490th BG memorial project

I just wanted to give this worthy cause a bit of a plug on here – for some time, the 490th BG Memorial Project has been raising funds for a permanent memorial to the group at its WWII base at Eye, Suffolk.

A series of fundraising events, including last weekend’s excellent Hardwick Warbirds photo-shoot, have been staged to date, raising considerable funds towards the project. Aviation artist Neil Higgs has also produced a specially commissioned painting depicting a 490th BG B-17, overflown by the Hardwick Warbirds Mustang pair.

If you feel so inclined, please do give their websites a visit and offer your support.

For more information, and various web links, at http://www.globalaviationresource.com/v2/2015/04/20/aviation-history-490th-bg-memorial-project-neil-higgs-painting-to-be-auctioned/

The photos below (credit to my good friend Huw Hopkins) show Eye in its current state, and latterly Neil Higgs posing with his painting. Huw and I visited Eye on Saturday afternoon and whilst the discerning eye could pick out remnants of the base – such as the runway and taxiways – little remains on-site to highlight the airfield’s wartime history.