Rougham Tower

Thanks for the contributions.
It does seem that airfields albeit active ( North Weald ) or disused (Hunsdon ) are considered fit for housing on such grand scales. These two are regarded as being in Green belt but developers seem to see them in a different light, It’s as if somehow through their former use they can be classified as ‘brownfield’ and ripe for development regardless of aviation history, Ho Hum 🙁

That would be a great shame I was at the Flying Fortress on Sunday and it looked wonderful seeing the model aircraft over the field.

I can’t see anyone getting a road past if Barbara is still up there though 😀

May take a wander over and have a look to see what’s going on then.

There is also a fly-in on the 25th and 26th June with a mini display on the 26th.

20th/21st August. Looks like a fly in on Saturday and Show on the Sunday.

Does anyone know the date of the Rougham Air Show this year?

Seeing as I live in the town now can I qualify as a NIMBY??????
It would be a great shame if it were to happen but looking at the way BSE is expanding I would have thought it was only a matter of time.

The report in the local rag seems to think that the tower will stay but the new road will be very close to it, wouldn’t suprise me if the airfield were to go however. As 92fis says, houses (and businesses) are going up at an incredible rate and with the revised A14 making good progress it would seem logical to pop a link road in to ease some congestion, airfields in Suffolk are on the way out I’m afraid.

If this is true its horrible, horrible news. Rougham Airfield and Tower are absolute gems which should be preserved forever. Another win for the NIMBYs if this comes off.

This would be a sad day if this happens !

The control tower at Rougham was one of the very first airfield of the Mighty Eighth I visited on my many trips to the Uk in the 80’s …after buying a copy of the Roger Freeman’s book. I love the pub at one end of the runway and hope it will not be effected by this . Growth of course is not always a bad thing , but at the expense of old historic airfields is not good either. I was last there in 2000 and there were already many small companies on the site of the former home of the 94th BG, got premission to walk down the road to the tower and it was being restored , dont they still have small aviation related events there from time to time? Would hope that some of the sites can be preserved for historical reason’s…like the control tower and some of the hard stands. It seem sad that twenty years from now that place will be a housing track and no one will know what range of human emotions took place there by young men fighting for freedom. Many of whom rest forever not far from there at American Cementery outside of Cambridge. I knew a 94th pilot for many years after the war, Cliff Hatcher of Atlanta, who flew “Virgins Delight” out of Rougham. He was most active in the 94th BG Association and I enjoyed his many stories about his days in the Eighth and his love of that area of England and its people. Sadly he has passed on but hearing his many stories about flying combat mission from Rougham, he will not be happy to see this lovely countryside become a housing complex! One can try and understand how he must have felt coming back safely to Rougham 30 plus time after combat over the Reich ! Sure hope the Control Tower can be saved if a road is indeed cut across the field. I can still remember the feeling I had when I first saw the home of the 94th BG in person & visited the control tower , felt like Major Harvey Stovall in the opening scenes of “Twelve O’Clock High”. Many young men gave their all from that airfield, guess that’s why its hard to see them be developed into housing estates! Keep us posted here on what happens and thanks for telling us about this ! God Bless the men of the BIG SQUARE A & The Mighty Eighth !!!

BlueNoser352!

The report in the local rag seems to think that the tower will stay but the new road will be very close to it, wouldn’t suprise me if the airfield were to go however. As 92fis says, houses (and businesses) are going up at an incredible rate and with the revised A14 making good progress it would seem logical to pop a link road in to ease some congestion, airfields in Suffolk are on the way out I’m afraid.

Wouldn’t be surprised the way they are putting those houses up on the old airfield.