Wattisham Station Heritage Museum

An update on the ongoing work on the wiring and lighting on the Meteor can be read here…..

The 2023 season has drawn to a close and we are glad to say it has been a most successful year with the Museum getting back in the swing of it after the disruptions caused by Covid in previous years.

We now settle into our Winter routine maintenance schedule, with some attention being spent on our recently arrived Meteor Night Fighter. This should be available to view in 2024 when we open our doors to visitors again for the new season.

Thanks go to all our visitors as well as the volunteers without whose selfless work we wouldn’t be able to put on the displays for the public.

See you all in 2024.

The latest Museum aircraft arrival took place on 8th September 2023 and is described here.

We look forward to updating you all in the coming weeks and months about the re-assembly and restoration work on this fantastic addition to the Museum collection.

Click below to view the short video.

The Wattisham Station Families Day on 24th August 2023 presented the chance for the Red Arrows to perform over their illustrious predecessors, our own Black Arrows Hunter.

Image of Wattisham taken by USAAF on 27th May 1944.

From the Historic England website.

Work continues at the Museum behind the scenes, even on non-opening days.

A low-key side project to make the Phantom external lighting look a bit more alive has been progressing over the last few weeks.

Wingtip red and green navigation light solutions have already been produced and tested, as well as the bright red tail fin beacon light.

The latest step is the very bright landing/taxy light in the nosewheel door, which has been tested successfully this weekend.

On Thursday 27th April 2023 we were very pleased to host a visit to the museum by Linda Helding.

Linda is the daughter of Arnold Helding, who was a USA fighter pilot with the 436th Fighter Squadron based at Wattisham during the Second World War. Linda has donated her father’s US uniform and cap which are displayed in the Museum, along with his silk escape map.

Linda had travelled from the USA and afterwards she sent a message to say how much she enjoyed herself, that she was made to feel very special, and that she learnt so much about the airfield’s ‘roots’ and history.

The first Open Day of the 2023 took place and a quick review of it is published here…

With the restoration of Scout XT617 starting in earnest, we shall be publishing a blog so people can keep an eye on the progress. Click here to view the Scout Restoration Blog.

In 1993 the Army Air Corps arrived at Wattisham, taking over the station from the Royal Air Force. 2023 marks the 30th Anniversary of this, and we hope to be able to celebrate this during the year.