RAF Narborough facts for kids

Quick facts for kids RAF Narborough
Swaffham, Norfolk in England
RAF Narborough Location within Norfolk
Coordinates	52°39′26″N 0°35′42″E / 52.6572°N 0.595°E / 52.6572; 0.595
Site information
Owner	Air Ministry
Operator	Royal Naval Air Service Royal Flying Corps Royal Air Force
Site history
Built	1915 (1915)
In use	1915-1919 (1919)
Battles/wars	First World War
Airfield information
Runways Direction Length and surface 00/00  Grass field

RAF Narborough was a large military airfield, also called an aerodrome, located in Norfolk, England. It was used during the First World War. The airfield opened on May 28, 1915. It started as a base for the Royal Naval Air Service, helping to defend against attacks from German airships called Zeppelins.

RAF Narborough was huge, covering about 908 acres (3.67 square kilometers). It had 30 acres (121,400 square meters) of buildings. This made it the biggest First World War airfield in Britain! It included seven large hangars for planes, workshops, and living areas for the soldiers.

History of the Airfield

Early Days and Royal Flying Corps

In 1916, the airfield was taken over by the Royal Flying Corps. This was the air force before the Royal Air Force (RAF) was created. No. 35 Squadron moved here from RAF Snarehill. They flew planes like the Vickers F.B.5, Royal Aircraft Factory B.E.2c, BE2e, and Armstrong Whitworth FK3.

This squadron first trained to fly reconnaissance missions. Reconnaissance means gathering information, like taking pictures or observing enemy movements from the air. They later moved to France in January 1917.

New Squadrons and Training

No. 59 Squadron was also formed at Narborough on August 1, 1916. They also focused on reconnaissance. This squadron moved to France in February 1917.

Many other units used this airfield for training. These included No. 48 Reserve, No. 50 Reserve, and No. 53 Reserve Squadrons. No. 1 Training Squadron flew the famous Sopwith Camel plane from Narborough for a short time in October 1917.

No. 83 Squadron arrived in December 1917. They trained to be night bombers. On January 1, 1918, No. 121 Squadron was formed here. They used Airco DH9 light bomber planes.

Armistice Celebration

The First World War ended on November 11, 1918, a day known as the Armistice. To celebrate, planes from nearby RAF Marham flew over Narborough. They "bombed" Narborough with bags of flour!

RAF Narborough decided to get them back. They sent their own planes to bomb RAF Marham with bags of soot. It was a fun way to celebrate the end of the war!

Closing Down the Airfield

In February 1919, after the war ended, No. 56, 60, and 64 Squadrons arrived at Narborough. They had returned from fighting in France. However, they did not bring any aircraft with them.

No. 64 Squadron was officially closed down on December 31, 1919. No. 56 and 60 Squadrons moved to RAF Bircham Newton. After this, RAF Narborough was closed. The land was returned to be used for farming.

Today, almost nothing is left of the airfield. The last hangar, a large building for planes, was taken down in 1977. It had been damaged by strong winds.

Squadrons and Aircraft at RAF Narborough

This table shows some of the different squadrons and planes that were at RAF Narborough.

See also

• List of former Royal Air Force stations
• List of Royal Air Force aircraft squadrons