Hi All,
With the discusion of oldest fields on one thread and what B-24 fields are left on another thread, I was wondering sometime back someone was either working on or was going to be putting together a Video of all surviving USAF 8th AF base.
What ever happen to this project and how many former base are still used for what they where build for and how many USAF base all together have memorials?
Cheers
RER
By: Denis - 26th February 2005 at 13:18
Sounds similar to my exploits!, I have been taking stills and video of several of the 9th AAF airfields in Essex on behalf of ‘Wicked Owl productions’ in the USA. their forthcoming documentry is based on the B-26 Marauder Bombgroups that were based here.
By: crazymainer - 26th February 2005 at 13:00
Hi All,
Thanks I do own Rogers book great referance but a bit dated I think, what I was looking for was I recall reading either here or in FP about a guy with a R44 that was going to each airfield and taking video for a upcomming Video does this ring a bell with anyone.
RER
By: Moggy C - 25th February 2005 at 23:02
While we’re all in pedant mode Moggy, Shepherd’s Grove was never used by the 8th AF. 😉
Good job it turned out to be Great Ashfield that has the hard strip then isn’t it :p
Moggy
By: Locobuster - 25th February 2005 at 18:45
Wittering was used by the 55th. Fighter Squadron during the period when the 20th. Fighter Group flew P-38s, it was believed that there wasn’t enough room for three Lightning equipped squadrons to fit on the base at King’s Cliffe so the 55th. pilots flew over to King’s Cliffe for each mission. Isn’t Wittering still an active RAF base?
For some outstanding pics of Glatton, Polebrook, King’s Cliffe, Deenethorpe and Kimbolton as theya re today checkout http://www.fieldsofvalour.co.uk/
Does anyone have a copy of “Over Here” and does it have any wartime footage of King’s Cliffe?
By: station357 - 25th February 2005 at 17:45
Here’s a photograph of the impressive memorial at Steeple Morden.
Not much of the airfield survives.
Regards,
Paul
By: Yak 11 Fan - 25th February 2005 at 13:04
Hardwick has a hard runway as well as a new grass runway. In addition to this there is an additional grass runway on part of the old communal site.
Tibenham still has most of it’s runways in use for gliding activities.
By: Dave Homewood - 25th February 2005 at 12:30
Roger Freeman also did a brilliant video in the 1990’s where he visited the airfields and compared them with footage of when they were active with the Eighth Air Force, It is called “Over Here”
By: Moggy C - 25th February 2005 at 12:29
Many others still have small airstrips still being used, but are not licenced airfields as such.
Old Buckenham is licensed, Shipdham might be. Gt Ashfield or Shepherds Grove has a hard runway, so does Seething. Knettishall and Rougham have grass strips.
“Airfields of the 8th Then and Now” actually needs retitling “Airfields of the 8th, Then and Even Longer Ago”. The time between the end of the war and the book being published is shorter than the gap between the book’s publication and the present day.
Moggy
By: BlueNoser352 - 25th February 2005 at 12:15
Here is another on airfields of The Mighty Eighth…….
By: BlueNoser352 - 25th February 2005 at 12:11
Here is one site that may help with airfields of The Mighty Eighth, also their is a classic book on this very subject written by British historian Roger Freeman. “Airfields Of The Mighty Eighth, Then And Now”, gives one locations and photos of those historic places in wartime and now. Try this link for bases.
http://mighty8thaf.preller.us/index.html?page=TourGuide.html
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February 25, 2005 at 11:51 am