RAF Fersfield. A Walk Around a Top Secret Wartime Airfield. Operation Aphrodite.
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- čas přidán 20. 05. 2020
- In this video, I head off for a walk around a local and forgotten wartime airfield - the highly top secret and experimental RAF Fersfield. From these old crumbling runways and buildings, a new approach to striking at the heart of Nazi invasion was prepared.
Operation Aphrodite, launched by the USAAF and Operation Anvil, the US Navy equivalent was a high tech idea involving remotely guiding drone aircraft into key Nazi targets - V1 and V2 bomb launch sites and submarine pens. Battle damaged heavy bombers were used as the drone or robot aircraft, patched up, stripped down and packed full of explosives and guided into their targets by ‘control’ aircraft.
The operation did not have much success however, with not a single hit on target and sadly several crews were lost during the highly dangerous operations including Joseph Kennedy Jr, brother of the future US president JF Kennedy.
The airfield was evenly returned to the RAF, who used it as a base and launching airfield for a low level, high speed raid on the Gestapo Headquarters in Copenhagen, Denmark. Mosquito aircraft were used for the mission, a fast but long range medium bomber. Sadly, one of the leading aircraft hit a bridge as it approached the target and crashed into a School. The following squadrons of Mosquitos, mistaking the explosion for the target, released their payload of bombs with their normal pinpoint accuracy and the school was completely destroyed.
Many wartime buildings still survive today including one of the T2 hangers, workshops, Nissen huts, the old cinema and several other buildings. Also surviving is the perimeter track and all three runways (albeit narrower than they were during the war).
I hope you enjoy this walk around the airfield. I am no historian, but living close by, I have an interest in the wartime history of the area, I also believe strongly in keeping the stories of the past alive.
Thanks for watching!
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Music With Shot and Shell by United States Marine Band
Big Swing Band by Audionautix
Yes, those fittings were for lighting.
The reason for the triangle shape of most of those WW2 aerodromes was simple - inexperienced pilots flying high-performance aircraft in difficult circumstances. We so easily forget how little experience those courageous young men had when they were entering squadron service - just to get a basic PPL these days, you at least need twice what they were allowed without failing or being relegated to (usually) navigators.
That triangle was as near as local geography allowed an equilateral so that the maximum angle of crosswind that a pilot need compensate for was 30deg - which makes the mental arithmetic simple, as it means the maximum crosswind component was half the wind speed. And those WW2 warbirds were almost universally tailwheel configuration, not nosewheel as we mostly use now, so much harder to land smoothly at all, often returning with battle damage, and particularly in a crosswind.
So anything that made for an easier aerodrome to land at was done.
It was a great video and this is great information you have offered too, really interesting and enjoyable.
Amazing.😊
Wow! Thanks for the info.
Thank you Phil! I knew the pattern was to allow for take off and landing optimisation no matter which way the wind was blowing, but factoring in the inexperience of those brave young pilots and the crates they were flying - makes even more sense! Thanks for the info buddy! 👍👍👍
Didn't certain bombers need longer runways too????? Thanks for your input...
Brilliant .. you need to do more of these type of videos
G'day Simon,
Being a former Wing Commander in the RAAF, I found this, a very informative and interesting presentation. I knew of of the airfield and the links to the death of Joseph Kennnedy. I appreciated the owner allowing to 'stretch your legs' on his private property, and for you to share it with us - your subscribers. It makes you appreciate the sacrifices made by those, sacrificing their lives, allowing us all to have what we have now.
John F Kennedys brother also sprang to mind ....
While watching this, part of me was thinking we shouldn't allow our history to be deleted so easily, but another part was thinking, better the land grow crops. Thanks Simon. The music was the perfect touch.
