The Friendly Invasion - Souvenir Publication

SOUVENIR PUBLICATION

HOW THE UNITED STATES CHANGED EAST ANGLIA FOR EVER

FOREWORDS BY HRH THE DUKE OF CAMBRIDGE AND TOM HANKS INCLUDES A GUIDE TO WHAT TO SEE AND DO IN THE EAST OF ENGLAND

BRINGING THE HISTORY OF EAST ANGLIA TO LIFE

MASTERS OF THE AIR THE MIGHTY EIGHTH

ur op e O ve r th e S k ie s of E Led by best-selling author and WWII historian Donald L. Miller, PhD, and based on his best-selling book Masters of the Air: America’s Bomber Boys Who Fought the Air War Against Nazi Germany, Guests relive the dramatic story of the American bomber boys who brought the war to Hitler’s doorstep.

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The memory of The Mighty Eighth, and all those who helped defend democracy, liberty and free speech against totalitarianism, must be remembered, honored, and reflected upon.

A foreword by

TOM HANKS

B

ack when the entire civilized world was at war, more than 300,000 Americans settled into air bases scattered around East Anglia, England to battle against Nazism in the skies over Europe.

With an attrition rate of nearly 50%, 26,000 fliers were killed in action, in accidents, by drowning in the sea and dying on the ground – a total higher than the entire Marine Corps in the Pacific campaign who came up against an opposition fighting to the death.

The arrival of the Americans was called The Friendly Invasion; it was not just a military story, but the biggest impact on the landscape, culture, and people of Eastern England since the Norman Conquest 900 years earlier.

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Today, it is certainly heartening that so many volunteers at memorial groups and museums based at former US air bases in England give their time and energy to ensure that The Friendly Invasion story is not forgotten. Their service is also important.

The memory of The Mighty Eighth, and all those who helped defend democracy, liberty and free speech against totalitarianism, must be remembered, honored, and reflected upon so that in the future people will have the inspiration and instruction if – God have Mercy – the times call for such a Friendly Invasion once again.

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Introducing The Friendly Invasion

By Donald L. Miller Author of Masters of the Air

When I was a fellow at All Souls College, Oxford in the 1980s, I would drive out to East Anglia with my wife to visit its history-haunted towns: Cambridge, with its soaring medieval spires; Norwich, a handsome cathedral town; and Bury St. Edmunds, one of the most splendid places I have ever visited.

Many years later I went back to East Anglia in search, not of a city, but of a story, one of the most absorbing I had ever heard. I heard it first from my father. He told it to me in palatable pieces after I discovered, at age nine, his World War II Army Air Forces flying jacket in my grandparents’ attic.

These people appreciate the sacrifices the American bomber boys made for them.

That’s what motivates them to maintain, without expectation of gain, the bases they rebuilt on the soil of their ancestors.

I first saw part of the story a year later at the Strand Theater in Reading, Pennsylvania, when my parents took me to a showing of ‘The Glenn Miller Story’.

Jimmy Stewart played the legendary Air Force bandleader, and in the car on the way home my Dad said Stewart was a real-life war hero, one of the outstanding commanders in the Eighth Air Force. When my Dad died in 1995, I thought it was time to write a book about his war, the Air War, and that’s the story I went after in East Anglia.

It’s one of the least told and understood stories of the war. Beginning in the summer of 1942, eight months after Pearl Harbor, Eastern England became one of the great battlefronts of the war, a war front unlike any other in history.

From air bases cut out of farmers’ fields, a new kind of warfare was waged by the freshlyformed Eighth Air Force – high-altitude, daylight strategic bombing, designed to destroy the Nazis’ industrial war machine. In the thin, freezing air over northwestern Europe, airmen bled and died in an environment that no warriors had ever experienced. In this brilliantly blue battlefield, the cold killed, the air was unbreathable, and the sun exposed bombers to swift violence from German fighter planes and ground guns.

Flying over 1,000 raids by the end of the war, the Eighth Air Force, along with Britain’s Bomber Command, delivered and took heavy punishment, destroying over 60 industrial centers, killing some 600,000 enemy civilians, and losing over 26,000 US fliers, more men than the Marine Corps lost in the entire Pacific War. In 1943, a flier on an American four-engine bomber flying out of England stood only a one-in-five chance of surviving his tour of duty, twenty-five missions.

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Over 70% of the men who flew with the Eighth Air Force became casualties, and many more became prisoners of war, stuck in Stalags for the duration.

I’m the type of writer who can’t begin a project without first spending time in the place I plan to write about. Luckily East Anglia remained almost as it was during the war when I went back there in 2004 in search of my story. I knew in advance that many locals who were school children during the war were still alive and hardy. And I knew that many of the American bases had been built right on the farms of their fathers. What I happily learned was that they were eager to talk. Their stories got me started on Masters of the Air. Now, thirteen years later, these stories are emblazoned in the memories of their descendants, who have carried on the story by lovingly restoring and maintaining the bases in bomber country. Listening to their tales of the American boys who flew and fought, visiting the museums they have built in old concrete control towers, and standing on the observation deck of the tower museum at Thorpe Abbotts, the wind whipping in your face, you will never get closer to the war.

These people appreciate the sacrifices the American bomber boys made for them. That’s what motivates them to maintain, without expectation of gain, the bases they rebuilt on the soil of their ancestors.

On one of my earliest research trips to Thorpe Abbotts, home of the 100th Bomb Group, an aged gentleman looked me up. As a nine-year old boy, he was taken in – “adopted,” he told me – by a group of boisterous flyboys. They taught him how to chew gum, to jitterbug, and to swear properly – and they smuggled ice cream to him from the PX. In return, his mother did their wash.

When I met him he was 84 and so crippled up with arthritis he could barely hold a pen. His daughter had brought him to me after hearing that I was interviewing locals about their wartime experiences. He spoke haltingly and with trembling hands he presented me a letter he had written, in great pain, one sentence an hour, his daughter said. It was meant not for me but for the airmen of the Eighth. He wanted me to share it with veterans I knew. He wanted to thank them.

Today we can still honor the brave men of the Eighth Air Force in the places that offered them a fantastic welcome over 75 years ago and where local volunteers work diligently to preserve their legacy.

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© IWM (H 15674)

For our air superiority, which by the end of 1944 was to become air supremacy, full tribute must be paid to the United States Eighth Air Force.

Now we were the masters in the air.

W I N S T O N S C H U R C H I L L , M AY 1 9 4 5

Welcome to The Friendly Invasion Souvenir Publication. In these 116 pages, you will find everything you need to explore the East of England and experience the region from where The Mighty Eighth Air Force helped defeat the Nazis in World War II.

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What was The Friendly Invasion?

Visit East Anglia, supported by Visit Britain and its Discover England Fund, is leading on developing The Friendly Invasion product to encourage more visitors to experience the region where over 350,000 US Air Force servicemen were based during World War II.

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‌ AND THANKS FROM THE KING

Their arrival from 1942 created the biggest landscape and cultural impact of any event in East Anglia since the Norman Conquest 900 years earlier.

Perhaps there is an irony that the work of The Mighty Eighth, in helping the Allies become Masters of the Air, paved the way for the invasion of Normandy in June 1944, to rid Europe of Nazism.

Welcome to England

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The Friendly Invasion encourages travel operators to sell tours for groups and individuals that take in the significant World War II sites as well as the contemporary visitor offering and pre-WWII ties between East Anglia and America. It can also guide and advise Free Independent Travellers (FITs).

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INSTRUCTIONS FOR SERVICEMEN

Famous figures who went to war

We have been working with Visits Cambridge & Beyond, Essex, Norfolk, Suffolk and Norwich as well as IWM Duxford, The Cambridge American Air Cemetery and Memorial, the 2nd Air Division Memorial Library and bomb group museums and memorials.

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HOLLYWOOD GOES EAST

The Friendly Invasion in pictures

With tourism organisations, hospitality providers and WWII commemorative sites working together we can ensure that today’s Friendly Invaders will be just as warmly welcomed and well looked after as their fellow countrymen were 75 years ago.

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IMPERIAL WAR MUSEUM ARCHIVE PHOTOS

Pete Waters, Executive Director, Visit East Anglia

Main image: Blakeney Point on the north Norfolk coast.

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THE FRIENDLY INVASION

THE ROGER FREEMAN COLLECTION The Roger Freeman Collection of photographs is used extensively in this publication. The Imperial War Museum acquired the collection of 15,000 prints and slides in 2012 and have made more than 10,000 of them available on their American Air Museum in Britain website – americanairmuseum.com. In time, all the images will be catalogued and made available.

Roger Freeman (1928–2005) was an aviation historian and native of East Anglia.

Museums, memorials and airfields

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YOUR GUIDE TO THE SITES

The Special Relationship

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74

HOW IT WAS CREATED

Why Americans will love East Anglia

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86

CITIES, COUNTRYSIDE & COAST

Itineraries

FOR THE PERFECT STAY IN EAST ANGLIA

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thefriendlyinvasion.com

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EAST ANGLIA THE E AST OF ENGLAND

East Anglia

London Heathrow

TRAVELLING BY CAR

TRAVELLING BY TRAIN

London Heathrow Airport > Cambridge 72 miles, 1 hour 30 mins

London Heathrow Airport > Cambridge 2hrs 7mins (change at London Paddington and London Kings Cross)

London Heathrow Airport > Norwich

London Gatwick Airport > Cambridge 2hrs 21mins (change at London St Pancras and London Kings Cross)

143 miles, 2 hours 30 mins

Central London > Cambridge 64 miles, 1 hour 30 mins

Stansted Airport > Cambridge 30mins

Gatwick Airport > Cambridge 97 miles, 1 hour, 47 mins

Stansted Airport > Norwich 1hr 43mins (change at Ely)

Gatwick Airport > Norwich 151 miles, 2 hours, 41 mins

London Kings Cross > Cambridge 1hr 3mins

Stansted Airport > Cambridge 32 miles, 44 mins

London Liverpool Street > Cambridge 1hr 18mins

Norwich > Bury St Edmunds 44 miles, 1 hour, 10 mins

London Liverpool Street > Norwich 1hr 50mins

Norwich > Cambridge 64 miles, 1 hour, 30 mins

London Liverpool Street > Ipswich 1hr 7mins

Cambridge > Bury St Edmunds 30 miles, 44 mins

Cambridge > Norwich 1hr 43mins

Cambridge > Colchester 62 miles, 1 hour, 15 mins

Cambridge > Bury St Edmunds 39mins Norwich > Bury St Edmunds 55mins (change at Stowmarket)

Norwich > Sandringham 43 miles, 1 hour, 10 mins

Cambridge > King’s Lynn 46mins

Cambridge > Lavenham 40 miles, 1 hour

See page 112 for Rail map.

Distance and approximate driving times between destinations from AA route planner.

Cromer, Norfolk.

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THE FRIENDLY INVASION

Cromer

Sandringham Estate

Norfolk Broads King’s Lynn

Great Yarmouth

NORWICH

Old Buckenham

Thetford Cambridge American Cemetery and Memorial

American Air Museum (IWM Duxford)

Thorpe Abbotts DISS

Newmarket

Bury St Edmunds

Horham

Southwold

CAMBRIDGE Aldeburgh

Lavenham LONDON STANSTED AIRPORT

IPSWICH

COLCHESTER

CHELMSFORD

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What was The Friendly Invasion?

What was The Friendly Invasion?

Brought together by necessity during the Second World War, Britain and the USA found they had plenty in common. The Friendly Invasion had a huge impact, then and now.

At its peak strength in Britain, the USAF employed 450,000 people.

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THE FRIENDLY INVASION

KEY FACT From 1942 to 1945 hundreds of thousands of American service personnel ‘invaded’ Great Britain. It’s estimated more than three million US men and women passed through the British Isles within these three years.

n May 12, 1945, shortly after the European war ended, the Evening News newspaper of Norwich reported that King George VI had conferred an honorary KCB* on the Commanding Officer of the Eighth Air Force, General James ‘Jimmy’ Doolittle. Its editorial paid tribute to the United States Air Force.

“East Anglia by now feels it knows a great deal about the United States through contact with the members of the Eighth Air Force. In this part of the Britain where the people are supposed to be very wary and aloof towards

strangers we have come to accept this great cross-section of America in our midst as something much closer than the uniformed men of a war-time Ally.

We shall cherish in particular the ever-ready help for British charities and their unfailing kindness towards British children.

We offer our sincere thanks.”

*KCB – Knight Commander of the Order of the Bath – a medieval chivalric order.

THE FRIENDLY INVASION

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What was The Friendly Invasion?

The arrival of Americans The airfields are silent now. Many have been returned to the arable fields they once were.

Others have been lovingly tended, rescued and conserved by groups of volunteers. They stand as monuments to what happened more than 70 years ago. Others retain their military function.

Memories are fading. As the generation which lived throughout the terrible events of the Second World War passes on, perhaps it is more important than ever to record what happened and honour the sacrifices made, the friendships forged through fire and the legacy that lives on.

It was an extraordinary time, unprecedented in history. From 1942 to 1945 hundreds of thousands of American service personnel ‘invaded’ Great Britain. It’s estimated up to

WWII KEY DATES 1939

1940

SEPTEMBER 1

MAY-JUNE

JULY-SEPTEMBER

Germany invades Poland. Two days later Great Britain and France declare war.

German ‘blitzkrieg’ in France and the Low Countries. Allied forces evacuated from Dunkirk.

Winston Churchill becomes British Prime Minister.

France surrenders on June 25.

The Battle of Britain sees German invasion plans thwarted. London and other major cities are bombed during the Blitz, which continues into the winter and beyond.

Churchill tells Parliament: “The battle of France is over.

The battle of Britain is about to begin.”

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Despite its official neutrality, the USA grants 50 of its mothballed destroyers to the Royal Navy in exchange for land concessions in British Caribbean colonies and Newfoundland.

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NOVEMBER Franklin D Roosevelt (FDR) is elected US President for a third term despite opponents’ claims be wants to enter the war.

Left: Princess Elizabeth, Queen Elizabeth and King George VI, with Lt. Gen. James Doolittle at the christening of Boeing B-17 “The Rose of York”, by Princess Elizabeth at RAF Thurleigh, Bedfordshire, in July 1944.

Segregation arrives too The American army that arrived in Britain was racially segregated. It would stay so until two years after the Second World War ended. This caused something of an issue between hosts and guests, as many British people were forced to take a long hard look at their own racial attitudes.

two million US men and women passed through the British Isles within these three years. At its peak strength in Britain, the USAF employed 450,000 people.

These young Americans brought a breath of fresh air. From the big band music of Glenn Miller to nylon stockings, from smart uniforms, chewing gum and Coca Cola to peanut butter – a slice of the American Dream crossed the Atlantic.

The streets and pubs of ancient cities and towns, such as Norwich, Cambridge, Ipswich and Colchester, rang with American accents.

Out of the way country spots, more used to cattle and crops, places such as Old Buckenham, Framlingham, Bottisham and Great Saling, were transformed by the roar of heavy bomber and fighter engines.

“To have the United States at our side was to me the greatest joy. Now at that moment I knew the United States was in the war, up to their neck and in to the death. So we had won after all.” So said Britain’s wartime leader Winston Churchill following America’s entry into the Second World War in 1941 after the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor.

Churchill, an English aristocrat with an American heiress for a mother, knew that to win the war, the industrial and military might of the USA would be vital.

Britain had no policy of ‘Jim Crow’ laws, which did not mean there was no racial prejudice – far from it.

The first black troops arrived in Britain in the spring of 1942; soon there were about 12,000. Blacks were barred from the Marines and the air force, though many worked on airbases in often hazardous support roles such as loading and unloading bombs. Many were employed in engineer battalions, many of which built the bases in eastern England.

Whites and blacks were largely kept apart; if the blacks went out drinking on Wednesday, the whites went on Tuesdays.

Although Britain had a vast overseas empire, with many black subjects in Africa and the Caribbean, the resident black community in the British Isles was estimated at a mere 8,000 in 1939.

In all, there were approximately 130,000 black GIs in the UK during the war. Their lot was not an easy one, though in the end everyone was on the same side.

World heavyweight boxing champion Joe Louis served in the segregated US Army in England.

“Lots of things are wrong with America, but Hitler ain’t going to fix them,” he said.

1941 MARCH

AUGUST

FDR’s Lend-Lease policy sees Britain supplied with food, oil, ships and aircraft.

“The most unsordid act in history,” says Churchill.

Churchill and Roosevelt meet in Newfoundland and seal the Atlantic Charter. The USA is now giving Britain “all aid short of war”.

JUNE

Japan bombs the US Pacific fleet at Pearl Harbor. “A day that will live in infamy,” declares Roosevelt. America enters the war against Japan. Germany and the Axis powers declare war on the USA.

DECEMBER 7

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© IWM (A 4815)

Hitler invades the USSR. America extends Lend-Lease to the Soviets.

Prime Minister Winston Churchill and President Franklin D Roosevelt at the Atlantic Conference, 10 August 1941.

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What was The Friendly Invasion?

It wasn’t all plain sailing. To the jibe that the Yanks were “over-sexed, over-paid and over here” the Americans retorted that the British were “under-sexed, underpaid and under Eisenhower”.

Winning superiority in the skies Since the fall of France in 1940 Britain had stood alone. The island state, with the help of its Empire and – increasingly – the benign influence of American President Franklin D Roosevelt, had withstood aerial assault and naval attacks. But the war was wearing Britain down. In the Atlantic a deadly war of attrition was waged between German U-boats and the ships bringing the supplies – food and material – without which the British could not endure.

This need drew the future Allies closer together.

From the middle of 1942 onwards, the air war would be concentrated on winning superiority in the skies in order to make the liberation of occupied Europe a possibility. While the British bombed by night, the Americans bombed by day. By 1944 1,000-bomber raids were common, with up to 500 fighter aircraft as escorts. America’s power was unleashed.

This is a monumental story, both in military and social terms. Peel back the skin now and

WWII KEY DATES 1942

1943

JANUARY

AUGUST

MAY

First American military units land on British soil in Northern Ireland.

First Eighth Air Force raid on occupied Europe against marshalling yards in Rouen, France. All aircraft return without losses.

Axis forces in North Africa surrender to the Allies.

FEBRUARY ‘Eaker’s amateurs’ – Gen Ira Eaker’s advance party of the Eighth Air Force – arrive in Britain. The first USAF units enter the European war. Work begins on a massive programme of airfield building in eastern England.

NOVEMBER Operation Torch – US, British and Allied forces successfully invade French North Africa.

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The crew of heavy bomber Memphis Belle, flying from Bassingbourn in Cambridgeshire, complete their 25-mission tour of duty. They go home to sell war bonds.

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The Art of War The names of American bombers have passed into folklore. Many were named after girlfriends and movie stars, boasting appropriately glamorous nose art. There were Memphis Belle, Beau Jac, Suzy Q, Lili Marlene, IceCold Katie and Buffalo Gal. Some went for something more macho; The Playboy, Hellzadroppin’, Holy Joe, Wolves Inc and The Avenger.

Some were straight to the point – Flak Magnet – while one philosophical and historically minded pilot chose Tom Paine, after the Norfolk-born radical whose writings helped inspire the American Revolution.

consider the human side. It was a shock for ‘invaders’ and ‘invaded’ alike. The world of the 1940s was nowhere near as ‘joined up’ or global in outlook as we are in the 21st century.

When the American military began to arrive they must have looked like glamorous movie stars to the beleaguered people of East Anglia. Even their private soldiers looked like officers.

After nearly three years of war, rationing and bombing, with many of the young men away on active service, things were looking a little threadbare in these parts.

But fears that the alliance would come apart at the seams were unfounded.

We were in this together.

Above left: General Dwight D Eisenhower.

Left: Ground personnel of the 323rd Bomb Group prepare a B-26 Marauder nicknamed “Buffalo Girl” for a mission.

JULY

AUGUST

The Americans bomb Hamburg, Germany, by day; the British and Canadians by night. Operation Gomorrah continues until November.

American bombers hit oil refineries at Ploiesti, Romania.

Allies invade Sicily. Mussolini falls from power in Italy.

Left: The crew of the Boeing B-17 “The Memphis Belle”.

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SEPTEMBER The Allies invade Italy. The Italians surrender on September 8, but German forces move swiftly to occupy the country.

What was The Friendly Invasion?

KEY FACT The American Air Force’s first mission was on July 4, 1942.

They were determined to go on that date for symbolic and propaganda reasons.

The Fields of Little America

What a message it would send – wanting to help Europe regain its independence from Nazism on their own Independence Day.

Eastern England is ideal for airfields. The British Royal Air Force was already well established in this part of the world, and had been on the front line in the Battle of Britain. Its relatively flat terrain and proximity to the continent meant it became an unsinkable aircraft carrier.

It also became temporary home to the United States Air Force.

It wasn’t just air crew, of course. That air force needed firemen, engineers, weather analysts, ground defence, an army of people involved in administration, logistics and supply, plenty of cooks as well as civilian support staff recruited locally. Together they created ‘Fields of Little America’, small towns that were often bigger than the rural settlements around them.

