RAF Pulham
History
Pulham was one of the main British airship stations, with more than 3,000 men on the base at the end of the First World War. Initially it was used for airships that operated patrols over the North Sea (such as the Coastal and SS types) until their areas were taken over by seaplanes.
The R34 landed at RNAS Pulham to complete the first two-way flown crossing of the Atlantic in July 1919.
After the loss of the R101 in 1930 and the end of British airships, the station was moved on to a care and maintenance basis.
In its heyday Pulham had its own hydrogen plant, one small and two large airship sheds (one was later moved to Cardington base in 1930, the other was scrapped in 1948) and a permanent mooring mast.
During World War II, Pulham Air Station was used as an aircraft salvage yard. The RAF used the site for storage and Maintenance Unit work until closure in 1958.
Archives
The Pennoyer Centre in Pulham St Mary holds an extensive archive of photographs and memorabilia relating to the Air Station.
See also
References
- ^ "Airship Heritage Trust".
- ^ "The Airship Museum". The Pennoyer Centre. Retrieved 9 June 2024.
Further reading
- Gordon K. Kinsey (1988). Pulham Pigs. Terence Dalton. ISBN 978-0-86138-050-3.
External links
Media related to RNAS Pulham at Wikimedia Commons