NHER 13616 (Monument record) - World War One airfield and World War Two to Cold War Observer Corps post
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Summary
Protected Status/Designation
- None recorded
Location
| Map sheet | TG40NW |
|---|---|
| Civil Parish | FREETHORPE, BROADLAND, NORFOLK |
Map
Full Description
Class I Military landing ground 1916 to 1918.
Site not known, probably south of village. Officially '2 miles from Reedham railway station'.
Information from Norfolk and Suffolk Aviation Museum.
Site indicated by villagers. Not south to village but east of church, known still as 'the airfield'. In southeast corner a brick and concrete tower, with deep air raid shelter at base of 4.5m (15 feet) shaft leading to rectangular room and lavatory. This work looks more recent; was the field reused as a decoy airfield in 1939 and 1945?
E. Rose (NAU), 24 June 1981.
In fact the above buildings are a Royal Observer Corps post opened in 1934. Tower rebuilt 1953, underground room 1959, closed 1968.
Information from Norfolk and Suffolk Aviation Museum.
E. Rose (NAU), 30 June 1981.
June to July 1999. Metal detecting.
Medieval coin.
See list in file.
A. Rogerson (NLA), 13 September 1999.
(S1) states the tower was demolished 1985 and the underground room removed in 1995; only rubble remains.
E. Rose (NLA), July 2000.
May 2007. Norfolk NMP
A World War Two Observer Corps post is visible on aerial photographs (S2-S3). A rectangular brick or concrete tower with a smaller rectangular annexe adjoining its northwest corner was present. This appears to have been the World War Two Observer Corps post recorded at this site.
J. Albone (NMP), 09 May 2007
Associated Sources (5)
- --- SNF57722 Record Card: NAU Staff. 1974-1988. Norfolk Archaeological Index Primary Record Card.
- --- SNF101966 Website: 2023-. Airfields of Britain Conservation Trust. https://www.abct.org.uk/. 17 January 2023. Freethorpe [accessed 17 January 2023].
- <S1> SNF48280 Article in Serial: Catford, N.. 1999. ROC Underground Posts in Norfolk.. NIAS Journal. Vol 6, No 4. pp 59ff.
- <S2> SNF67346 Vertical Aerial Photograph: RAF. 1945. RAF 106G/UK/930 3017-8 16-OCT-1945 (NHER TG 4105A-B).
- <S3> SNF67347 Vertical Aerial Photograph: RAF. 1953. RAF 82/724 17 16-FEB-1953 (NHER TG 4105A).
Site and Feature Types and Periods (2)
Object Types (1)
- COIN (Medieval - 1066 AD to 1539 AD)
Related NHER Records (0)
Find out more...(2)
Record last edited
Jan 17 2023 9:15PM