WWII KEY DATES …1943 OCTOBER

NOVEMBER

DECEMBER

‘Black Thursday’. The Eighth suffers heavy losses in raids on ball bearings plants in Schweinfurt.

A total of 160 US bombers strike at Germany’s heavy water plant, which could have been used to make nuclear weapons, in Vermork, Norway.

General Dwight D Eisenhower – ‘Ike’ – appointed Supreme Allied Commander Europe.

James Stewart arrives in England at RAF Tibenham, Norfolk.

Left: James Stewart.

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At the Tehran Conference the Big Three – Roosevelt, Churchill and Stalin – discuss the invasion of occupied France.

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The P-51 Mustang, complete with extended range, provides improved fighter escort for US bombers on daylight precision raids.

Counties such as Norfolk, Suffolk, Cambridgeshire and Essex would never be quite the same again. It has been said the logistical and cultural change was the greatest since the Norman invasion of 1066.

The Americans were a revelation to the British. They were a big hit with local kids – and their big sisters too. Wartime conditions led to some extraordinary behaviour. The official estimate for children fathered out of wedlock by GIs was about 24,000. There were also many marriages, and ‘GI brides’ would sail for the USA after the war. British newspapers of the time reflected this. For example, the Norwich Evening News, in July, 1944, reported the wedding of Col Henry Warren Terry to Miss Hazel Mary Booton, of Norwich, in the city’s Roman Catholic Cathedral “attended by two generals of the USAF”. A ’Special Relationship’ indeed.

There was some friction, of course. But once it became clear these young Americans were risking life and limb in a shared cause – and casualties from daytime precision bombing were severe – they were overcome. Lifelong friendships were made, as Americans became fixtures in local pubs and clubs. Many were invited into people’s homes.

A little R&R The American Red Cross provided recreational facilities for troops on leave. Weekend passes were frequent, while eight-day furloughs were granted every six or seven months.

In Cambridge alone there were six clubs; one for officers, five for other ranks. They provided diversions including: wrestling, weightlifting, baseball, volleyball, running, pool, snooker, darts, dominoes, cards, bingo, films, community singing and tea dances with bands.

For the more serious-minded, leading intellectuals such as Bertrand Russell gave talks and held discussions on topical issues.

In Norwich, as part of the Fourth of July Independence Day celebrations in 1944, the US Red Cross organised a barbecue for servicemen and locals alike in the Bishop’s Palace at the Anglican cathedral, dishing out hot dogs. On the same day the Norwich Anglo-American Club in Theatre Street organised an invitation dance for US and British soldiers.

1944 FEBRUARY

MARCH

‘Big Week’. The US air force conducts raids against German aircraft factories and achieves air superiority over the Luftwaffe, necessary for launching the ground offensive on D-Day.

First daylight raid on Berlin. 95th Bomb Group, based at Horham, Suffolk, wins a record third Presidential Unit Citation.

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JUNE D-DAY LANDINGS IN NORMANDY Allies have complete air supremacy, without which Operation Overlord could not have succeeded.

What was The Friendly Invasion?

Kindness for the local children The Eighth & Ninth Air Forces, located on more than 100 bases, many with up to 3,000 personnel, were the largest air strike forces ever committed to battle, while the Ninth operated the most formidable troop-carrying force ever assembled.

USA aboard the one-time luxury liner Queen Elizabeth. Landing in Scotland three days before Christmas, 1943, they took the train south to Norfolk. The base at Thorpe Abbotts, in the heart of the countryside, was to be their home until 1945.

The logistical operation was immense.

Construction battalions, many civilian British, others frequently made up of black GIs, laid hundreds of miles of airway. Rubble and bricks were brought from bomb sites in places such as London and Birmingham.

Americans were renowned for their generosity.

People who were children at the time tell fond tales of how youngsters were ‘adopted’ by airmen.

Many of the USAF personnel came by ship.

The 100th Bomb Group, for example, the ‘Bloody Hundredth’ of legend – sailed from the

These two tales gleaned from the Eastern Daily Press (EDP) newspaper give us some idea.

On Christmas Day, 1942, USAF officers based in Norfolk hosted 60 local children, and then took them to the pantomime at the Theatre Royal, Norwich. Two years later, the EDP reported

WWII KEY DATES …1944

1945

AUGUST

SEPTEMBER

DECEMBER

FEBRUARY

Paris is liberated.

Operation Market Garden. The US Ninth Air Force helps transport thousands of paratroopers from bases in Lincolnshire as American, British and Polish forces land in the Netherlands.

Major Glen Miller, flying from Bedfordshire, England, across the Channel to Paris, disappears en route. His aircraft is never found.

Roosevelt, Churchill and Stalin meet again at Yalta in the Crimea to plan the post-war world.

Lt Joe Kennedy Jr is killed when his aircraft explodes over the Suffolk coast near Blythburgh.

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Bad weather hampers Allied aircraft as Germany launches Ardennes offensive – the Battle of the Bulge. When the weather clears by December 24, US aircraft from England are in the forefront of the successful counter-offensive.

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American and British air forces bomb the German city of Dresden.

“thousands” of Norfolk children getting a Christmas they would never forget courtesy of the generous Americans.

As guests of the bomber bases, they got unheard of treats such as ice cream. Santa Claus arrived at Bury St Edmunds in a Flying Fortress bomber, then the children helped load up a Liberator aircraft with fruit, candy and toys they had made to send to kids in recently liberated Paris.

The wartime generation have not forgotten. They have handed the stories down to us, those that followed. The legacy of the Friendly Invasion is still with us. That intense heat of war forged a bond that was never broken.

Left: At Christmas, 1944, the USAF transported gifts from Old Buckenham to children in liberated Paris. ©453rd Bomb Group Museum, Old Buckenham

Party Time In August, 1944, there was a party in Attlebridge.

The village, just outside the city of Norwich, was home to the 466th Bomb Group of the Eighth Air Force. They flew more than 200 missions in the final year of the war.

That summer Commanding Officer Col Luther J Fairbanks decided his men needed a distraction from the deadly business of war. According to the Evening News newspaper of the time, the party was also attended by “local children, young women and older men from nearby villages”. The Americans were part of the neighbourhood by now; on the occasion of their 100th mission they invited local people on to the base to mark the moment.

As well as enjoying free beer, attendees could dance to the music of “Rudy Staritag and his all-girl orchestra” plus the great Glenn Miller and his orchestra.

Three little girls hold up a balloon celebrating the 100th mission of the 466th Bomb Group.

MAY

Roosevelt dies suddenly on the 12th at Warm Springs, Georgia. Vicepresident Harry S Truman succeeds him.

The war in Europe ends on May 8. US bases in England begin to close down.

With Soviet troops closing in, Adolf Hitler commits suicide in Berlin on April 30. The city falls two days later.

SEPTEMBER

AUGUST On August 6 Paul Tibbets and the crew of Enola Gay drop the first atomic bomb on the Japanese city of Hiroshima. Three days later a second atom bomb falls on Nagasaki. Allies celebrate VJ Day on August 15.

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SECOND WORLD WAR ENDS The Second World War ends on September 2 as Japan signs surrender in Tokyo Bay aboard USS Missouri.

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© IWM (HU 44878)

APRIL

The Friendly Invasion A GUIDE TO ALL THINGS ENGLISH

Welcome to England Arriving in Britain could be confusing for the average GI. The War Department had some handy advice.

In 1942 thousands of American military personnel arrived in Britain. Many of them had never been abroad before, and were unprepared for the difficulties of interpreting the customs and puzzling ways of our rather idiosyncratic island. The results could be mutual confusion for visitors and hosts alike.

The United States War Department was clearly aware of the potential for friction, so produced a fairly rudimentary guide to the dos and don’ts of arriving in Blighty, to get the GIs “acquainted with the British, their country, and their ways”.

The original text was produced on seven pages of typescript on poor quality paper, and has since been published in facsimile form. It makes fascinating reading. The tone of the advice is certainly complimentary to the British.

It’s open to discussion whether we are as polite, reserved and formal these days as we were 75 years ago.

If first impressions are a bit negative, it is pointed out the British are “reserved, not unfriendly”, partly due to living on a small, overpopulated island. “If Britons sit in trains or buses without striking up conversation with you, it doesn’t mean they are being haughty and unfriendly. Probably they are paying more

attention to you than you think. But they don’t speak to you because they don’t want to appear intrusive or rude.”

This reticence and politeness should not be misunderstood as weakness. “The English language didn’t spread across the oceans and over the mountains and jungles and swamps of the world because these people were pantywaists.”

GIs are reminded of the comparative scale of the island. “The whole of Great Britain – that is England, Scotland and Wales together – is hardly bigger than Minnesota.” Moreover, they may find things looking a little “shopworn and grimy”. “The British people are anxious to have you know that you are not seeing their country at its best. There’s been a war on since 1939. The houses haven’t been painted because factories are not making paint – they’re making planes…”

Although things may appear strictly, and rather ridiculously, hierarchical, “England is still one of the great democracies and the cradle of many American liberties”. And for those with bitter memories of past wrongs, the guide exhorts them to forget the American Revolution and War of 1812. “This is no time to fight old wars.”

That would be playing into Hitler’s hands.

The British don’t know how to make a good cup of coffee. You don’t know how to make a good cup of tea.

It’s an even swap.

U S WA R D E PA R T M E N T A D V I C E T O G I s I N B R I TA I N , 1 9 4 2

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As for getting along with the natives, there is an introduction to the time-worn etiquette of the pub, the “poor man’s club”.

“If you want to join a darts game, let them ask you first (as they probably will).” As for what’s on offer to drink, it might not appeal – initially at least. “The British are beer-drinkers – and can hold it. The beer is now below peacetime strength, but can still make a man’s tongue wag at both ends.”

The guide has no-nonsense advice on soft drinks too: “The British don’t know how to make a good cup of coffee. You don’t know how to make a good cup of tea.

It’s an even swap.”

The pub is the likely meeting place between GI and his new friend – the British soldier, the ‘Tommy’. “Two actions on your part will slow up the friendship – swiping his girl, and not appreciating what his army has been up against. Yes, and rubbing it in that you are better paid than he is.”

Indeed, bragging is strongly discouraged.

“If somebody looks in your direction and says: ‘He’s chucking his weight about’, you can be pretty sure you’re off base. That’s the time to pull in your ears.”

As for British women, the guide is most complimentary. “British women have stuck to their posts near burning ammunition dumps, delivered messages afoot after their motorcycles have been blasted from under them. They have pulled aviators from burning planes… When you see a girl in khaki or air-force blue with a bit of ribbon on her tunic – remember she didn’t get it for knitting more socks than anyone else in Ipswich.”

The guide concludes with an appeal to common sense. “It is always impolite to criticize your hosts; it is militarily stupid to criticize your allies.”

Instructions for American Servicemen in Britain 1942. Originally published by the War Department, Washington DC and available in facsimile.

WATCH THE FRIENDLY INVASION ON FILM: thefriendlyinvasion.com

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The Friendly Invasion FAMOUS FIGURES

JIMMY STEWART

THE STAR WHO WENT TO WAR A Hollywood actor, but also a humble, down-to-earth man, Jimmy Stewart endeared himself to people on both sides of the Atlantic with his World War II exploits in Norfolk.

In the early autumn of 1975 all eyes were on one man. At Tibenham airfield they were opening the Norfolk Gliding Club. What had once been a wartime US base was now a civilian light aircraft centre.

On this day, in September, one particular wartime veteran had returned. James ‘Jimmy’ Stewart had flown into this base back in the autumn of 1943 at the beginning of his combat career. He had known the conflicting emotions of wartime, the sorrow of losing good friends, the fear of conflict and the satisfaction of a job well done.

JIMMY STEWART THE FILM STAR Stewart resumed his film career on his return to the USA. In 1946 he starred in Frank Capra’s It’s A Wonderful Life.

This ultimate ‘feel-good’ movie is reckoned among his best, and was his favourite role. Many felt the raw emotions he unleashed in this film built up while he was in combat.

He said after the war: “Fear is an insidious and deadly thing; it can warp judgement, freeze reflexes, breed mistakes. and worse, it’s contagious. I could feel that if it wasn’t checked it could infect my crew members.”

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As the Eastern Daily Press newspaper of the time reported, he had actually taken time off from a London stage production to head north into the East Anglian countryside. Thick cloud and rain grounded most of the planned displays but Stewart delighted visitors by touring his old strip in an open-topped Land Rover with ‘Old Glory’ fluttering proudly behind. After the show he headed off to Norwich, where he visited the Central Library, home to the archives of the American Second Air Division.

He was known as the Tall Drawl. That languid, Western style that people knew from his movies. He had made his name in the ‘screwball comedies’ of the 1930s. His role in Frank Capra’s Mr Smith Goes to Washington, in which he played a naive young senator confronted by political corruption, is a particular favourite.

Jimmy Stewart turned out to be the real thing – a silver screen hero who became a genuine hero. A brave man. He didn’t have to put his life on the line; he could have easily stayed in the USA doing other useful kinds of war work, but he felt it was the right thing to do.

Indeed, later in the war, when he was promoted to the rank of Major he volunteered for combat missions when he could have stayed on the base in England. “I couldn’t ask my men to do something I wasn’t prepared to do myself,” he later said.

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If Bess and I had a son, we’d want him to be just like Jimmy Stewart.

US PRESIDENT HARRY S TRUMAN

THE YOUNG MAN James Stewart was born in 1908 in the town of Indiana, Pennsylvania. His forebears came from Scotland, and American patriotism was written into his DNA. Stewart ancestors had fought in the American Revolution, the War of 1812 and the US Civil War; his own father had served in the Spanish-American War. At the age of 19 young Jimmy was inspired by the trans-Atlantic flights of pioneer aviator Charles Lindbergh, a man he was later to play on film.

A string of Broadway acting roles led to him attracting the attention of the MGM Studio. By 1934 he was in Hollywood.

His movie career flourished, with films like Mr Smith Goes to Washington, Destry Rides Again and The Philadelphia Story establishing his reputation as a homespun, honest sort of guy.

A keen flier already, Stewart was a licensed commercial pilot. When war broke out he was keen to do his patriotic duty, but he was too thin to meet military standards.

Undeterred, he worked to put on weight, and was eventually inducted into the Army as a private.

Jimmy Stewart at Old Buckenham, sitting on the railing on the control tower.

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The Friendly Invasion FAMOUS FIGURES

JIMMY STEWART

A national treasure… a great actor, a gentleman and a patriot.

P R E S I D E N T B I L L C L I N TO N

THE PATRIOT His film studio was keen to keep him at home, but he followed his military training, soon gaining a commission as a Captain.

In August, 1943, Stewart was appointed operations officer for the 703rd Bombardment Squadron of 445th Bomb Group. He arrived at RAF Tibenham, Norfolk, on October 12, and flew his first combat mission that December. It was a raid on the important German submarine pens at Kiel, Germany. Three days later he was part of a mission to Bremen, northern Germany.

On Christmas Eve he flew a B-24 Liberator bomber in an attack on V1 launch sites in occupied France.

Promoted to Major the following January, he assigned himself to fly missions during ‘Big Week’ the following month. This was a concerted attempt to gain air superiority over the Luftwaffe. Again, Stewart did not have to take part in these sorties, but chose to put himself in danger’s way. His composed outward demeanour was said to calm his crews.

By the spring of 1944, with the D-Day landings looming, Stewart was sent to RAF Old Buckenham as group operations officer

for 453rd Bombardment Group, flying B-24 Liberators. He flew a further 20 sorties before a further promotion as executive officer to Brig Gen Edward J Timberlake, based at Ketteringham Hall, Norfolk.

Stewart continued to fly uncredited missions with pathfinder units. His subsequent promotion to full colonel completed his rise from private within four years.

When the war in Europe came to an end, Stewart later recalled he was too late to get on an aircraft home. Instead, he boarded a liner along with many other returning GIs and came home in an unassuming manner.

Jimmy Stewart stayed in the military reserve after the war ended, commanding the Air Force Reserve at Dobbins Air Force Base, Georgia.

He retired with the rank of Brigadier-General.

He died in 1997, three years after the death of his wife, former model Gloria McLean. The Jimmy Stewart Museum in his home town, Indiana, Pennsylvania, was founded two years before his death.

CLARK GABLE Another major Hollywood actor who served in the USAF was Clark Gable. The star of Gone With The Wind joined up as an air gunner. As well as going on five combat missions from East Anglia, Gable made a gunnery training film and toured a number of bases. Head of the Luftwaffe, Hermann Goering, was so intrigued by the “King of Hollywood” that he offered a reward worth £5,000 to any pilot who shot him down. Gable served with the 351st Bomb Group, based mainly at Polebrook, Northamptonshire. On one occasion flack went through his boot and narrowly missed his head.

Major Gable was relieved from active duty in 1944 as he was by then over-age (43).

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WALTER MATTHAU Hollywood actor Walter Matthau served as a B-24 Liberator radioman-gunner at Old Buckenham in the same 453rd Bombardment Group as James Stewart.

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Historic Cabinet War Rooms Churchill Museum Cafe & Shop

CHURCHILL WAR ROOMS Westminster & St James’s Park OPEN DAILY

The Friendly Invasion FAMOUS FIGURES

PAUL TIBBETS

IN AT THE START… Ace pilot Paul Tibbets was the man who dropped the atomic bomb. He started America’s war – and effectively finished it.

“Fellows, you have just dropped the first atom bomb in history.”

With these words Col Paul Tibbets told his shocked crew aboard their SuperFortress bomber Enola Gay the true nature of their deadly mission.

Tibbets has a unique claim to fame. He was in at the very start of America’s air war, and there at the very end. In 1942 he took part in the US Eighth Air Force’s first ever raid on occupied Europe, while being chosen for secret missions flying VIPs to locations across the continent.

PAUL WARFIELD TIBBETS JR BORN February 23, 1915, Quincy, Illinois DIED November 1, 2007, Columbus, Ohio Commanding Officer 340th Bombardment Sqn, 97th Bombardment Group, Polebrook, Northamptonshire AWARDS Distinguished Service Cross (2) Legion of Merit Purple Heart Air Medal (4)

Tibbets was a trailblazer, one of the USA’s best military aviators of the Second World War. Indeed, historian Stephen Ambrose would later describe him as “by reputation the best flier in the Army Air Force”.

Born on February 23, 1915, in Quincy, Illinois, his family later moved to Florida. He abandoned his early training as a doctor to concentrate on flying, which he had loved from an early age. Having enlisted in the Army Air Force in 1937, within a year he was a pilot.

All that was a preparation for the events that unfolded on December 7, 1941. By now based in Savannah, Georgia, he learnt of the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor that catapulted the USA into the war. Tibbets recalled his initial reaction was: “What in the hell is Orson Welles doing now?” – a reference to the public panic that greeted Welles’s radio broadcast of War in the Worlds in 1938.

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TIBBETS GOES TO WAR Tibbets was among the first USAF officers to be posted to England as the strategic air war against Nazi Germany unfolded.

As commanding officer of the 340th Bombardment Squadron, of the 97th Bombardment Group, he arrived in Polebrook, Northamptonshire. The crews needed urgent training in high altitude daylight bombing.

On August 17, 1942, he flew the leading aircraft in the first American daylight raid. It was against marshalling yards at Rouen in northern France (now the twin city of Norwich, by coincidence). The raid was a success; all the aircraft involved returned to base.

If only all the raids had been so straightforward.

The Americans soon began taking terrible casualties on daylight bombing raids. In October of that year Tibbets was one of those deployed in the first 100-bomber raid. By that time he was one of two elite pilots chosen by his commanding officer Carl Spaatz to carry out top secret missions. That autumn Operation Torch was being planned, the American invasion of North Africa in support of General Montgomery’s British forces battling Rommel’s Africa Korps and the Italians.

Tibbets flew senior officer Maj Gen Mark Clark from Polebrook to Gibraltar, the British bastion at the southern tip of Spain across the straits from Africa. On the night of the invasion, he also flew the overall Allied commander, Dwight D Eisenhower, to Gibraltar. In all, Paul Tibbets flew 43 combat missions from England and, subsequently, North Africa.

By February of the following year Tibbets was back in the States, and his career entered a new chapter. He was assigned to test fly the new B-29 Superfortress. The aircraft was going through serious teething problems; to encourage his pilots to engage with it Tibbets arranged for women pilots to carry them in the new plane – presumably to shame them into action.

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By reputation the best flier in the Army Air Force.

…AND THE FINISH THE WAR BECOMES ATOMIC The following year he was engaged in the most top secret mission of the war; the Manhattan Project, which saw the world’s first atomic bomb developed. He commanded the 393rd heavy bombardment squadron – the A-bomb unit – in the wilds of Utah. He came into contact with scientist Robert Oppenheimer, who warned him the shock wave from the A-bomb could destroy his aircraft. When the time came, Tibbets was prepared. With secrecy paramount he was one of the very few people who knew the true nature of the atomic bomb – a heavy burden to carry.

