MARHAM
The Norfolk Breckland with its free-draining heaths had attracted interest for aeroplane operations from the earliest days of aviation, and in summer 1915 a common to the south and on the west side of the road to Narborough village was prepared as an aerodrome. Its purpose was to provide a landing ground for Admiralty fighters, which were operating against Zeppelin night raids. Little used for this purpose, m the following spring the Royal Flying Corps acquired a site for flying training on the opposite side of the road to the RNAS station. Another RFC site was established south-east of Lady's Wood and was known as Marham. A number of squadrons were raised at the Narborough complex and worked up before being despatched to France and a depot was also established there but demobilisation saw the sites abandoned in 1920. Over the next few years most buildings were demolished, a plaque in Narborough churchyard reminding visitors that this was the largest aerodrome in Britain during the First World War.
With the RAF expansion scheme of the mid-1930s, many First World War aerodrome sites were inspected to see if they would be suitable for the new permanent stations planned. As far as the Narborough was concerned, the proximity of a railway line and the closure of public roads were probably among the factors that made the Air Ministry surveyors transfer their attention instead to a more acceptable location. This was found three quarters of a mile away to the south-west, centred on the old Royal Flying Corps aerodrome.
Work commenced in 1936 and RAF station Marham was officially opened on All Fools Day 1937 in No. 3 Group. As with other new bomber airfields constructed during the expansion period, Marham had approximately 200 acres for the flying field with four Type C hangars fronting the bombing circle in a crescent, with a fifth hangar behind the northernmost one. The hangars and the technical, administrative and barrack buildings were on the north-west side of the airfield, accessed by two roads from Marham village. The bomb stores were in the northeast corner of the site.
The first bomber squadron based at Marham, No. 38, was the only squadron to be fully equipped with the cumbersome Fairey Hendon. In pursuant of the expansion programme, six weeks after No. 38 moved in from Mildenhall it provided the nucleus for a second Marham squadron - No. 115, which was formed from `B' Flight, which worked up to full strength with the Handley Page Harrow. Wellingtons were scheduled, No. 38 being the second squadron in No. 3 Group to receive the type. This was late in 1938 but No. 115 did not trade its Harrows for Wellingtons until the following spring.
With the outbreak of war and the policy of, where possible, having a satellite airfield for each bomber station, Marham's Wellingtons found themselves dispersed the other side of the main road (the A1122 from Downham Market to Swaffham). This landing ground at Barton Bendish was obviously too close to home for further development and was abandoned in 1941 when a more suitable satellite became available.
North Sea patrols predominated in the early weeks of hostilities, Marham squadrons not undertaking a daylight bombing raid against Heligoland - until December 3, 1939. As with other No. 3 Group squadrons, Marham's soon turned almost exclusively to operations during the hours of darkness. From June 1940 the Luftwaffe began to search out the station at night and though some buildings were hit by bombs the damage was never critical to the station's functioning. Commencing sometime during 1940, pan-shape asphalt hardstandings were put down, numbering at least 30 by 1942, and 12 supporting Blister hangars. A perimeter road was also laid during the early months of the war.
In November 1940 the situation in the Middle East prompted the despatch of two Wellington squadrons from No. 3 Group, No. 38 being one. The replacement at Marham was No. 218 Squadron, a one-time Fairey Battle unit temporarily re-equipped with Blenheims after being decimated during the Battle of France, re-established as an effective unit with Wellingtons in the final weeks of 1940. In January 1942, No. 218 started conversion to Stirlings, the fourth No. 3 Group squadron to fly this formidable aircraft. Although the available runway area had been extended since the airfield was laid out, Marham was still turf-surfaced and not a suitable base for bombers requiring a 900-yard take-off run when fully loaded. However, in July 1942, the Stirlings were moved to Marham's satellite Downham Market which did have hardened runways and a few weeks later No. 115's Wellingtons also changed station by going to Mildenhall.
Bomber Command had decided that it made more sense to have No. 2 Group light bombers operating from grass surfaces and the mediums and heavies from hardened runways. Thus, in late September 1942, No. 105 Squadron moved in with Mosquitos followed by No. 139 with Blenheims. The latter was to convert to Mosquito IVs but the low production of this mark delayed re-equipment and No. 139 crews often used No. 105's aircraft. During following months these two squadrons took part in a number of spectacular low-level raids. Their employment changed after May 1943 when No. 2 Group was removed from Bomber Command and Marham's Mosquitos were transferred to No. 8 Group - the Pathfinder Force. Operations were then chiefly under cover of darkness and in this work they were joined by No. 109 Squadron which arrived at Marham in July 1943.
The Mosquitos remained at Marham until the spring of 1944 when they were moved so that the site could be re-developed as a very heavy bomber base, one of first three selected for this transformation. This also marked the end of Bomber Command operations from the station, which had seen 214 aircraft failing to return or destroyed in UK crashes. The total embraced 145 Wellingtons, 14 Stirlings and 55 Mosquitos.
The re-construction of Marham got underway in April. Concrete runways 100 yards wide were put down with the main, 06-24 3,000 yards long and the subsidiaries, ll-29 and 15-33, each of 2,000 yards, the airfield taking in new areas of land to the south and south-west. Part of the upgrading included moving a section of the A1122 to the southeast. Some 1,100 men were employed in this 18-month task, which cost £1,740,000.
Re-opened in February 1946, it became the home of the Central Bomber Establishment, engaged chiefly in experimental work using Lancasters and Lincolns. There was USAF participation in some projects with the Berlin crisis bringing in B-29 groups on temporary duty. When Bomber Command took delivery of B-29s under the Washington label, Marham held the conversion unit for the type and most of the nine squadrons that flew Washingtons were at this station at some time or other during 1950-1956. Various Valiant, Canberra and Victor equipped squadrons followed and at the end of the 20th century, Marham remains the only active Tornado strike mission station.
Some reshaping of the airfield has taken place since 1946, chiefly the construction of a new perimeter track and hardstandings in 1950 by John Mowlem & Son Ltd, at a cost of £316,445. Weapons storage sites were much modified and protected and the 1980s saw the provision of hardened aircraft shelters.
