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Aircrew at Old Buckenham (Reproduced with permission of Pat Ramm)

There was one defining moment, in modern history, when the British and American peoples were at their closest. This was during the wartime years, between 1941-45. Britain has never been invaded, since the Normans came in 1066, but those final four years of World War II saw an 'invasion' by the men and women of the American armed services.

Nowhere was the presence of these friendly invaders more felt than within East Anglia. There was a virtual take-over of this part of England by personnel of the USAAF and in particular by those serving with the American Eighth Air Force, affectionately known as 'The Mighty Eighth'.



The countryside of Britain was dotted with just over 700 air bases, out of which flew RAF and USAAF fighters and bombers, to fight-off invading enemy aircraft and to bomb Germany and many of the occupied countries. The RAF mainly bombed at night, whilst their American allies had the principal responsibility for daylight bombing raids. The greatest number of airfields were situated within the East Anglia area with the majority of these being home to the United States Eighth Air Force.

In all 122 airfields are constructed, or converted for use by the USAAF. 1942 was the busiest year for building these airfields. On average a new construction was being started every three days, most of these being within East Anglia, and earmarked for use by the Americans. It was an enormous logistical endeavour on the part of the British civilian contractors, requiring the removal of millions of tons of soil, hundreds of miles of hedgerows and tens of thousands of trees. Add to this the enormous numbers of bricks required and the installation of miles of sewers, water mains, electrical conduits and wiring. The cost of each newly established airfield was of the order of £1 million, an enormous drain on the nations' wartime resources.

Old Buckenham (Photograph reproduced with permission of Pat Ramm)

The Eighth Air Force became established in Britain in 1942, with its 1st, 2nd and 3rd Air Divisions. Their respective headquarters were at Brampton Grange, Huntingdonshire; Ketteringham Hall, Norfolk and Elveden Hall, Suffolk. Each Division comprised its combat and fighter wings. Within each wing were the various bomb and fighter groups. These groups were further sub-divided into combat or fighter wings and then bomber and fighter squadrons.

With so many American air bases located within East Anglia, it is impossible to annotate them all on this site. It is, however, worth recalling a few of the airfields which played such an important part in the wartime lives of both military personnel, and the civilian populace, during the early 1940's.

ATTLEBRIDGE - Station 120
The village of Attlebridge is situated on the A1067; Norwich to Fakenham Road and the old airfield lies just to the south-west. The American B-26's (Marauders), of the 319th Bomb Group, first arrived in October 1942 but moved on to North Africa a month later, making way for 2nd Bomb Wing's training unit B-24's. In March 1943 number 320 (Dutch) Squadron RAF moved in with their B-25 Mitchell bombers and in February 1944 the 466th Bomb Group arrived with its B-24's, flying their first mission on March 22nd, the first of a total of 232 operations. Attlebridge was sold during 1959-62 to become an extensive poultry-rearing farm, with the old control tower now the office of Bernard Matthews Ltd., probably the largest turkey business in the world.

DEOPHAM GREEN - Station 142
Just less than 2 miles north of Attleborough, on the All Thetford to Norwich main road, is Deopham Green. The airfield war constructed in 1942-43. B-17's (Flying Fortresses) of the 452nd Bomb Group first arrived in January 1944 and embarked on their first bombing missions a month later, to be followed by a further 249 before the war ended. In all the 452nd suffered the loss of 110 of its B-17's, but two of its members, Lt. Donald J. Gott and 2nd Lt. William E. Metzger, were each posthumously awarded the Medal of Honour for bravery during an ill-fated mission to Saarbucken on 9 November 1944. The 452nd left in July /August 1945 when the base reverted back to use by the RAF. It was finally abandoned on New Year's day 1948 and was eventually restored to farmland by its original landowner.

Deopham Green (Photographs reproduced with permission of Martin Jeffery)

DUXFORD - Station 357
Situated alongside the A505 road, it was way back during the First World War that flying started at Duxford. The Americans arrived in October 1942 when the 350th Fighter Group was formed there, flying P-39 and P-400 Airacobras, plus a few Spitfires. The 350th quit in January 1943, followed in April by the arrival of the 78th Fighter Group. On 15 June that year, Duxford was officially handed over to the Eighth Air Force. Some of the first P-47C Thunderbolts issued went to the 78th and were used to fly many of the 450 operations they flew, from Duxford, in support of the Eighth's heavy bombers. Towards the end of 1944 the group was re-equipped with P-51D Mustangs. Returned the RAF on 1 December 1945 Duxford, for the next 16 years, remained a RAF Fighter Command Station, until its closure on 1 August 1961. It is now the home to an impressive collection of aircraft and other military hardware owned by the Imperial war Museum.

