Also known as Station 125 · Flixton · RNAS Bungay (HMS Europa II)
The story of RAF Bungay
The 446th Bombardment Group arrived in November 1943 with B-24 Liberators, marked with a 'Circle-H' tail code. From December 1943 to April 1945 it bombed U-boat yards at Kiel, oil refineries at Hamburg and aircraft factories at Munich. It supported the Normandy landings and the fighting at Caen and Saint-Lô. Its last mission, on 25 April 1945, hit a bridge near Salzburg.
The Royal Navy borrowed the field in 1945 as HMS Europa II. The RAF then used it to store bombs and ammunition. The runways were broken up from 1984. Veterans of the 446th paid for new oak gates at St Mary's Church, Flixton, in 1986. The Norfolk and Suffolk Aviation Museum, about a mile north-west, holds much on the group.
Flying units
| Unit | Years | Aircraft |
|---|---|---|
| 428th Bombardment Squadron, 310th Bombardment Group, USAAF | 1942–1942 | North American B-25 Mitchell |
| 329th Bombardment Squadron, 93rd Bombardment Group, USAAF | 1942–1943 | Consolidated B-24 Liberator |
| 446th Bombardment Group (Heavy), USAAF | 1943–1945 | Consolidated B-24 Liberator |
What survives
- Several technical-site buildings, with wartime paintings inside the former dining hall
- Memorial gates to the 446th Bomb Group at St Mary's Church, Flixton
The museum on the airfield
| Museum | Adult entry | Airframes | Headline exhibit |
|---|---|---|---|
| Norfolk and Suffolk Aviation MuseumBungay, Suffolk | £10 | 65 | Depends who you ask — the joy is the oddities. Come for the Bloodhound missiles and decoy rarities; stay for volunteer flight-simulator… |