Royal Air Force Station Bentwaters
Longitude: 1.433
Origin of current name: Named after a house, "Bentwaters," originally located on the site of the base's main runway.
Date current name was assigned to base: December 18, 1955
Previous Names: RAF Butley, AAF Stn 151, c. 1942; Bentwaters RAF Stn, 28 Jan 1943; Bentwaters RAF, 16 Mar 1955.
Base Units: 7506th Air Spt Gp, 16 Mar 1951; 81st AB (rdsgd 81st Spt; 81st Cmbt Spt) Gp, 5 Sep 1951-.
Changes in Capability: Base became operational under RAF Bomber Command and transferred to No. 11 Group RAF Fighter Command on 22 Nov 1944; USAAF fighters flew escort missions for RAF Bomber Command beginning 4 May 1945; RAF training base from end of World War II to 26 Aug 1949; inactive from 1 Sep 1949 to 30 Jun 1950, when Bentwaters was placed in caretaker status prior to transfer from RAF to USAF; assigned to USAF control on 16 Mar 1951; designated a primary installation of HQ USAFE on 7 Sep 1951; supported fighter-bomber and later tactical fighter operations of the 81st Wg 5 Sep 1951 to the present; HQ USAFE operated RAF Bentwaters and Woodbridge as "twin bases" after 8 Jul 1958; RAF Bentwaters supported aircraft from RAF Woodbridge when Woodbridge closed its runways for major repairs, 5 Nov-5 Dec 1958; eight Victor Alert aircraft shelters and eight periodic maintenance docks constructed, 1958-1960; taxiways resealed, a new wing added to base dependent school, and 12 family housing units built, 1960-1962; medical warehouse, EES (EUCOM Exchange Service) facility, and ammunition storage facility constructed and security fencing erected around all aircraft parking areas, 1966-1967; base theater completed in 1969; Ready Crew facility and a 50,000-barrel jet fuel storage facility constructed 1970-1972; Victor Alert bypass taxiway, base supply management facility, and base rescue service hangar built, 1972-1974; base commissary addition constructed, base clinic renovated, taxiway lighting renovated, BAK-13 aircraft arrester barriers installed, and base fire fighting facilities modernized, 1974-1975; 14 TAB VEE aircraft shelters, a parachute building, and clinic constructed, 1977-1978; 22 TAB VEE aircraft shelters erected and entire airfield paved, 1979; a parallel taxiway, 8,200-ft long, a 300-unit housing project "Rendelsham Park," and a fuel system maintenance dock constructed 1980-1981; airmen's dining hall, a new dormitory, and additional POL storage facilities built in 1982.
Changes in Status: Caretaker status on 17 Apr 1944; operational, 22 Nov 1944; inactivated on 1 Sep 1949; caretaker status 1 Jul 1950; activated, and transferred to HQ USAFE on 16 Mar 1951; opened as primary installation of USAFE on 7 Sep 1951. Closed July 1 1993.
Base was Decommissioned on July 1, 1993
History:
With the handover of Bentwaters back to the UK Ministry of Defense in 1993, the facility was closed. It is now known as "Bentwaters Parks".It was used by the RAF during World War II, and by the United States Air Force during the Cold War, being the primary home for the 81st Fighter Wing under various designations from 1951 to 1993. For many years the 81st Fighter Wing also operated RAF Woodbridge, with Bentwaters and Woodbridge being known as the "Twin Bases".
RAF Bentwaters was transferred to the United States Army Air Forces in April 1944 during World War II, where it served as a base for bomber operations in support of the Allied campaign in Europe. After the war, the station briefly returned to Royal Air Force control before being made available again to the United States as Cold War tensions increased. On 26 September 1951, the United States Air Force re-established a permanent presence, marking the beginning of over four decades of American operations at Bentwaters.
During the early Cold War years, Bentwaters became part of the United States Air Forces in Europe (USAFE) network of forward bases intended to deter Soviet aggression. The base hosted various fighter and tactical units equipped with aircraft such as the F-84 Thunderjet and later the F-101 Voodoo. Its strategic position in eastern England allowed rapid response capability to potential threats over continental Europe, while also serving as a dispersal and alert base.
By the 1970s and 1980s, Bentwaters, operating in conjunction with nearby Woodbridge, was home to the 81st Tactical Fighter Wing. The wing transitioned to the A-10 Thunderbolt II, specializing in close air support and battlefield interdiction roles. The base was heavily fortified with hardened aircraft shelters, weapons storage areas, and advanced command-and-control systems, reflecting its importance in NATO's frontline defense posture during the later stages of the Cold War.
With the end of the Cold War and the dissolution of the Soviet threat, the need for large forward-based USAF installations in the United Kingdom diminished. As part of a broader drawdown of U.S. forces in Europe, RAF Bentwaters was closed by the United States Air Force on 30 June 1993. The installation was returned to the United Kingdom and is now largely redeveloped as Bentwaters Parks, while some areas preserve its Cold War heritage.
1980 UFO incident in Rendlesham Forest
Bentwaters is also known as the location for the alleged December 1980 UFO incident in Rendlesham Forest.The Rendlesham Forest incident unfolded over three nights between 26 and 28 December 1980, in the wooded area between RAF Bentwaters and RAF Woodbridge in Suffolk, England. At the time, both bases were operated by the United States Air Force, primarily by the 81st Tactical Fighter Wing. The event began when security personnel reported seeing unusual lights descending into the forest, initially thought to be a downed aircraft. This triggered an immediate on-the-ground investigation by base security.
On the first night (26 December), a small group of U.S. Air Force personnel entered Rendlesham Forest to investigate. They reported encountering a strange, metallic object, often described as triangular or conical, with colored lights. Witnesses claimed the object appeared to be solid, maneuvered silently, and moved away through the trees at speed. Some reported getting within a few meters of it, observing surface details before it departed.
By the morning of 27 December, investigators returned to the site and documented what they believed to be physical traces. These included three small ground depressions arranged in a triangular pattern and damage to nearby trees. Radiation measurements were taken and later described as slightly above normal background levels in specific spots, though interpretations of these readings remain disputed. No conventional aircraft wreckage or debris was found.
The most significant events occurred on the night of 28 December, when Deputy Base Commander Lt. Col. Charles Halt led a larger investigative team into the forest. During this excursion, Halt dictated observations into a portable recorder, creating one of the most important primary records of the incident. The team observed multiple lights moving through the trees and a brighter object in the distance.
According to Halt's recorded account, the object appeared to emit beams of light down toward the ground, described as "laser-like." At one point, similar lights were reportedly seen in the sky, including one that seemed to send beams down near the base weapons storage area. These observations heightened concern among personnel, as they occurred within a sensitive military environment during the Cold War.
In the weeks following the incident, Lt. Col. Halt composed what is now known as the Halt Memo, an official summary sent to the UK Ministry of Defense in January 1981. This document, along with the audio recording from the second night, forms the core of the case's documentation. Despite this, no formal joint U.S.-UK investigation produced a definitive conclusion.
Explanations for the event have varied widely. Skeptical analyses suggest that the initial sighting may have been a bright meteor, while later observations could be attributed to the Orford Ness lighthouse, misidentified stars such as Sirius, or routine military activity. Supporters of the unexplained interpretation argue that the consistency of trained military witnesses and the presence of physical trace evidence make simple misidentification unlikely.