You are correct. Only selfish ego maniacs don't like to talk about history. This is how we learn. Thanks
I Hope we never forget, The endless names who sacrificed there lives so that we may live ours.. . Thank you Simon. Truly thank you , Great filming ATVB
Spoke to my 88 year old dad about this video. He went to the base after the war to dismantle some of the Nissan huts to take back to Suffolk for storing calves, he found the video a trip down memory lane well done Simon
That is so great! Do you know where they ended up?
@@simonablokeinthewoods they ended up in Langham between Ixworth and Elmswell
I'm sure my Dad, who was involved with Project Aphrodite, would have liked to see this video of the airfield. Thanks for posting this!
Fascinating. Plenty of similar airfields here in East Anglia. Coming from an RAF family, i love all this. Glad some pieces of our past are still preserved.
Thank you for this glimpse of a truly historic site. We owe so much to those who fought in that war.
We played in the derelict buildings as children. I recently walked around the footpaths and noticed the admin buildings are mostly demolished to make way for new small industrial units. There were a lot of fascinating buildings there. I really appreciate you making this video before more is gone
Thank you Vicki! It’s sad when the buildings go isn’t it - a crying shame about the control tower too.
I work at Biggin Hill airport on the fire crew. RAF Biggin Hill was one of the ww2 airfields as well. A lot of history there to. Really enjoyed the history thanks. Would like to visit one day.
Wow! I love stuff like this! Thanks so much. Great Britain so full of amazing history. The music choices were awesome too, Simon. ♥️
I never get tired of watching documentaries about WW2 😁
If it wasn't for all those airfields and the bravery of the air crew's we wouldn't be living in the democracy we live in today
An excellent video Simon and cheers ☮
Check ou Mark Felton! He has a great channel dedicated to WW2 His knowledge and research is on another level.
Thanks Gary. 👍
@@simonablokeinthewoods Your welcome ☮🤟
Great video Simon, really enjoyed it. And always nice to get some historical facts. As a person living in copenhagen I know the history about the school that was bombed by mistake, and now i know a little more about where the mission started. Keep up the great work and keep the videos coming 😃 Thanks.
That's amazing that you also know about the school, sometimes these stories are lost, and here is a link, really interesting.
Thank you mate! Tragic casualties of war - you’d think we’d learn from history, but wars still go on and innocent children still die. It always amazes me when these stories can become linked! 👍
Great video Simon, thanks for taking us along, very unlike you not to have a brew while out, btw the circles at the edge of runways are for lights, I used to be posted to a WW2 airfield in NI and they were exactly the same, many thanks Neil
Thanks Neil! 👍👍👍
Simon,a bloke in the woods,Your posts are always a genuine pleasure * Sending best & well wishes to you & all*
Thank you! Keep well!
@@simonablokeinthewoods :-) *
I live in Wiltshire and used to work a couple of miles away at Highpost in a factory where they did the final assembly of the Spitfire in the later part of WW2, you still see the original Hanger Door Runners on the back of the Building. Then Pilots, often Female would fly them off to where they were needed. You can still make out the Grass Strip they would take off from going down towards the Woodford Valley. I found this video very interesting, thanks Si.
Greg Phillips I found the city and the location on google maps, but was unsure of the run way. Simon has started a wonder history lesson of airfields in England during the war. Any more information would be helpful in locating the airstrip. Skillet
Thanks Greg! Always fascinated by World War Two history - I do t know why, possible because it was soooo recent! These places are gems and I hope they are preserved for future generations to learn about. 👍
Pilotless drones have evolved since those days. Back in 1944, those creaking old kites had to be piloted off the ground by aircrew, who set the plane on course then bailed-out. The bomber was then controlled by radio from another aircraft.
A ghost plane full of explosives.
Amazing for it's time.
Simon, a bloke on the topsecret airfield. thx.
Sorry I missed this video when it was first released, what a brilliant bit of filming and very educational.
Video's like this show why we shouldn't let our past history be deleted, brave men and women from different walks of life and countries banding together for a common goal, pity we can't do the same in peace time instead of trying to score marks off other countries like we do today.
Thank you for the video, just brilliant.
