RAF Shipdham Airfield

9/42 to 10/42, Ground elements of the 319th Bomb Group, moved to Horsham St Faith.
9/42 to 6/45, 66th, 67th, 68th (and from 3/43 the 506th) Bombardment Squadrons of the 44th Bombardment Group (Heavy) 'The Flying Eightballs' with B-24 Liberators moved here from Cheddington.
6/43 to 8/43 and 9/43 to 10/43, moved to North Africa to take part in the missions against the Ploesti oilfields and Italy before returning to Shipdham.
The first Group to receive B-24's, also spent the longest time in England of all the B-24 Groups.
First 44th BG mission 7/11/42, last 25/4/45, flew 344 missions, losing 153 aircraft in combat along with another 39, the highest loss rate of all the B-24 Liberator units. Was the first 8th USAAF Group awarded a Distinguished Unit Citation for the mission to Kiel 14/5/43 (with another for Ploesti 1/8/43, during which the Group CO Col. Leon W. Johnson won the Medal of Honor)) and claimed the highest number of enemy aircraft destroyed. The 44th BG returned to the USA.
1946/47, repatriation centre for German POW's returning to Germany from captivity in the USA.
16/6/70, Opened to private flying.

Shipdham airfield
Airfield Today:	Agriculture, aviation
Tower Type:	Watch Office with Met Section 518/40
Tower:	Derelict
Other Buildings:	Not known
History:	9/42 to 10/42, Ground elements of the 319th Bomb Group, moved to Horsham St Faith. 9/42 to 6/45, 66th, 67th, 68th (and from 3/43 the 506th) Bombardment Squadrons of the 44th Bombardment Group (Heavy) 'The Flying Eightballs' with B-24 Liberators moved here from Cheddington. 6/43 to 8/43 and 9/43 to 10/43, moved to North Africa to take part in the missions against the Ploesti oilfields and Italy before returning to Shipdham. The first Group to receive B-24's, also spent the longest time in England of all the B-24 Groups. First 44th BG mission 7/11/42, last 25/4/45, flew 344 missions, losing 153 aircraft in combat along with another 39, the highest loss rate of all the B-24 Liberator units. Was the first 8th USAAF Group awarded a Distinguished Unit Citation for the mission to Kiel 14/5/43 (with another for Ploesti 1/8/43, during which the Group CO Col. Leon W. Johnson won the Medal of Honor)) and claimed the highest number of enemy aircraft destroyed. The 44th BG returned to the USA. 1946/47, repatriation centre for German POW's returning to Germany from captivity in the USA. 16/6/70, Opened to private flying.

8th USAAF Station
Airfield:	Operational Bomber
Opened:	9/1942
Closed:	/1945
ID Code:	SJ
USAAF Station:	115
Runways:	3 tarmac
Hangars:	3x - T2
County:	Norfolk
Location:	3 miles S of East Dereham
OS Ref:	TF982075
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©:	All photographs copyright © as stated