RAF Stradishall

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Former Royal Air Force station in Suffolk, England

title: "RAF Stradishall" type: doc version: 1 created: 2026-02-28 author: "Wikipedia contributors" status: active scope: public tags: ["military-airbases-established-in-1938", "royal-air-force-stations-in-suffolk", "royal-air-force-stations-of-world-war-ii-in-the-united-kingdom", "military-airbases-closed-in-1970"] description: "Former Royal Air Force station in Suffolk, England" topic_path: "history" source: "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/RAF_Stradishall" license: "CC BY-SA 4.0" wikipedia_page_id: 0 wikipedia_revision_id: 0

::summary Former Royal Air Force station in Suffolk, England ::

::data[format=table title="Infobox military installation"]

FieldValue
nameRAF Stradishall
ensignEnsign of the Royal Air Force.svg
ensign_size90px
partof
locationStradishall, Suffolk
countryEngland
image[[File:RAF Stradishall station crest.jpg
captionLatin: Vires de caelo
("Might from the sky")
image2[[File:RAF Stradishall 1945.png
caption2Aerial view in 1945
typeRoyal Air Force station
coordinates
gridrefTL720515
pushpin_mapSuffolk#UK
pushpin_map_captionShown within Suffolk
pushpin_labelRAF Stradishall
ownershipMinistry of Defence
operatorRoyal Air Force
controlledbyRAF Bomber Command 1938-49* No. 3 Group RAFRAF Fighter Command 1949-61* No. 12 Group RAFRAF Flying Training Command 1961-70
open_to_public
site_other_label
site_other
site_area
code
built
usedFebruary 1938 -
battlesEuropean theatre of World War II
past_commanders
garrison
occupants
footnotes
elevation116 m
r1-number02/20
r1-length
r1-surfaceConcrete
r2-number06/24
r2-length
r2-surfaceConcrete
r3-number12/30
r3-length
r3-surfaceConcrete
h1-length
airfield_other_label
airfield_other
::

| name = RAF Stradishall | ensign = Ensign of the Royal Air Force.svg | ensign_size = 90px | native_name = | partof = | location = Stradishall, Suffolk | country = England | image = [[File:RAF Stradishall station crest.jpg|200px]] | caption = Latin: Vires de caelo ("Might from the sky") | image2 = [[File:RAF Stradishall 1945.png|250px]] | caption2 = Aerial view in 1945 | type = Royal Air Force station | coordinates = | gridref = TL720515 | pushpin_map = Suffolk#UK | pushpin_map_caption = Shown within Suffolk | pushpin_label = RAF Stradishall | pushpin_label_position = | ownership = Ministry of Defence | operator = Royal Air Force | controlledby = RAF Bomber Command 1938-49* No. 3 Group RAFRAF Fighter Command 1949-61* No. 12 Group RAFRAF Flying Training Command 1961-70 | open_to_public = | site_other_label = | site_other = | site_area = | code = | built = | used = February 1938 - | builder = | fate = | condition = | battles = European theatre of World War II | events = | past_commanders = | garrison = | occupants = | designations = | website = | footnotes = | IATA = | ICAO = | LID = | GPS = | WMO = | elevation = 116 m | r1-number = 02/20 | r1-length = | r1-surface = Concrete | r2-number = 06/24 | r2-length = | r2-surface = Concrete | r3-number = 12/30 | r3-length = | r3-surface = Concrete | h1-number = | h1-length = | h1-surface = | airfield_other_label = | airfield_other = Royal Air Force Stradishall or more simply RAF Stradishall is a former Royal Air Force station located 7 mi north east of Haverhill, Suffolk and 9 mi south west of Bury St Edmunds, Suffolk, England.

History

In his memoirs, Murray Peden, a Royal Canadian Air Force pilot, recounts his training at Stradishall. In the RAF's "heavy conversion unit" (No. 1657 Heavy Conversion Unit) at the airfield, he and others were trained to fly Short Stirling bombers. He describes in detail his experiences flying there, and the life on the ground of aircrew who were shortly to begin operations over Nazi Germany as part of RAF Bomber Command during the Second World War.

The airfield was home to a number of squadrons during its lifetime:

The following units were also here at some point:

Current use

The airfield closed in 1970 and is now the site of two category C prisons: HMP Highpoint North and HMP Highpoint South. Part of the former airfield remains a Ministry of Defence training site which is not accessible to the public.

The airfield has been sold to a private buyer to be converted into farm land.

The Airfield is a Solar Farm with grazing for cattle and nature walk. It is open from dawn to dusk.

There is a memorial to RAF Stradishall outside Stirling House which was once part of the officers quarters and is now a training unit for the Prison service.

References

Citations

Bibliography

References

  1. Peden, Murray, "A Thousand Shall Fall," Dundurn (1 April 2003)
  2. (2007). "RAF Flying Training And Support Units since 1912". Air-Britain (Historians) Ltd..
  3. {{Harvnb. Jefford. 1988
  4. {{Harvnb. Jefford. 1988
  5. {{Harvnb. Jefford. 1988
  6. {{Harvnb. Jefford. 1988
  7. {{Harvnb. Jefford. 1988
  8. {{Harvnb. Jefford. 1988
  9. {{Harvnb. Jefford. 1988
  10. {{Harvnb. Jefford. 1988
  11. {{Harvnb. Jefford. 1988
  12. {{Harvnb. Jefford. 1988
  13. {{Harvnb. Jefford. 1988
  14. {{Harvnb. Jefford. 1988
  15. {{Harvnb. Jefford. 1988
  16. {{Harvnb. Jefford. 1988
  17. {{Harvnb. Jefford. 1988
  18. {{Harvnb. Jefford. 1988
  19. {{Harvnb. Jefford. 1988
  20. {{Harvnb. Jefford. 1988
  21. {{Harvnb. Jefford. 1988
  22. {{Harvnb. Jefford. 1988
  23. {{Harvnb. Jefford. 1988
  24. {{Harvnb. Jefford. 1988
  25. "Stradishall". [[Airfields of Britain Conservation Trust]].

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military-airbases-established-in-1938royal-air-force-stations-in-suffolkroyal-air-force-stations-of-world-war-ii-in-the-united-kingdommilitary-airbases-closed-in-1970