Always known locally as Ellough Airfield, it was built for the United States Army Air Forces (USAAF) and completed in August 1942. It used the three concrete runway layout typical of many bomber airfields in East Anglia, and was built for the 8th Air Force and allocated airfield number 132. It is possible that Ellough was intended to be used by the 3d Air Division, 95th Combat Bombardment Wing. The 95th had two Bombardment Groups, the 489th at RAF Halesworth and the 491st at RAF Metfield. Other combat wings had three Bomber Groups.