{"id":3971,"date":"2016-03-16T22:03:26","date_gmt":"2016-03-16T20:03:26","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.aviationmuseum.eu\/Blogvorm\/?page_id=3971"},"modified":"2025-03-29T22:53:34","modified_gmt":"2025-03-29T20:53:34","slug":"wattisham-station-herritage","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/aviationmuseum.eu\/Blogvorm\/wattisham-station-herritage\/","title":{"rendered":"Wattisham Station Herritage"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The <strong>Wattisham Station Heritage Centre<\/strong> is located in <strong>Stowmarket<\/strong>, Suffolk, and is dedicated to preserving the history and legacy of <strong>Wattisham Airfield<\/strong>, a significant military airfield in the United Kingdom. The airfield, which has been in operation for over a century, has played an important role in both <strong>World War II<\/strong> and the <strong>Cold War<\/strong>, serving various roles, including as a base for <strong>Royal Air Force (RAF)<\/strong> and later <strong>Army Air Corps<\/strong> operations.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Wattisham Station Herritage<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Lower Farm Road<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Ringshall Stocks<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Stowmarket IP7 7RA<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><a href=\"http:\/\/www.aviationmuseum.eu\/Blogvorm\/2015\/05\/30\/united-kingdom\/\">United Kingdom<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><a href=\"https:\/\/wattishamstationheritage.com\">https:\/\/wattishamstationheritage.com<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">+44 1449 678189<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">First sunday of the month 11:00 &#8211; 16:00<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">It&#8217;s important to note that one must book in advance to gain entry to this operational army base see:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-wp-embed is-provider-wattisham-station-heritage-museum wp-block-embed-wattisham-station-heritage-museum\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<blockquote class=\"wp-embedded-content\" data-secret=\"pDR8YmGjHw\"><a href=\"https:\/\/wattishamstationheritage.com\/book-a-museum-visit\">Book a Museum Visit<\/a><\/blockquote><iframe loading=\"lazy\" class=\"wp-embedded-content\" sandbox=\"allow-scripts\" security=\"restricted\" style=\"position: absolute; visibility: hidden;\" title=\"&#8220;Book a Museum Visit&#8221; &#8212; Wattisham Station Heritage Museum\" src=\"https:\/\/wattishamstationheritage.com\/book-a-museum-visit\/embed#?secret=I2CJkevDlJ#?secret=pDR8YmGjHw\" data-secret=\"pDR8YmGjHw\" width=\"500\" height=\"282\" frameborder=\"0\" marginwidth=\"0\" marginheight=\"0\" scrolling=\"no\"><\/iframe>\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><iframe loading=\"lazy\" style=\"border: 0;\" src=\"https:\/\/www.google.com\/maps\/embed?pb=!1m18!1m12!1m3!1d530714.105504836!2d0.49436823357891096!3d52.12286763909378!2m3!1f0!2f0!3f0!3m2!1i1024!2i768!4f13.1!3m3!1m2!1s0x47d9af5fefd7f10b%3A0xbede4bee7ca827ae!2sWattisham+Station+Herritage!5e0!3m2!1sen!2sus!4v1458158497344\" width=\"600\" height=\"450\" frameborder=\"0\" allowfullscreen=\"allowfullscreen\"><\/iframe><br>\nAircraft collection<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><a href=\"http:\/\/www.aviationmuseum.eu\/Blogvorm\/wattisham-station-herritage\/hawker-hunter-xg194\/\" rel=\"attachment wp-att-3972\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"728\" height=\"546\" src=\"https:\/\/www.aviationmuseum.eu\/Blogvorm\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/03\/Hawker-Hunter-XG194-728x546.jpg\" alt=\"Hawker Hunter XG194\" class=\"wp-image-3972\" srcset=\"https:\/\/aviationmuseum.eu\/Blogvorm\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/03\/Hawker-Hunter-XG194-728x546.jpg 728w, https:\/\/aviationmuseum.eu\/Blogvorm\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/03\/Hawker-Hunter-XG194-240x180.jpg 240w, https:\/\/aviationmuseum.eu\/Blogvorm\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/03\/Hawker-Hunter-XG194-420x315.jpg 420w, https:\/\/aviationmuseum.eu\/Blogvorm\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/03\/Hawker-Hunter-XG194-600x450.jpg 600w, https:\/\/aviationmuseum.eu\/Blogvorm\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/03\/Hawker-Hunter-XG194.jpg 1024w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 728px) 100vw, 728px\" \/><\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Hawker Hunter XG194<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-table\"><table class=\"has-fixed-layout\"><tbody><tr><td>XP743<p><\/p>\n<p>XG194<\/p>\n<p>XT914\/Z<\/p>\n<p>XX444<\/p>\n<p>XZ605\/L<\/p>\n<p>XT617<\/p><\/td><td>English Electric Lightning (cockpit)<p><\/p>\n<p>Hawker Hunter FGA.9<\/p>\n<p>McDonnell Phantom FGR.2<\/p>\n<p>Westland Gazelle AH.1<\/p>\n<p>Westland Lynx Mk.7<\/p>\n<p>Westland Scout AH.1<\/p><\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><span class=\"txt\"><strong>Wattisham Station Herritage<\/strong> houses an extensive photographic record, models, artifacts and memorabilia depicting the history and squadrons based at the station from 1937 to the present day.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Key Highlights of Wattisham Station Heritage Centre:<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<ol class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>History of Wattisham Airfield<\/strong>:\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Wattisham Airfield<\/strong> has a long history dating back to its construction in <strong>1942<\/strong> during World War II. It was initially used by the <strong>United States Army Air Forces (USAAF)<\/strong> as a base for <strong>B-17 Flying Fortress<\/strong> bombers, which played a significant role in <strong>strategic bombing<\/strong> campaigns over Europe.