North Pickenham

[guzzi]

guzzi, that sure is the ops block, the norden bombsight building is just behind it, ouot of view in your photo.

I saw the other building you mention, from the next gap in the hedge. There is some sort of back-yard motor car bodger in the gap, so I didn't stop. I guess the perimeter fence must have gone out to the B1077 Swaffham-Watton road, then along the backroad from this road to North Pickenham village, then back towards Swaffham along the Shipdham-Swaffham road. I went up towards the old hangar, very overgrown since I was last there, 1970s, but the hangar itself looks in good order, of course, with later cladding.

[jason]

guzzi, here are a couple of aeriel shots taken March 2009, shows the peri track.

[guzzi]

Some interesting pictures on this site; riceThe motorcycle is a Harley-Davidson WLA. The truck is a GMC CCKW 2 and a half ton truck…..the famous ... North Pickenham , home of the 491st Bomb Group. ...
home.comcast.net/~jimrice85/rice.htm

[guzzi]

memorial 1.jpg

guzzi, that sure is the ops block, the norden bombsight building is just behind it, ouot of view in your photo.

Ref, can you steer me towards a map or drawing of the site of the airfield, to the East of the remaining hangar & tower site, I would like to learn more about that part of the airfield. I took a picture of the Memorial, said to be on the Mess Site, Site 4, no sign there of any old buildings or footings.

[P Bellamy]

North Pickenham Site 4:



Dining Hall to the eastern corner, Officers' Mess to the south, Sergeants' Mess (with annexe) to the west.

PB

[guzzi]

Well Done PB. The site is now, I believe, private homes. For a while, it was some sort of religious community. Funny, you go past these places on a regular basis, and don't really take much notice of what is going on.

PS what about the site on the other side of the road? Domestic Nissen huts? There is a school in the field closer to the road now, which could be on part of the site.

[DG1]

Just remembered the haulage company sited a Pickenham, couple of pic on their website.

http://www.esjwalpole.co.uk/index.ph...id=7&Itemid=11

[Hornchurch]

The Pool table in the pub
.

[guzzi]

Just browsing, & found some really good images at;http://www.historic-maps.norfolk.gov...apExplorer.asp

[guzzi]

Just received copies of maps of the airfield site from RAF Museum. Site 11, right down south, nearly into South Pickenham is covered in bushes & trees now, though one building still remains. Looks like an air-raid shelter, with a blast wall protecting the entrance, tho' it isn't mention on the site plan.