Monument record LVM 066 - Lavenham Airfield

Second world war airfield which was built in 1943 and opened in February 1944 for USAAF 487th Bombardment Group. It operated until August 1945 and then the RAF then used it for a variety of purposes before it finally ceased activity in October 1948. The airfield had two T2 hangers and a watch office, which is currently being restored. Although the airfield has now reverted to arable farmland, other surviving structures include the squadron office and the technical site, a number of Nissen huts and buildings such as the gymnasium and a shower block which are now in a bad state of disrepair. Many of the surviving buildings are now used for agricultural purposes (S1).
A former World War Two military airfield, opened between 1943 and 1944 and closed in 1948. It was built as a "Class A" bomber airfield for the United States Army 8th Air Force: that is to say it had three concrete runways, 50 hard standings for aircraft and two aircraft hangars (Type T2). There may have also been blister aircraft hangars at the airfield. The main technical site was on the southern edge of the airfield, with a bomb store to the south-east (please see TL 95 SW 32). There were dispersed barracks, administration and mess sites for about 2900 personnel over a large area of fields to the south of the flying field. During World War Two it was also known as Station 137. It was mainly used by the 8th Air Force's 487th Bomb Group. They were involved in tactical operations in support of the Normandy landings and the airborne assault on Holland (Arnhem), as well as attacking strategic industrial and military targets in Germany. After the war the airfield passed to the Royal Air Force, it closed in 1948 but was not actually disposed of until 1958. In 2000 the control tower and some other military buildings were said to be extant. The airfield site is now private land and permission should be sought before visiting it (S2).