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>After World War II, the airfield was taken over by the <strong>RAF<\/strong> and continued to serve as an active military base. It became a key site for <strong>jet fighters<\/strong> and <strong>helicopter operations<\/strong> during the Cold War and beyond.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Wattisham Airfield remained operational as a front-line <strong>helicopter base<\/strong> for the <strong>Army Air Corps<\/strong>, providing a base for attack and reconnaissance helicopters, such as the <strong>Apache AH1<\/strong> and <strong>Lynx<\/strong>.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Exhibits on Military Aviation<\/strong>:\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>The Wattisham Station Heritage Centre showcases a collection of <strong>military aviation memorabilia<\/strong>, including <strong>uniforms<\/strong>, <strong>photographs<\/strong>, <strong>artifacts<\/strong>, and <strong>documents<\/strong> that tell the story of Wattisham Airfield\u2019s role in military history.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>The museum includes displays of aircraft models, types that have been stationed at Wattisham over the years, such as:\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>B-17 Flying Fortress<\/strong>: A heavy bomber used by the USAAF during WWII.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Supermarine Spitfire<\/strong> and <strong>Hawker Hurricane<\/strong>: Both aircraft were used during WWII, and there are references to their connection to Wattisham during its early years.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Hawker Hunter<\/strong>: A British jet fighter that served with the RAF.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Harrier GR5<\/strong>: A vertical\/short takeoff and landing (V\/STOL) aircraft used by the RAF.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Apache AH1<\/strong>: An attack helicopter that became a key part of the <strong>Army Air Corps<\/strong> in more recent decades.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>There are also detailed <strong>aircraft models<\/strong> and interactive displays allowing visitors to explore the different planes and their role in history.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Role During World War II<\/strong>:\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Wattisham Airfield played a significant role during <strong>World War II<\/strong>, particularly in the <strong>Battle of the Atlantic<\/strong> and the <strong>D-Day<\/strong> operations. It was used as a staging area for US bombers and fighters, which were part of the Allied forces fighting against Nazi Germany.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>The museum offers insights into the <strong>USAAF<\/strong> and <strong>RAF<\/strong> operations at Wattisham, including accounts of daily life for the airmen, aircrews, and ground personnel stationed at the airfield.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Cold War and Helicopter Operations<\/strong>:\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>After WWII, Wattisham continued to be a key military site during the <strong>Cold War<\/strong>, particularly as a base for high-speed jet fighters and later, helicopters.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>During the 1950s and 1960s, the airfield housed <strong>RAF Jet Fighter Squadrons<\/strong>, including the <strong>Hunter and Lightning<\/strong> aircraft, which were stationed there to defend the UK from potential threats during the Cold War.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>In more recent decades, Wattisham became a base for <strong>helicopter squadrons<\/strong>, with the <strong>Army Air Corps<\/strong> operating attack helicopters like the <strong>Apache AH1<\/strong>. The Heritage Centre highlights these developments and the transition from traditional aircraft to modern helicopter operations.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Memorabilia and Personal Stories<\/strong>:\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>The museum features many <strong>personal stories<\/strong> from those who served at Wattisham, with <strong>testimonies<\/strong> from former personnel, both British and American. Visitors can learn about the experiences of pilots, ground crew, and other service members who were stationed at the airfield.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>There are various <strong>medals<\/strong>, <strong>awards<\/strong>, and <strong>documents<\/strong> on display, showcasing the bravery and sacrifice of the airmen and ground crew who worked at Wattisham during various conflicts.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>The Wattisham Station Heritage Centre is located in Stowmarket, Suffolk, and is dedicated to preserving the history and legacy of Wattisham Airfield, a significant military&#8230;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"parent":0,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"footnotes":""},"class_list":["post-3971","page","type-page","status-publish","hentry"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/aviationmuseum.eu\/Blogvorm\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/3971","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/aviationmuseum.eu\/Blogvorm\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/aviationmuseum.eu\/Blogvorm\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/aviationmuseum.eu\/Blogvorm\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/aviationmuseum.eu\/Blogvorm\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=3971"}],"version-history":[{"count":4,"href":"https:\/\/aviationmuseum.eu\/Blogvorm\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/3971\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":35275,"href":"https:\/\/aviationmuseum.eu\/Blogvorm\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/3971\/revisions\/35275"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/aviationmuseum.eu\/Blogvorm\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=3971"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}