Timeline

Orford Ness – a journey through time

1914 – 1918

WW1

1919 – 1938

Inter – war

1939 – 1945

WW2

1947 – 1991

Cold War

1913 –14: Site acquired by the War Department

1915: Airfield created and the Experimental Flying
Section (RFC) relocates

1915: Experimental work on aircraft armament and
gunnery and bombing techniques starts

1918: Site put on ‘care and maintenance’ order

1924: Site re-opened as Martlesham outstation

1924: Experimental bombing trials start

1928: Black Beacon built for RAE

1933: Bomb Ballistics Building built

1935: Watt-Watson starts work on radar

1938-59: Firing trials to determine the ‘lethality and
vulnerability’ of aircraft and components

1939: Orford Research Station created

1940 –45: War-Time station

1945: The Barracks built

1953: AWRE relocates

1955: Model Ballistics Firing Range built for RAE

1956 –66: Six labs built for environmental testing of
nuclear weapons and components

1963: Impact Facility built

1967: Cobra Mist construction starts

1971: AWRE work transferred to Aldermaston

1972: Cobra Mist ‘over-the-horizon’ radar operational

1973: Cobra Mist ceases operations

1970s: Site cleared of large quantities of munitions

1987: Site abandoned

1792

Last lighthouse completed

1853

Submarine cable Orford Ness - Scheveningen

1914

War Office purchases Orford Ness

1915

Airfield established

April 1916

No. 37 Sqn RFC formed at Orfordness. Shortly afterwards, merged with the station establishment for the formation of a new RFC Experimental Station. (DEFE 71/48)

June 1917

L43 Zeppelin shot down

October 1917

Became known as the Armament Experimental Station. (DEFE 71/48)

September 1919

Reduced to care and maintenance basis, under control of the Aeroplane Experimental Station, Martlesham Heath. (DEFE 17/48)

June 1921

Orfordness closed, and handed over to Works and Buildings. (DEFE 71/48)

March 1924

ON re-opened as an emergency landing ground and also bombing and gunnery trials. Personnel sent over from Martlesham as required. (DEFE 17/48)

1928

Black Beacon built by RAE

1929

Dugout Bomb ballistics using dugout

1933

Bomb Ballistic Building built to house equipment relating to bomb ballistics. http://irgon.org/bomb-ballistics

January 1934

The Bomb Ballistics building was handed over to RAF Martlesham Heath and a programme of research was authorized by the Air Ministry.

May 1935

The old airfield at Orfordness was taken into use as a research station for RDF (later known as radar), manned by scientists of the National Physical Laboratory under the direction of Air Ministry. (DEFE 71/48)

September 1939

The Air Firing research station at Orfordness was placed under the administration of RAF Martlesham Heath. (DEFE 71/48)

15th May 1940

A Dutch pilot, Justus Heyman, escaped from Holland in a light aircraft, and managed to land on Orford Ness, in spite of erected obstacles.

March 1945

The RAF section Martlesham disbanded, following which the RAF interests at Martlesham Heath and the Orfordness Research Station were looked after by RAF Felixstowe. (DEFE 71/48)

May 1946

The Bomb Ballistics Unit (later to combine with the Blind Landing Experimental Unit to become the Armament and Instrument Experimental Unit) moved into Martlesham Heath and used the ranges at Orford Ness. (DEFE 71/48)

August 1946

Firing trials of the German R4M aircraft rocket were carried out against British heavy bomber aircraft structures.

March 1950

Firing trials carried out on Orford Ness with Swiss 20mm and 30mm ammunition. Weapons evaluated were the Hispano Suiza Type 820 and 830 autocannon, and comparison was made with British Hispano No.3 Mk. V

April 1956

AWRE Lab 1 was handed over

13th February 1960

The first French nuclear test Gerboise Bleue at Reggane in the Sahara was detected by an AWRE team on Orford Ness. see Nuclear detection: phase 1

1st April 1960

Gerboise Blanche,

the second French nuclear test in the Sahara, was detected by AWRE staff on Orford Ness.