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{{Short description|RAF air base in Norfolk, England}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=May
{{Use British English|date=May 2013}}
{{Infobox military installation
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|ensign=[[File:Ensign of the Royal Air Force.svg|90px]]
[[File:Eighth Air Force - Emblem (World War II).png|60px]]
|location= [[Diss, Norfolk|Diss]], [[Norfolk]], [[England]]
|coordinates = {{coord|52.38|1.22|type:landmark|display=inline}}
|image= Thorpeabbotsafld-13nov46.png
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|map_alt =
|map_caption = Location in Norfolk
|type= [[List of former Royal Air Force stations|Royal Air Force station]]
|code=TA
|built=1942
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|condition=
|ownership=[[Air Ministry]]
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▲|occupants=[[File:100thbombgroup-emblem.jpg|20px]] [[100th Air Refueling Wing#World War II|100th Bombardment Group]]
|battles= [[European Theatre of World War II]]<br />Air Offensive, Europe July 1942 - May 1945
<!-- begin airfield information -->
| IATA =
| ICAO =
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| TC =
| LID =
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| elevation = <!-- {{Convert| |m|0}} -->
| r1-number = East/West 10/28
| r1-length = <!-- {{Convert| |m|0}} -->
| r1-surface = Concrete 6300ft
| r2-number = NNE/SSW 22/04
| r2-length = <!-- {{Convert| |m|0}} -->
| r2-surface = Concrete 4200ft
| r3-number = NNW/SSE 17/35
| r3-length = <!-- {{Convert| |m|0}} -->
| r3-surface = Concrete 4200ft
| h1-number =
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| airfield_other_label = <!-- for renaming "Other facilities" in infobox -->
| airfield_other = <!-- for other sorts of airfield facilities -->
<!-- end airfield information -->
}}
[[File:100arw-tail.jpg|right|thumb|Tail of a
'''Royal Air Force
The station was built for the RAF use but handed over to the [[United States Army Air Forces]] in 1943 and upgraded for heavy bomber squadrons.
RAF Thorpe Abbotts was built during 1942 and early 1943 for the [[Royal Air Force]] (RAF) as a satellite airfield for [[RAF Horham]] but the rapid buildup of the [[Eighth Air Force]] resulted in both airfields being handed over to the [[United States Army Air Forces]] (USAAF). The thirty-six hardstandings originally planned were increased to fifty. Two T-2 hangars were erected, one on the east side of the flying field and one on the south side adjacent to the technical site. This and several of the domestic sites were in woodland stretching south and bordering the [[A143 road|A143 Diss to Harleston road]].<ref name="Freeman2001p217">{{Harvnb|Freeman|2001|p=217.}}</ref>▼
==Second World War==
[[File:Target Dossier for Brockdish, Norfolk, England - DPLA - 848f42b6399c0dfa2e146d4aaa4d9f60 (page 1).jpg|thumb|left|RAF Thorpe Abbotts on a target dossier of the German [[Luftwaffe]], 1943]]
▲RAF Thorpe Abbotts was built during 1942 and early 1943 for the [[Royal Air Force]] (RAF) as a satellite airfield for [[RAF Horham]] but the rapid buildup of the [[Eighth Air Force]] resulted in both airfields being handed over to the
===United States Army Air Forces use===
Thorpe Abbotts was given USAAF designation Station 139,<ref name="ABCT">{{cite web|url=http://www.abct.org.uk/airfields/thorpe-abbotts |title=Thorpe Abbotts |publisher=[[Airfields of Britain Conservation Trust]]|
====100th Bombardment Group (Heavy)====
The [[100th Air Refueling Wing#World War II|100th Bombardment Group (Heavy)]] arrived at Thorpe Abbotts on 9 June 1943, from [[Kearney AAF]] [[Nebraska]]. The 100th was assigned to the 13th Combat Bombardment Wing, and [[USAAF unit identification aircraft markings|the group tail code]] was a "Square-D".<ref name="M8">{{cite web|title=100th Bombardment Group (Heavy)|url=http://mighty8thaf.preller.us/php/1Unit.php?Unitkey=100|publisher=Mighty 8th Cross-Reference|
* [[349th Air Refueling Squadron|349th Bombardment Squadron]] (XR)
* [[350th Air Refueling Squadron|350th Bombardment Squadron]] (LN)
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* [[418th Flight Test Squadron|418th Bombardment Squadron]] (LD)
The group flew the [[Boeing B-17 Flying Fortress]] as part of the Eighth Air Force's strategic bombing campaign. In combat, the 100th operated chiefly as a strategic bombardment organization until the war ended.<ref name="Maurer1980p171">{{Harvnb|Maurer|1980|p=171.}}</ref> The group gained the nickname "The Bloody Hundredth" due to its heavy losses during eight missions to Germany when the group experienced several instances where it lost a dozen or more aircraft on a single mission, whereas most units suffered losses in consistent small amounts.<ref name="Freeman2001p217"/>
From June 1943 to January 1944, as part of the [[Combined Bomber Offensive]] the 100th Bomb Group concentrated its efforts against [[airfield]]s in France and naval facilities and industries in France and Germany. The 100th BG received a [[Distinguished Unit Citation]] for seriously disrupting German fighter plane production with an attack on an aircraft factory at [[Regensburg]]