The unit was sent to Titian Island in the Pacific, some 2,000 miles south of Japan.

By now, new US President Harry S Truman had taken the fateful decision to deploy the deadly new weapon in a bid to force a surrender, and avoid a costly Allied invasion of the Japanese islands.

© IWM (HU 44878)

Tibbets had hand-picked a crew of 12, and also hand-picked their aircraft. The new Boeing B-29 was fresh off the assembly line when Tibbets named her after his mother – Enola Gay – “the courageous red-haired mother whose quiet confidence had been a source of strength to me since boyhood”.

The B-29 ‘Enola Gay’ which dropped the Atomic Bomb on Hiroshima and her pilot, Colonel Paul Tibbets.

THE ROUEN RAID On August 17, 1942, Paul Tibbets was on the USAF’s first heavy bomber mission into occupied Europe. Six B-17 Flying Fortresses of the 97th Bombardment Group from Polebrook flew a diversion for 12 B-17s of the 340th in an attack on the railroad marshalling yards at Rouen/Sotteville. All aircraft returned without damage or casualties. Later in the year the 97th left England for the Mediterranean theatre of operations as the Allies invaded French North Africa.

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The Friendly Invasion FAMOUS FIGURES

PAUL TIBBETS On August 6, 1945, the bomb, known as ‘Little Boy’, was loaded and the crew began their fateful mission. At 8am that morning they dropped the bomb in the city of Hiroshima.

Of 320,000 people in the city that day, an estimated 80,000 died immediately or were badly injured. Temperatures reached a level of 5,400degF.

The Japanese bowed to the inevitable, announcing their surrender on August 15 and formally signing their surrender on September 2.

It is certain that an Allied invasion of Japan, which would have been led by the USA, would have killed many more people on both sides – whether that justified Truman’s decision to use the A-bomb is hotly debated to this day.

Tibbets swerved the plane at an extreme angle to avoid the shock wave, and recalled the sombre mood as the crew flew away from the levelled city and mushroom cloud, which rose three miles into the sky. Of course, using the atomic bomb was controversial at the time, and will remain so for evermore, but Paul Tibbets said he had no regrets.

Tibbets’s story of dropping the bomb was told in the 1952 Hollywood film Above and Beyond, in which he was portrayed by Robert Taylor.

He stayed in the forces until retirement in 1966 with the rank of Brigadier General. Tibbets remained involved in aviation after that, as president of Executive Jet Aviation, an air taxi company based in Columbus, Ohio.

“I knew we did the right thing. We killed a lot of people but, by God, we saved a lot of American lives,” he said.

On his death in 2007 his family followed his final wishes. He was cremated, and his ashes scattered over the English Channel, the body of water he had flown over so many times during the war, and where he was, by all accounts, at his happiest.

On his return to base, Gen Carl Spaatz awarded him the Distinguished Service Cross. Three days later a second bomb was dropped on Nagasaki.

visit cambridge the friendliest way

TRAVEL

BY TRAIN Advance fare to Cambridge

From only

Book via the app or online at greateranglia.co.uk

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7

£

One way

JP KENNEDY

…the man who should have been President

Joseph P Kennedy expected to become the President of the USA. His life was cut short when he was killed during a top secret mission in the skies above Suffolk.

Operation Aphrodite was an experiment to use radio-controlled, explosive-laden aircraft to attack enemy targets. It required volunteer pilots to take off, then parachute out before the bombers were directed at their targets.

On August 12, 1944, the first USAF mission took of from RAF Fersfield, in south Norfolk.

Aboard were two lieutenants – Wilford J Willy and Joseph P Kennedy Jr. Kennedy, aged 29, was the eldest son of the influential Kennedy dynasty, and had been groomed by his family for a career in politics. Born in Massachusetts in 1915, he had been a delegate to the Democratic National Convention as early as 1940. He had expected to run for the Massachusetts 11th congressional district in 1946 – but the war intervened.

By 1944 Kennedy was a Navy pilot. He flew PB4Y Liberator patrol bombers and took part

in anti-submarine missions. In the summer of that year he joined Operation Aphrodite. The idea of the mission was to attack military installations on Heligoland, in the North Sea, then the focus transferred to V-rocket launch pads in Mimoyecques on the Pas-de-Calais, France.

Taking off early in the morning, the aircraft were passing over the Suffolk coast when the explosives detonated prematurely. In the words of one survivor, “the Baby just exploded in midair”. The wreckage came down near the village of Blythburgh, causing damage to houses but causing no casualties. The remains of Kennedy and Willy were never recovered. Their names are inscribed on the Tablets of the Missing at the Cambridge American Cemetery and Memorial.

The following year the US Navy named a destroyer the USS Joseph P Kennedy. His younger brother Robert ‘Bobby’ briefly served aboard the vessel.

Family ambitions now transferred to another brother – John F Kennedy – who was destined to become President himself.

visit LONDON the friendliest way

TRAVEL

BY TRAIN Advance fare to London

From only

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10

£

One way

Lavenham – The perfect base for your 8th United States Army Air Force explorations in East Anglia Imagine arriving in Great Britain from America in the 1940s, to discover the best preserved medieval village in England. And Lavenham’s wealth of medieval timber framed buildings is still a joy to behold today. There are 321 listed buildings in the village and the locals are just as welcoming today, as they were to the 8th United States Army Air Force during the second world war. 8th USAAF serviceman John T. Appleby’s book ‘Suffolk Summer’, tells the story about how he fell in love with the beauty of the rural architecture and rich history of the county; John served with the 487th Bombardment Group, 8th USAAF. The 487th Bombardment Group (BG), 8th United States Army Air Force were stationed at RAF Lavenham (US

Station 137) in Suffolk, during the second world war. Many of the 487th BG and other visiting 8th USAAF servicemen, signed their names on the walls of the bar at The Swan at Lavenham and these signatures can still be seen there today, together with some wonderful memorabilia and a memorial plaque.

There are also memorials to the 487th BG in the Market Place and the Church of St. Peter & St. Paul in Lavenham.

RAF Lavenham’s first USAAF Commander was Beirne Lay Jr., who went on to be the co-author and scriptwriter of the 1949 Hollywood blockbuster film, ‘Twelve O’Clock High’ which starred Gregory Peck. Beirne Lay Jr. is commemorated in the Airmen’s Bar, by a photograph complete with inscription, unveiled on 20th May 2017 by his niece Libby Lay-Wilder.

General Frederick Castle has long since been remembered in the Airmen’s Bar, with a photograph and newspaper article, following his fateful mission on 24th December 1944, with the 487th BG.

A newly formed local group ‘Friends of Lavenham Airfield’ now hold annual Vintage 1940s Commemorative events, each May in Lavenham, with re-enactors visiting in second world war uniforms and vehicles. The events will culminate in the 75th Anniversary of VE Day in May 2020.

Visiting the wartime home of the 487th Bombardment Group at RAF Lavenham (US Station 137): Private guided tours to Lavenham Airfield can be arranged and The Swan at Lavenham Hotel & Spa is your perfect base to stay at, whilst you explore the area. For further information, please contact Jane Larcombe – Secretary of ‘Friends of Lavenham Airfield’ and Business Development Manager of The Swan at Lavenham Hotel & Spa: Email: jane.larcombe@theswanatlavenham.co.uk Cell: +44 (0) 7787 426371 Tel: +44 (0) 1787 247477 Web: theswanatlavenham.co.uk/explore/the-friendly-invasion/

8th USAAF History & Travel Advice There are a large number of second world war airfields and museums in the area, which you can visit.

The 486th Bombardment Group were based at nearby Sudbury, where a Heritage Centre exists today.

Both the Imperial War Museum at Duxford, home to the American Air Museum and Cambridge American Cemetery & Memorial are an hour’s drive away. London Stansted and Norwich International are the closest regional airports, which you can route to via Amsterdam.

For further assistance please contact Jane Larcombe, who will be delighted to help you: jane.larcombe@theswanatlavenham.co.uk

The Friendly Invasion IN PICTURES

THE FRIENDLY INVASION IN PICTURES

The Star-Spangled Banner that flew over Fort Henry, Baltimore, during the War of 1812 and inspired the US national anthem, was made from bunting made in Sudbury, Suffolk, where the Mighty Eighth had a base during World War II.

Opposite (clockwise from top left): Major Jesse C. Davis of the 78th Fighter Group, with a local young girl on his knee, at Duxford air base. 1943-1945.

STARS AND STRIPES FOREVER Pilot Officer Kenneth Leror Holder, of Buena Park, California, stands on the shoulders of Pilot Officer Donald MacLeod (Blackstone, Mass.) to adjust the American flag.

Both served with the RAF’s American Eagle Squadrons flying spitfires.

The food wasn’t all that bad… or was it? Cooks at Old Buckenham.

Chuck Yeager.

The Americans brought their pets and mascots; one dog is prepared for altitude flying; Scrappy and Joe the monkey; and (above) Brown Bear Roscoe Ann was flown over on a B-17 and liked playing with ammunition – as well as eating the Lord of the Manor’s honey!

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© 453rd Bomb Group Museum, Old Buckenham

CHUCK YEAGER Charles Elwood Chuck Yeager (b.1923) was a fighter ace based at RAF Leiston on the Suffolk coast. He later became a test pilot and was the first man to break the sound barrier in 1947. Starting off as a mechanic he rose to become a flight offer, piloting P-51 Mustangs. In March, 1944, he was shot down over occupied France.

Yeager was helped by the French Resistance to escape to Spain, and returned to rejoin the war.

Breaking more speed and altitude records, he played a crucial role in the first years of America’s space program – paving the way for the moon landing.

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Fly direct to the heart of ‘Little America’.

There’s no better way to arrive in the heart of Little America the home of the Mighty Eighth, than to fly from the USA in to Norwich Airport, the friendly airport in the East of England that’s right on the doorstep of years of American History.

www.norwichairport.co.uk Flight connections via Amsterdam and Manchester.

The Friendly Invasion IN PICTURES

Private First Class Monroe Klein of the 303rd Bomb Group, rides his bicycle past a B-17 Flying Fortress.

Lieutenant George F. Perpente, Lieutenant Francis N. King and Lieutenant William Thistlewaite of the 353rd Fighter Group with a P-47 Thunderbolt before a mission, 28 November 1943.

“SO FAR, SO GOOD!” Private First Class Eugene Kiolbassa of the 303rd Bomb Group plays baseball.

“So far, so good” is the laconic message which he sent from the U.S. Air Corps in Britain to his mother at 2451 Central Park Avenue, Chicago.

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Their job saved the world.

Ours, saves their legacy.

It was the largest air armada in the history of warfare. The heroic actions of the airmen who flew in the Mighty Eighth during World War II preserved freedom throughout the world and changed the course of history.

Before WWII ended, 350,000 Americans served in the Eighth Air Force, stationed at over 55 air bases in England. The Eighth suffered the greatest casualty rate of any single American WWII military unit: over 26,000 8th AF airmen were killed in action and another 28,000 fliers were taken prisoner or were forced to evade after being shot down over enemy territories. The Eighth was NEVER turned back by enemy forces on ANY combat mission they flew! The 8th Air Force Historical Society is committed to preserving this history for ALL generations.

For information on research or visiting historic sites of the 8th in England: Jeff Hawley ~ Yankee2100@btinternet.com 8th AFHS UK Representative To join the 8th Air Force Historical Society or for additional information:

www.8thAFHS.org

The Friendly Invasion IN PICTURES

THE MASTERY OF THE ATLANTIC – THE GREAT AIR ASSAULT

Cambridge American Cemetery and Memorial An impressive map depicting sea routes and airlanes to targets in Europe.

See pages 58–59 for more on the cemetery and memorial.

US AIRCRAFT THE MAIN AIRCRAFT USED BY THE UNITED STATES AIR FORCE BASED IN ENGLAND INCLUDED THE FOLLOWING:

BOEING B-17 FLYING FORTRESS

REPUBLIC P-47 THUNDERBOLT

The iconic American aircraft of the war. Dropped more bombs than any other US aircraft. Memphis Belle was the first Fortress to complete 25 combat missions.

Ground attack fighterbomber and escort for bombers on daylight bombing raids. Nicknamed the ‘Jug’ as it was said to resemble a milk jug.

First flight: 1935 Produced: 1936-45

CONSOLIDATED B-24 LIBERATOR The first aircraft to cross the Atlantic as a matter of course.

Hampered by low speed.

Jimmy Stewart was one of the Liberator’s most famous pilots.

First flight: 1939 Produced: 1940-45

BOEING B-29 SUPERFORTRESS The aircraft that dropped the two atomic bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki in 1945.

The crew of 'Our Gang', a B-17 42-5069 of the 324th Bomb Squadron, 91st Bomb Group, posing with their two mascots, Windy and Skippy, at Bassingbourn, England, 24 June 1943.

FIGHTERS

First flight: 1941 Produced: 1941-45

NORTH AMERICAN AVIATION P-51 MUSTANG Proved to be the answer to bomber escort duties due to its improved range and re-engineering to use the British-designed Rolls-Royce Merlin.

It went on to see service in the Korean War of the 1950s.

Colouring by Benjamin Thomas

BOMBERS

First flight: 1940 Produced: 1942-53

First flight: 1942 Produced: 1943-46

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A F R I E N D LY W E L C O M E AT S P R O W S TO N M A N O R H OT E L & C O U N T R Y C L U B You can completely relax at Sprowston Manor Hotel & Country Club with all the amenities that you could possibly need. Our friendly and welcoming staff will make you feel like you are at home away from home. A short drive into the city of Norwich and the famous Norfolk Broads puts us in the perfect location.

FOR MORE INFORMATION VISIT MARRIOTT.COM/SPROWSTONMANOR OR CALL +44 (0)1603 410871 Sprowston Manor Marriott Hotel & Country Club, Wroxham Road, Norwich NR7 8RP United Kingdom

The Friendly Invasion IN PICTURES

WOMEN’S WORK The Women’s Army Corps was created in May, 1942. Despite some opposition at home and among male colleagues, up to 150,000 women eventually served during the war. It was the first time woman had been in the US military for anything but nursing. They operated telephone exchanges, teletypes, conducted weather observation and acted as mechanics, freeing men up for the front. Others volunteered for the Red Cross.

Red Cross girls kept up morale and kept the coffee coming… and also donuts, as in this picture (right) from the 55th Fighter Group fuel dump, April 12, 1944.

Harriet Lloyd and a girl from the Easter Islands on the American Red Cross donut wagon at Old Buckenham. ©453rd Bomb Group Museum, Old Buckenham

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The Friendly Invasion IN PICTURES

A VERY SPECIAL RELATIONSHIP US servicemen and local women found their own ways to help foster The Special Relationship: marriages weren’t uncommon, nor were war babies, and at the end of the conflict tens of thousands of English women found a new life for themselves on the other side of the Atlantic. Cruise liners had to be requisitioned to take them.

Below: Although the British had meagre rations, American servicemen were always welcome for a spot of tea. Local girls were sometimes invited to dances at the air bases, such as this one in the Officer’s Mess of the 4th Fighter Group at Debden.

Although most differences were soon ironed out, sometimes remembering which side of the road to drive on in England could be a problem.

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E X C ITI NGLY DIF FE RENT Our Friendly Invasion tours allow you to follow in the footsteps of World War II US heroes, and experience a true taste of quintessential British highlights. The tours are flexible, adaptable and can be organised as an extension to make the most of your UK visit.

5 or 7-day tours include: l

University town of Cambridge, visiting the Eagle pub with ceiling graffiti from 1944, the Great Halls within the colleges, and a traditional trip on the River Cam.

l

The tranquillity of The American Cemetery and Memorial, where thousands are remembered and poignant stories come alive.

l

American Air Museum at Duxford showcases fighter jets and bombers in Britain’s largest aviation museum.

l

The medieval woollen capital town of Lavenham, Suffolk-home to the famous Airman’s Bar, timber-framed cottages, thatched roofs and all things British!

l

95th and 100th Bomber Group airfields, transformed into quirky museums with artefacts and memorabilia to rekindle those memories.

l

The historic charm of Norwich with the oldest hotel in England and haunt of many US airmen, cobbled streets and its magnificent cathedral.

l

The Royal Estate of Sandringham, home to Her Majesty, Queen Elizabeth, with its Royal Museum, plus vintage car collection set amongst 60 aces of gardens.

l

The elegance of Bury St Edmunds, its Abbey Rose Garden dedicated to US Airmen stationed in Suffolk, and afternoon tea at 18th century Pakenham Mill.

We’re full of ideas for East Anglia and throughout the UK, so contact us for a true Great Britain experience!

For a selection of our UK itineraries visit www.pinpointbritain.com or email info@pinpointbritain.com

Pinpoint

B RITAIN

The Friendly Invasion IN PICTURES

Launching The Friendly Invasion at IWM Duxford Visit East Anglia’s The Friendly Invasion project was launched at Imperial War Museum Duxford, home of the American Air Museum, in Spring 2017.

Attended by 300 guests, many from the region’s US Air Force memorial groups and museums, as well as tourism organisations and accommodation providers, the event included a presentation by Donald L Miller, author of Masters of the Air, the text book history of The Mighty Eighth Air Force in East Anglia during World War II. After years of rumour, the launch also confirmed that a major series about The Mighty Eighth’s experiences is in the pipeline, based on Donald’s book.

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Visit East Anglia also invited John Orloff, who is writing the scripts for the programme and who wrote two episodes of Band Of Brothers, and Kirk Saduski, executive and producer for Tom Hanks’ and Gary Goetzman’s film company which will make the series.

The Duxford event coincided with a Friendly Invasion familiarisation trip for group travel operators organised by Visit East Anglia.

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Music and dancing…

Guests mingling…

Speakers…

From the US: Donald L. Miller, Kirk Saduski and John Orloff.

From England: John Brown, Executive Director Operations, Imperial War Museum; Andrew Stokes, Director, Visit England; Pete Waters, Visit East Anglia; Ann Steward, Friendly Invasion Project Manager.

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W HAT T H E AM E R I CA N S L E F T B E H I N D I N E A S T A N G L IA

A warm welcome, comfortable rooms and open lobby spaces in prime locations

Holiday Inn - Norwich

Holiday Inn - Norwich North

Holiday Inn - Norwich City

Located less than 10 minutes drive from Norwich city centre.

• 119 bedrooms • 4 Meeting rooms • Car parking available • Free Wi-Fi • Extensive fitness centre • On-site business centre

A modern hotel next to Norwich International Airport.

• 121 bedrooms • 7 Meeting rooms • Car parking available • Free Wi-Fi • Extensive fitness centre • Cocktail lounge

Adjacent to Carrow Road Stadium, home of Norwich City Football Club.

• 150 bedrooms • 1 Meeting room • Free Wi-Fi • Mini gym • On-site business centre • Cocktail lounge

www.hinorwichhotel.co.uk

www.hinorwich.com

www.hinorwichcity.co.uk

Holiday Inn - Ipswich

Holiday Inn - Ipswich Orwell

Holiday Inn - Colchester

A comfortable hotel just two miles from Ipswich city centre.

• 114 bedrooms • 4 Meeting rooms • Car parking available • Free Wi-Fi • Extensive fitness centre • On-site business centre

A modern hotel in the Ipswich business park, just off the A14.

• 60 bedrooms • 7 Meeting rooms • Car parking available • Free Wi-Fi • Mini gym • Safety deposit box available

10-minutes from historic Colchester shopping and restaurants.

• 110 bedrooms • 7 Meeting rooms • Car parking available • Free Wi-Fi • Extensive fitness centre • Storage space available

www.hiipswichhotel.co.uk

www.hiipswichorwell.co.uk

www.hicolchesterhotel.co.uk

Please visit www.kewgreen.co.uk to find out about other great hotels in the UK

MUSEUMS, MEMORIALS, AIRFIELDS AMERICAN AIR MUSEUM AT IWM DUXFORD CAMBRIDGE AMERICAN CEMETERY AND MEMORIAL 2ND AIR DIVISION MEMORIAL LIBRARY, NORWICH 100TH BOMB GROUP MEMORIAL MUSEUM, THORPE ABBOTTS 95TH BOMB GROUP MUSEUM, HORHAM PARHAM AIRFIELD MUSEUM, FRAMLINGHAM BOTTISHAM AIRFIELD MUSEUM 453RD BOMB GROUP MUSEUM, OLD BUCKENHAM BASSINGBOURN

Cambridge American Cemetery and Memorial.

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The Friendly Invasion THE KEY VENUES

American Air Museum at IWM Duxford americanairmuseum.com iwm.org.uk

IWM Duxford is Britain’s bestpreserved Second World War airfield, with a fascinating history that dates back 100 years to the First World War. Exploring state of the art exhibition halls and historic buildings, visitors walk in the footsteps of the men and women who served at RAF Duxford, discovering the impact of aviation on the nature of war and on people’s lives.

IWM Duxford is home to the American Air Museum, a stunning Foster + Partners-designed building originally built at IWM Duxford in the late 1990s on the former site of First World War US hangars. It stands as a memorial to the approximately 30,000 US airmen and women killed while serving from Britain during the Second World War.

