RAF Sudbury

The airfield was closed following the end of World War II. As a temporary wartime base, it was deemed surplus to the post-war requirements of both the United States Army Air Forces (USAAF) and the Royal Air Force (RAF). Its closure was part of the widespread military drawdown in Europe.

The former airfield site is now a mix of agricultural and industrial use. Large parts of the land have been returned to farming. The main technical site and some of the former runways and hardstands have been redeveloped into the Chilton Industrial Estate and the Sudbury Airfield Industrial Estate. While much of the original infrastructure has been removed, faint outlines of the three concrete runways and sections of the perimeter track are still visible from the air and on the ground, with some parts repurposed as farm tracks or access roads. A large solar farm has also been constructed on a portion of the site. A memorial dedicated to the personnel of the 486th Bomb Group stands near the former main entrance to commemorate their service and sacrifice.

RAF Sudbury, designated USAAF Station 174, was a significant heavy bomber airfield during World War II. Constructed between 1942 and 1943, it became the home base for the 486th Bombardment Group (Heavy) of the USAAF Eighth Air Force in March 1944. Initially, the group operated Consolidated B-24 Liberator bombers. In the summer of 1944, they transitioned to the Boeing B-17 Flying Fortress. From Sudbury, the 486th flew over 190 combat missions, targeting strategic enemy assets across Nazi-occupied Europe, including industrial facilities, V-weapon sites, oil refineries, and transportation networks. The group played a crucial role in the strategic bombing campaign, supporting the D-Day landings, the Battle of the Bulge, and the final Allied push into Germany. The USAAF departed in August 1945, and the station was returned to RAF control before being closed.

There are no known plans or prospects for reopening RAF Sudbury as an operational airport. The extensive redevelopment for industrial, agricultural, and renewable energy purposes, combined with the degradation and removal of most of the original aviation infrastructure, makes its revival as an airfield unfeasible.