After Part 4, in this, the final part, we see how Sculthorpe has fared, and what has happened to it now. As a major Cold War player its future is uncertain, but definitely not yet over! Gradually, as nuclear deterrents turned to both missiles and naval based platforms, Sculthorpe’s activity began to slow. Being returned to RAF ownership in 1964, it was eventually placed in care and maintenance once more, held open by only a small detachment of support staff. However, all was not yet lost, for later in that same decade, Sculthorpe saw yet another reprieve, when the USAF returned once more, needing a base from which to operate its aircraft whilst other airfields were redeveloped and runways resurfaced. This temporarily brought new life back to Sculthorpe, with American F-4 Phantoms and C-130s operating from here. The RAF, needing a similar facility, also used Sculthorpe as a temporary base, Coltishall for example, basing their Jaguars here temporarily. This process went on well into the late 1980s and Sculthorpe became a mecca for plane spotters for at least another few years. Eventually all this too ceased and before the final farewell the site was used to store North American Sabres prior to them being scrapped and disposed of.   Sculthorpe finally closed its doors in 1992, the enormous accommodation blocks and technical sites were sold off. Both these and many of the remaining buildings were left to decay, whilst planners gave thought as to what they should be used for. However, like a phoenix, Sculthorpe returned from the dead yet again. The RAF, the Army Air Corps and the USAF using it for manoeuvres, seeing such diverse models as the V-22 Osprey tilt wing aircraft, using it for paratroops and rehearsals of supply drops over its enormous runways; much of this activity taking place at night. Even up until recently, C-130s had also been seen operating here, again rehearsing quick ‘stop-‘n’-go’ drops, something that continues in part to this day. The rise in ‘Soviet Aggression’ and post conflict tensions during the Cold War had secured the immediate post-war future of Sculthorpe. Not only were atomic weapons stored here ready, but a wide range of US aircraft that would otherwise not have been seen on British soil, were also based here. The demise of world peace had been the saviour of Sculthorpe’s future. Looking at Sculthorpe, it is hard to believe its origins were in the Second World War. Being a real monster of the Cold War, Sculthorpe is clinging on by the skin of its teeth. The accommodation blocks that once housed 10,000 personnel are decaying and vandalised, refurbished areas are now sold off and accommodating local families. A small industrial area has been developed from the technical area, and the local farmer grazes his cattle on the far reaches of the site. Many of the older original buildings have been left to rot and fall down. The American authorities still retain some ownership of the site, whilst a large part of it is in private hands, such ownership does prevent some access but a good deal of the site is visible from permissible points. The original guard-house is no longer manned, and a number of other buildings close by are also empty. A small public track that once took eager plane spotters to the rear of the airfield, still allows views across the north of the now quiet site where a blister hangar continues to stand alone. The control tower is still intact visible in the distance from this point, as are a number of original Nissan huts and Second World War buildings hidden amongst new buildings and old developments. The post war ‘All Ranks Club’ houses a small exhibition of artefacts and information about Sculthorpe, depicting its post war life, and includes many interesting photos. The exhibition is open at certain times throughout the year allowing visitors to view them and talk to the volunteers some of which actually served here at the base. Sculthorpe was once a bustling airfield, it was home to some of the world’s heaviest bombers, and a mecca for aviation enthusiasts and plane spotters alike. Today, it is a decaying industrial site, a mix of old buildings and new developments; a remnant of the Cold War, it clings on to life by the skin of its teeth, maybe, just maybe, the Phoenix will rise up once more and spring into life once again. The full history can be seen in Trail 21. Sources and further information. *¹ National Archives – AIR 27/1924/17 *² Gunn, P.B., “Flying Lives – with a Norfolk Theme“, Peter Gunn, 2010 *³, *5 Cahill, W. “The Unseen Fight: USAAF radio counter-measure operations in Europe, 1943 to 1945” Journal of Aeronautical History Paper, 2020/06 *⁴ 21 Sqn ORB Summary of Events 1943 Oct 01 – 1943 Nov 30, AIR 27/264/19 *⁵ Cahill, W., “The Unseen Fight: USAAF radio counter-measure operations in Europe, 1943 to 1945” Journal of Aeronautical History, Paper 2020/06 *⁶ The Spyflight Website which gives considerable detail into the flights. National Archives: AIR 27/1924/19; AIR 27/1935/19; AIR 27/1326 Photos of Sculthorpe in its heyday can be seen on the Sculthorpe  Air Base website. Further information and personal stories can be found on the 214 (Federated Malay States) Squadron website. Gunn, P., “Sculthorpe – Secrecy and Stealth, A Norfolk Airfield in the Cold War“, 2014, The History Press.

