RAF West Raynham | |||||||||
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| Fakenham, Norfolk in England | |||||||||
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  RAF West Raynham Shown within Norfolk | |||||||||
| Coordinates | 52°47′21″N 000°44′08″E / 52.78917°N 0.73556°E | ||||||||
| Grid reference | TF850245[1] | ||||||||
| Type | Royal Air Force station | ||||||||
| Code | WR[2] | ||||||||
| Site information | |||||||||
| Owner | Ministry of Defence | ||||||||
| Operator | Royal Air Force | ||||||||
| Controlled by | RAF Bomber Command * No. 2 Group RAF * No. 6 (T) Group RAF * No. 100 (BS) Group RAF RAF Fighter Command RAF Strike Command | ||||||||
| Site history | |||||||||
| Built | 1938/39 | ||||||||
| Built by | Allot Ltd[2] | ||||||||
| In use | May 1939 – 1994 | ||||||||
| Battles/wars | European theatre of World War II Cold War | ||||||||
| Airfield information | |||||||||
| Elevation | 80 metres (262 ft)[2] AMSL | ||||||||
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Royal Air Force West Raynham, or more simply RAF West Raynham, is a former Royal Air Force station located 2 miles (3.2 km) west of West Raynham, Norfolk and 5.5 miles (8.9 km) southwest of Fakenham, Norfolk, England.
The airfield opened during May 1939 and was used by RAF Bomber Command during the Second World War with the loss of 86 aircraft.
The station closed in 1994, though the Ministry of Defence (MoD) retained it as a strategic reserve. Having lain derelict since closure, the station was deemed surplus to requirements by the MoD in 2004 and two years later was sold to the Welbeck Estate Group who resold the entire site in October 2007. It is now managed by FW Properties of Norwich, acting for administrators Moore Stephens. The technical area now operates as a business park with many buildings now reused. The former married quarter areas are now all occupied with a pub and nursery on site.
Planning permission was granted for the installation of a 49.9 MW solar farm, together with plant housing and a perimeter fence, operated by Good Energy. The solar farm is now fully operational.
- ^ Birtles 2012, p. 58.
- ^ a b c Falconer 2012, p. 209.