HETHEL - Station 114
Hethel is just 7 miles south-west of Norwich and was one of the first heavy bomber airfields built in Norfolk during World War II. Construction started in 1941 and was completed in late 1942. The 320th Bomb Group arrived in November that year, but stayed only 10 days before making for North Africa. So swiftly did the 320th come and go, its B-26 aircraft never actually landed at Hethel. During the spring of '43 a few training B-24's, from the 310th Group, used Hethel until, in June, the 389th Bomb Group took up residence with its B-24D Liberators. The first of 300 wartime missions from the base was flown on 7 September that year. In May '45 the Americans left and the following month a Polish Squadron of RAF Mustangs moved in. Hethel was eventually inactivated in the second half of 1948 and in 1964 was purchased by Lotus Cars as a manufacturing and track-testing site for the company.

(Photograph reproduced with permission of Martin Jeffery)

HORSHAM ST. FAITHS - Station 123
Situated on the suburban outskirts of Norwich, the base was officially opened on 1 June 1940 as a RAF Bomber Command field. Its first RAF squadrons were Blenheim equipped Nos. 113 and 139 Squadrons. In August 1941 an aircraft of No. 18 Squadron, flying from the base parachuted a pair of false legs for then Wing Commander Douglas Bader. Mosquitos of No. 105 Squadron arrived in December 1941 and from June 1942 began photographic and bombing missions over Germany. From September, until the end of that year, B-26's of the USAAF 319th Bomb Group were stationed at the base. On 5 April the following year P-47 Thunderbolts of the 56th Fighter Group arrived, only to depart three months later to enable conversion of St. Faiths to a heavy bomber base. Liberators of the 458th Bomb Group arrived in late January 1944 and, up until April 1945, flew 240 missions from the airfield. There was a very great risk having a heavy bomber base so close to Norwich's built-up areas and the inevitable crashes did occur. In one of the six such instances, two local children were killed. On 10 July 1945 the RAF took the base back from the Americans and first Mosquitos, then jet-powered Meteors (1946-48), had a presence there. No. 12 Group was stationed at Horsham St. Faith until 1963, to be replaced by HQ12 (East Anglia) Sector. The base was inactivated on 1 August 1963 and the Royal Air Force finally left in March 1967, when the most of the airfield and buildings were sold to Norwich City and Norfolk County Councils. It is now Norwich's municipal airport.

RACKHEATH - Station 145
Located just 5 miles north-east of Norwich Rackheath was constructed in 1943, specifically for the use of the 467th Bomb Group, which arrived in March 1944 with its fifty-eight B-24's, eight more than there were numbers of hard-standings! The Group flew 212 combat missions and was, towards the end of the war, the Eighth's leading group for bombing accuracy. One of the Groups B-24's, Witchcraft, flew no less than 130 missions, a record for the number of missions flown by any aircraft of the Eighth Air Force. The 467th's C.O, Col. Albert J. Shower had the distinction of being the only group commanding officer to bring his group from the USA, command it all during their stay overseas, and return with it to the States. The 467th went home in July 1945 and in post-war years part of their old base became an industrial estate while the remainder reverted to farmland.

Almost sixty years later former members of the USAAF still make pilgrimages back to East Anglia to see what remains of their former bases and to revisit the cities, towns and villages they remember during their enforced wartime stay with us. Of course, most of the scenery has changed, although there are still odd glimpses of what was, all those years ago.

Even now, all these years later, the older folks of East Anglia recall, with a great fondness, the 1940's invasion of the 'yanks' who were, as they exclaimed then, "over-paid, over-sexed and over here!"

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
Reproduced by kind permission of Ray Cossey

The dates and figures stated in the potted-histories of the six former USAAF bases listed, are from AIRFIELDS OF THE EIGHTH, THEN AND NOW by Roger A. Freeman, published by Battle of Prints International Limited on 1978.

Photographs of Deopham Green base and aircraft from Deopham Green dropping food over Holland in 1945 are reproduced by kind permission of Martin Jeffery.

Photographs of the Old Buckenham base are reproduced by kind permission of Pat Ramm.

FURTHER READING
Fields of Little America, by Martin W. Bowman, published by Wensum Books (Norwich) Limited, in 1977.

On the web http://www.wymondham-norfolk.co.uk/history/airfields.htm has further information on the Deopham Green and Old Buckenham bases.