I lived at RAF Wyton for 6 years from 1984 til 1990 and loved visiting the many USA Air Force bases , Alconbury , Milldenhall . Many good air days !!
Thanks for this Simon. I really enjoyed seeing this. War is probably the most stupid human activity but when needed the "greatest generation" certainly did what was needed to prevail against a madman. At the end of the day a "tool of war" was returned to providing food for people.
Beautifully put mate! 👍
Excellent Simon. Thanks for this. I am a huge military history fan and especially into aviation.
As someone else has commented, those circular holes in the slightly raised concrete areas were for lighting units. Perimeter lighting and taxiway markers. You may also find, if you search hard enough, something similar at the remaining dispersal loops and they would have had large metal rings or curved bars set into the concrete. These would have been tie down points for aircraft for use during very windy conditions....all airfields are windy places! Many years ago, I was working with a friend who was a surveyor. We were on a job on another 'farm', although much smaller than this, when I found some concrete with tie down rings at the edge of some crop. After a little research on returning home, I discovered the place had been an airfield used by a Lysander Sqdn. who flew SOE personnel out to France at night. So many ghosts.....Thanks again, stay safe.
Thanks Laurence! I’ll have a hunt next time I’m up there - good find on the Lysander field! 👍
I want to live there forever! What a cool place!
Flown over here in gliders from Tibenham and light aircraft from Seething and Earls Colne.
A fascinating secretive history.
Never done a ground visit, so this video is fascinating!
Recorded 200 disused airfields Sussex to Norfolk, Lincolnshire and East Midllands, mostly from the air, some on the ground.
Been flying and gliding 57 years.
John.FAI/BGA 51417.
P.s. Yes, the circular holes in the concrete contained landing lights.
Now that brings back memories, I used to live in North Lopham in the 1990’s, and have fond memories of the heavy snows we had one year and ploughing through the snowdrifts on the airfield in a Morris Ital, happy days! Where we are now is just a short walk away from the old Thorpe Abbotts airfield, which has a fantastic little museum based in the old Control Tower and surrounding buildings, well worth a look if any of your viewers are in the area.
Great video Simon 👍. Full of Historical context . 😊
Simon....this was very entertaining & educational. Your narration was great. I really enjoyed this “change of pace” video. Well done. Another great video production. Thanks for sharing. Love everything you do. Cheers 🙏🏼⛺️😎
A classic thank you Simon for sharing British history stay safe you and your family stay safe and take care 👍👌👏
Hard times they went through here. You need to sit back and take in what these boys went through cause let’s face it, they were young and full of what was needed to get the job done. I thang every single person who passed through this base. It can’t have been easy.
An informative walk around of the base , showing us what you could expect if you were stationed here.
Thanks for the upload and also the narration of this footage 👍
Thanks mate! 👍👍👍
I love visiting old abandoned installations like this. Oh if the place could talk, what stories could be told.
Great video Simon, enjoyed it very much with my morning coffee👍 I love history, sad we can't seem to learn anything from it...
So true mate! That’s the human race for you! 😔
Thank you sir for the education! It was both a sad reminder of the cost of war and a reminder of the strength of the British!
Really enjoyed that Simon, thank you. Really nicely shot and narrated.
What gorgeous walk. Great weather for it. Thanks for the historic background.
I so appreciate the bit of history you shared. I’m learning all about it’s and pieces of the UK from your videos.
Having been shown round Snetterton I was shown these round fittings which had metal in them. They were on the pads where the planes were parked and used to tie the plane down in strong winds.
Simon, Great video of the history of the airfield. I'm in Minnesota and I tried to find the airfield via Google maps. I am very happy to say that I found it and I can see most of the things you point out. I expanded the view to see how close to the coast the airfield was. I liked the vintage photos as well. Not your typical Thursday video, but still very interesting. Skillet
Thanks mate! 👍
Cool .... awesome video!
