The 100th Bomb Group at Thorpe Abbots ~ May 2012

[bomberflight]

The cold and rain did not deter a good audience at the 100th Bomb Group Memorial Museum today to mark what could possibly be the
very last visit by WW2 veterans from the USA.

For one last time ~ the last traces of the runways and taxi ways of this former airfield would witness the return of some of the men
from the Mighty Eighth Air Force.....





The tower and outbuildings are really well preserved .....



and contain enough memorabilia to engage interest for several hours







I would guess the wing span on this model to be around 6 feet or more



Once you've noted the USAF honor guard in attendance ~ which was a really nice touch ..... we'll go inside the hut to warm up a bit



This is where the 100th BG veterans spent a relaxed morning with friends and families





And the location for the museums gift shop. It would have been rude of me if I left without buying a few things wouldn't it



Back outside ~ interviews with verterans were being recorded ......



before the formal part of the day ~ when the veterans were thanked for coming and the contribution they made for our freedom today







Then an actual WW2 flag from the 8th Air Force was raised



All in all ~ a well organized day by a nice bunch of people ~ at a nicely preserved tower museum

And my final image for today is for the B-17 experts ~ just to prove you never know what will turn up in places like this !



Can this trailer really sitting on four B-17 tail wheels ?

[SPANNERmkV]

What a GREAT Museum and a fine tribute to those who have gone before, and the few left..
Thanks for posting.
The pity is that EVERY Bomb Group or airfield can't have a tribute as sublime as that.
But then you couldn't turn around in Britain without tripping over another one and the impact would be lost.

And a lowly cart sitting on four tires made of unobtainium- too boot!

SPANNER

[JohnB]

It does my heart good to see how UK aviation historians and their supporters keep the history of the 8th AF alive.
Visiting veterans always enjoy their time in the UK and and the quality of the facility restoration speaks for itself.

To all those involved, well done...and many thanks from this American.

[Misterg97]

Thanks for posting ... absolutely outstanding ... there's a gentleman here in the Dayton area whose grandfather commanded the 100th during part of it's great service to our country.

The 381st also has a museum at Ridgewell where they were stationed.

[Pat Carry]

One word, FANTASTIC.

[Chappie]

Wonderfully beautiful. I'd love to see that someday myself.



Chappie

[PbyCat-Guy]

See above comments to how I feel. How many vets from the 100th are still with us? I hope to go see that and a lot of the other sites. I'd be interested in going to Saipan to document what's left, apparently my uncle's hardstand still exists.

[6trn4brn]

"Rollie" Douglas was (and I hope he still is) a volunteer at the Grissom Air Museum and a veteran of the 100th. He trained as a ball turret operator, but was moved to the gunners pool when the crew and plane he trained with was modified into a "Mickey" radar plane. Was on his 31st misssion to Hamburg on December 31, 1944 when the plane above him took a direct hit, exploded and cut his plane in half. Being in the tail gunners position at the time probably saved his life. He told me about how hard it was for him to get out of the tail as it was in a flat spin. When he freed himself, pulled his parachute cord, he said it was only about three seconds before his feet hit the small pool of water that he landed in. Taken prisoner by an old man and a young girl. He spent the final months of the war as a POW. Told me that he got all the sawdust bread and filthy water he could swallow.

Rollie volunteer's at Grissom every Saturday. I was so enthralled with his stories and his wonderful personality. If he is still a volunteer there, the trip to Grissom Air Museum is well worth it just to meet him!

[Misterg97]

the 381st BG (H), Station 167, Ridgewell ... will host their reunion August 1-5 at the NMUSAF ...

[kmiles]

We were there for a visit in 2005. Unfortunately the museum was closed the day we were in the area. We took a look around at what was outside. That trailer is indeed made of 4 B-17 tail wheels and tires. If you notice the blocks under it, you will see that the tires are not ground worthy (so there is no chance they are airworthy). There is also a concrete spotters revetment across one of the taxiway/runways. It was November when we were there so there was nothing planted in the field, and no leaves on the trees, so we took a walk across to look at it. It looked like it had been sitting there untouched since 1945.