Monument record WAM 013 - Wattisham Airfield

Pre second WW, wartime and later airfield (Norf' and Suff' Aviation Museum, 'Airfields and airstrips of Norfolk and Suffolk', 3rd ed, 1993; Roger Freeman, 'Airfields of the Two World Wars', An Historical Atlas of Suffolk, 2nd ed,1989,188-189).
RAF Wattisham lies 5 miles SW of Stowmarket - it is situated mainly in Ringshall, Great Bricett & Wattisham parishes.
It was built in 1938 by John Laing and Son Ltd during the RAF pre-war expansion programme in isolated country, 290 feet above sea level. Original building were permanent. Camp was to the east near Great Bricett (Roger Freeman, Airfields of the 8th - then and now, 1978).
It was opened in March/April 1939.
USAAF occupied base and built 4 additional (to the 4 existing) hangers and more hardstandings. During 1943 the construction of heavy bomber runways was halted then completed using wire (steel) meshing (2 such were completed).
Returned to RAF in December 1945 and used as a fighter base par excellence, with all post war aircraft operating (Graham Smith, Suffolk Airfields in the 2nd World War, 1993).
New concrete main runway built in 1980s (Freeman 1978).
Remained as operational airbase (home of 3rd Regiment of Army Air Corps for army helicopters) into 1990s (? - closure date not checked).
Buildings still stand, including control tower (Freeman 1978).