Following a major redevelopment in 2016, the American Air Museum tells the story of Anglo-American collaboration in 20th and 21st century conflict. Many individual stories are captured on audio and film, presented alongside personal artefacts which complement the best collection of American aircraft on display outside North America.

The American Air Museum website is a digital record for the memories and stories of the men and women of the US Army Air Forces who served during the Second World War. The public can contribute information to the website, and the names and photographs of the airmen who died in the course of their service are commemorated on the digital Roll of Honour.

WHAT ELSE IS AT THE MUSEUM? You need a full day to see everything on view at IWM Duxford. The sight of a Spitfire or a Lancaster bomber stirs the hearts of most Britons of all ages – these iconic aircraft form part of a unique collection of around 130 historic aircraft that visitors can explore. Duxford’s exhibitions also include Land Warfare, home to a wonderful collection of tanks and military vehicles.

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HISTORIC HIGHLIGHTS At the end of the First World War, members of the US Air Service were stationed at Duxford to train as engineers.

During the Second World War, after playing a major role in the Battle of Britain, RAF Duxford was handed over to the 78th Fighter Group of the United States Air Forces in April, 1943.

Flying P-47 Thunderbolts, they provided air support for the Allied D-Day invasion in 1944. The 78th received two Distinguished Unit Citations, for the Market Garden campaign in September, 1944 and for attacks on airfields in Czechoslovakia in April, 1945.

“COUNTING THE COST” MEMORIAL SCULPTURE Outside the museum is a glass memorial designed by artist Renato Niemis, representing every fighter and bomber aircraft lost flying from Britain.

DON’T MISS…

IWM Duxford

The 1940 Operations Room, representing the nerve centre of Duxford’s Battle of Britain campaign; Field Marshal Bernard Montgomery’s command caravans; and IWM Duxford’s Mark I Supermarine Spitfire.

Cambridgeshire CB22 4QR t. +44 (0) 1223 835 000

OPEN 10am-6pm during the summer; 10am-4pm during the winter.

Entry to all exhibitions, including the American Air Museum, is included in general admission to the museum.

Check the website for more details: iwm.org.uk WATCH THE FILM: thefriendlyinvasion.com

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The Friendly Invasion THE KEY VENUES

Cambridge American Cemetery and Memorial War cemeteries never fail to be sobering places. Built on a sloping 30-acre site, framed by ancient woodland, on land donated by the University of Cambridge, the cemetery contains the remains of 3,812 US personnel.

A further 5,127 names are recorded on the Wall of the Missing. Most died in the Battle of the Atlantic, in the air campaigns over northwest Europe and in the build-up to D-Day. In an inter-faith Memorial Building stained glass windows bear state seals and military decorations. The Visitor Center’s interpretive exhibits incorporate personal stories, photographs, films and interactive displays.

This is the only Second World War American war cemetery in Britain.

The scale of the sacrifice demanded by the Second World War hits home when you see the concentric rows of gravestones. From 1942 to 1945 more than three million American servicemen and women passed through Britain.

So many never made it home. The Strategic Bombing Campaign, which helped sap the will of the Axis Powers, came at a terrible cost. Up to 110,000 airmen from the USA, Britain and other Allies died.

The Cambridge American Cemetery and Memorial was dedicated in 1956. It sits on a hill from which, on a clear day, you can see Ely Cathedral, known as The Ship of the Fens for the way it sits like a vessel atop the flat fenland. Ely was once home to English Republican leader Oliver Cromwell.

This whole area is steeped in history. The university city of Cambridge lies three miles to the west. During the Second World War thousands of Americans made their own history as they were based at nearby airfields. Cambridge was a mecca for these Yanks abroad, many of whom packed out the city’s pubs and left a lasting legacy.

The 3,812 burials here come from every state in the Union and every arm of the military. Airmen who took part in the anti-submarine campaigns of the vital Battle of the Atlantic are here as are those who died in the strategic bombing campaign. Many deaths were the result of tragic accidents, as well as in combat.

One of the horrifying effects of modern warfare is that many of the dead have no known grave. That is reflected by the 5,127 names on The Wall of the Missing, the longest in Europe.

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Grant unto them O Lord eternal rest.

abmc.gov

WHAT’S HERE? At the Visitor Center, opened in 2014, local staff are on hand to answer questions. There is an interactive display, telling individual stories of some of those commemorated.

The Memorial Building is 85ft long, 30ft wide and 28ft high. It bears the inscription: “Grant unto them O Lord eternal rest”. Inside, an impressive map entitled The Mastery of the Atlantic – The Great Air Assault depicts sea routes and airlanes to targets in Europe (see page 45).

Every arm of the US military and many campaigns are commemorated at the Cemetery and Memorial.

The Mall stretches east from the flagpole platform to the main building at the opposite end. Grave plots – from A to G – extend out in concentric arcs towards The Wall of The Missing.

The layout is called ‘theatre style’.

The effect has been likened to the propellers of a plane or the layout of a baseball field. Each grave has a white marble headstone, 81 of them for those of the Jewish faith.

Cambridge American Cemetery and Memorial Madingley Road Coton, Cambridge CB23 7PH t. +44 (0)1954 210350 e. cambridge@abmc.gov

OPEN 9am-5pm daily, except December 25 and January 1. Entry free: fully wheelchair accessible; children’s activities available.

Check the website for more details: abmc.gov

American Battle Monuments Commission 2300 Clarendon Boulevard, Suite 500, Arlington, VA 22201 USA WATCH THE FILM: thefriendlyinvasion.com

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The Friendly Invasion THE KEY VENUES

2nd Air Division Memorial Library, Norwich 2ndair.org.uk

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In the early hours of August 1, 1994, a catastrophic fire ripped through the heart of the Central Library in Norwich. At the height of the blaze smoke could be seen up to 20 miles away. More than 100,000 books and thousands of historic documents were lost to the flames.

Sadly the American 2nd Air Division Memorial Library, a unique memorial honouring the USAF servicemen and women who were stationed in Norfolk and Suffolk during the Second World War was also destroyed by the fire. But not all was lost as the Memorial Library’s archive and collection of personal memorabilia, that had been stored in the basement, survived, albeit somewhat water-soaked.

The fire destroyed the library building which had to be demolished. In November, 2001 a new £63.5m state-of-the-art information centre, called The Forum, was opened on the site of the old library.

Part library, part meeting place, part amphitheatre, The Forum houses not just the reborn Norfolk and Norwich Millennium Library, but also the BBC’s local television and radio stations. An honoured place was set aside on the ground floor for a new 2nd Air Division Memorial Library, which was dedicated by the Bishop of Norwich on November 7, 2001, with hundreds of the Division’s veterans and their families in attendance.

Attractively framed by the medieval glories of St Peter Mancroft Church, and overlooking the city’s colourful covered market, there is a buzz to this part of Norwich every day. The Forum claims a commanding position in the city centre, attracting many visitors using its cafés and others amenities.

Norfolk was one of the hotspots for the Eighth Air Force during the war, with bases dotted all around the county. Thousands of American service personnel from bases such as Old Buckenham, Thorpe Abbotts, Attlebridge and Horsham St Faith left England at the end of the war with fond memories of nights out in the county’s historic capital city.

WHILE YOU’RE IN THE AREA A visit to Norwich’s medieval castle and cathedral is on every visitor’s ‘must-do’ list. Both are within walking distance of The Forum.

See pages 94-98.

WHAT’S HERE? The library is a lasting memorial to all those who served in the Second Air Division, US 8th Air Force in the air or on the ground. It has a lending collection of more than 4,000 books covering all aspects of American life and culture, plus a specialised section telling the story of the Division.

You can find books devoted to many of the 8th Air Force Bomb Groups and Fighter Squadrons who crossed the Atlantic to join in the fight.

Other library collections include film, audio recordings, photographs, airfield maps, memorabilia, periodicals and newsletters. The library holds the Division’s Roll of Honor, a list of the fallen, which you can also read online.

The library’s website has details of the 14 airbases used by the 2nd, including details of how and when to visit. And the library’s digital archive website can be accessed from home if you are unable to visit in person.

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2nd Air Division Memorial Library The Forum, Millennium Plain Norwich, Norfolk NR2 1AW t. +44 (0)1603 774747

OPEN 10am-5pm Monday to Friday; 9am-5pm Saturday. Closed Sundays and public holidays.

Check the websites for more details: 2ndair.org.uk 2ndair.org.uk/digitalarchive WATCH THE FILM: thefriendlyinvasion.com

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The Friendly Invasion A GUIDE TO THE AIRFIELDS

Eighth Air Force Bomb Groups in East Anglia The Eighth Air Force is renowned as one of the great fighting forces in the history of warfare. By the time of D-Day on June 6, 1944, when our map is set, the work of The Mighty Eighth had helped pave the way for the invasion of Continental Europe and the eventual victory over the Nazis.

A massive logistical operation from 1942 to 1945 saw arable land converted for military use. After the end of the Second World War many of the bases were returned to agricultural use, although some were kept on for the British RAF and Army.

BG

401

BG

351

BG

303 BG

305

BG

379 BG

They keep alive the memory of the men and women posted here, and the names of their units. Horham, Suffolk, for example, was home to the 95th Bomb Group; nearby Parham hosted the 390th. Close to the Suffolk coast the 493rd Fighter Group – Helton’s Hellcats – made their mark, while in Norfolk the 100th Bomb Group – the ‘Bloody Hundredth’ – were at Thorpe Abbotts and Jimmy Stewart’s 453rd flew their Liberators from Old Buckenham.

92

BG

306

In the south of the region, near Cambridge, the Memphis Belle, the Flying Fortress immortalised by William Wyler’s documentary, was part of the 91st Bomb Group at Bassingbourn and the 361st Fighter Group flew missions from Bottisham.

The American Air Museum is part of the Imperial War Museum at Duxford, Cambridgeshire, while the city’s American Cemetery and Memorial illustrates the scale of the sacrifice required. In the city of Norwich is the 2nd Air Division Memorial Library.

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BG

457

BG

384

In many cases, the infrastructure is gone, covered up or put to other uses. In some places, though, teams of volunteers have restored and conserved the remaining buildings and created memorial museums to the American presence.

Although many of the airfields are gone, their memory lives on in roadside markers and memorials in churchyards and buildings.

Peterborough

East Anglia London

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Locations at D-Day – June 6, 1944

Cromer

Norfolk

King’s Lynn

BG

466

BG

392 BG

BG

BG

458

467

BG

492

44

NORWICH 389

452

BG

453

BG

BG

93

445

BG

446

Thetford BG

388

453rd Bomb Group Museum, Old Buckenham

Cambridgeshire Cambridge American Cemetery and Memorial

BG

BG

100

491

BG

489

BG

490 BG

BG

100th Bomb Group Southwold Memorial Museum, Thorpe Abbotts

95

BG

385

34

BG

BG

94

Bottisham Airfield Museum

CAMBRIDGE

95th Bomb Group Museum, Horham

BG

447

Bury St Edmunds

390

BG

Suffolk

BG

487

American Air Museum (IWM Duxford)

BG

486

BG

381

Great Yarmouth

BG

448

BG

96

2nd Air Division Memorial Library

BG

BG

Lavenham

IPSWICH

493

Parham Airfield Museum Aldeburgh

Debach Airfield Museum

BG

398

BG

91

Bassingbourn

COLCHESTER

Essex

SEE OVER FOR THE LIST OF AIRFIELDS

Chelmsford

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The Friendly Invasion A GUIDE TO THE AIRFIELDS

The Eighth Air Force in East Anglia BG

34

BG

Mendlesham, Suffolk

95

BG

Horham, Suffolk

6 miles north east of Stowmarket

4 miles east of Eye

A Czech unit flew from here before the arrival of the 34th.

8thafhs.org/bomber/34bg

Home of the Red Feather Club and the record-winning 95th Bomb Group.

95thbg-horham.com

BG

44

Shipdham, Norfolk

5 miles south of Dereham Shipdham Airfield Museum tells the story of the 44th, the Flying Eight Balls.

Contact Shipdham Flying Club secretary for more info. shipdhamflyingclub.co.uk 8thairforce.com/44thbg

The 96th flew 300 missions from Snetterton Heath.

96bg.org BG

BG

91

Bassingbourn, Cambridgeshire

4 miles north of Royston Home of the Memphis Belle, first Flying Fortress crew to complete 25 missions, and subject of a documentary by Hollywood director William Wyler. towermuseumbassingbourn.co.uk BG

92

Podington, Bedfordshire

6 miles south east of Wellingborough The 92nd was the oldest group in the Eighth Air Force and the first to make the transatlantic crossing in July 1942.

Known as “Fame’s Favored Few”.

92ndma.org BG

93

Hardwick, Norfolk

12 miles south of Norwich 93rd Bomb Group Museum has three original Nissen (Quonset) huts.

93rd-bg-museum.org.uk 8thafhs.org.bomber/93bg BG

94

Bury St Edmunds (Rougham), Suffolk 3 miles east of town Brig Gen Frederick W Castle won a posthumous Congressional Medal of Honor for his actions during the campaigns of December, 1944. rougham.org

Snetterton Heath, Norfolk

10 miles north east of Thetford (now Snetterton motor racing track)

100

Thorpe Abbotts, Norfolk

5 miles east of Diss Learn about exploits of the ‘Bloody Hundredth’ in the museum.

100bgmus.org.uk BG

303

Molesworth, Cambridgeshire

2 miles north of village 303rd were known as the Hell’s Angels.

Currently a USAF base, scheduled to close after 2020.

303rdbg.com BG

305

Chelveston, Northants

5 miles east of Wellingborough The B-17s flew 330 missions. americanairmuseum.com BG

306

Thurleigh, Bedfordshire

4 miles north of Bedford The 306th was the first heavy bombardment group to attack a strategic target in Nazi Germany.

306bg.co.uk BG

351

Polebrook, Northants

8 miles south west of Peterborough The B-17s flew 311 combat missions.

351st.org

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Kimbolton, Cambridgeshire

2 miles north of town The 379th was one of the most successful bomber groups in the Eighth.

379thbga.org BG

BG

96

379

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381

Ridgewell, Essex

8 miles north west of Halstead The museum is housed in the main ward of the former base hospital. rafcamuseum.co.uk BG

384

Grafton Underwood, Northants

4 miles north east of Kettering The B-17s flew 316 combat missions.

384thbombgroup.com BG

385

Great Ashfield, Suffolk

2 miles south of village, 10 miles east of Bury St Edmunds The 385th flew 296 missions, and paid the price with the loss of 129 Flying Fortresses.

385bg.com BG

388

Knettishall, Suffolk

6 miles south east of Thetford One historically minded pilot named his bomber Thomas Paine after the radical 18th Century author born in nearby Thetford.

388bg.info BG

389

Hethel, Norfolk

3 miles east of Wymondham 389th Bomb Group Memorial is in the chapel/gymnasium complete with original artwork by airmen. hethel389th.wordpress.com BG

390

Framlingham (Parham), Suffolk

3 miles south east of town Learn about the 390th Bomb Group and the British Resistance Organisation, the units trained to fight back against a Nazi occupation. parhamairfieldmuseum.co.uk

For more information on the airfields of East Anglia visit: thefriendlyinvasion.com

Locations at D-Day – June 6, 1944 BG

392

BG

452

Wendling, Norfolk

4 miles north west of Dereham The 392nd were decorated for their part in the Big Week bombing campaign of February, 1944. b24.net

The 452nd flew 250 missions at a high cost of 110 lost aircraft.

452ndbombgroupassociationdeophamgreen.org BG

453

Nuthampstead, Hertfordshire

8 miles south of Cambridge B-17s flew strategic missions including for the D-Day Invasion and Battle of the Bulge.

398th.org BG

401

Deenethorpe

BG

458

Horsham St Faith, Norfolk

4 miles north of Norwich

BG

Bungay (Flixton), Suffolk

2 miles south west of town The Norfolk and Suffolk Aviation Museum is near the site of this base. aviationmuseum.net BG

Rattlesden, Suffolk

9 miles south east of Bury St Edmunds One B-17, dubbed Milk Wagon, set the record for the number of missions with no turn-backs – 129.

447bg.com

448

Glatton, Cambridgeshire

Three runways surrounded Rose Court Farm, which stayed working throughout hostilities.

457thbombgroup.org

Tibenham, Norfolk

BG

Movie star Jimmy Stewart served here with the 453rd, and the museum tells the story of his war and of many others who served here.

453museum.com

10 miles north of Huntingdon

13 miles south of Norwich Jimmy Stewart’s first English base.

Now home to the Norfolk Glider Club.

455bg.org

447

2 miles south east of Attleborough

457

BG

446

Old Buckenham, Norfolk

BG

15 miles west of Peterborough The group won two Distinguished Unit Citations. americanairmuseum.com

445

Deopham Green, Norfolk

2 miles north of Attleborough

BG

398

BG

486

City of Norwich Aviation Museum, now the site of Norwich’s commercial airport. cnam.org.uk BG

466

Attlebridge, Norfolk

8 miles north west of Norwich You can see photographs of men of the 466th Bomb Group on show in the Parson Woodforde pub. americanairmuseum.com/unit/444 8thafhs.org/bomber/466bg BG

467

Rackheath, Norfolk

5 miles north east of Norwich Seething, Norfolk

10 miles south east of Norwich Seething Control Tower Museum recalls the 448th Bomb Group. The airfield has its own flying club. seethingtower.org

A B-24 named Witchcraft held the record of 130 combat missions – the most for that type of bomber in the Eighth.

467bg.com

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Sudbury, Suffolk

2 miles north of town The 834th Bomb Squadron lost no aircraft or personnel on its first 100 missions.

486th.org BG

487

Lavenham, Suffolk

You can visit the site, but not the inside of the privately owned building. Permission must be sought from Lavenham Tourist Information Office before visiting.

487thbg.org BG

489

Halesworth (Holton), Suffolk

7 miles west of Southwold Home to air sea rescue units as well as fighter and bomber groups.

489th-bomb-group-museum.org BG

490

Eye, Suffolk

1 mile north west of town Bomber pilots had to look out for the town’s venerable church on their approach to the airfield.

490th.co.uk BG

491

Metfield, Suffolk

6 miles north west of Halesworth Home to both fighter and bomber groups, later a transport hub. americanairmuseum.com/unit/926 8thafhs.org/bomber/491bg BG

492

North Pickenham, Norfolk

2 miles south east of Swaffham 492nd replaced the 491st after the former suffered heavy losses.

491st.org/491hist 492ndbombgroup.com BG

493

Debach, Suffolk

3 miles north west of Woodbridge Home of Helton’s Hellcats, so named for the Group’s Commanding Officer.

493bgdebach.co.uk

The Friendly Invasion A GUIDE TO THE AIRFIELDS

100th Bomb Group Memorial Museum, Thorpe Abbotts Due to heavy losses the 100th Bomb Group became known as the ‘Bloody Hundredth’.

Housed in the original airfield control tower and surrounding buildings, the museum tells a moving story of the wartime experiences of those stationed at Thorpe Abbotts, near Diss, about 30 minutes’ drive south from Norwich.

Since the 1970s this volunteer-run, fully accredited museum has been a star attraction in Norfolk. A Steven Spielberg-Tom Hanks produced television mini-series is due to feature the exploits of the 100th. Masters of the Air is based on historian Donald L Miller’s book.

The cost of victory was great; 229 aircraft were lost from 1943-5, with 768 men killed or missing and 939 taken prisoner.

HISTORICAL HIGHLIGHTS

They were also involved in repulsing Hitler’s final gamble – the offensive in the Ardennes in December, 1944, known as the Battle of the Bulge. The Group’s last combat mission was over Berlin on April 20, 1945.

The Group gained the name the ‘Bloody Hundredth’ not because it took the highest overall loss, but because on specific missions it sustained particularly high casualties. The bad luck experienced by the group became the stuff of legend, and the 100th remains the most written about outfit in the air force.

On its first raid, over Bremen, Germany, three planes and 30 men were lost. The 100th were also in the front line on ‘Black Thursday’ – October 1943 – when the Eighth Air force lost 60 aircraft in raids on a ball bearing factory at Schweinfurt. The factory was a target because it was vital for German aircraft production. On New Year’s Eve, 1944, the Group lost at least 12 Flying Fortresses in a raid over Hamburg, Germany. Their bad losses came in bunches, rather than singly.

ABOUT THE MUSEUM By 1977 Thorpe Abbotts had been abandoned for 30 years. Local enthusiasts began restoring the control tower. They also forged lasting links with American veterans, the result being visits on both sides of the Atlantic.

The current museum displays are housed in the original aircraft control tower. Many exhibits have been updated and refreshed, including the uniform room and displays in the chapel. You can meet Captain Joe Orendorff, veteran of 29 combat missions, and see the flak jacket that saved his life. On the roof the glasshouse is a good viewing point for the remaining airstrips.

The Engine Room houses an iconic Second World War jeep, while a Nissen Hut (Qonset) houses a display of model aircraft.

