Chedburgh

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Introduction

Chedburgh is a quiet village, with its centre tucked away just north of the A143 Bury to Haverhill Road. Originally the pub stood on the main road, but was bypassed when the sharp bend it stands near was straightened out.

The pond in Chedburgh is a source of the River Linnet. The village appears on John Speed's 1610 map as "Chedber". Only the roundhouse remains of a post mill which stood near Mill Road until it was demolished in 1895.

Today very little evidence of RAF Chedburgh airfield, located just south of the village, has survived. It opened in September 1942 as a satellite for nearby Stradishall. Initially the RAF flew Short Stirlings belonging to 214th Squadron from here. Then, after several months as a base for the conversion of crews to four engined aircraft, from the late 1944 onwards the 218th Squadron was based here and equipped with Lancasters. They subsequently flew from here until April 1945.

On April 23rd 1945, a plane returning to the airfield clipped the top of a bus travelling from Bury to Haverhill. All of the aircraft crew perished apart from one man who was pulled from the wreckage by the bus driver and a female passenger.…

Gallery

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History

In the 1869 Kelly's Directory a beer retailer is listed in the name of Issac Boreham (also listed as a shoe maker).

Acknowledgements

Some historical information from English Heritage's National Monuments Record.

Some details from "Suffolk Airfields in WW2" by Graham Smith.

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