Page started - 19/6/99
Last updated - 26/7/99

The Post War Years

Once again, activities slowed considerably as post war economies began to bite. In September 1945 the Blind Landing Experimental Unit arrived. Working along side the Bomb Ballistic Unit the two eventually merged in May 1950 to become the Armament and Instrument Experimental Unit. During their time at Martlesham, much valuable research was undertaken on secret electronic equipment, rockets, turbo jet engines, and automatic landing equipment (e.g. for landing in fog). The majority of their work however, concerned ballistic measurement and in 1957 they moved to Bedford.

In the following year one of the first helicopter Air Sea Rescue Unit was formed at the Heath. They were a popular site at the local holiday beaches during summer months. The RAF's Battle of Britain Flight also moved in sounding the return of Hurricanes and Spitfires. These were used for various air displays and in the annual Battle of Britain flypast. Unfortunately, the Spitfire used during the latter in 1959 developed a serious fault and had to make an emergency landing. Subsequent fly-pasts of the Capital were cancelled due to the safety issues this raised and the flight moved to Coltishall, Norfolk soon after.

Flying continued at Martlesham although mainly through the Air Training Corps Gliding School. However, in 1962, the RAF, which had been looking for an aircraft capable of operating on rough, unprepared strips, chose Martlesham as the test site for their final two candidate planes. These were to be the last aircraft tests in Martlesham's long and distinguished history, the RAF station finally closing in 1968.

A few civilian aircraft continued to use the airfield until March 1979 when the last useable section of runway was dug up to make way for further houses. Many of the original buildings are still in use today. Soon after the RAF moved out, the Post Office relocated its Research Centre (now BT's Adastral Park) to Martlesham Heath from Dollice Hill. The old NAAFI and Sick Bay are used by BT as meeting rooms and offices, the watchtower houses a Children's Playgroup, the football club utilise of one of the old hangers, and the tea rooms have become the Black Tiles pub.