Thorpe Abbotts has been recognised by the Museum Libraries and Archives Council as an Accredited Museum.

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Re-enactment and commemorative events are held regularly at Thorpe Abbotts.

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110bgmus.org.uk

Veterans are still regularly welcomed at Thorpe Abbotts, where there is a significant collection of memorabilia.

100th Bomb Group Memorial Museum Common Road, Dickleburgh, near Diss, Norfolk IP21 4PH t. +44 (0) 1379 740708

OPEN 10am-5pm,

weekends and Bank Holidays: March 1 – October 31.

May to September: open Wednesdays.

Admission free Check the website for more details: 110bgmus.org.uk

WATCH THE FILM: thefriendlyinvasion.com

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The Friendly Invasion A GUIDE TO THE AIRFIELDS

95th Bomb Group Museum, Horham The 95th was the first bomb group to carry out a daylight raid on Berlin. The museum is on the site of the former NCOs’ club called the Red Feather Club. It features many personal stories and other artefacts within the museum, with original air raid shelters outside. There are two murals, along with the faithfully restored Brad’s Bar, which is used for club socials.

HISTORICAL HIGHLIGHTS Having spent brief spells at Alconbury, Cambridgeshire, and Parham (Framlingham) in Suffolk, the Group transferred to Horham in June, 1943, and stayed there until August, 1945.

They won a record three Presidential Unit Citations. The first came during a mission to Regensburg, Germany, in August, 1943, when the bombers kept a tight defensive formation in spite of assault by enemy fighters.

The second was awarded for maintaining cohesion while bombing railway yards at Munster. The third was for that attack on Berlin.

On March 4, 1944, the 95th defied snowstorms and fierce enemy resistance to reach and bomb targets in the German capital, while other units were forced to turn back.

The Group comprised four squadrons – the 334th, 335th, 336th and 412th. In all they lost more than 600 men in action during the war.

They left Suffolk in June, 1945.

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WHAT’S AT THE MUSEUM? The 95th Bomb Group Heritage Association aims to preserve and promote the history of Horham Airfield and the 95th. It wants to make airfield history accessible to all, and to this end it welcomes visits from schools and other organisations.

Other events include 1940s dances (Glenn Miller played at a hangar there shortly before his disappearance in December, 1944) quizzes and film shows. There is an in-house big band – Skyliner.

This sprawling base originally spanned four parishes – Horham, Denham, Redlingfield and Hoxne – and personnel would cycle or use jeeps to travel within its precincts, such was its size.

The Red Feather Club consists of five interconnected rooms and a separate guardroom. The former kitchen, now the entrance, has a massive diorama of the airfield as it looked during the war.

Outside there is a memorial, and a marble bench commemorating Bob Cozens. “He is credited with saving the 95th twice – the first time was when he rallied the battered squadron over Kiel during the Second World War and the second time by invigorating the veterans organisation in the US.” The museum is also home to a Military Police re-enactors group, Liberation 44 with their own guardroom. They were known as ’Snowdrops’ due to their distinctive white helmets.

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95thbg-horham.com

Horham has some of the best facilities of any former US air base in the region.

95th Bomb Group Museum, Horham The Street, Eye, near Diss, Suffolk IP21 5DX t. +44 (0) 7725 240669

OPEN DAYS

Public open days are from 10am on the last Sunday of each month from April to October.

The Red Feather Club is often open on Saturdays, usually when the flag is flying. Four miles southeast of Eye, accessible from the B1117.

Check the website for more details: 95thbg-horham.com WATCH THE FILM: thefriendlyinvasion.com

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The Friendly Invasion A GUIDE TO THE AIRFIELDS

Parham Airfield Museum, Framlingham WHAT’S AT THE MUSEUM?

Housed within the control tower, this museum is largely devoted to the 390th Bomb Group, who referred to the base as Framlingham. As well as presenting displays relating to the Americans, this site is also home to the British Resistance Organisation Museum, telling of the secret auxiliary units trained to fight back should the Nazis succeed in occupying Britain.

The control tower was shut up and abandoned following a “riotous farewell party” in August, 1945. In 1976 a small band of dedicated enthusiasts began restoring the building at their own expense. Five years later the museum was dedicated, and volunteers have established contacts with American veterans, friends and families.

HISTORICAL HIGHLIGHTS This was among the first airfields to be built for the USAF. In May, 1942, farmland was covered up by half a million tons of concrete. Four and a half million bricks were laid as three diagonal runways were created by a huge workforce. Rubble was transported from bomb sites in London and Birmingham. The cost of the building was some £1 million ($4 million at the time).

There is a touch screen computer which enables visitors to carry out their own research.

A B17 propellor exhibit enables visitors to see the internal feathering mechanism at work and which is fitted with viewing ports and internal lighting. There are new exhibits in the Moller Building and a new range of clothing and souvenir items in the shop.

The 390th Bombardment Group moved in. At its peak, there were about 3,000 personnel on the site. Glenn Miller and the Band of the AEF played before an estimated 6,000 people in a hangar at the base in 1944.

Their first mission was on August 12, 1943.

Their final mission came in April, 1945, just before the European war ended, when they dropped food supplies to starving Dutch civilians.

Parham Airfield Museum Parham, Framlingham, Suffolk IP13 9AF t. +44 (0) 1728 621373

OPEN 11am-5pm Sundays

and Bank Holidays, from first Sunday in April to last Sunday in October. Open 11am-4pm Wednesdays, June to August. Admission free. Please email during closed season: parhamairfield@yahoo.co.uk

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Bottisham Airfield Museum parhamairfieldmuseum.co.uk

bottishamairfieldmuseum.org.uk After the American entry into the war, Bottisham, three miles from Cambridge, was taken over by the 361st Fighter Group. It played a vital part in the Eighth Air Force’s campaign by escorting bombers on daylight missions into occupied Europe. Bottisham Air Museum is also devoted to the RAF and Belgian Air Forces.

HISTORICAL HIGHLIGHTS The RAF prepared Bottisham for its American tenants during 1943. In December of that year the 361st Fighter Group moved in. Comprising three fighter squadrons, their task was to escort bombers on raids into occupied Europe and Germany and carry out ground raids of their own.

Initially flying the P-47 Thunderbolt, the pilots were thrown into the war against the Luftwaffe from January, 1944. Their task was eased when they were equipped with P-51 Mustangs, which had a longer range, and thus they could give the bombers more cover.

ABOUT THE MUSEUM It was opened in 2009 to commemorate the role of the airfield, and make people aware of its story. The museum operates out of the last surviving buildings in the original perimeter. Purchase was completed in 2014, and a team of volunteers has taken on “the huge task of restoring them to their original appearance, but also modernising them as required to enable us to store items safely”. The aim is to collect, restore, conserve and display wartime artefacts, and also to reach out to families, tourists, service personnel, veterans and school groups.

Bottisham Airfield Museum Wilbraham Road, Bottisham, Cambridgeshire CB25 9BU t. +44 (0) 7791 971 799

OPEN Check the website for opening times and events: bottishamairfield museum.org.uk

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The Friendly Invasion A GUIDE TO THE AIRFIELDS

453rd Bomb Group Museum, Old Buckenham Hollywood star James ‘Jimmy’ Stewart was the first operations officer here, and is remembered with great affection in Norfolk. The museum is a recent addition, located on the still active airfield at Old Buckenham. It tells the story of the 453rd, which flew B-24 Liberators here from 1943-45. Outside you can see other military artefacts from both the Second World War and the Cold War. The Jimmy Stewart café serves hot and cold food through the day. Old Buck is deep in the Norfolk countryside, near the town of Attleborough.

HISTORICAL HIGHLIGHTS

ABOUT THE MUSEUM The museum was funded by Old Buckenham Airfield’s owner. It is housed in a purpose-built Nissen Hut. Many of the exhibits come from the collection of Patrick ‘Pat’ Ramm. He was an 11-year-old boy when the USAF arrived, and was ‘adopted’ by some of the ground crew there, in particular New Yorker John Tangorra.

John was an instrument mechanic and Pat and his pals used to hang out at ‘John Tangorra’s Shack’. He got back in touch with many of the veterans in the late 1970s when he became the base contact for the 453rd. From them came the seeds of the current collection – uniforms, medals and photographs.

The 453rd Bombardment Group arrived in Britain in December, 1943. The new station had been built in 1942 to accommodate heavy bombers. Old Buck’s Liberators flew a total of 259 missions, and dropped 15,804 tons of bombs before the end of the war in Europe.

They lost 58 aircraft – and 366 lives. The 366 are recalled on a modern War Memorial at Old Buckenham.

453rd Bomb Group Museum The Pat Ramm Building Old Buckenham Airfield Abbey Road Old Buckenham Norfolk NR17 1PU t. +44 (0) 1953 860806

WATCH THE FILM: thefriendlyinvasion.com

Main image: A typical re-enactment event at Old Buckenham.

OPEN 10am-4pm Friday,

Left: James Stewart with, from left, S/Sgt K M Dibble, 1st Lt Roger Counselman, Sgt J I Fiorentino and 2nd Lt A E Wilensky.

Saturday and Sunday during the season, which ends in mid-September.

©453rd Bomb Group Museum, Old Buckenham

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453museum.com oldbuck.com

Bassingbourn – Memphis Belle towermuseumbassingbourn.co.uk

THE REALITY OF AIR COMBAT S/Sgt Thomas Neilan was nose turret gunner aboard USAF Liberator Shack Rabbit, based at Old Buckenham in Norfolk. His poignant words sum up some of the reality of combat in the air: “The accountants of war had no keys on their calculators for adding up the cost of fear and of seeing a best friend’s ship go down in flames, or the weird feeling produced by joy mixed with guilt on returning unharmed from a mission from which so many others would not.

Combat is never comfortable of course, but aerial combat was probably the most frightening of all. We could not hide, we were simply marooned aloft in an aluminium coffin that seems to creep as slowly across the hostile sky as a fly across the wall, vulnerable to all who wanted to shoot us down.”

B-24 Shack Rabbit – crewed by pilot Eino Alve, co-pilot Dewey Horton, navigator Robert Marx, bombardier Marion Moore, engineer William Heerts, radio man Robert Jordan, nose gun Thomas Neilan, top gun Charles Parker, waist gun William Magner and tail gun Willard Riggs – flew 35 missions from Old Buck, from August, 1944 to January, 1945. The crew survived the war.

Nose turret gunner S/Sgt Thomas Neilan is pictured, front row, far left, in this shot of the crew of Shack Rabbit in 1944. ©453rd Bomb Group Museum, Old Buckenham

One of the most recognisable symbols of the Mighty Eighth Air Force’s campaign against Nazi Germany will once again report for duty – exactly 75 years after its crew finished their last mission.

The famed B-17F Memphis Belle, the first US heavy bomber to return home after completing 25 combat missions, has been refurbished and will be put on permanent public display in May 2018 at the National Museum of the US Air Force, Ohio, the focal point of an exhibit that will include interactive displays, rare archival film and personal artefacts.

The Flying Fortress, named after the sweetheart of her pilot Captain Robert Morgan, arrived at Bassingbourn, Cambridgeshire, in October 1942, flying her first mission, to Brest in France, the following month and her last on 25th on May 17, 1943.

In between, the ‘Belle’ was bullet-pocked, flakdamaged, had her engines shot out five times and once returned to Bassingbourn with her tail almost shot off.

Despite that, not one of her crew sustained any major injuries and they were feted as national heroes when they embarked on a wildly-successful War Bonds tour back home in the Summer of 1943.

But the famous Fortress’ spiritual home will always be across the Atlantic, in East Anglia, where the Tower Museum at Bassingbourn is dedicated to all the servicemen of the 91st Bombardment Group (Heavy) and features a display of artefacts, photographs and documents.

Its motto – “To keep the memory alive for all those who come after” – is reason enough to visit.

Tower Museum at Bassingbourn Bassingbourn Barracks, Royston, SG8 5LX

A B-17 Flying Fortress of the 91st Bomb Group lands at Bassingbourn.

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t. +44 (0) 1763 243500

The Special Relationship

US

UK

THE SPECIAL RELATIONSHIP Winston Churchill coined the term ‘Special Relationship’ to describe ties between the USA and Britain.

These ties have endured – though it has been a rocky ride at times.

© IWM (A 14124)

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We never failed to recognise the immense superiority of the power used by the United States in the rescue of France and the defeat of Germany.

W I N S T O N S C H U R C H I L L , M AY, 1 9 4 5

A

t Fulton, Missouri in 1946 former British Prime Minister Winston Churchill characteristically hogged the headlines. His speech there has gone down in history.

Churchill spoke of an ‘Iron Curtain’ between the communist east, led by the USSR and democratic west, under the leadership of the USA. Many believe the Cold War began at that point.

We’ve had our ups and downs, and continue to have them. Any American or Briton speaking in the wake of the War of Independence (the American Revolution) or the War of 1812, during which British troops burnt Washington DC to the ground, would probably have scoffed at the idea of cordial relations. Even during the mid20th Century many Americans distrusted the imperial ambitions of the British, while many Irish-Americans would have a sceptical outlook towards England.

Not only did Churchill come up with this memorable phrase, he also spoke of the ‘Special Relationship’ between the UK and the USA, plus Canada. After the events of 19415 these close diplomatic, political, military, economic and social ties seemed self-evident.

As a result of the ‘Friendly Invasion’ these links had never been stronger.

We have more to unite us than divide us though.

In the past century Britain and the USA have been allies in both world wars, the Korean War, Cold War, both Gulf Wars and the current War on Terror. Many of our leaders have established close relations. Churchill and Franklin D Roosevelt enjoyed a meeting of minds during the Second World War. In the post-war world British Prime Minister Harold Macmillan likened his relationship with a young John F Kennedy as that between Greece and Rome – with the older civilisation helping guide the younger one. And, famously, Margaret Thatcher and Ronald Reagan seemed to think as one on Cold War issues.

But Churchill was referencing something far deeper, something which had existed for more than a century. Partly historical – it was settlers from England, Scotland, Wales and Ireland who had formed the first wave of colonists to North America; partly linguistic – we may be ‘two nations divided by a common language’ but we can (just about!) understand each other without a translator; part political – both Britain and the USA adopted democracy during the 19th Century and have never relinquished or questioned that this is the best form of government; part cultural – we in Britain adopted rock ’n’ roll almost at the same time as the USA; part family – many in the USA can trace their roots to the British Isles, while many in the UK have relatives in the States.

The Special Relationship has its critics, of course. French President Charles de Gaulle used the British preference for America to justify excluding the UK from the forerunner to the European Union in the 1960s.

Back in 1607 the first English colonists sailed to Virginia, and planted the seeds of the Special Relationship you will read more about in the following pages. More than 400 years later these transatlantic ties have stood the test of time.

They will surely continue.

Left: President Roosevelt and Prime Minister Churchill at the Allied Conference in Casablanca, January 1943.

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The Special Relationship MILDENHALL & LAKENHEATH

Fields of Little America There is a part of Suffolk which is American to this day.

Ever since the start of the Cold War there has been a US military presence at Mildenhall and Lakenheath.

If you are travelling in north Suffolk don’t be surprised if you see a lot of American cars around, or hear transatlantic accents. No need to do a double take – they’ve been part of the landscape for decades.

During the Second World War, the USAF bases were known as the Fields of Little America. In two places this is still the case.

RAF Mildenhall and RAF Lakenheath are just a few miles apart, and form the biggest US military presence in Britain.

Since the end of the Cold War, however, there has been a drawdown of personnel and bases.

In 2015 it was announced that Mildenhall was set to close, with a reduction of 2,000 personnel, along with two smaller bases in Cambridgeshire at Molesworth and Alconbury.

The British Ministry of Defence has indicated that Mildenhall and Molesworth will be sold off.

At time of writing, however, no date has been set for these moves.

24,000

The estimated number of American military personnel, civilian staff and families in Britain.

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For the time being these are significant sites.

Lakenheath, home of the 48th Fighter ‘Statue of Liberty’ wing, has a reported 5,700 military personnel, along with some 2,000 British and American civilian workers. Mildenhall’s host unit is the 100th Air Refueling Wing, which has been in situ since 1992 and provides the sinews of war, enabling American and NATO aircraft to deploy around the world.

The British Royal Air Force founded both bases in response to the growing threats of the 20th Century. While Lakenheath Warren was inaugurated by the Royal Flying Corps (the pre-cursor to the RAF) during the First World War, its heyday came during the 1939-45 conflict. Short Stirling and Vickers Wellington bombers were in the forefront of the war against Nazi Germany.

Mildenhall can trace its aviation roots to the early 1930s. Although it was earmarked as an RAF base in 1930, it was a civilian event that made headlines four years later. The MacRobertson Air Race was the longest race in the world at the time, and drew 70,000 spectators to Suffolk.

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£500 million According to press reports, the contribution made by RAFs Mildenhall and Lakenheath to the East Anglian community in supplies services, rents and food.

Like Lakenheath, Mildenhall was in the front line during the Second World War. It was used in the British documentary film Target for Tonight in 1941, and came under attack from the Luftwaffe. It is estimated 2,000 crew members died during the war.

With the end of hostilities in 1945 both bases were put in mothballs by the RAF. Global events in the 1940s and 1950s placed them both back on active service. Tensions between the West and Stalin’s Soviet Union grew worse during the Berlin Blockade of 1948-9, which was broken by Allied air supplies to the beleaguered city. The invasion of South Korea by the communist North exacerbated what was by then being called the Cold War.

By November, 1948, B-29 Superfortresses were landing at Lakenheath, and control was passed to the United States Air Force Europe (USAFE).

Similarly, Mildenhall was used by both the RAF and USAF from 1950. For most American military personnel it has become the “gateway to the United Kingdom”.

American reliance on British bases increased at the end of the 1950s. French President Charles de Gaulle said ‘non’ to any more foreign nuclear-supplied forces on French soil, and the US found a ready welcome across the Channel.

De Gaulle’s withdrawal of France from NATO command structures in 1966 speeded up the US migration.

Lakenheath and Mildenhall are part of the scenery in Suffolk. Quite what the future holds, considering the plans to close bases, remains to be seen. As recently as April, 2017, America’s F-35a ‘stealth’ jets were sent on their first overseas deployment to touch down at Lakenheath.

Given the uncertain nature of the world it would be no surprise if these fields remain Little America for a while longer.

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© U.S. Air Force photo by Technical Sgt. Roidan Carlson.

The following year, 1935, King George V reviewed 350 aircraft at Mildenhall as part of his Silver Jubilee celebrations.

The Special Relationship THE MAYFLOWER

THE NEW VOYAGE OF THE MAYFLOWER One small ship carrying just 102 souls into the unknown carved out a place in history. As the 400th anniversary of the Mayflower’s voyage looms, plans are afoot to celebrate in style.

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The Mayflower was not beautiful looking.

She appeared too frail to brave the difficult Atlantic crossing in autumn conditions. Yet, if there is one story that epitomises the Special Relationship between Britain and America, it is that of the Mayflower. On September 6, 1620, an expedition set sail from Plymouth on that craft which would enter legend.

They came from many parts of the country, particularly East Anglia. All had one thing in common; their strong religious faith. England in the 17th century was riven by religious discord. Those who wished to ‘purify’ the Church of England of its Roman Catholic elements were Puritans. Eventually they concluded that to realise their dream of religious freedom they had to start again in the New World. The east coast was their escape route.

In the 1600s Harwich was a thriving seaport and centre of ship production. Christopher Jones was a leading shipmaster. He lived

at 21 Kings Head Street, near the waterfront.

Records show that he was married – twice – at St Nicholas’ Church. He was the owner of the Mayflower. In July, 1620, she set sail from Harwich along with another ship, the Speedwell, with the colonists on board.

They pulled in at Dartmouth and Plymouth in the south-west of England for repairs, and the Mayflower carried on alone. The date was September 16, and it took 66 days to reach America.

It is hard to imagine how the emigrants must have felt when they finally stepped ashore at Cape Cod on November 27, 1620. Relief, no doubt, after such a long time at sea in such harsh conditions. They were a long way north of the relatively benign climate of the Chesapeake, where English settlers had lived for more than a decade. The north coast of North America in late November was no easy deal. In that first winter more than half of the newcomers died from malnutrition and disease.

It was a Native American named Samoset who probably saved the Pilgrim Fathers.

He taught them to hunt and grow crops in their new home, and helped broker peace between newcomers and natives.

The following November, the colonists held their first Thanksgiving as the harvest was brought in.

Mayflower 400

The cradle of the nation

Modern Harwich is home to the Mayflower Project, a bid to build a fullsize, seaworthy replica of the Mayflower and sail to America in the 2020s to mark the 400th anniversary. The project also includes plans to create a Mayflower Museum and visitor centre in Harwich.

The Mayflower was not the first ship to transport emigrants from England to America. On December 19, 1606, three small ships sailed from London’s Blackwall pier to establish the first British colony in North America. Under the overall command of Harwich-born Captain Christopher Newport (1560-1617), the ships Godspeed, Discovery and Susan Constant, carrying 144 men and boys, many of them from Essex, set sail.

