RAF Rackheath Traditional Cache
Hidden : 2/25/2012
Difficulty:
1.5 out of 5
Terrain:
2 out of 5

Size: Size: micro (micro)

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Geocache Description:

Enter Newman Road and follow the left fork into Heath Woods. Parking is available near some industrial units on the right. The cache is located not far from here. Thanks to Rackheath Parish Council for their kind permission in placing this cache



RAF Rackheath is a former Second World War RAF Station airfield laid out on agricultural land between Rackheath Parva and Rackheath Magna. Construction began in 1943 for the USAAF Eighth Air Force and was given the USAAF designation “Station 145”. The airfield opened on March 11th 1944 and was used by the 467th Bombardment Group (Heavy) assigned to the 96th Combat Bombardment Wing. The groups’ tail code was a “Circle-P”.









There were four operational squadrons here: 788th Bombardment Squadron, 789th Bombardment Squadron, 790th Bombardment squadron and 791st Bombardment squadron.





The group flew the B-24 Liberator as part of the Eighth Air Force’s strategic bombing campaign, beginning operations on April 10th 1944 with an attack by thirty aircraft on an airfield at Bourges in Central France. In combat the unit served mainly as a strategic bombardment organisation, attacking the harbour at Kiel, chemical plants at Bonn, textile factories at Stuttgart, power plants at Hamm, steelworks at Osnabruck, the aircraft industry at Brunswick and many other targets. They also offered support and bombed shore installations and bridges near Cherbourg on D-Day, June 6th 1944 and struck enemy troop and supply concentrations near Montreuil on July 25th 1944 to assist the Allied drive across France. The bombers flew gasoline from Rackheath to a base in Clastres, France for use by the US mechanised forces, attacked German communications and fortifications during the Battle Of The Bulge in December 1944 – January 1945 and to assist Allied assault across the Rhine in March 1945, it attacked enemy transportation. The group flew its last combat mission on April 25th 1945 and returned to the US. The 467th was re-designated as the 467th Bombardment group (Very Heavy) with Boeing B-29 Superfortresses in preparation for the planned invasion of Japan. The 467th was deactivated on August 4th 1946. The group commander, Colonel Albert J. Shower, was the only group commander to stay with the same group from beginning to the end of the war.


The airfield was closed in 1945 and the site returned to farming. Very little remains with this part having remains of the bunkers from Col. Shower HQ. The remainder of the site has now become the Rackheath industrial estate. The control tower has been converted to use as an admin building and the T-2 Hangar is virtually beyond recognition. A memorial to the 467th Bomb Group consisting of a plaque and a bench was dedicated in 1983 and is situated near the village sign featuring a B-24 on the Salhouse Road, adjacent to the Holy Trinity Church.



*****CONGRATULATIONS TO TEAM ALLEN BATCH ON FTF*****

Additional Hints (Decrypt)

Vil Ebbgf

Decryption Key

A|B|C|D|E|F|G|H|I|J|K|L|M
-------------------------
N|O|P|Q|R|S|T|U|V|W|X|Y|Z

(letter above equals below, and vice versa)


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