lockheed Martin F-35B Lightning operated by No. 617 (Dambusters) Squadron. No. 207 Squadron, becoming the second Lightning squadron to be based at RAF Marham when it reformed on 1 August 2019 as the F-35 operational conversion unit (OCU).
Opened in August 1916 close to the former Royal Naval Air Station Narborough, later RAF Narborough, the Marham base was originally a military night landing ground on an 80-acre (320,000-square-metre) site within the boundary of the present day RAF Marham. In 1916, the aerodrome was handed over to the Royal Flying Corps (RFC). Throughout the First World War, Marham's role was focused on defending Norfolk from Zeppelin raids. No. 51 Squadron became the first RFC unit to be stationed at Marham upon their move in September 1916, flying home defence missions. On the night of 27/28 November 1916, Lt. Gaymer of No. 51 Squadron took off from Marham to intercept Zeppelin L21. However, he crashed his Royal Aircraft Factory F.E.2b and was killed after making no contact. L21 was later shot down near Lowestoft by Royal Naval Air Service crews.
Outside of home defence, Marham also acted as a training base for night time flying, with this provided by No. 51 Squadron. No. 191 (Night) Training Squadron was formed at Marham on 6 November 1917 to provide training for night time operations, who were based at Marham until moving to Upwood in January 1918. No. 51 Squadron also assisted No. 190 Training Squadron and No. 193 Training Squadron, who were based nearby, throughout late 1917 and 1918. To celebrate the Armistice on 11 November 1918, aircraft from Marham bombed Narborough with bags of flour who in return bombed Marham with bags of soot. No. 51 Squadron departed Marham in May 1919 for Sutton's Farm, with the aerodrome closing shortly after.
In the first half of 1935, work started on a new airfield which became active on 1 April 1937, with a resident heavy bomber unit from within No. 3 Group, RAF Bomber Command.
The first squadron, No. 38, arrived on 5 May 1937 with Fairey Hendon bombers. In June, No. 115 Squadron re-formed at Marham with the Handley Page Harrow, initially sharing No. 38 Squadron's Hendons until Harrow deliveries were completed in August. No. 38 Squadron received Vickers Wellington Mk.I bombers in December 1938, followed in April 1939 by No. 115 Squadron. No. 218 Squadron moved to Marham on 27 Nov 1940, also operating Wellingtons. No. 218 Squadron began conversion to the Short Stirling in December 1941, and used the type on operations from 1942. De Havilland Mosquitos from No. 105 Squadron also arrived in 1941. Marham became part of the Pathfinder force. They also tested and proved the Oboe precision bombing aid.
On 30 January 1943, three Mosquitos from RAF Marham deliberately attacked the headquarters of the German state broadcasting company just as Hermann Göring, head of the German air force, and himself a World War I fighter pilot, began to speak. The sounds of aircraft engines and anti-aircraft guns could be heard before broadcast engineers cut Göring off and switched to classical music. All three Mosquitos returned safely to Marham.
During March 1944, RAF Marham closed for the construction of new concrete runways, perimeter track, and dispersal areas, marking the end of its wartime operations. The three new runways were of the familiar wartime triangular pattern of class A airfield, but Marham was one of only two sites built as a heavy bomber airfield (the other was nearby RAF Sculthorpe) with the runways substantially longer than the standard layout.
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RAF Marham
RAF Marham (IATA: KNF, ICAO: EGYM) is a Royal Air Force station near the village of Marham in the county of Norfolk, East Anglia, south of King's Lynn and Boston, west of Norwich.
It is home to No. 138 Expeditionary Air Wing (138 EAW) and, as such, is one of the RAF's 'main operating bases' (MOB). Since 6 June 2018, it has been home to the fifth generation Lockheed Martin F-35B Lightning operated by No. 617 (Dambusters) Squadron. No. 207 Squadron, becoming the second Lightning squadron to be based at RAF Marham when it reformed on 1 August 2019 as the F-35 operational conversion unit (OCU).
Opened in August 1916 close to the former Royal Naval Air Station Narborough, later RAF Narborough, the Marham base was originally a military night landing ground on an 80-acre (320,000-square-metre) site within the boundary of the present day RAF Marham. In 1916, the aerodrome was handed over to the Royal Flying Corps (RFC). Throughout the First World War, Marham's role was focused on defending Norfolk from Zeppelin raids. No. 51 Squadron became the first RFC unit to be stationed at Marham upon their move in September 1916, flying home defence missions. On the night of 27/28 November 1916, Lt. Gaymer of No. 51 Squadron took off from Marham to intercept Zeppelin L21. However, he crashed his Royal Aircraft Factory F.E.2b and was killed after making no contact. L21 was later shot down near Lowestoft by Royal Naval Air Service crews.
Outside of home defence, Marham also acted as a training base for night time flying, with this provided by No. 51 Squadron. No. 191 (Night) Training Squadron was formed at Marham on 6 November 1917 to provide training for night time operations, who were based at Marham until moving to Upwood in January 1918. No. 51 Squadron also assisted No. 190 Training Squadron and No. 193 Training Squadron, who were based nearby, throughout late 1917 and 1918. To celebrate the Armistice on 11 November 1918, aircraft from Marham bombed Narborough with bags of flour who in return bombed Marham with bags of soot. No. 51 Squadron departed Marham in May 1919 for Sutton's Farm, with the aerodrome closing shortly after.
In the first half of 1935, work started on a new airfield which became active on 1 April 1937, with a resident heavy bomber unit from within No. 3 Group, RAF Bomber Command.
The first squadron, No. 38, arrived on 5 May 1937 with Fairey Hendon bombers. In June, No. 115 Squadron re-formed at Marham with the Handley Page Harrow, initially sharing No. 38 Squadron's Hendons until Harrow deliveries were completed in August. No. 38 Squadron received Vickers Wellington Mk.I bombers in December 1938, followed in April 1939 by No. 115 Squadron. No. 218 Squadron moved to Marham on 27 Nov 1940, also operating Wellingtons. No. 218 Squadron began conversion to the Short Stirling in December 1941, and used the type on operations from 1942. De Havilland Mosquitos from No. 105 Squadron also arrived in 1941. Marham became part of the Pathfinder force. They also tested and proved the Oboe precision bombing aid.
On 30 January 1943, three Mosquitos from RAF Marham deliberately attacked the headquarters of the German state broadcasting company just as Hermann Göring, head of the German air force, and himself a World War I fighter pilot, began to speak. The sounds of aircraft engines and anti-aircraft guns could be heard before broadcast engineers cut Göring off and switched to classical music. All three Mosquitos returned safely to Marham.
During March 1944, RAF Marham closed for the construction of new concrete runways, perimeter track, and dispersal areas, marking the end of its wartime operations. The three new runways were of the familiar wartime triangular pattern of class A airfield, but Marham was one of only two sites built as a heavy bomber airfield (the other was nearby RAF Sculthorpe) with the runways substantially longer than the standard layout.