RAF Downham Market opened as a satellite station for
RAF Marham in the summer of 1942. The station was equipped with three concrete runways, one of 1,900 yards and two of 1,400 yards. Originally there were 36 hardstandings, although this dropped to 34 when an additional B1 hangar was added in the north west of the station. Six T2 hangars were built, three of which were for the storage of gliders. Accommodation was provided for 1,719 males and 326 females, with
Bexwell Hall being used as the officer's mess. In October 1943 the station was equipped with the
FIDO fog dispersal system. The first operational squadron at the station was
218 Squadron, operating
Short Stirling aircraft, who arrived from Marham in July 1942. In August 1943,
623 Squadron formed at Downham, also operating Stirling aircraft. This Squadron was disbanded four months later, when the station was re-equipped with
Avro Lancaster aircraft.
214 Squadron operated briefly from Downham Market during December 1943 and January 1944. In March 1944 the station passed to
No. 8 Group, with 218 Squadron leaving for
RAF Woolfox Lodge, being replaced by
635 Squadron, also using Lancaster aircraft.
571 Squadron, equipped with
de Havilland Mosquito aircraft, formed at Downham in April 1944, but had moved to
RAF Oakington within a month.
608 Squadron re-formed at Downham in August, equipped with Canadian-built Mosquito aircraft as part of No. 8 Group's policy of having one Lancaster and one Mosquito squadron at each base. No. 608 and 635 Squadron's operated from Downham to the end of the war, and both were disbanded in late summer of 1945. 170 aircraft either failed to return or crashed during the operations from RAF Downham Market; 109 Stirlings, 40 Lancasters and 21 Mosquitoes, including Mosquito KB364 which crashed on
Bawdeswell church. On 2 May 1945, sixteen 608 Squadron Mosquitoes based at Downham Market were among the aircraft that carried out the final World War 2 RAF bombing raid on Germany.
Based units Based units: == Current use ==