On 10 October 1943, the bomb raid that the 100th BG made on [[Münster]], ended up with the only surviving 100th BG B-17 that went out on the raid, the ''Royal Flush'' (s/n ''42-6087'') commanded that day by [[Robert Rosenthal (USAF officer)|Robert Rosenthal]] and flown by his regular crew, returning safely on just two working engines and both waist gunners seriously wounded, to Thorpe Abbotts.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://100thbg.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=67:black-week&catid=18:special-interest |title= Black Week (October 8-14, 1943) - Munster - 10 Oct 1943 |author=<!--Not stated--> |website=100thbg.com |date= 10 April 2012 |publisher=100th Bomb Group (Heavy) Foundation |access-date=8 October 2018 |quote=A/C 42-6087 "ROYAL FLUSH" 418TH LD-Z - LT ROBERT ROSENTHAL - P[ilot] - CPT -- FLEW 52 MISSIONS - The only crew to return from the mission with two engines shot out and two crew members seriously wounded.}}</ref>
The unit bombed airfields, industries, marshalling yards, and missile sites in western Europe, January – May 1944. Operations in this period included participation in the Allied campaign against enemy aircraft factories during "[[Big Week]]", 20 – 25 February 1944. The group completed a series of attacks against Berlin in March 1944 and received a second Distinguished Unit Citation for the missions.<ref name="Maurer1980p172">{{Harvnb|Maurer|1980|p=172.}}</ref>▼
▲The unit bombed airfields, industries, marshalling yards, and [[Operation Crossbow|missile sites]] in western Europe, January – May 1944. Operations in this period included participation in the Allied campaign against enemy aircraft factories during "[[Big Week]]", 20 – 25 February 1944. The group completed a series of attacks against Berlin in March 1944 and received a second Distinguished Unit Citation for the missions.<ref name="Maurer1980p172">{{Harvnb|Maurer|1980|p=172.}}</ref>
Beginning in the summer of 1944, oil installations became major targets. In addition to strategic operations, the group engaged in support and interdictory missions, hitting bridges and gun positions in support of the [[Invasion of Normandy]] in June 1944. The unit bombed enemy positions at [[Saint-Lô]] in July and at [[Brest, France|Brest]] in August and September Other missions were striking transportation and ground defences in the drive against the [[Siegfried Line]], October – December 1944; attacking marshalling yards, defended villages, and communications in the [[Ardennes]] sector during the [[Battle of the Bulge]], December 1944 – January 1945; and covering the [[Operation Varsity|airborne assault across the Rhine]] in March 1945.<ref name="Maurer1980p172"/>▼
▲Beginning in the summer of 1944, oil installations became major targets. In addition to strategic operations, the group engaged in support and interdictory missions, hitting bridges and gun positions in
The 100th Bomb Group received the French [[Croix de guerre]] with Palm for attacking heavily defended installations in Germany and for dropping supplies to [[French Forces of the Interior]], June – December 1944.<ref name="Maurer1980p172"/>▼
▲The 100th Bomb Group received the French [[Croix de
The 100 BG flew its last combat mission of World War II on 10 April 1945 which was number 306.<ref name="Freeman2001p217"/>
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In December 1945, the group returned to [[Camp Kilmer]], New Jersey. Group personnel were demobilized and the aircraft sent to storage. The unit was inactivated on 21 December 1945 and redesignated as the 100th Bombardment Group (Very Heavy).<ref name="Maurer1980p172"/>
==
[[File:Thorpe Abbotts Control Tower.jpg|right|thumb|The Control Tower which now forms part of the [[100th Bomb Group Memorial Museum]]]]
After the war, the airfield was transferred to the RAF on 27 June 1946. After many years of inactivity, Thorpe Abbotts was closed in 1956.<ref name="Freeman2001p217"/> With the end of military control, the airfield was largely returned to agricultural use with most of the perimeter track, runways and hardstands removed. A small airstrip was built on a part of the former perimeter track which is used for light aircraft.<ref name="Freeman2001p217" /> The control tower was restored in 1977 and was turned into the [[100th Bomb Group Memorial Museum]]. Several World War II era buildings remain in various states of decay.<ref>{{cite web|title=History|url=http://www.100bgmus.org.uk/history.aspx|publisher=The 100th Bomb Group Memorial Museum|access-date=20 February 2013}}</ref>
==See also==
{{Portal|United Kingdom|Aviation
*[[List of former Royal Air Force stations]]
*[[100th Bomb Group Memorial Museum]]
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===Bibliography===
*{{wikicite|ref={{harvid|Freeman|2001}}|reference=Freeman, R. ''Airfields of the Eighth - Then and Now. After the Battle''. London, UK: Battle of Britain International Ltd., 2001. {{ISBN|0-9009-13-09-6}}.}}
*{{wikicite|ref={{harvid|Maurer|1980}}|reference=Maurer, M. ''Air Force Combat Units
==External links==
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