In Part 3, Sculthorpe had been through he war, and was now being developed ready for the arrival of B-29s on 90 day rotations. Their arrival though, was not as easy as they had hoped. The arrival of the aircraft did not all go to plan though, as on July 21st 1949, whilst transferring across from the US, one of the B-29s #44-62191 ‘suffered problems’ 2 miles east of Wisbech in Cambridgeshire. The aircraft, a Boeing B-29A-65-BN, had a crew of twelve on board, but it soon became clear that they were not going to make it, and so decided to abandon the aircraft and leave it to its fate. All twelve of the crew successfully departed the aircraft landing nearby, but in doing so, two of them sustained serious, but not thought to have been life threatening, injuries after exiting. The worst, suffered by the pilot, was a possible fractured skull, whilst the second crewman suffered a fractured leg; it is believed both airmen made full recoveries. The aircraft itself ultimately crashed, landing in a field east of the small Fenland market town. The remains were quickly retrieved and some parts have since ended up in the local Fenland and West Norfolk Aviation Museum located in Wisbech. The lack of constant use however, meant that much of the accommodation at Sculthorpe had deteriorated to an unacceptable level. Damp and rot had set in and more work was now needed to bring it back up to standard before further deployments could take place. Even as this was being carried out though, bombs and other supplies were quickly beginning to arrive, and soon Sculthorpe was ready to allow an American foothold on British soil once more. Further temporary deployments included both the 92nd and 98th BGs, each also flying B-29s that were capable of dropping atomic weapons should the need arise, thankfully, this requirement wasn’t needed and at the end of each deployment the units moved on to other theatres or their home bases back in the United States. These regular ninety day duty rotations became a bit of a saviour for Sculthorpe, with other aircraft like the mighty B-36 ‘Peacemaker’ and the North American B-45 ‘Tornado’ finding themselves located here. Acting as the front-line bombers designed to attack Soviet targets from the UK, they became a major deterrent in the dramatic face off between East and West. Further cold war tensions saw in 1952, the deployment of the 47th Bomb Wing (formally the 47th BG) of the Strategic Air Command from the United States. This wing consisted of the 84th, 85th, and 86th BS, along with the 420th Refuelling Sqn and the 19th Tactical Reconnaissance Sqn. These units operated a number of aircraft types including the: B-45, B-66, KB-29, KB-50, and RB-45C aircraft. The 47th was activated on March 12th 1951, initially as the 47th Bombardment Wing (BW) but with just two squadrons – the 84th and 85th. As a new unit, it had the honour of being not only the first, but the only jet powered medium bomber Wing in the US Air Force. With NATO becoming more established and nuclear weapons arsenals expanding at a great rate of knots, the 47th were posted to Sculthorpe to provide an airborne nuclear strike force in support of NATO forces  who would be operating on the ground in any future conflict. A year later, a third squadron would arrive to join the Group, that of the 422nd BS. Within a month or two of its arrival though, the unit was re-designated as the 86th BS a move that brought it in line with its two sister squadrons. For three years the 47th would operate out of Sculthorpe acting as a nuclear support unit for NATO forces in Europe. Coinciding with the arrival of the US Wing in 1952, was the formation of the ‘Special Duties Flight Sculthorpe’. This was a British unit, led by Squadron Leader John Crampton (who replaced the initial choice Sqn. Ldr. Micky Martin of the ‘Dambusters’ fame, as he had failed a high altitude medical examination)  and was designed to perform deep penetration flights into Soviet airspace carrying out reconnaissance missions for Britain’s planned ‘V’ Bomber force. This was also used as a cover for covert US operations. Only two such flights were made, each with three aircraft; the first on 17th/18th April 1952, and the second on 28th/29th April 1954*⁶. These flights were performed by British crews flying American RB-45Cs with their US markings replaced by British roundels. A political ‘loop-hole’ that prevented US aircraft flying over Soviet territory allowed British aircraft to do so. These flights took place under Operation ‘Ju-jitsu‘, with four aircraft which were leased from the US 91st Strategic Reconnaissance Wing. Initially three routes were chosen, one of which took the aircraft close to Moscow. To ‘protect’ crews, they were issued with false papers and maps, and told, if caught, to explain  that rather implausibly, they had simply become incredibly lost! After these flights, which weren’t totally without mishap, the crews were congratulated by General LeMay, and the unit was then disbanded. However, it was reformed again, also at Sculthorpe, in 1954 (after a second such temporary reformation in September 1952) and a second flight was made. This time the Soviets were ready for them, after having evaluated their air defence network they were far better prepared and the crews were at a much greater level of danger than during their initial flights. It has since been revealed that Soviet aircraft were instructed to ram the RB-45Cs as they had no suitable radar with which to track the intruders. However, no such contact was made, and whilst flak was now the problem, it was generally ineffective, but sufficient to make the crews on board make a hasty return to the West where they received more fuel before returning to Sculthorpe. The unit was then again disbanded and all flights by them ceased. The RB-45Cs now being outdated, were too slow and obsolete to perform such high risk flights over soviet territory. Meanwhile at Sculthorpe, the operations of the 47th BW were gradually being taken over by other branches of the US Strategic Air Command (SAC), this take over reached such a point that inevitably the 47th were withdrawn and transferred home to the US. Once here, they were dissolved, and on February 8th 1955, the wing was removed from the US military inventory and their remarkable achievements condemned to the history books. After this, political talks and imposed de-escalation strategies between the Cold War factions, prevented further deployment of large-scale US bombers on European soil, and so further deployments on this scale would not be seen again in the UK. As the Cold War subsides, Sculthorpe’s future become uncertain, but it is definitely not yet over. In the last part we see how Sculthorpe has fared and look at what the future holds now. The full history can be seen in Trail 21.