NHER 41375 (Monument record) - Headquarters camp of a USAAF World War Two bomb storage facility

Site of headquarters buildings for the vast Earsham Bomb Store, World War Two, United States Army Air Force.
For full details see NHER 41372, NHER 41373 and NHER 41734
E. Rose (NLA), 21 April 2005.

June 2006. Norfolk NMP
A World War Two military camp at Earsham Hall is visible on aerial photographs (S2-S3). The central grid reference for this site has been amended from TM 3077 9018 to TM 3075 9009. The camp was located in the northern part of the grounds of Earsham Hall and was the headquarters of a large USAAF bomb storage facility that was dispersed over the surrounding area. The whole facility extended for 2km to the north and south of the camp and 1.5km to its west. The site was USAAF station number 545 and was home to the 1916th Ordnance Ammunition Co. (Aviation) and the 2217th Quartermasters Truck Co. (Aviation) of the USAAF (S4). Bombs were unloaded at a special railway siding 2km to the south (NHER 43546) and stored at this facility prior to distribution to USAAF airfields up to 42 miles away (S1). The main bomb stores were located in nearby areas of woodland, with Beech Wood (NHER 41374) to the east of the camp, Sexton Wood (NHER 41372) to the northwest and Park’s Wood (NHER 41373) and America Wood (NHER 43784) to the north. Additional storage areas were located on concrete hardstandings along roadsides to the south (NHER 43547-9), west (NHER 43785) and north (NHER 43780, 43782, 41373). The perimeter of the dispersed facility was protected by sentry posts located on the roads leading into the area (NHER 43550, 43781, 43783, 41373, 43549).

The main part of the camp covered a roughly rectangular area measuring 250m by 150m to the south of Private Road. Curved profile Nissen hut type buildings were present along paths around the perimeter of the camp. A variety of other flat roof and pitched roof buildings were present at the site, although it is not possible to determine their type and function. A large curved profile building, measuring 15m wide by 30m long, was present in the centre of the site at TM 3064 9009. This is similar to a Romney hut but has a greater span and is of unknown type and function. A sewage works was located to the east of the site. The majority of the military buildings at the camp had been demolished by May 1973 (S5).
J. Albone (NMP), 20 June 2006