Page 10 - Town & Around - November 2022

10 Town & Around November 2022 Tel: 01485 540620 email: editor@townandaround.net
A page from the Sage

transferred to Coastal Command, comes to an end. This life of 44 purchased in the early 1860s by
and on the outbreak of war in years falls into two main phases Queen Victoria as a wedding
1939 the station began the operational flying and present for her son the Prince of
maritime operations on which the administrative training; these two Wales. At the time of purchase it
station was primarily employed phases bridge the whole range of covered 7,000 acres now being
throughout the war. Bircham Royal Air Force activities through the ownership of five
Newton’s aircraft, including thousands of hours have been different monarchs including Her
Canadian, Dutch and Fleet Air flown thousands of officers and Majesty Queen Elizabeth ll, all of
Arm squadrons flew on convoy completed administrative courses whom have purchased more land,
escort in anti-submarine and many administrative it now covers over 22,000 acres.
operations, shipping strikes, apprentices have started their I think I am right in saying that
photographic reconnaissance, air- service life at Bircham Newton. in 1964 when HM Queen
sea rescue operations and The memories of these 44 years Elizabeth ll had 300 acres of land
metrological reconnaissance. As will endure. reclaimed down Wolferton Marsh
a diversion coastal command, that was one of the last areas of
aircraft from Bircham Newton Commanders land to be added to the s estate.
operated at times unspectacularly Wing Commander the Hon. L. The house and grounds have
but always relentlessly. The map J. E. Twisleton-Wykeham Firnnes been altered a lot over the years;
i there everybody. Here’s in the operations room saw the 1924-1927, Wing Commander in the early 1900s my grandfather
my page for the month of T.O'b. Hubbard M.C A.F.C 1927-
HNovember 2022 in Town nature of the operations change 1929, Wing Commander R. worked at Sandringham House as
and Around issue 205. from anti-invasion measures in a chimney sweep, the house at
1940 through the middle years of Jeckie D.SC, D.F.C 1929-1931, that time had 365 rooms the same
RAF Bircham Newton struggle in the North Sea the Wing Commander C. Pulford, as days in a year, making it the
I was given some Bircham sharp activity in support of the O.BE, A.F.C 1931-1932, Wing largest private residence in
RAF station information and as invasion of Normandy and finally Commander R. Collishaw D.S.O England, and they nearly all had
there are many people in the to the harrying of the reeling O.B.E D.S.C D.F.C 1932-1935, fireplaces. In 1912 central heating
Hunstanton and West Norfolk enemy. With the peace in 1945 Wing Commander R. G. Gardner was installed and my grandfather
area who have served in the RAF came the end of Bircham D.S.C 1935-1936, Wing was given the job of
or are interested in it I got my Newton’s maritime role. Commander H.M.K. Brown stoker/boilerman which he did till
grandson Scott to type it out for For the next two years as the 1936-1937, Group Captain J. W. about 1920 when he left
me so that you can all read it. It Initial Conversion Unit in Woodhouse D.S.O Mc 1937- Dersingham to take on the Fox
contains a list of all the Transport Command Bircham 1938, Group Captain C. L. Scott and Hounds pub at Marham.
commanders of RAF Bircham Newton saw the training of pilots, D.S.C 1938-1939, Group Captain At one time there was a ten pin
Newton from beginning to end. navigators, air signallers and W.H Primrose C.F.C 1939-1941, bowling alley in Sandringham
Soon after the birth of the flight engineers in the transport Group Captain J. B. Graham M.C House but in the 1970s a lot of
Royal Air Force, Bircham role. In 1948 the station was A.F.C 1941-1942, Group Captain building work was done on to
Newton was one of the first transferred to Technical Training J.M. Mason D.S.C D.F.C 1942 make it a lot smaller.
stations to be opened by the Command and the Officers’ Group Captain T.H. Carr D.F.Cc When the Second World War
newly formed Air Ministry and in Advanced Training School A.F.C 1942-1943, Group Captain started the golf course in the park
May 1918 No 3 Fighter School moved from Hornchurch. This C.W. A.F.C 1943-1944, Group was ploughed up so crops could
arrived for a stay of six months. school was joined by schools for Captain R.W.K. Stevens 1944- be grown on it for the war effort,
In the meanwhile a bomber secretarial and equipment 1945, Group Captain J. Norwood the iron railings around the park
force called the Independent Air officers, and the RAF School of 1945-1947, Wing Commander were taken down and sent away
Force was formed to bomb Administration was formed. L.H Anderson 1947-1948, Air to be melted down and
strategic targets in Germany. A Eight years later as part of Commodore A.McKee C.B.E Sandringham House, the big
squadron with Handley Page another reorganisation, the D.S.O D.F.C A.F.C 1948-1949, house as it was called, was closed
V/1500 aircraft began to form at secretarial and equipment Air Commodore R.N Waite C.B down so when the royal family
Bircham Newton, but due to officers’ schools left Bircham C.B.E 1949-1950, Group Captain came down they stayed at
delays in aircraft productions, the Newton and were replaced by the G. R. Montgomery C.B.E 1950- Appleton House.
Armistice was signed before any Administrative Apprentice 1952, Group Captain E. J. Laine King George Vl had a flax
bombing operations took place. Training School from Hereford. C.B.E. D.F.C 1952-1955, Group factory built at West Newton,
Apart from two short breaks of a At the same time the Officers’ Captain A. J. Mason D.F.C 1955- many people, mostly women,
few months in the early years, Advanced Training School was 1957, Group Captain G.B worked there during and after the
Bircham Newton remained a renamed the Junior Command Walford O.B.E 1957-1960, war. There were buses going
bomber station until 1936. Many and Staff School. Group captain M. Wyatt D.F.C round the villages picking the
famous bomber squadrons spent Now in December 1962, the 1960-1961, Group Captain A.D. workers up and taking them to the
varying periods on the station, Junior Command School moved Panton O.B.E D.F.C 1961-1962. factory. They also had an
and the well-drained but bumpy to Tern Hill and the last three Sandringham Estate experimental unit at Flitcham
grass surface of the airfield entries of the Administrative Now that sadly and suddenly Hall. Many people worked on the
became very well known to Apprentice Training School, our Queen Elizabeth ll has passed estate - when my uncle went to
Royal Air Force pilots, including which was running down move away I thought I would write a work there in 1934 there were 90
the many flight cadets from back to Hereford. The unending line or two about the people in the gardens the woods
Cranwell who landed on it in the process of development and Sandringham Estate which is now and the parkland plus people
due course of carrying out change leaves no place for in the hands of her eldest son working in the studs at
practice cross-country flights. Bircham Newton in the Royal Air King Charles lll. The Sandringham and Wolferton so
In 1936 Bircham Newton was Force and the life of the station Sandringham Estate was the work force at Sandringham