http://www.416th.com/MACR_AAR/19440214_43-9213_AAR-44-2-14-501_Minnicks.html

The information on the Sugar Lane Crash.

Stuart Finches Farm was occupied the Runway in 1944 stopped at the point where they demolished Peacocks Farm.

It was walking the Dog on the Airfield when I lived on site that got me started on this, if you view the airfield on Google Sattalite view you can see the WW2 runway Dark surface and the 1959 extension in White longer for the F100s.

The fence line has a 55 panel jagged shape that made me curious as if straight would have saved 44 panels, Google map show the ruins of a house, Hawkes Hall 1066, the Americans just built the fence round it and knocked it down , no listed buildings then.

In 1990 the runway was to be extended again, in the museum I have the plans for Wetherfield to have been the 3rd Airforce HQ instead of Lakenheath, taken the compliment from 1700 to 6000, but Stanstead became an international airport the flight paths of the F111s would cross it , so the moved to Lakenheath and Mildenhall.

The story of Peacocks is interesting, in 1941 a grass runway from Broad Farm to Peacocks was made to support RAF Ridgewell with Spitfires, the Farmer used to fire his shotgun at them as they took of as the commandeered his fields, in 1943 when the concrete runway was made they demolished his farm and moved him to a house in Chelmsford with little compensation. The fortunes of his neighbour Peacocks Blacksmith were beter because his skills were needed for the war Effort they gave him a new Blacksmith Premises in one of the villages.

In the aerial photo section of Frans 416th you will see all the farms mentioned.

Stuart Gowans, check these crashes out
http://www.416th.com/CachatPhotos/Cachat_PLANE_CRASHES.html

What about Sugar lane Farm? Any idea where that is?

In the aerial photo section of Frans Page the first 4 are Knettishall, Fersfield, Great Ashfield and Ridgewell, all taken during a training flight on April 8 1944, two days before 9699 was lost.

Thanks more information than I expected, he would have been chuffed to see this discussion.
I thought wonder if he wrote on the back, but he did not , superb photos though sharp and 4 x 7 so he must have been given them. The coloured was hand coloured by him he did that a lot with his photos. Found 2 more Eagle he was on many others including Cockade in Korea.[ATTACH=CONFIG]233867[/ATTACH]

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It was in Toms Office on a conference call i gave a presentation to JPAC at the Pentagon, and the official start of Project-9699 began. He is back in the USA but i believe he was a volunteer at your museum.

NickB some Sabre’s were 2 seaters , see the post on the f100 crash, i don’t know if 999 was, the story of the flight has been passed on over 55yrs and it possible they were taken up in another Aircraft. most of these farmers families are the same that still own the surrounding farms not sure how many of those in the photo are still alive. If I can I will try and find out what actually happened that day from one of the people in the photo. I have a feeling David Grimwood is still around and a neighbour to another forum member.