Royal Air Force Mepal or more simply RAF Mepal is a former Royal Air Force station located south of Mepal, Cambridgeshire, England and west of Ely, Cambridgeshire. Construction commenced in July 1942 and opened in June 1943.
History Mepal first hosted No. 75 (NZ) Squadron RAF flying Short Stirlings and later Avro Lancasters.
Tiger Force It was used towards the end of the Second World War to prepare Avro Lancaster bombers squadrons such as No. 44 (Rhodesia) squadron for use in Tiger Force which was to bomb Japan.
Thor missiles From 1957 PGM-17 Thor missiles were based at the airfield in the north east corner.
The following units were also here at some point: No. 7 Squadron RAF No. 49 Squadron RAF No. 113 Squadron RAF No. 1665 Heavy Conversion Unit RAF
Current use Very little remains of the original site, most of it razed to the ground after the USAF and the Thor missiles left. The site is now the Elean business park and is home to the world's only straw burning power station and a few manufacturing and warehousing operations. A small memorial plaque is in place at the entrance to the site.
See also List of former Royal Air Force stations
References Citations
Bibliography
External links
Royal Air Force – Bomber Command Airfield Archaeology – Memorials