RAF Felixstowe

RAF Felixstowe
Felixstowe, Suffolk
Aerial view, 1933.
RAF Felixstowe Location within Suffolk
Coordinates	51.945°N 1.321°E / 51.945; 1.321
Type	Royal Air Force station
Site information
Owner	Air Ministry
Controlled by	Royal Air Force
Site history
In use	April 1918-April 1962 (1962)
Battles/wars	First World War Second World War

Royal Air Force Felixstowe or more simply RAF Felixstowe is a former Royal Air Force station located 2.7 miles (4.3 km) northeast of Harwich, Essex, England and 10.7 miles (17.2 km) southeast of Ipswich, Suffolk.

History

A Consolidated Model 28-5 (P96300), shortly after joining the Marine Aircraft Experimental Establishment for trials in July 1939.

Felixstowe was commissioned 5 August 1913 under the command of Captain C. E. Risk, RM as Seaplanes, Felixstowe, followed by Lieutenant C. E. H. Rathborne, RN in 1914 and Lieutenant-Commander John Cyril Porte, RN in 1915.^[citation needed] RNAS Felixstowe was created soon after the outbreak of World War I following the formation of the Royal Naval Air Service, 1 July 1914.

On formation of the Royal Air Force 1 April 1918, the unit was renamed the Seaplane Experimental Station, Felixstowe and disbanded in June 1919. 'C', 'D' and 'E' Boat Seaplane Training Flights were all formed on 8 August 1918 and were disbanded during 1919 with no known aircraft operated while at Felixstowe.[1][2][3]

Notable members of the RAF were based at Felixstowe, including, among others, Frank Whittle, credited with the invention of the turbojet engine, and T. E. Lawrence, commonly known as Lawrence of Arabia.[4]

RAF Felixstowe closed 21 June 1962.^[citation needed]

The following units were posted here:

• No. 22 Squadron RAF[5]
• No. 209 Squadron RAF[6]
• No. 210 Squadron RAF[6]
• No. 230 Squadron RAF[7]
• No. 231 Squadron RAF[7]
• No. 232 Squadron RAF[7]
• No. 247 Squadron RAF[8]
• No. 4 (Communication) Squadron RAF[9]
• No. 26 Air/Sea Rescue Marine Craft Unit RAF[10]
• No. 33 Air/Sea Rescue Marine Craft Unit RAF[10]
• 76th (Operations) Wing RAF[10]
• No. 85 Maintenance Unit RAF[10]
• No. 327 (Flying Boat) Flight RAF[11]
• No. 328 (Flying Boat) Flight RAF[11]
• No. 329 (Flying Boat) Flight RAF[11]
• No. 330 (Flying Boat) Flight RAF[11]
• No. 333 (Flying Boat) Flight RAF[11]
• No. 334 (Flying Boat) Flight RAF[11]
• No. 335 (Flying Boat) Flight RAF[11]
• No. 336 (Flying Boat) Flight RAF[11]
• No. 337 (Flying Boat) Flight RAF[12]
• No. 339 (Flying Boat) Flight RAF[12]
• No. 341 (Flying Boat) Flight RAF[12]
• No. 442 (Seaplane) Coastal Flight RAF[13]
• No. 1103 Marine Craft Base Unit RAF[10]
• No. 1103 Marine Craft Unit RAF[10]
• America School RAF[10]
• Far East Flight RAF[14]
• Flying Boat Development Flight RAF[15]
• High Speed Flight RAF[16]
• Marine Aircraft Experimental Unit[17] became Marine Aircraft Experimental Establishment (MAEE)[18]

Current use

The site is now the Port of Felixstowe,[10] with nothing remaining of the hangars, slipways and jetties.[19]

See also

• List of former Royal Air Force stations

References

Citations

1. Lake 1999, p. 41.
2. Lake 1999, p. 56.
3. Lake 1999, p. 57.
4. "Former RAF base remembered". Ipswich Star. 16 March 2010. Retrieved 28 February 2019. Those who served at RAF Felixstowe included Flying Officer Frank Whittle, inventor of the jet engine, and Aircraftsman 1st Class TE Shaw, better known as Lawrence of Arabia.
5. Jefford 1988, p. 32.
6. Jefford 1988, p. 70.
7. Jefford 1988, p. 74.
8. Jefford 1988, p. 77.
9. Lake 1999, p. 52.
10. "Felixstowe". Airfields of Britain Conservation Trust. Retrieved 29 October 2013.
11. Lake 1999, p. 73.
12. Lake 1999, p. 74.
13. Lake 1999, p. 77.
14. Lake 1999, p. 66.
15. Lake 1999, p. 101.
16. Lake 1999, p. 130.
17. Lake 1999, p. 137.
18. Lake 1999, p. 136.
19. Trippitt, Mike (22 May 2018). "The fascinating history behind Felixstowe's flying boats". East Anglian Daily Times. Retrieved 8 June 2018.

Bibliography

• Jefford, C G (1988). RAF Squadrons. A comprehensive record of the movement and equipment of all RAF squadrons and their antecedents since 1912. Shrewsbury: Airlife. ISBN 1-85310-053-6.
• Lake, A (1999). Flying units of the RAF. Shrewsbury: Airlife. ISBN 1-84037-086-6.

External links

• Sea-Plane Launching Apparatus: Film of a Short S.8/8 Rangoon flying boat demonstrated to the press at RAF Felixstowe.