Part of the project is to deliver skills training, jobs and volunteering opportunities for local young people; 700 local youngsters have been awarded qualifications or completed apprenticeships in Marine Engineering, Construction and Business Administration.

Other places in the east with links to the Pilgrim Fathers include Boston, Lincolnshire. Many of the original pilgrims came from Lincolnshire villages. For a while some of them were detained at the town’s medieval Guildhall.

They arrived in Chesapeake Bay, Virginia, on April 26, 1607. The colonists established a base they named Jamestown in honour of their new King, James I. They faced many difficulties: terrible harvests resulting in starvation, warfare with Native Americans, and unrest within the colony.

Illness from malaria killed many.

Captain Newport made five voyages in all between England and Jamestown. It was largely thanks to the relief fleet he commanded, which brought in reinforcements and supplies, that Jamestown survived. It is celebrated in the USA as “the Cradle of the Nation”.

mayflower400uk.com

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© Shutterstock.com

S

he was a little over 100ft (30 metres) in length, had three main decks, three masts, a crew of about 25 and passengers totalling 102 migrants. They were the Pilgrim Fathers. This little English merchant ship, built in Essex about 40 years earlier, was square-rigged with high, castlelike structures fore and aft.

The Special Relationship POCAHONTAS

Native American princess Pocahontas figures large in the story of the English colonies. She also has a strong link to Norfolk.

The legend of POCAHONTAS

C

ap’n Smith and Pocahontas Had a very mad affair When her daddy tried to kill him She said: “Daddy, oh, don’t you dare!” So go the lyrics of Fever, the old Peggy Lee song. Well, it’s a great song – but it’s a long way from the truth. Native American Pocahontas (c15961617) was the daughter of Powhatan, chief of the Algonquian-speaking tribes and ruler of the Chesapeake lands in what is now Virginia.

She has entered history through her association with the early English Jamestown settlers and marriage to a Norfolk man. She has been much written about and discussed; what we do not have is her own voice. In her short life she never had the chance to record her own account.

Legend has it that she saved the life of one of the settlement’s leaders, Captain John Smith, when he was a captive of Powhatan in 1609. He said that the Indian princess laid her head down on his as her father was about to deliver a killing blow with his war club. There is some debate about the truth of Smith’s account, published in 1662 – he was known to exaggerate. In Smith’s words though, she “preserved the Colonie from death, famine and utter confusion”.

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Pocahontas on film Cap’n Smith and Pocahontas Had a very mad affair When her daddy tried to kill him She said: ‘Daddy, oh, don’t you dare!’

John Smith was originally from the Lincolnshire village of Willoughby. He led a colourful life as a mercenary soldier before joining the Virginia Company’s venture in the New World. In 1607 he sailed as one of the founders of the Virginia Colony. Having survived a mutiny charge, he became a nononsense leader of the embattled colony.

“He that will not work, shall not eat,” he told the colonists.

Whatever the exact nature of his story, his narrow escape from death reflects the fraught situation that developed between English colonists and native Americans.

In the long run they were doomed to end in war, conquest and the destruction of their way of life, but in the early years of the settlement’s life there were high hopes on both sides.

A few years after the incident involving John Smith, the two sides were indeed at war. Pocahontas was held as a hostage in Jamestown. She converted to Christianity, took the name Rebecca, and married plantation owner Thomas Rolfe on April 5, 1614. He had arrived in the New World four years earlier.

Heacham

Heacham is a seaside resort in west Norfolk, 14 miles north of King’s Lynn. Pocahontas is depicted on the village sign and a memorial in the church. Heacham Hall burnt down in 1941.

Pocahontas was the title of a Walt Disney Feature Animation film, released in 1995. It won two Academy Awards; for Best Musical or Comedy Score and Best Original Song for Colors of the Wind.

The marriage bought a short-lived peace between Powhatan and the English. Rolfe was originally from Heacham, a village in west Norfolk. Legend has it that the couple stayed briefly at his family home, Heacham Hall, two years later when they travelled to England. They left behind their son Thomas, born in 1615, and departed Virginia in May, 1616, arriving a month later in Plymouth.

The ‘Indian Princess’ was all the rage at the English court of James I. With an entourage provided

by Virginia governor Sir Thomas Dale, the Rolfes lodged in London, supposedly at La Belle Sauvage in Ludgate. In the capital she met the playwright Ben Jonson. A meeting with William Shakespeare would have been a great story – but he had died two months earlier. Imagine the scene he could have written…

Pocahontas was presented to King James I at the Banqueting Hall on Twelfth Night, 1617, where they saw Jonson’s masque The Vision of Delight.

“The Virginian woman Pocahontas, with her father’s Counsellor hath been with the King, and graciously used,” reported a courtier. Ben Jonson met her at an inn, and wrote about her in his play The Staple of News. She also met John Smith while in England, which came as a surprise as she had believed him dead.

It is assumed the visit to Norfolk took place earlier in 1616. The story goes that a mulberry tree in the garden at Heacham Hall was planted

by Pocahontas.

In the spring of 1617 the Rolfes were due to return to America. But Pocahontas never went home.

On March 21 she died suddenly at Gravesend, Kent, perhaps from tuberculosis. The damp air of London had given her respiratory problems the previous winter – perhaps she never recovered. Pocahontas was buried at St George’s Church, Gravesend.

John Rolfe returned to America, by now Secretary to the colony. It is presumed he died in 1622, shortly before war broke out again. The truce brought about by the marriage was short-lived.

Son Thomas survived, and through him Pocahontas has many descendants in the USA. She is seen as the mother of modern America. Her people, the Pamunkey, were belatedly recognised by the US government in 2015.

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The Special Relationship THOMAS PAINE

D

ecember 23, 1776. The first winter of the American Revolution (known as The American War of Independence in Britain). In New Jersey George Washington’s fledgling army stood at a crossroads. The army of the young Republic had stood firm against the British so far, but had been forced to retreat in harsh winter weather. Their terms of enlistment were coming to an end. In theory, they were all entitled to go home and abandon the struggle.

Washington, commander of the Continental Army, had just 2,400 men under his command.

At this moment he chose some stirring words to rally the troops, and steady the waverers: ‘These are the times that try men’s souls. The summer soldier and the sunshine patriot will, in this crisis, shrink from the service of his country; but he that stands it now, deserves the love and thanks of man and woman.’

It did the trick. Washington’s men stood by him. Three days later, they sailed across the frozen Delaware river. You know the picture; Washington stands at the prow of a boat pushing through the ice blocks on the water, determined expression, impervious to the elements with his soldiers behind him – and surprised the British troops at Trenton into surrender. Actually, they were Hessian troops from Germany fighting for King George III of Britain. By all accounts they were still recovering from the effects of their Christmas celebrations.

The author of the words that stirred the patriots’ hearts was from a market town in Norfolk. Thomas Paine was born in February, 1737, in Thetford, in the south of the county, about 30 miles from Norwich. His father was a working class artisan – a corset-maker and a Quaker, while his mother was an Anglican.

The young Thomas was educated at the local grammar school, but soon chafed at the constraints of hierarchical old England and became unsettled. He followed a chequered career, including working as an exciseman.

Everything changed when he met Benjamin Franklin, who was living in London at the time, as spokesman for the colonies. Franklin encouraged Paine to give the New World a try.

Paine never looked back. Arriving in America, he espoused the case of independence.

A skilled writer, his series of American Crisis pamphlets put the Patriot cause. Signed with the pseudonym Common Sense, it put the argument that Britain was trying to enslave the American colonists, and had no right to invade.

As a propagandist, Paine could not be bettered. His straight-forward prose appealed to ordinary people. He is even credited by some with being the first to use the phrase ‘United States of America’. When the British Army surrendered at Yorktown in 1781, America effectively won independence.

In his later career Paine went on to support the French Revolution, and become an outlaw in his own land. He fled to France, got himself

PAINE’S PROGRESS “These are the times that try men’s souls.”

So wrote Thomas Paine, the Norfolk-born republican radical whose reputation is growing on both sides of the Atlantic.

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elected to the Chamber of Deputies, but then narrowly avoided execution on the guillotine during the revolutionary Terror of the 1790s. His book The Rights of Man, with its anti-monarchical message, is regarded as a liberal classic, but at the time it was both controversial and dangerous. Paine later offended organised religion in his book The Age of Reason. He was fearless.

Paine returned to America and died at Greenwich Village, New York, in 1809. For many years after his death he was better known in the USA than in Britain. During the Second World War historically minded American airmen based at Knettishall, near

Thetford, named their B-17 Flying Fortress after him, bearing his quote: “Tyranny, like hell, is not easily conquered”. They also put up a plaque at what is now The Thomas Paine Hotel, supposedly his Thetford birthplace.

In 1964 a statue of Paine was erected in Thetford’s King Street. Paine holds a quill in one hand, and an upside down copy of The Rights of Man in the other (The sculptor claimed to have done that on purpose, in order to attract interest).

At the time it caused a degree of controversy.

Paine was still regarded as a traitor by some in Britain. These days his star is rising. He is regarded as a democrat before his time, while his questioning of organised religion appeals to an increasing secular age, particularly in Great Britain.

His reputation keeps growing; in 2002 he was voted Number 34 in the 100 Greatest Britons poll conducted by the BBC.

Still relevant

Memorabilia

President Barack Obama quoted Paine’s “These are the times that try men’s souls” in January, 2009, as part of his first inauguration speech.

The Ancient House Museum in White Lion Street, Thetford, has a growing collection of Paine memorabilia. It also tells the story of Thetford since Roman times.

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The Special Relationship LINKS WITH THE FOUNDING FATHERS

LINCOLN AND THE NEW WORLD In April, 1637, a 15-year-old boy left his native Norfolk for a new life. Samuel Lincoln’s descendants would go on to make history.

Born in 1622, Samuel was baptised at St Andrew’s Church, Hingham, near Norwich.

He emigrated to Boston, Massachusetts, along with his employer Francis Lawes, a weaver from Norwich and his family.

Like many of the Hingham congregation he was a Puritan, and found a safe haven in New England. His new town must have felt familiar; founded only four years earlier, south of Boston, it was called – Hingham.

Samuel went on to have 11 children, and lived until 1690. His great-great-great-great grandson Abraham Lincoln became the 16th American President in 1861. A bust of Abraham Lincoln sits in Hingham church today, and the town sign depicts a group of emigrants waiting for a ship on a quay.

From Puritans to pugilists Eastern England has strong historical links with North America, from founding fathers to a Hollywood hero.

A CITY ON THE HILL John Winthrop (1587-1649) was the second governor of Massachusetts, and founder of the city of Boston. He was born at Groton Manor, near Sudbury, Suffolk, a son of the minor gentry. In religion he was a Puritan, which put him at odds with the established Church of England and the government of King Charles I. Like many of this persuasion, he emigrated to America in 1629. Winthrop’s words to his followers have gone down in history. “We shall be as a City upon a hill, the eyes of all people are upon us”.

His speech was read out at the funeral of President Ronald Reagan.

Winthrop also founded the town of Ipswich, Massachusetts, in 1634. Named after Suffolk’s county town, a major historical East Anglian port, it is one of a number of places in the USA with Suffolk place names.

Others include Sudbury, Framingham and Haverhill, all in Massachusetts. Like Ipswich, Sudbury has a rich colonial history, and was founded in the 1630s. Its militia troops fought British Redcoats at the Battle of Lexington and Concord in 1775. Today it is known for its clams.

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ARCHIE’S ADVENTURES Hollywood leading man Cary Grant (1904-86) was born Archie Leach in Bristol. He was a bit of a bad boy. After being expelled from school aged just 13, he ran away and joined Ipswich’s Bob Pender Stage Troupe as a stilt walker.

He also appeared at the now demolished Hippodrome, in Norwich. The troupe visited the USA in 1920.

Young Archie decided to stay in the States, change his name, and have ago at acting.

He didn’t do too badly…

AN ENGLISH COUNTRY GARDEN

A STRONG CONSTITUTION

Huttleston Broughton (1896-1966) was heir to a huge American fortune. His father had made his money from mining and railways, while his mother, Cara Leland Rogers, was daughter of the multimillionaire Henry Huttleston Rogers. Although born in Fairhaven, Massachusetts, Broughton moved to Britain with his family at the age of 16. He fought as a Life Guards lieutenant during the First World War.

In Britain we say: “Every man’s home is his castle.” The phrase comes from a Cambridgeeducated barrister and judge called Sir Edward Coke (15521634). Born in Mileham, Norfolk, he studied law at Trinity College and went on to be an influential legal figure during the reigns of Elizabeth I and James I.

During the mid-1920s, by which time he had been elevated to the peerage as Lord Fairhaven, he bought a dilapidated house and estate near Cambridge. Anglesey Abbey can trace its roots to a medieval institution, but the brilliant gardens and house you see today are all Fairhaven’s work. On his death in 1966, he left Anglesey to the National Trust, and modern visitors can enjoy its vistas, avenues, rare trees and statues (nationaltrust.org).

He often incurred the displeasure of the latter for his independent views and defiance of Royal prerogative. His court rulings later influenced opposition in America to the 1765 Stamp Acts (no taxation without representation) which led to the War of Independence. The Fourth Amendment of the US Constitution, which prohibits unreasonable searches and seizures by the State without a warrant, was inspired by Coke’s assertion that our home should indeed be a castle.

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A FIGHTING MAN Bare-knuckle fighter Jem Mace, the ‘Gipsy King’, was heavyweight boxing champion of the world. Born at Beeston-next-Mileham, Norfolk, in 1831, there is a memorial stone beside his father William’s grave in St Mary’s Church.

In 1870, on the banks of the Mississippi, near New Orleans, he fought a celebrated bout against American pugilist Tom Allen to see who would be world champion.

A hard-fought scrap ended in the 10th when Allen’s arm was dislocated. In a gesture of mutual respect, the English boxer walked to the opposite corner, clapped Allen on the back, and said: “Tom, you are a game man and I wish you well.”

Mace died in poverty 40 years later in Anfield, Liverpool. There is a display about Mace at Swaffham Museum, Norfolk, and a lifesize statue of him and Allen at LaSalles landing, 12 miles from New Orleans. Mace was the last licensee of the long-gone White Swan inn, Norwich, where you can view a plaque marking the spot.

Visiting East Anglia

WHY AMERICANS WILL LOVE EAST ANGLIA We’ll let you into a secret.

East Anglia is among the best places to visit in Britain. Why? Read on, and we’ll tell you.

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England’s best climate You’ll be glad to know this is the driest and sunniest part of the country.

That doesn’t mean unbroken sunshine, by the way. This is Britain, after all!

here and what is East Anglia?

Well, we’re not in London, we’re not in the north, the midlands or the west. We’re not ones to boast, but we think you’ll fall in love with this region of England.

You won’t get to East Anglia on the way to anywhere else – beyond the counties of Cambridgeshire, Suffolk, Essex and Norfolk there is only the sea, so it’s important you know what’s here before you come.

Although we are perhaps not the best known region of the country, we are among the fastest growing. New tech industries sit side by side with agriculture, and more and more visitors are discovering what the east has to offer.

We’ve got big skies set against a largely rural landscape. We’ve got coastline with inspiring scenery. We’ve got the waterways of the

Norfolk Broads, parkland once graced by kings and queens but which now we can all enjoy, cities with an international reputation, such as Cambridge and Norwich, more stately homes than even we can cope with, castles and golf courses to rank with the best.

If Royalty is your thing, the Queen’s home at Sandringham will draw you in – and Norfolk has also got the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge (William and Kate). You’ll find large cities here, but also historical market towns, picture postcard traditional villages and green, rolling fields. Dedham Vale in Essex is where landscape painter John Constable honed his craft, while Suffolk is home to lovely spots like Lavenham and Long Melford.

The following pages will give you an idea of where to go and what to enjoy as you explore.

Sunset at Wells-next-the-Sea, north Norfolk coast.

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Visiting East Anglia CAMBRIDGE

In and around Cambridge Statue at King’s College.

World famous colleges, fine minds and fabulous museums – welcome to Cambridge Seats of learning, a scenic river, characterful pubs and fine dining. The university city of Cambridge has educated some of the world’s most renowned thinkers, and beckons visitors from all over the globe.

Punting on the River Cam The River Cam runs through the heart of Cambridge, enabling you to enjoy fantastic views of the world-famous College ‘Backs’ from the comfort of a traditional Cambridge Punt.

Some of the city’s grandest buildings, King’s College Chapel, The Wren Library at Trinity College and The Bridge of Sighs are just some of the renowned Cambridge landmarks you can expect to see during a 45-minute chauffeured punt tour. visitcambridge.org/things-to-do/ punting-bus-and-bike-tours/punting-tours

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People punting down the River Cam, Cambridge.

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To find out more, see Cambridge’s visitor website: visitcambridge.org IN CAMBRIDGE FOR A DAY? TOP 3 THINGS TO DO: EXPLORE THE COLLEGE BACKS IN A PUNT GO ON A GUIDED TOUR OF THE COLLEGES A DRINK IN THE EAGLE PUB

© VisitEngland/Iain Lewis

Official Guided Tours of Cambridge and the University Colleges

From left: Entrance to St John’s College and Guided Walking Tour.

An Official Green or Blue Badge guided tour of Cambridge, the university and the colleges is the best way to see the highlights of Cambridge. Only highly-trained Green or Blue Badge tour guides are permitted to deliver tours inside the University of Cambridge colleges.

If you’re looking to experience these magnificent buildings and hear insightful and fascinating facts, stories and myths during your visit, then Official Guided Tours is the only place to begin your journey.

© VisitEngland/Iain Lewis

visitcambridge.org/ official-tours

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See page 14 for how to get to Cambridge

© Fitzwilliam Museum

© VisitEngland/Iain Lewis

Visiting East Anglia CAMBRIDGE

From left: Fitzwilliam Museum, Trinity Lane, Cambridge and The Eagle Pub.

Drink in the pub where DNA was announced

Museums everywhere you turn

The 15th century Eagle Pub is the place where Francis Crick interrupted patrons’ lunchtime on February 28, 1953, to announce that he and James Watson had “discovered the secret of life” after they had come up with their proposal for the structure of DNA. The anecdote is commemorated on a blue plaque next to the entrance, and two plaques in the middle room by the table where Crick and Watson lunched regularly.

Today the pub serves a special ale to commemorate the discovery, dubbed Eagle’s DNA. You can also see Second World War airmen’s signatures on the wall, including those of Americans stationed nearby.

The University of Cambridge has 8 museums and the Cambridge University Botanic Garden, which when combined, has the country’s highest concentration of internationally important collections outside of London – within a square mile you can visit seven of the eight University of Cambridge museums, with the jewel in the crown being the Fitzwilliam Museum.

eagle-cambridge.co.uk

FITZWILLIAM MUSEUM With over half a million artworks in its collection, the Fitzwilliam Museum is one of the most impressive regional museums in Europe, presenting world history and art from as far back as 2500 BC, including Egyptian and Roman finds, to the present day.

Entry is free.

University of Cambridge College Dining Host your own private, fine dining banquet at the university. Following an optional guided tour, you will be escorted to your iconic and beautiful University College setting for pre-dinner drinks, followed by a sumptuous four course set menu.

fitzmuseum.cam.ac.uk

visitcambridge.org/groups/private-dining

…and before you leave have a browse in Jacks on Trinity – a great place to shop for souvenirs of your visit to Cambridge – followed by an English afternoon tea.

For more information about what Cambridge has to offer, see:

visitcambridge.org

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© VisitEngland/Iain Lewis

© VisitEngland/Iain Lewis

© Fitzwilliam Museum

Below: Jacks on Trinity and Harriets Café Tearooms.

To find out more, see Cambridge’s visitor website:

EATING & DRINKING in Cambridge

visitcambridge.org

© VisitEngland/Iain Lewis

Dining on Rooftops and the Riverside

The Roof Terrace at The Varsity Hotel & Spa.

The Varsity Hotel & Spa

Restaurant Alimentum – Quality and Originality

This boutique hotel and spa is located by the river in the historic centre of the city, surrounded by stunning views over King’s College Chapel, Trinity and St John’s Colleges. Have a drink in the Roof Top Garden and experience these amazing views. The Varsity is also home to SIX Restaurant. Book in for a luxury stay – there are rooms and suites, some with outdoor balconies, and a spa too.

Sleek and stylish, this is one of the best restaurants in Cambridge, offering seriously good food in the Modern European style. Chef Patron Mark Poynton uses his experience to create dishes brimming with quality and originality. The menus (A La Carte; Tasting; Chef’s Tasting and Fixed Price) change with the seasons and use ingredients sourced locally wherever possible.

thevarsityhotel.co.uk

restaurantalimentum.co.uk

Pub on the River Cam

Galleria Restaurant

The Anchor Pub, Dining & River Terrace is a traditional English pub with a restaurant on the top floor overlooking the River Cam and the Mill Pond, two bars and a river terrace to soak in the sun. A great place to take in the city.

