RAF Sculthorpe

Sculthorpe Airfield
Aerial photograph mosaic of Sculthorpe airfield looking north, the main runway runs diagonally, the technical and bomb dump are on the left, 31 January 1946.
IATA: none ICAO: EGUP
Summary
Airport type	Military
Owner	Ministry of Defence
Operator	Royal Air Force
Location	near Fakenham, Norfolk, England
Coordinates	52°50′54″N 000°45′38″E / 52.84833°N 0.76056°E / 52.84833; 0.76056Coordinates: 52°50′54″N 000°45′38″E / 52.84833°N 0.76056°E / 52.84833; 0.76056
Map
EGUP Location in Norfolk
Runways
Direction Length Surface ft m 06/24 12,000 3,658 13/31 6,000 1,829 (Disused) 18/36 6,000 1,829 (Disused)
Now part of the Stanta training area

Royal Air Force Station Sculthorpe
Part of Royal Air Force
Coordinates	52°50′54″N 000°45′38″E / 52.84833°N 0.76056°E / 52.84833; 0.76056
Type	Air Force Base
Site information
Owner	Ministry Of Defence
Controlled by	Ministry Of Defence (Defence Estates/Landmarc)
Site history
Built	1942
In use	1943-present

RAF Sculthorpe is a military training facility for the United Kingdom's Ministry of Defence, situated about 3 mi (4.8 km) west of Fakenham in Norfolk, England. The airfield has been home to many visiting airmen and support crews of the RAF and United States Air Force. Whilst retaining the airfield in 1997 the Ministry of Defence sold the entire technical, domestic and administrative site including the married quarters site previously occupied by the USAF to The Welbeck Estate Group.

RAF Sculthorpe was built as the second satellite airfield of RAF West Raynham a few miles to the south, the first being RAF Great Massingham. Work was begun in the spring of 1942 and the airfield was laid out as a standard RAF heavy bomber airfield with concrete runways, dispersals site, mess facilities and accommodation. Much of the construction work was completed by Irish labour working for the construction company Bovis.

As work was drawing to a close in May 1943 the first squadrons started to arrive, the first being 342 (Lorraine) Squadron of the Free French Air Force within 2 Group from RAF West Raynham. This squadron operated two flights of the Douglas Boston aircraft along with some Douglas Havoc aircraft for training, 342 Squadron stayed until 19 July 1943 when they moved to RAF Great Massingham.

On 20 July 1943 the Royal New Zealand Air Force and Royal Australian Air Force moved in with No. 487 Squadron RNZAF and No. 464 Squadron RAAF taking up residence with their Lockheed Ventura aircraft having moved from RAF Methwold before converting at Sculthorpe onto the De Havilland Mosquito. On 20 September 1943 21 Squadron moved in from RAF Oulton, also with Mosquitos to form the Sculthorpe Wing (No. 140 Wing RAF). The wing stayed at Sculthorpe completing more than 100 missions before departing for RAF Hunsdon on 31 December 1943.