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{{Short description|Former RAF station in Norfolk, England}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=November 2022}}
{{Use British English|date=May 2013}}
{{More footnotes|date=April 2013}}
{{Infobox military installation
| name = RAF Methwold
| ensign = [[File:Ensign of the Royal Air Force.svg|90px]]
| ensign_size =
| native_name =
| partof = 
| location = [[Methwold]], [[Norfolk]]
| nearest_town = 
| country = [[England]]
| image = [[File:487 Squadron RNZAF NCOs RAF Methold early 1943.JPG|300px]]
| alt =
| caption = Squadron NCOs at RAF Methwold early 1943
| image2 = 
| alt2 =
| caption2 =
| type = [[List of former Royal Air Force stations|Royal Air Force station]]
| coordinates = {{coord|52.511|0.545|type:landmark_region:GB-NFK|display=inline}}
| gridref =
| pushpin_map = Norfolk
| pushpin_map_caption = Shown within Norfolk
| pushpin_label = RAF Methwold
| pushpin_label_position =
| ownership = [[Air Ministry]]
| operator = [[Royal Air Force]]
| controlledby = [[RAF Bomber Command]]
| open_to_public = 
| site_other_label = 
| site_other = 
| site_area = 
| code = 
| built = {{Start date|1938}}
| used = 1938-{{End date|1958}}
| builder =
| materials =
| height = 
| length = 
| fate = 
| condition =
| battles = [[World War II|Second World War]], [[Cold War]]
| events =
| past_commanders = 
| garrison = [[No. 2 Group RAF]]<BR>[[No. 3 Group RAF]]
| occupants = 
| designations =
| website =
| footnotes = 

| IATA =
| ICAO =
| GPS =
| WMO =
| elevation = 
| r1-number = 06/24
| r1-length = {{Convert|1828|m|0}}
| r1-surface = Concrete
| r2-number = 11/29
| r2-length = {{Convert|1463|m|0}}
| r2-surface = Concrete
| r3-number = 17/35
| r3-length = {{Convert|1371|m|0}}
| r3-surface = Concrete
| h1-number =
| h1-length = 
| h1-surface =
| airfield_other_label = 
| airfield_other = 

}}

'''Royal Air Force Methwold''' or more simply '''RAF Methwold''' is a former [[Royal Air Force]] [[List of former Royal Air Force stations|station]] located {{Convert|2.1|mi}} north east of [[Feltwell]], [[Norfolk]] and {{Convert|10.9|mi}} north west of [[Thetford]], Norfolk, [[England]].

==History==
[[File:Target Dossier for Methwold, Norfolk, England - DPLA - df6eb5776d681d3b251ad64492ae7320 (page 2).jpg|thumb|left|RAF Methwold on a target dossier of the German [[Luftwaffe]], 1940]]
RAF Methwold opened as a dispersal airfield for [[RAF Feltwell]] in the winter of 1938. [[Vickers Wellington]] bombers from Feltwell continued to use the site as a satellite base until the grass airfield was transferred to [[No. 2 Group RAF|No. 2 Group]] in the exchange of bases with [[No. 3 Group RAF|No. 3 Group]], in the summer of 1942. Several asphalt hardstandings were put down for aircraft during 1940–1941.

In August 1943, the airfield was closed to flying while it was upgraded to A standard. Three concrete runways were built, the main aligned on 06-24 (2,000 yards), 11-29 (1,600 yards) and 17-35 (1,500 yards). 36 hardstandings were built, 35 of the loop type and a single pan. The original asphalt pans were not retained.

Following this work, RAF Methwold was a higher standard base than its parent at Feltwell. The airfield was returned to No. 3 Group and became a sub-station of [[RAF Mildenhall]].

43 aircraft either failed to return or crashed during the operations from RAF Methwold; 25 Venturas, 6 Stirlings, and 12 Lancasters.

==Units==

;Based units<ref name="ABCT">{{cite web|url=http://www.abct.org.uk/airfields/airfield-finder/methwold/ |title=Methwold |publisher=[[Airfields of Britain Conservation Trust]]|accessdate=12 April 2020}}</ref>
* [[No. 57 Squadron RAF]]
* [[No. 214 Squadron RAF]]
* [[No. 21 Squadron RAF]]
* [[No. 464 Squadron RAAF]]
* [[No. 487 Squadron RNZAF]]
* [[No. 149 Squadron RAF]]
* [[No. 218 Squadron RAF]]
* [[No. 207 Squadron RAF]]
* [[No. 320 (Netherlands) Squadron RAF]]
* [[No. 3 Flying Training School RAF]]
* [[No. 3 Service Flying Training School RAF]]
* No. 21 Heavy Glider Maintenance Section

==Current use==

After closure as an operational airfield in April 1946, the airfield remained under care and maintenance until it was finally sold in the 1960s. Today the majority of the site has been returned to agriculture, with two hangars remaining in use as agricultural grain stores and two others used for packaging [[Quorn]] and Cauldron products (Marlow Foods) for sale in supermarkets.<ref>{{cite web |title=Meat-free food giant Quorn investing in Norfolk factory |url=https://www.edp24.co.uk/news/business/20800770.meat-free-food-giant-quorn-investing-norfolk-factory/ |website=Eastern Daily Press edp24.co.uk |access-date=31 August 2024}}</ref>
To the southern edge of the site a well-preserved battle headquarters and some gunpits along with a number of air raid shelters may be found.

==See also==
*[[List of Norfolk airfields]]
*[[List of former Royal Air Force stations]]

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20090201211941/http://www.raf.mod.uk/bombercommand/s43.html RAF History – Bomber Command 60th Anniversary]
* [http://www.methwoldhistorygroup.org.uk/mhg_raf_methwold.html Methwold History Group] Local History Group with an interest in "All Things Methwold" Publishers of a booklet on RAF Methwold

{{Royal Air Force}}

{{authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Methwold}}
[[Category:Royal Air Force stations in Norfolk]]
[[Category:Royal Air Force stations of World War II in the United Kingdom]]

RAF Methwold - Revision history

imported>Gavbadger: fix double redirect