Thanks sincerely for this wonderful video! My dad served in the pacific theatre, and was recalled to serve in the Korean war as well. He spent time in B-25 Mitchells.
I’m literally making my way through all your videos after watching Kent Survival’s Sweden trip. I just wanted to say I think your content is amazing and I am thoroughly enjoying watching them all. ❤️
My father was a combat Mustang pilot with the 359th FG, so Simon, THANK You so much for: taking time to walk this airfield, make and edit the video, an share it with us. I've visited parts of dad's old field, USAAF Station 133, with my father a couple of times. Though we did not have as a through tour as this. Formerly RAF East Wretham, the base was not as fancy as RAF Fersfield. No concrete runway, but a grass strip, though some hardstands and one hangar still exist. Again many thanks, as your dedication to the memory of all our men who flew from RAF Fersfield.
That is fantastic! I know the old airfield at East Wretham - I have walked around that area several times, there is a nature reserve that was set up before the war, requisitioned for the station, then returned to nature afterwards. I will think of your father every time I walk over there from now on. 👍
Wonderful walk, good sir. Thanks for taking us along.
Thanks Simon ... good work.
Thanks for this Simon. Living in Norfolk myself (North Norfolk coastal village), and being a backpacker and wannabe bushcrafter myself, I love your videos. I also have a thirst for the history of Norfolk so this was right up my street!
Thanks Jacqueline, so much history about isn’t there - we are rich with it in Norfolk. 🙂
@@simonablokeinthewoods Yes we are, and we shouldn't delete history even if its uncomfortable.
Happy memories and best years of my life .. love the East Coast of England !
I love everything to do with WW2 and I love this channel so I had great expectations when I saw the title and I wasn't let down, brilliant, loved it..
Northern : Try Mark Felton's channel, you will find it interesting, if you like WW2 history.
Thanks....this is a great video!!!
Great looking forward to this after my tea stay safe Simon 👍
Thank you, reminded me of so many childhood caravan holidays staying on abandoned WWII fields. Be careful if you go off concrete there are often forgotten underground structures remaining. When I was working at RAE Bedford a security guard went through the grass into a WWII septic tank. Took a day and a half to find him while he tread “water” with a smattering of broken limbs.
1967: I'll bet he didn't need any help with social distancing when they found him. 😂
Steven Keery Haha
That was a lucky security guard! (Or unlucky, depending which way you look at it!)
Thanks, Simon. Really enjoyed that!
Very interesting. Thanks Simon.
Thanks for posting simon , very enjoyable 👍
Very interesting...thank you Simon
Thanks, the history piece is very valuable Simon!
Thank you simon, excellent video!
Really interesting! Thanks Simon.
A fascinating look at history. Thanks Simon! Les
Thank you for sharing, Simon.
Be safe, be well, and take good care.
Fascinating and great music! 🤘
12 mins in....I feel you are quite correct with the airfield lighting points in the concrete. Thetford.... being an ex Para I've spent a bit of time doing exercises around there. Full of Cromwell period stuff too. I loved that you flew the drone along the old runway- funny, that had the hairs standing up on my arms, weird eerie feeling😯. Another great video Simon, well done mate👏👏👏.
Cheers Billy! 👍
Great video Simon, I love history and war movies or series it keeps the history alive in our memories and gives respect to our grandparents and to all those who dedicated their lives to save others. My two granddads were in WW2 and fought against the Nazis and helped to repair Berlin after the war. And as for myself I war 7yrs in the Air Force, and it's nice to see that the structures and the hangers are basically the same today as they were back then and didn't changed much... In my country we've a lot of British influences, as the British Empire helped my country for many years from WW1 to WW2 (1917-1948) to defend and build it, in order to give as a place to live.
Thank you for sharing this video and the history my friend. Greetings from Israel.
Thank you mate! 👍
Brilliant, thank you.
Thank you for the history Simon. Well done.
