Latitude 52°26'07"N Longitude 01°36'18"E


ACQUISITION	Lodger facilities from R.A.F. No.16 Group. Transferred on loan in July 1945.
COMMISSIONED	01 July 1945
PAID OFF	To Care and Maintenance Status ?
CLOSED	18 July 1953?

C.O.	Captain J.H.I. Wood

FUNCTION	Satellite airfield to R.N.A.S. Halesworth.
ADDRESS	R.N. Air Station Beccles, Nr. Lowestoft, Suffolk
LOCALITY	The airfield lies 5 mile SE of Lowestoft.
LANDMARKS	The River Waveney.
ROAD AND RAIL ACCESS	Railway station at Beccles L.N.E.R.


CONTROL	Not known.
ELEVATION	50' above M.S.L.
RUNWAYS	Three, Tarmac. 09/28 QDM. 099° -279° .... 2,000 x 50 yds. 17/25 QDM. 172° -248° .... 1,400 x 50 yds. 23/04 QDM. 226° -046° .... 1,400 x 50 yds.
TRACKS

OBSTRUCTIONS	Navigation	None.
	Circuit	None.
	Approach	None.
APPROACH	No special approach recommended.
WIND INDICATOR	Not known.


HOMING - VISUAL	By day	None.
HOMING - VISUAL	By night	None.
HOMING--RADIO	D/F	Not known.
HOMING--RADIO	Beacons	Not known.
APPROACH - VISUAL	By day	None.
APPROACH - VISUAL	By night	Not known.
APPROACH - RADIO	Not known.
COMMUNICATION EQUIPMENT	M/F & H/F	transmitters, receivers.
COMMUNICATION EQUIPMENT	VH/F	transmitters, receivers.
GROUND RADAR	Not known.

ACCOMMODATION

Capacity: (based on RAF manning)

Officers:	115
Chiefs, P.O.s and ratings:	2.552
W.R.N.S. Officers:	3
W.R.N.S. Chiefs, P.O.s and ratings;	24

ARMOURIES

Not known.

COMPASS BASE

Not known.

DISPERSAL

50 loop hardstands.

HANGARS

Hangars

Number /Type	Size	Door Height	Door Width
2 x T.2	135' 5" x 113' 6	25'	113' 6"

MEDICAL

Not known.

METEOROLOGICAL

Not known.

FUEL AND OIL

Aviation:	Not known.
M/T:	Not known.
Oil :	Not known.

TEST BASE

Not known.

TEST BUTT

Not known.

WORKSHOPS

Not known.

EXPLOSIVES

Not known.

BOMBING AND FIRING RANGES

Not known.

Air to air

Air to ground and R. p. Firing

Live and practice bombing

Practice bombing

Assault training

Information taken from CB 4368 B. Admiralty Handbook of Naval Air Stations Aug. 45

List of first and second line squadrons, station flight and other flying units based at this location

762

Twin Engine Conversion Unit

Possible daily usage by aircraft from this unit operating out of R.N.A.S. Halesworth, between 03.12.45 and 15.01.46.

798

Advanced Single .Engine Conversion & Refresher Flying Training Unit..

Possible daily usage by aircraft from this unit operating out of R.N.A.S. Halesworth, between 06.09.45 and 28.02.46

810

Torpedo, Bomber, Reconnaissance Squadron.

Moved here from R.A.F. Thorney Island 08.03.45 and operated under control of R.A.F. Coastal command. Moved to R.N.A.S. Machrihanish 08.08.45.

Equipped with 12 x Barracuda IIs.

827

Torpedo, Bomber, Reconnaissance Squadron.

Disembarked from H.M.S. FURIOUS 15.09.44 and operated under No. 16 group R.A.F. control until 28.10.44 when it moved to R.A.F. Langham.

Equipped with 18 Barracuda IIs.

PAGE UNDER CONSTRUCTION

Built in 1943 for the U.S.A.A.F but never taken up.. The airfield soon came under control by RAF bomber command from early 1944. In August 1944 RAF coastal command took over.

Originally the RN had lodger rights from No.16 group but little use was made of this facility before the end of the war in Europe; only two squadrons of Barracudas operated from Beccles, one for a five week period in September/October 1944 and March to August 1945. In late October 1944 the airfield was loaned to the Admiralty

There is some confusion over what status of the RN presence at Beccles - there is mention of the RN presence being 'on the Books of HORNBILL' and then later as being 'HORNBILL II' which seems an odd choice since 'H.M.S. HORNBILL was R.N.A.S. Culham in Berkshire (now Oxfordshire). Since Beccles was near to RNAS Halesworth (approx 11 miles by road) logic suggests that it should have been 'SPARROWHAWK II'...

Click here for a list of Primary sources

Additional sources:

Admiralty Fleet Orders:

Confidential Admiralty Fleet Orders: