A lovely ride with caches designed to encourage people along the
route and keep them going around the approx 25 mile route. A
variety of hides of different sizes, with nothing smaller than a
bison tube. The cycle ride can be started and finished at any point
and uses mainly smaller, less busy roads, but occasionally crosses
or runs along larger busier roads, so care should be taken at all
times! The clues are sometimes in the titles. This cache is hidden
very close to the position of the Ellough airfield control tower
which was demolished a few years ago.This sight is untidy at
present but hopefully will be improved.
Built for the USAAF and completed in 1943 Beccles (Ellough)
airfield had the three concrete runway layout typical of many
bomber airfields in East Anglia. Aerial view. It was allocated the
airfield number 132. It is possible that Beccles was intended to be
used by the 3rd Air Division, 95th Combat Wing. The 95th had two
Bomber Groups, the 489th at Halesworth and the 491st at Metfield.
Other Combat Wings had three Bomber Groups. In the event USAAF had
no use for the airfield so it passed briefly to RAF Bomber Command
before passing to Coastal Command in August 1944. Until closure in
1945 the airfield was used by various RAF and FAA squadrons
operating such diverse types as Warwick, Barracuda, Walrus,
Swordfish, Sea Otter and Albacore on air-sea rescue and
anti-shipping duties. At one time Beccles was called HMS Hornbill
II.
One of Beccles few claims to fame is that in 1944 it was used by
Mosquitos of 618 Squadron to practice dropping spinning bombs
called 'Highball' which were a derivative of the bombs used by 617
Squadron to breach the dams. The use of 'Highball' is shown in the
1970 fictious film 'Mosquito Squadron' (marvellous wooden aircraft,
terrible wooden actors).
After the war Beccles remained dormant until 1965 when it became
a heliport serving North Sea oil rigs until that operation
transferred to Norwich airport.
The airfield(albeit a lot smaller) is still in use today for
private flying, microlighting and parachuting.
Other parts are used for industry, turkey farming, a twice
monthy farmers market and as akarting Race track
Parking is available in the industrial site across the road.
After replacing the cache carefully continue towards Beccles. 200
yards up the road is a byway/cyclepath to the left which provides a
safe route back into Beccles and cache GC32Y0Z Cycle Route 31:
Byway