Galleria Restaurant is a celebrated independent restaurant by Magdalene Bridge, with balcony seating overlooking the River Cam. The modern British fusion menu has influences from around the world, served in stylish contemporary interior or on the terraces outside for al fresco dining.

anchorcambridge.com

© Shutterstock.com

galleriacambridge.co.uk

Cambridge Food Tour

Wine Tasting

Experience Cambridge through the eyes of a ‘Foodie’. Discover the best foods of Cambridge at speciality shops, famous Cambridge institutions and uncover hidden Cambridge on a fun walking tour.

Wine Courses and evening Wine Tastings for all levels of experience, focusing on enjoying wine and learning in a relaxed setting. They are a great way of discovering a new world of flavours and aromas.

cambridgefoodtour.com

visitcambridge.org

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Visiting East Anglia CAMBRIDGE – Outside the city

PLACES TO VISIT Outside Cambridge You don’t have to travel far outside of the city to experience some fine English countryside.

There are several stately homes with gardens and parklands. Once home to the aristocracy, now they are open to the public.

Discover Newmarket – The Home of Horseracing Discover Newmarket offers a unique opportunity to go behind the scenes at racing’s headquarters to learn about the fascinating history, heritage and culture of the town. Racing in Newmarket dates back to the glory days of King Charles II, the ‘Merry Monarch’.

Our expert guides deliver tours to groups and individuals – discovernewmarket.co.uk

…English Country houses…

© National Trust images, John Millar

© VisitBritain/Rod Edward/Choose Suffolk

Anglesey Abbey Gardens and Lode Mill allows you to journey back to the golden age of country houses.

Rare and fabulous objects are housed for you to admire.

Designed to be enjoyed all year around, Anglesey’s gardens boast spectacular colours and scents throughout the year. It has something for everyone, with den building, Nature’s wild diner, and a fully functional watermill, Lode Mill, in addition to sumptuous gardens and a wonderful house – nationaltrust.org.uk/ anglesey-abbey-gardens-and-lode-mill

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Wimpole Estate is a unique working estate, home to an impressive Georgian mansion, with massive parkland and gardens, designed by renowned 18th century landscape gardener Capability Brown. There is also an interactive rare breed farm where you can see regular demonstrations with livestock. Visit with family and friends or on your own. You can walk, run, tackle an assault course or enjoy some delicious home-grown food – nationaltrust.org.uk/wimpole-estate

…and a Nature Reserve Wicken Fen Nature Reserve is Britain’s oldest nature reserve, and England’s most famous fen. The fens used to cover much of the low-lying eastern counties before drainage began in the 17th century to create some of the most fertile farmland in Britain. Wicken Fen has more than 8,000 species of plants and wildlife, much of which can be admired along the boardwalk that runs between the reedbeds and meadows. Come and take a relaxing walk along the broad walk, cycle or just sit back and enjoy the view – nationaltrust.org.uk/ wicken-fen-nature-reserve For more information about what Cambridge and beyond has to offer, see:

visitcambridge.org From top: Newmarket, the birthplace of thoroughbred horse racing, and Anglesey Abbey.

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Offering everything you’ll need for the perfect stay in Cambridge, a beautiful and historic University City. An easy stroll to the city’s attractions and overlooking 25 acres of park land. Just a short drive to the Cambridge American Cemetery, the only American WW2 cemetery in the United Kingdom.

For further details contact: info@gonvillehotel.co.uk Tel: 01223 366611

Take a twin break

After a stay at the Gonville Hotel, let us chauffeur you in our 1958 Bentley S1 to our sister hotel, the Maids Head, ideally located in the heart of Norwich.Throughout your experience, our highly qualified teams will ensure you receive the warmest of welcomes and great levels of hospitality.

NORWICH

Known to be the oldest hotel in the UK, this independent hotel boasts charm and individual character and is the jewel in Norwich’s crown. Situated in the heart of the city the Maids Head is an ideal place to stay whilst exploring Norwich and Norfolk.

For further details contact: reservations@maidsheadhotel.co.uk Tel: 01603 209955

Culinary Excellence

Visiting East Anglia NORWICH

Norwich, a fine city The Assembly House, close to the Theatre Royal.

Two cathedrals, a castle, and some of the best churches in northern Europe – welcome to Norwich The motto of Norwich is ‘Do Different’.

You’ll find plenty of opportunities to do just that in this small, but perfectly formed city, the capital of the county of Norfolk.

Norwich Anglican Cathedral Norwich has two cathedrals. The first is the 900-year-old Norwich Cathedral. No visit would be complete without taking a free hourly cathedral tour to allow you to fully appreciate the work it took to build and the history it has experienced.

The Close offers a quaint ‘village green’ surrounded by charming flint and cobbled cottages and grand houses with English country gardens.

July sees a two-day Shakespeare Festival in the atmospheric cloisters and the opening (on selected Sundays) of the Bishop’s Garden. cathedral.org.uk

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A walk around the Cloisters of Norwich Cathedral.

To find out more, see Norwich’s visitor website: visitnorwich.co.uk IN NORWICH FOR A DAY? TOP 3 THINGS TO DO: A WALK AROUND NORWICH CATHEDRAL CLOISTERS VISIT NORWICH CASTLE KEEP AFTERNOON TEA IN THE GEORGIAN ASSEMBLY HOUSE

Norwich Castle Museum & Art Gallery

Norwich Castle stands high above the historic Market Place.

Norwich Castle Museum & Art Gallery is one of the city’s most famous landmarks, sitting high above the city. The museum is home to outstanding collections of fine art, archaeology and natural history and is packed with treasures. In the magnificent Norman Keep, models, computers, sound and video bring history to life.

The Shirehall Courtroom is an immaculately preserved Victorian court. Follow in the footsteps of prisoners by descending a spiral staircase of 50-odd steps, walking through a tunnel to the courtroom at the bottom of the castle mound. The guides tell stories of actual trials and the fate of Victorian villains. Hour-long tours must be prebooked, but are included in entrance to the Castle. Call 01603 495897 for details. museums.norfolk.gov.uk

St John the Baptist Cathedral

A view across the fine city of Norwich from St James’s Hill gives visitors a panoramic look at the two cathedrals, City Hall, The Forum and Norwich Castle.

The second is across the city (but walkable) and is the Cathedral of St John the Baptist. Tours are available, as are Tower Tours which offer amazing views across the city. sjbcathedral.org.uk

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See page 14 for how to get to Norwich

The Sainsbury Centre for Visual Arts This public art museum in a world-class Norman Foster building at the University of East Anglia (UEA) is two miles from the centre of Norwich. It has spectacular outdoor art by Henry Moore and a sculpture garden.

Modern art donated by Lord and Lady Sainsbury, including works by Pablo Picasso, Francis Bacon and Edgar Degas, and world art spanning 5,000 years of human creativity are in the permanent collection.

Free guided tours are offered as well as free admission (temporary exhibitions are charged) Tuesday to Sunday. scva.ac.uk

© VisitNorwich

© Pete Huggins

Visiting East Anglia NORWICH

The Museum of Norwich at the Bridewell & Strangers’ Hall Norwich has two small, charming museums in historic buildings; The Museum of Norwich at the Bridewell and Strangers’ Hall. The Bridewell tells the story of Norwich and its people through film, interactive displays, interpretations and original scenes. Strangers’ Hall is a stunning medieval merchant’s house with each room decorated in different period settings. See the newly conserved Norwich Baby House in the Toy Room. There is a lovely outdoor area, including a knot garden, so take along a picnic lunch. museums.norfolk.gov.uk

Guided Walking Tours Book a 90-minute guided walking tour of Norwich. Join fully trained and enthusiastic guides. Scheduled tours run from Easter to October.

Numbers are limited so it is recommended to pre-book to guarantee a space. If you have a party or group, consider a private tour which can be tailored for a time to suit you and your group’s interests. Tours cost £5 per person and £48+vat for private tours up to 20 people – visitnorwich.co.uk Those who enjoy folklore and legends, with a bit of ‘gallows’ humour thrown in, might be interested in tours with The Man in Black.

Hear tales of phantoms, poltergeists and horror of all sorts. Meet at the Adam and Eve pub, there is no need to book in advance. Tours last about two hours and cost £7 per adult.

Walks are taken on Tuesdays (Elm Hill) and Thursdays (Castle Walk).

The Norwich Lanes The Norwich Lanes is a miscellany of narrow streets, local architecture, centuries of design and intricate brickwork. The Lanes is a haven of independents, with everything from vintage gems to antiques, jewellery, art, lifestyle and fashion. Oozing quirky eateries, bars, entertainment venues – spilling over with a great choice of artisan coffee houses too.

ghostwalksnorwich.co.uk

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To find out more, see Norwich’s visitor website:

EATING & DRINKING in Norwich

The Maids Head Hotel

Afternoon Tea at the Assembly House

visitnorwich.co.uk

The site of The Maids Head Hotel has been a place of hospitality since the early 12th century. The hotel claims to be the oldest in Britain. Its guests have included The Black Prince (eldest son of King Edward III), Catherine of Aragon, Queen Elizabeth I and Admiral Lord Horatio Nelson.

The Assembly House is in the heart of Norwich and is one of the city’s finest examples of Georgian architecture. It is an 11-bedroom boutique hotel offering breakfast. The House also offers lunches and traditional Afternoon Tea. It is home to the Richard Hughes Cookery School, which offers cooking and teaching facilities. The Assembly House is free to enter.

maidsheadhotel.co.uk

© Nick Farrow

assemblyhousenorwich.co.uk

The Assembly House.

Norwich Market.

Dining in Norwich

Elm Hill & The Britons Arms

Norwich is the capital city of a county steeped in agriculture: local produce, organic meat, fresh fish and many artisan producers of cheese, wine, whisky, beer, chocolate, bread and more. Norwich’s dining offer includes independent eateries; local chefs with great experience and talent working with tasty local seasonal ingredients.

Elm Hill is the most famous street in Norwich. It is also the most complete medieval street in the city. A major fire destroyed almost everything in 1507 but properties were rebuilt and now we can enjoy a beautiful cobbled street with merchants’ houses, thatching, individual homes, speciality shops and small cafés.

One of Norwich’s newest places is the Rooftop Gardens which offers spectacular views across Norwich taking in the castle and cathedral – rooftopgardens.co.uk During the day, Norwich Market (it’s been on its current site since the Normans arrived) has a great choice of food on the go from traditional fish and chips to lasagne, falafel, pizza and cup cakes. The market is the largest six-day-aweek open air market in the country and is famed for its colourful, stripy canopies.

One of the best known buildings on Elm Hill is a thatched 14th century building – The Britons Arms. It is a family-run coffee house and serves delicious homemade food. britonsarms.co.uk

Special restaurants, those which have won awards or are innovative and have stood the test of time, include: The Last Wine Bar lastwinebar.co.uk Roger Hickman’s Restaurant rogerhickmansrestaurant.com Bishop’s Dining Room & Wine Bar bishopsrestaurant.co.uk © Norwich City Council

Benedicts restaurantbenedicts.com Or simply have a wander – the city is bursting with cafés, coffee houses, contemporary wine bars and old-fashioned pubs.

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© VisitNorwich/Ricky-Joe Burrage

Visiting East Anglia NORWICH

Marble Hall.

St Peter Mancroft Church.

SOME HIDDEN GEMS in Norwich Marble Hall, Plantation Garden & St Peter Mancroft Church

© VisitEngland/Iain Lewis

Norwich is a city full of alleys and courtyards, hidden doors and pathways leading somewhere exciting.

Surrey House is home to Marble Hall, a stunning piece of work commissioned by The Norwich Union Life Insurance Society’s directors. Today the building is home to Aviva (formerly Norwich Union). Whilst this is a working building, it is open to members of the public free of charge during office hours Monday to Friday. Free building tours can be arranged by calling 01603 681062.

One of Norwich’s best kept secrets is Plantation Garden, next to St John the Baptist Cathedral in Earlham Road. This three-acre secluded spot has a Gothic-style fountain, flower beds, lawns, Italianate terrace, ‘Medieval’ terrace wall and more. On summer Sundays enjoy home-made afternoon teas plus special events throughout the year, such as open-air cinema in July and August – plantationgarden.co.uk

© Amy Seaman

© The Forum, Norwich

© Melanie March

St Peter Mancroft Church is Norwich’s largest medieval church. Visitors go to see the medieval glass and collection of church silver (one of the best in the country) as well as the font which dates back to 1463 and a beautiful Flemish tapestry from 1573. The church is opposite The Forum, Norwich’s Millennium building and home to the 2nd Air Division Memorial Library (see page 60) – theforumnorwich.co.uk

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Hay Hill runs alongside the church where stands a statue of Sir Thomas Browne – the single greatest writer associated with Norwich. A major piece of public sculpture art sits on Hay Hill under the watchful gaze of Sir Thomas’s statue (it often ends up with traffic cones on his head – student pranks).

Near to Hay Hill is the 247-ft long covered Royal Arcade. Opened in 1899, this Art Deco masterpiece has an enticing mix of shops and restaurants.

Norwich is a friendly, thriving city with a great history and a vibrant future. Come and take a look.

For more information about what Norwich has to offer, see:

visitnorwich.co.uk Left, from top: The Royal Arcade, Plantation Garden, the Knot Garden and The Forum.

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EXPERIENCE AVIATION! Bring your family, or group, tour the aircraft and then experience Virtual Reality, 360˚ Flight Simulators, Aviation-themed Gifts for everyone, Hollywood & Living History Movies on a Giant Screen, and Cafe Dining. Plus, be sure to host your next event at the Air Force Museum Theatre for a unique and memorable experience. www.afmuseum.com | 937-253-4629

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EXPANDING THE LEGACY of the

NATIONAL MUSEUM OF THE U.S. AIR FORCE

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Learn more about supporting the Foundation at www.afmuseum.com/donations.

The Air Force Museum Foundation, Inc., is a Section 501(c)(3) private, non-profit organization. It is not part of the Department of Defense or any of its components, and it has no government status.

Visiting East Anglia

Eastern attractions Beach huts in Southwold, Suffolk.

The Broads, a serene coastline and many stately homes to tempt you While you are here we’d like you to get to know us and the region.

Here are a few ideas of just some of special treats on offer in East Anglia.

The Norfolk Broads Not far from Norwich, the Broads is a beautiful landscape with 125 kilometres of navigable waterways and an abundance of wildlife – a National Park to be proud of. Activities include: long and short walks, cycling, bird watching, fishing, boating, on the water activities and overnight stays on big, small and luxury vessels. The Broads is easy to reach by train or by bus. Or hire a car to get around the pretty villages and market towns.

Windmill in The Broads National Park, Norfolk.

visitnorfolk.co.uk

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To find out more, see East Anglia’s visitor website: visiteastofengland.com

We noted two impressive paintings on the walls: ‘Welcome home Yank’, and ‘Lest we forget’.

© VisitEngland/Broads Authority/Tom Mackie

V E T E R A N M U R R AY A S C H WA R T Z , W H O C A M E B AC K TO N O R FO L K I N 1 9 8 8

Sailing boats on Ranworth Broad, The Broads National Park.

Eastwood Whelp and Ranworth Get a taste of traditional Norfolk Yacht Sailing on the Broads at Eastwood Whelpton, a long running boat yard with old-fashioned wooden Norfolk yachts to hire.

For panoramic views of the Broads, climb to the top of St Helen’s Church, Ranworth. There are 89 uneven steps and two stepladders to negotiate before you reach the top, 96ft up. You are rewarded with views of open water and the coast in the far distance (on a clear day).

Locals claim you can pick out 100 of Norfolk’s famous churches.

© VisitEngland/Tom Mackie

eastwood-whelpton.co.uk visitnorfolk.co.uk

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See page 15 for the map of East Anglia

Visiting East Anglia

MILES OF IDYLLIC COASTLINE

Rent a beach hut Rent a beach hut at Wellsnext-the-Sea. The backdrop of colourful stilted beach huts there is one of the most famous views in north Norfolk. Many of them can be rented for the day or for a week, offering great views of the beach with the sea only a pebble’s throw away and marvellous sunsets over Holkham Bay.

©VisitBritain/Daniel Bosworth

Walk along a pier and eat a traditional British seaside meal If you are in Essex, take a stroll along Southend Pier – the longest in the world! Or if you are in Norfolk visit the Victorian-built Cromer Pier. Then eat fish and chips at a seaside restaurant run by a Michelin-starred restaurateur – restaurant No1 Cromer – owned by Galton Blackiston.

Here they serve the best locally sourced produce such as fish and chips, the famous Cromer crab and cockled popcorn. There are plenty of other places to enjoy fish and chips – including plenty of takeaways.

See the Norfolk seals

VisitEngland/Iain Lewis

Taking a boat trip is the safest and best way to see the north Norfolk seal colonies. Blakeney Point is home to Common and Grey seals and is one of the biggest colonies in winter in England, with some 2,500 pups. Grey seals have their young, born with white coats and large black eyes, between November and January and common seals have their pups between June and August. Boat trips go from Morston Quay and Blakeney harbour, or take a ride on The Wash Monster amphibious boats, from Hunstanton. Often you can see seals bobbing around and basking in the sun in Wells harbour and Sea Palling or on the sandbanks at Holkham.

Ipswich Marina Neptune Marina in Ipswich is an up and coming area of Suffolk’s county town. It is a hub of activity with a mix of vibrant restaurants, cafés, shops, apartments and inspiring waterfront views of moored yachts and powerboats.

Expect visits from tall ships and Royal Navy vessels to the town’s vibrant waterfront.

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To find out more, see East Anglia’s visitor website:

A WEALTH OF STATELY HOMES

visiteastofengland.com

Blickling Hall, Norfolk Wander around the estate and parkland of Blickling Hall, Norfolk.

It was not only the home of lords, ladies and even a queen, but also became the Officers’ Mess for local RAF Oulton airfield during the Second World War, and now has a museum displaying information and artefacts from the airfield inside.

The hall is said to be haunted by the ghost of Anne Boleyn, King Henry VIII’s second wife who he had beheaded in 1536.

She is said to have been born there.

Audley End, Saffron Walden

Have a look around the Queen’s holiday home. The Royal Family home, Sandringham House, is open to the public so you can see where the Queen, the Prince of Wales and Duchess of Cornwall come for holidays. You can also explore the museum, which houses a collection of vehicles ranging from the first car owned by a British monarch, a 1900 Daimler, to a half-scale Aston Martin used by Princes William and Harry.

Here you will also find a different exhibition each year which always includes items from the collections in the private rooms of the house not normally accessible to visitors.

Explore the 60-acre gardens and Sandringham Church.

© VisitEngland/English Heritage

Sandringham House, Norfolk

Saffron Walden is a picturesque town in north-west Essex. It has a rich heritage of old buildings reflecting its wealth as a rural market town. At its heart is St Mary’s Church, the largest and one of the most beautiful parish churches in Essex. Also of note are the Eight Bells, Cross Keys, the medieval building located at 1 Myddylton Place and nearby Audley End House, one of England’s grandest stately homes. Saffron Walden Museum’s collections are housed in one of the oldest purpose-built museums.

Bridge End Garden, on the north side of town, is a real jewel of great charm, having recently undergone careful restoration.

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Melford Hall, Suffolk Melford Hall is just outside the picturesque village of Long Melford in Suffolk. A stunning red-brick Tudor mansion, it has had its share of troubles, from being ransacked during the English Civil War to a devastating fire while housing troops during the Second World War. Now fully restored, it remains a family home, with a strong link to the children’s author Beatrix Potter, of Peter Rabbit and the Flopsy Bunnies fame.

Visiting East Anglia

Lavenham Lavenham – a former wool town – looks as if it is frozen in time. Half-timbered houses, medieval guildhalls, the cathedral-like Church of St Peter and St Paul and The Swan, the characterful pub where US and British airmen scrawled their signatures on the wall during the Second World War. The whole town is an attraction in itself, and a must-visit spot in Suffolk.

Willy Lott’s Cottage “These scenes made me a painter”. So said renowned early 19th century artist John Constable of the countryside around north Essex and south Suffolk where he was born and raised. Visit Dedham Vale and see Willy Lott’s cottage at Flatford Mill, the scenes where famous paintings such as The Hay Wain were created – and which still look much the same today.

Enjoy scenic walks in the valley of the River Stour.

Thorpeness Golf Course, Thorpeness, Suffolk.

A little bit of sport Golf Lovers of golf will be in their element in East Anglia.

The four counties of Norfolk, Suffolk, Cambridgeshire and Essex boast well over 150 courses of varying difficulty and terrain. From parkland to heathland and meadowland to some stunning links courses, you will be in for a great day out and some outstanding sport.

Essex alone has more than 80 courses from which to choose. The seaside towns of Clacton and Southend offer handy courses, while Burnham On Crouch is an undulating challenge of a meadowland course. Closer to London, you won’t want to miss out on the golf at Royal Epping Forest.

Heydon Have a ‘cuppa’ in Heydon, one of only a dozen privately owned villages in England. A picturesque and historic estate with an Elizabethan hall and historic church to match.

Heydon.

Lavenham.

