page_title: RAF Watton
section_title: 25th Bombardment Group (Reconnaissance)
hierarchical_section_title: RAF Watton / History / USAAF use / 25th Bombardment Group (Reconnaissance)
caption_attribution_description: English: Martin B-26G-1-MA Marauder 43-34195 of the 653d Bombardment Squadron, 25th Bombardment Group making a full power takeoff for a night photography mission over Occupied Europe.
context_page_description: Royal Air Force Watton or more simply RAF Watton is a former Royal Air Force station located 9 mi southwest of East Dereham, Norfolk, England.
  Opened in 1937 it was used by both the Royal Air Force and United States Army Air Forces during the Second World War. During the war it was used primarily as a bomber airfield, being the home of RAF Bomber Command squadrons until being used by the United States Army Air Forces Eighth Air Force as a major overhaul depot for Consolidated B-24 Liberator bombers and as a weather reconnaissance base.
  After the war, it was returned to RAF use until being turned over to the British Army in the early 1990s. It was closed then put up for sale.
context_section_description: Watton was also the home of the 25th Bombardment Group (Reconnaissance) which was formed at Watton as the 802nd Reconnaissance Group in February 1944. The unit was renamed the 25th on 9 August 1944.
  Its operational units were: 
  652d Bombardment Squadron (Heavy) B-17F/G, B-24J.
  653d Bombardment Squadron (Light) de Havilland Mosquito Mk XVI.(WX)
  654th Bombardment Squadron (Special) de Havilland Mosquito Mk XVI (BA), North American B-25 Mitchell, Martin B-26G Marauder, Douglas A-26 Invader.
  The 652d Bomb Squadron originated as a provisional weather reconnaissance unit that was formed at RAF St Eval in Cornwall with Boeing B-17 Flying Fortresses on 8 September 1943 for conducting meteorological fights over the Atlantic Ocean. In November 1943 the unit moved to RAF Bovingdon after flying 231 weather sorties.  At Bovington, the squadron was reorganized as the 8th Weather Reconnaissance Squadron on 28 March 1944, then transferred to Watton on 12 April 1944.
  The 653d and 654th Bomb Squadrons were established at Watton on 12 April for special weather reconnaissance missions over enemy-occupied territory in advance of bomber formations and visual coverage of target strikes.  Pilots for the Mosquitos came from former Lockheed P-38 Lightning pilots of the 50th Fighter Squadron transferred from the 342d Composite Group based in Iceland.
  From Watton the 25th continued weather flights over the waters adjacent to the British Isles and occasionally to the Azores to obtain meteorological data along with night photographic missions to detect enemy activity; and daylight photographic and mapping missions over the Continent.
  Also, the group occasionally engaged in electronic-countermeasure missions in which chaff was spread to confuse enemy defences during Allied attacks.
  The 25th Bomb Group moved to Drew AAF, Florida during July–August 1945 and was inactivated on 8 September 1945. The group flew a total of 3,370 sorties for the loss of 15 aircraft.
caption: Martin B-26G-1-MA Marauder painted black for night reconnaissance missions of the 654th Bomb Squadron.
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