Those places always carry a sense of emotion and spirit with them, you can feel the history. What a huge sacrifice those lads made, quite incredible. And really such a short time ago in real terms the blink of an eye. Thank you for sharing.
Brave men and women, you can almost feel their presence, especially in those old accommodation huts.
@@simonablokeinthewoods Absolutely I think some materials are more prone to absorbing energy. Great video. all best.
Very nice, Simon.
Lovely walk and history lesson. Thank you for sharing it and thanks to the land owner for allowing access.
Perfect video for this weekend! Well done my friend
Thank you Simon, really enjoyed this video, stay safe
Well done mate very refreshing change of pace a plus for me I love my history as well as back packing terrific vid well photographed and nicely explained EXCELLENT
So much history Simon 👌🏻
What a gem, very interesting WW2 home front is one of my many interests. So much is still there and in reasonably good condition too, thanks for sharing!!!
This was a great Video Si! Well done Sir!
Thanks for that Simon . Love a bit of history on a walk.
It's good to see you out and about again. Interesting video and you picked a lovely day to shoot it. Thanks.
Well researched and put together video., Simon, Many thanks. God bless you mate !.
Clearly there are lots of these around Norfolk, but one of the ones that I pass fairly often is just N.E. of Great Ellingham which is N.W. of Attleborough, you can easily spot it on Google Maps via satellite view because the shape is the same as Fersfield. Anyway, one of the runways is now a really long straight road I sometimes take whilst road cycling. Zoom in on google maps and you'll see some of the old runway alongside. In recent years the farmer has been pulling more and more of it up, but driving or riding down the road really gives you a sense of how long the runway was, it even has a slight dip in the middle over it's length.
I know that airfield well, is was called Deopham Green. My wife learnt to drive along those old crumbling runways. 👍
thx for showing ,very interesting place
Excellent Simon, thank you for taking and guiding us !! Awesome tour! 🙂👍
Simon, Great video of the history of the airfield and area! I love war history and really enjoyed walking along with you and learning about that site. Thanks and keep em coming! Shannon
Thanks Simon, very interesting video of your local history. 👍
Very interesting Simon thank you . Al.
Fascinating! My mother’s brother (navigator on B-17s out of Great Britain) in the US Army Air Corps. I’m not sure what airfield(s) he flew out of. My father (also US Army Air Corps) and six of his brothers (US Army, Marine Corps, Navy, and Merchant Marines) served in WWII. Every one of them came home alive albeit some suffered injuries. Thank you for the tour.
Thank you! I’m glad they all came home - so many didn’t. 👍 Brave men and women.
Interesting video. Thanks.
I remember chatting to a guy who was part of a firm to break up the old airfield runways, and return the area for agricultural use in East Anglia.
In that part of the U.K. the WW2 airfields were on a average 6 miles apart.
They got the contract in 1947, and kept them in work till 1984.
What an interesting video. Very enjoyable. Thanks for sharing :}
Thanks, Simon. I love a good history lesson. 🙂👍
Great video
Great bit of history Simon ATB 🤙🤙👍👍👍
Seen it from the outside never seen inside awsome!!!!
Really loved this video. So much WW2 history all around us it’s great to keep
the memories alive
Very enjoyable. Really liked the music too. Thank you.
Simon , fantastic effort here young man. thanks for the great history lesson ! Long time student of the air war over Europe & have spent many great times visiting these old airfields in the UK around East Anglia. A lasting reminder of those who came before us to ensure our freedoms ! Keep up the great work! TC
Nice one Simon, lots of interesting WW2 history in E Anglia. atb
Great piece of modern 'archaeology' Simon!
Really good drone footage gave a real sense of size and scale.
Thanks for sharing.
Very cool place! Interesting!
Thanks Simon found that interesting.
Pretty good job , the spirit of investigation , the way to go further ! And ... There is a lot to do ! Thanks !
Outstanding
That is verry interesting thank you sharing this with us.
Greetings,, Kitty.