©VisitBritain/Rod Edward/Choose Suffolk

©VisitBritain / Craig Easton

Picturesque villages

If you are visiting Cambridge the city has several excellent courses. These include historic Gog Magog Golf Course, which was founded in 1901. A particularly attractive location can be found near Peterborough at Thorpe Wood Golf Course and Orton Meadows.

Willy Lott’s Cottage.

Suffolk offers golf in some tranquil settings. Hintlesham Hall is set in 150 acres of unmissable lush green countryside, and Newton Green Golf Course is near the historic town of Sudbury. Beautiful Stoke-by-Nayland, in picturesque John Constable country, will also reel you in, while Thorpeness Golf Club and Hotel is by the sea.

Wet your whistle at a brewery!

Feeling thirsty? If you’re a whisky fan head to Rougham, near Thetford. Pure Norfolk water and best barley are the two vital ingredients for a fine whisky.

The two combine at St George’s Distillery, home of The English Whisky Company. American oak casks already used in the maturation of bourbon are used for storage. Distillery tours are a popular draw for visitors.

To the north of the region, the county of Norfolk is blessed with some lovely links courses on its coastline.

The Royal Cromer Golf Club is where Arthur Conan Doyle, author of the Sherlock Holmes stories, is said to have come up with the inspiration for The Hound of the Baskervilles, while neighbouring Sheringham, Royal West Norfolk Golf Club and Hunstanton offer great coastal views. Closer to the city of Norwich is Sprowston Manor Hall. visiteasteastofengland.com englishgolf-courses.co.uk

englishwhisky.co.uk

A day at the races

If you can find it amid the winding country roads of north Suffolk (don’t worry – even the locals get lost!), lovers of beers and ales should seek out St Peter’s Brewery. Set in the rustic countryside of north Suffolk, at St Peter South Elmham, near Bungay, the old hall dates back to the 1280s. Locally malted barley and Kentish hops are used to create the distinctive St Peter’s brews, and they even have their own glutenfree (G-free) beer. The hall has its own moat, and the restaurant is open for bookings.

Newmarket is known as the headquarters of British horse racing. The sport of Kings in the town dates back to the days of King Charles II and his father and grandfather. Indeed, the Merry Monarch was a regular visitor along with the likes of Nell Gywnne, and is said to have ridden a winning horse in a 1675 race. Our present monarch, Queen Elizabeth II, is an enthusiastic and knowledgeable patron of the sport. Newmarket’s two courses have regular meets from April to November, along with special music nights during the summer.

stpetersbrewery.co.uk

newmarket.thejockeyclub.co.uk

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The Swan at Lavenham Hotel & Spa 15th century, historic hotel set in the best preserved medieval village in England Lavenham was home to the 487th Bombardment Group, 8th USAAF during WW2

Weavers’ House Spa

Hotel facilities include:

• •

45 unique en-suite be drooms

45 en-suite bedrooms, all of which are totally unique

Spa – Award winning 5 Bubble Rated Weavers’ House Spa

• Two restaurants • The famous Airmen’s Bar • Garden • Cosy lounges • Free WiFi and free parking High Street, Lavenham, Suffolk CO10 9QA

Airmen’s Bar

To book/enquire please email: reservations@theswanatlavenham.co.uk Tel: +44 (0) 1787 247477 www.theswanatlavenham.co.uk Quote: Friendly Invasion

Gallery Restaurant

The Friendly Invasion ITINERARIES

ITINERARIES In 1942 the United States came to the East of England. Now we’d like to welcome you back.

Discover The Friendly Invasion tours across East Anglia and explore your American heritage here in the East of England.

You can get a feel for The Friendly Invasion with our series of atmospheric films WATCH THE FILMS: thefriendlyinvasion.com

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© Paul Coghlin

THE FRIENDLY INVASION SEVEN DAY TOUR Immerse yourself in the full story of the American Friendly Invasion with this comprehensive seven-day tour of eastern England.

DAY 1

DAY 4

Begin the tour in NORWICH. Visit the Second Air Division Memorial Library, Norwich Cathedral and Castle and walk the cobbled streets of the UK’s best-preserved medieval city.

Stay overnight at the historic Maids Head Hotel, or outside the city at Sprowston Manor Hall.

Visit PARHAM, home to the 390th Bomb Group Memorial Air Museum, on the way the LAVENHAM Swan Hotel, home of the Airmen’s Bar. 54 miles

DAY 2

Visit three museums devoted to America’s wartime presence: OLD BUCKENHAM, home to the 453rd Bomb Group which was commanded

by Hollywood film star Jimmy Stewart; The Bloody Hundredth Bomb Group Memorial Museum in THORPE ABBOTTS; and 95th Bomb Group in HORHAM, Suffolk, site of recent archaeological excavations of WWII items and the Red Feather Club. Then head to the seaside and the newly-refurbished 6-star Swan Inn at SOUTHWOLD. 66 miles DAY 3

Explore the SUFFOLK COAST Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, enjoy a tour of Adnams’ brewery and distillery or the quirky amusements on the pier. Stay at the Swan Inn.

DAY 5

Head to ROUGHAM, from where the men of the 94th Bomb Group flew more than 300 missions over the German Reich. The Control Tower is one of the best-preserved in the region. On to BURY ST EDMUNDS, to explore the wonderful abbey ruins and gardens and its Magna Carta connections. Spend the evening at The Angel Hotel, dating from the Regency period.

17 miles DAY 6

Get the full picture of The Friendly Invasion at the American Air Museum, IWM DUXFORD, and CAMBRIDGE AMERICAN CEMETERY AND MEMORIAL. Stay at The Gonville in Cambridge.

48 miles DAY 7

Have a day of relaxation in CAMBRIDGE – the world’s No.2 University City. Visit King’s College and The Backs, pop into the Eagle pub, with its walls signed by WWII pilots, and have someone punt you along the River Cam. Stay at The Gonville in Cambridge.

Opposite: IWM Duxford. Above, from left: Norwich Castle, Bury St Edmunds Cathedral; Cambridge American Cemetery and Memorial. Inset: Beach huts at Southwold.

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The Friendly Invasion ITINERARIES

THE FRIENDLY INVASION FIVE DAY TOUR This wide-ranging itinerary shows where American airmen were stationed and are remembered – and where they went to have fun.

DAY 1

DAY 4

The university city of CAMBRIDGE has been home to some of the greatest thinkers in the past 500 years. Explore the beautiful museums, galleries and majestic college buildings on a walking tour, or enjoy the many shops. Enjoy a pint at The Eagle pub, in the famous RAF bar adorned by ceiling graffiti drawn by US airmen. Stay at the city centre 5-star Gonville Hotel.

A drive through the winding countryside and the wool towns of SUFFOLK to PARHAM and the 390th Bomb Group Memorial Air Museum which pays tribute to the 740 servicemen killed or Missing in Action from this airfield and the further 754 who were taken as Prisoners of War. Then head for the seaside, to SOUTHWOLD and the magnificent recently-refurbished 6-star Swan Inn. In this wonderfully unspoilt market town take a tour of Adnams brewery and distillery and take a walk along the Victorian pier.

54 miles

DAY 2

Day 2 It’s a short drive to the poignant CAMBRIDGE AMERICAN CEMETERY AND MEMORIAL. This is a fitting and moving monument to those who made the ultimate sacrifice. Then to IWM DUXFORD and its American Air Museum with its personal stories which bring the era alive. Next stop is the historical village of LAVENHAM, Suffolk. Dine and stay at The Swan Hotel, home to the Airmen’s Bar, so named as many of the 850 signatures on the walls belong to American airmen stationed nearby.

60 miles DAY 3

Head to ROUGHAM, from where the men of the 94th Bomb Group flew more than 300 missions over the German Reich. The Control Tower is one of the best-preserved in the region. On to BURY ST EDMUNDS, to explore the wonderful abbey ruins and gardens and its Magna Carta connections.

Spend the evening at The Angel Hotel, dating from the Regency period.

17 miles

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DAY 5

On the way to NORWICH, stop at HORHAM, home of the 95th Bomb Group, with its impressive outbuildings and Red Feather Club; THORPE ABBOTTS, home to The Bloody 100th Bomb Group, with its evocative control tower and excellent museum; and OLD BUCKENHAM, home to the 453rd Bomb Group which was commanded by Hollywood film star Jimmy Stewart. Stay at the historic Maids Head Hotel in the city, close to the colourful market place, 900-year-old Norman castle and impressive cathedral, or outside the city at Sprowston Manor Hall.

66 miles

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© Visit Norwich

THE FRIENDLY INVASION THREE DAY TOUR Two characterful medieval cities, some Hollywood star quality and a taste of English tradition in this packed three-day tour.

DAY 1

The beautiful city of NORWICH hosted thousands of US personnel. The Second Air Division Memorial Library has more than 4,000 books covering American culture and the history of the Division. Explore the city’s imposing medieval cathedral and castle.

Soak up the atmosphere at the historic Maids Head Hotel, where Queen Elizabeth I is said to have been a guest, or outside the city at Sprowston Manor Hall.

DAY 2

Close to Norwich is rural OLD BUCKENHAM, home to the 453rd Bomb Group which was commanded by Hollywood film star Jimmy Stewart, the only Academy Award winner to serve his country in conflict. Stewart was also one of the few commanders to lead missions, arguing that he wouldn’t ask his men to do anything he wasn’t prepared to do himself.

Next stop is THORPE ABBOTTS, home to The Bloody 100th Bomb Group, with its evocative control tower and excellent museum, and then HORHAM, home of the 95th Bomb Group, with its impressive outbuildings and Red Feather Club.

On to BURY ST EDMUNDS, to explore the wonderful abbey ruins and gardens. Spend the evening at The Angel Hotel, dating from the Regency period.

75 miles

DAY 3

The American Air Museum is a memorable and poignant attraction at IWM DUXFORD, near Cambridge. It’s a short journey to the CAMBRIDGE AMERICAN CEMETERY AND MEMORIAL. The cemetery holds the remains of 3,812 members of the US military, with 5,127 names recorded on the Tablets of the Missing.

Spend the rest of the day exploring the historic university city of Cambridge with a visit to King’s College and The Backs and pop into the Eagle pub, with its walls signed by WWII pilots.

Spend the evening at the city centre 5-star Gonville Hotel.

48 miles

Above, from left: Norwich’s Cathedral Quarter; Horham; IWM Duxford. Inset: James Stewart.

Opposite, from left: King’s College, Cambridge; The Airmen’s Bar at The Swan Inn, Lavenham; Thorpe Abbotts.

Inset: Cambridge American Cemetery and Memorial.

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www.tours-international.com

TOURS TO THE UK AND EUROPE EXPERTS IN MILITARY & COMMEMORATIVE TOURS We have over 40 years’ experience in the travel industry and an extensive military tour background. Tours International was the Official Tour Operator for the 50th Anniversary of USAAF, bringing over Marauder Men veterans from the 9th Airforce who flew the B-26, as well as bomber and fighter group veterans from the 8th Airforce including the 381st. US Army veteran units, their relatives and military enthusiasts return to us year after year; our most popular tours include the D-Day Landing beaches, battle sites such as the Battle of the Bulge, USAAF and ‘The Mighty Eighth’ and Winston Churchill and England in WW2.

Contact us for information on our 75th Anniversary of Normandy tours running in 2019 or visit www.tours-international.com to book.

T: +44 (0) 1892 515825 • USA toll free: 888-505-1050 • E: resv@tours-international.com • www.tours-international.com

The Friendly Invasion TOURS INTERNATIONAL

TOURS INTERNATIONAL

75th Anniversary OPERATION OVERLORD Tour: England and Normandy | Eight Day Tour | 1–8 June 2019 DAY 1 | 1 June

DAY 6 | 6 June

Arrive London International Airport and meet your guide. Transfer to London hotel before visiting the Churchill Museum and Cabinet War Rooms. Remainder of day at leisure, followed by evening briefing with our tour guide. DBB.

We take part in the various ceremonies and remember those who gave their lives to defeat Hitler. There are numerous events planned which will be attended by many Heads of State and we will attend as many as possible. Box lunch. DBB.

DAY 2 | 2 June

London city tour including Houses of Parliament, Whitehall, Trafalgar Square, Tower of London and St Paul’s Cathedral with the American Memorial Chapel, a WWII tribute from Britain to our American allies.

Free time for shopping or visit the Imperial War Museum. BB. DAY 3 | 3 June

Visit one of the 70 USAF airfields where the American airmen were billeted, the American Air Museum, US Military Cemetery at Madingley and the locations where HBO’s The Mighty Eighth tells the story. See a pub frequented by US airmen with original graffiti. BB. DAY 4 | 4 June

The D-Day sites on the south coast followed by afternoon ferry sailing to Normandy.

Dinner on board. BB. DAY 5 | 5 June

Attend the Airborne ceremonies in Ste Mere Eglise and Carentan. See the famous Ste Mere Eglise church with its Airborne stained-glass windows and the Airborne museum. Visit La Fiere bridgehead and its ‘Iron Mike’ U.S. Airborne statue. Subject to weather we will watch a parachute drop. Drive through the 101st Airborne drop zones C and D then see the Division command post. Pass Brécourt Manor, captured by The Band of Brothers Company E of the 506th Parachute Infantry Regiment. Utah beach and museum. DBB.

DAY 7 | 7 June

The German military cemetery at La Cambe and Pointe du Hoc, captured by the U.S. 2nd Ranger Battalion. Vierville Draw and 29th Infantry Division sector of Omaha Beach. Drive up ‘Les Moulins’ Draw to the U.S. Military Cemetery at St. Laurent sur Mer. Lunch on your own. The British sector with the only German coastal gun battery still sporting three of its four guns.

Arromanches and the remains of an artificial harbor erected by the Allies after D-Day. DBB. DAY 8 | 8 June

British Beaches GOLD, JUNO and SWORD and the British 6th Airborne zone of operations.

‘Pegasus Bridge Gondree’ Café and the British Airborne cemetery in Ranville. Lunch on your own. Drive to Paris, arriving early evening.

OPERATION OVERLORD TOUR PRICES PER PERSON Double/twin room: US $3,150 Single room: US $4,680

MAKE THIS A LUXURY TOUR! Book a private airplane trip over the key sites.

ALSO AVAILABLE FIVE DAY NORMANDY 75th TOUR | 4–8 June 2019

PRICES PER PERSON: Double/twin room: US $2,100 | Single room: US $3,300

FOR MORE INFORMATION AND TO BOOK

T: +44 (0) 1892 515825 or USA toll free: 888-505-1050 E: resv@tours-international.com

www.tours-international.com

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The Friendly Invasion ITINERARIES

RAIL ITINERARIES It’s easy to experience The Friendly Invasion by train with Greater Anglia which operates services between London and Cambridge, including Bury St Edmunds, and also London and Norwich, taking in Colchester, Ipswich and Diss.

Greater Anglia also operates Stansted Express from London Stansted Airport to London’s Liverpool Street Station, and there is a direct line between Cambridge and Norwich meaning The Friendly Invasion area is well connected.

Opening fully in 2019 will be Crossrail, creating faster links between Heathrow and Liverpool Street.

Greater Anglia greateranglia.co.uk National Rail Inquiries nationalrail.co.uk

THE MAIN FRIENDLY INVASION SITES

BY RAIL

Sheringham Cromer

Norwich Peterborough Reedham

Great Yarmouth Berney Arms

Oulton Broad North

Thetford

Lowestoft Oulton Broad South

Diss

Ely

Beccles Darsham

Bury St Edmunds Newmarket

Cambridge

Stansted Airport

Bishops Stortford

Ware

Woodbridge

Manningtree

Harlow Chappel Braintree

Felixstowe Harwich

Colchester

Broxbourne

Walton-on-the-Naze

Cheshunt

Marks Tey

Tottenham Hale

Chelmsford Ingatestone Shenfield

Stratford London Liverpool Street

The Millennium Forum, which houses the library, is just a few minutes’ walk from Norwich station.

IWM DUXFORD

Whittlesford station is the closest to the museum from where a taxi can be ordered.

There are taxi ranks at Cambridge station.

AMERICAN CEMETERY AND MEMORIAL

There are taxi ranks at Cambridge station.

Ipswich

Sudbury

Stansted Mountfitchet

Saxmundham

Stowmarket

Audley End

Hertford

2nd AIR DIVISION MEMORIAL LIBRARY

Wroxham

Kings Lynn

Clacton-on-Sea

Southminster Burnham-on-Crouch

Wickford Southend-on-Sea

THORPE ABBOTTS AND PARHAM

There is a taxi rank at Diss station.

OLD BUCKENHAM

There is a taxi rank at Attleborough station.

ROUGHAM

There is a taxi rank at Bury St Edmunds station.

PARHAM

There is a taxi rank at Wickham Market station.

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PINPOINT BRITAIN

MASTERS OF THE AIR

The Friendly Invasion celebrates the arrival of over 350,000 US military forces from 1942 to help defend Europe in WWII. Royal figures and American A-listers will be re-enforcing the importance of remembrance.

The National WWII Museum New Orleans is organising Masters of the Air tours led by author Donald L Miller.

Pinpoint Britain are amongst the first to create itineraries that will showcase the combination of memorabilia and combine history with heritage for those wishing to revisit their past, or just tour the hidden secrets of East Anglia.

The 8-day trip is through the heart of East Anglia and London, with highlights including Cambridge American Cemetery, the Churchill archives at Cambridge University, the 100th Bomb Group at Thorpe Abbotts, American Air Museum Duxford and Churchill War Rooms.

Call +44 20 3579 3857 VISIT THE WEBSITE:

Accommodation is at 5-star hotels: The Gonville in Cambridge, Angel Hotel in Bury St Edmunds and Royal Horseguards, London.

pinpointbritain.com/itineraries/ the-friendly-invasion

Call 1-877-813-3329 X 257 VISIT THE WEBSITE: nationalww2museum.org/events-programs/ educational-travel/masters-air

COUNTRYSIDE TOURS

TOURS INTERNATIONAL

On this fascinating tour of England’s East Anglia region, you will immerse yourself in the story of the hundreds of thousands of American men and women who arrived in Britain in 1942 to provide naval, ground and air support for campaigns against Hitler’s Nazi Germany.

75 years ago, 70 airfields across East Anglia became home to nearly 250,000 American airmen and crew. Known as The Friendly Invasion, they brought with them jitterbug dancing, big band sounds and much-needed help in the desperate battle in the skies above Europe.

Call 01629 700648 or US Toll Free 1-844-221-3366 VISIT THE WEBSITE:

Call +44 (0)1892 515825 or US toll free 888-505-1050 VISIT THE WEBSITE:

ukcountrysidetours.com/tour/ over-here-the-friendly-invasion

tours-international.com/group-travel/ military/the-friendly-invasion-75thanniversary-of-usaaf-in-2017

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YOUR HELP ON THE GROUND…

CREDITS

ANN STEWARD

CHIEF WRITER Pete Sargent

FRIENDLY INVASION PROJECT MANAGER

DESIGNER Anne Reekie

With 25 years’ experience in the travel trade, Ann is the lead figure on Visit East Anglia’s Friendly Invasion project.

CHIEF PHOTOGRAPHER Keiron Tovell

She has forged ties with many national aviation museums in the US, including the WWII Museum in New Orleans, Mighty Eighth in Savannah and Wartime Aviation in Dayton. Ann has developed a superb understanding and knowledge of the Friendly Invasion hospitality offering and appreciation of what tour operators and travellers from the US want when they arrive in East Anglia.

With thanks to the Roger Freeman Collection and Imperial War Museum for the use of archive images, and Visit Britain, Visit England, Visit Norwich and Visit Cambridge for use of their images.

ADMINISTRATOR Holly Loxam PRINTER PageBros, Norwich As well as all those organisations who helped with the production of this magazine, our special thanks to: Donald L Miller John Orloff Kirk Saduski Kensington Palace Visit Britain Visit England The University of East Anglia

She would love to talk to anyone thinking of developing a tour to work out details, offer advice, and suggest and help arrange exclusive or behindthe-scenes activities.

Want a guided tour of a stately home, an English whisky distillery or brewery, maybe a few laps around a racing track, or lunch with a lord? Ann can arrange it.

We want your visit to be a once-in-alifetime experience. e: ann@visiteastanglia.net

If you are interested in taking an advert or listing with Visit East Anglia/The Friendly Invasion email Holly Loxam holly@visiteastanglia.net

HOLLY LOXAM DIGITAL DEVELOPER FOR THE FRIENDLY INVASION Holly has over six years’ experience in tourism marketing, helping establish Visit East Anglia in 2011.

As well as offering administrative support, Holly is our go-to girl on all things digital, including the VEA website, social media and e-communication with our trade and consumer databases.

One of Holly’s key objectives is to ensure that all our Friendly Invasion content is fresh, updated and engaging. e: holly@visiteastanglia.net

Visit East Anglia Limited is a private sector not-for-profit organisation.

Visit East Anglia PO Box 3630 15 Upper King Street Norwich NR3 1RB England t: 0333 320 4202

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