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TOPIC: RAF Sutton Heath [Woodbridge]
John Cooper


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RE: RAF Sutton Heath [Woodbridge]
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In the mid-late Fifties F100 Super Sabre aircraft were introduced to RAF Woodbridge/SH, this is one of the type although this one is shown at the entrance to the Norfolk & Suffolk Aviation Museum at Flixton near Bungay

One similar aircraft crashed on taking off from SH/WB when its engine 'flamed out' the pilot elected to eject, the F100D continued to climb before stalling on Falcon Caravans office on the A12 at Kesgrave, sadly two persons were killed on the ground



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tarkey


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John

Found this, re crash which I remember well

http://www.airsceneuk.org.uk/oldstuff/kesgrave/kesgrave.htm

Tarkey

-- Edited by tarkey on Monday 12th of October 2009 08:24:39 PM

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John Cooper


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I have just finished reading 'Bawdsey, Birth of the Beam' by Gordon Kinsey [Terence Dalton Limited ISBN 0 86138 017 7] but in part of this book there is a whole section dedicated to RAF Sutton Heath/Woodbridge which was built and used exclusively for Allied Aircraft not being able to make their own bases during WWII

This makes for a fascinating read, in fact you could just imagine being there on one of those crash crews, some landed on a wing and a prayer, others didn't and perished when they ran out of fuel or their kites were so badly shot up that on an attempted landing they 'ground looped' and never made it

I quote from Gordon's book

............this was to be the first of 4115 aircraft to make emergency landings, 1100 due to technical trouble, 995 suffering battle damage, 820 short of fuel and 1200 due to bad weather, mainly fog at their home bases.

It has to be remembered that RAF Sutton Heath/Woodbridge only became operational on 15th November 1943 some 18 months before the end of hostilities

A recent photo of Gordon Kinsey taken at The Martlesham Heath Aviation Society's Open Day September 2009




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John Cooper


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A10 Geoff Pleasance .JPG



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John Cooper


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I have read Gordon Kinsey's book on Bawdsey/Woodbridge/Sutton Heath where there was the FIDO in place in WWII as a crash 'drome, the fuel was pumped from Melton Railway Station via pipelines, my question is where were these huge tanks situated, they held hundreds of thousands of gallons. Over the years I have walked Sutton Heath and Common and have often wondered  where the underground tanks were situated on the opposite side of the road to Woodbridge base and between the Bawdsey Road. 



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