USAAF

Friday Links to [ Saturday ] [ Sunday ] [ Monday ] [ Venlo ]

Friday saw the first tour of the region - to Boreham airfield. David, our very capable driver/guide is seen here welcoming one of the young ladies, while Eric Probert - principal organiser in England- follows up in the rear. Note the Bomb Group's insignia on the coach.
Before going to the American Memorial at the side of the country road between Lt. Waltham and Boreham, one of the old, and now dilapiated, buildings was briefly inspected. Here was spotted a chair which could have been of the same period. . Click on a picture for a bigger view.
The commemoration ceremony was conducted by the Rev. Tony Rose (left) of Boreham church. A plaque bearing the names of those who had died is visible on the side of the memorial. It was unveiled in November 2002. Click here for pictures of the dedication. In the picture on the right is Sgt. Ben Olson (near memorial) while Col. Gene Sidwell, president of 394th Bomb Group Association is on the extreme right.
Here, Col. Sidwell is laying the wreath following a 'photo call' of all the veterans. Click on a picture for a bigger view.
The veterans then continued into the old Boreham airfield. The control tower is nowadays used by both the Air Ambulance Service and the Essex Police helicopters. Here they were treated to short trips in the Essex 'chopper' flown by Pilot Steve Isacke watched from the top of the control tower by envious onlookers. Steve is the Operations Manager for Aeromega who provide back-up support for the police helicopter when necessary.

Click on a picture for a bigger view.
	Aerial view of Boreham Control Tower. Picture : Courtesy of Essex Police Air Support Unit.
The local T.V. channel got in on the act and on Sunday, there was a two-minute summary of what the veterans got up to at Boreham. Although we were at the Duxford Air Museum at the time, my wife recorded the transmission. This was shown to everyone while travelling on the coach on Monday. Now that I have a copy, the original tape is on its way by post to the Group's final hotel near Gatwick Airport, for Al Momme to take back.
The Group continued to Boreham church, a church with a thousand years of history. Rev. Tony Rose gave a guided tour around it, pointing out a Union flag (picture on right) with only 48 stars on it, since it was given by the Americans during the second World War.
A quick visit to the Chelmsford Police Museum, where no one was detained, a clean-up at the Hotel and the Group was off again - to the Memorial Hall, Little Waltham for a four course meal and entertainment by the Lt. W. Drama Group.
In appreciation of Eric Probert's spadework to make this visit the success that it is, Al Momme presented him with a model of The Statue of Liberty, complete with working light at the top.
These are some of the entertainers.
Links to [ Friday ] [ Sunday ] [ Monday ] [ Venlo ]
Saturday saw most of the Group take a guided coach tour around London, culminating in a trip on the 'London Eye'. Nearing the centre of London, we passed the infamous Dome, constructed to celebrate the coming of the new millenium. It had been intended to use it then and in the future as a display centre, but the idea flopped. The roof is a thin but very strong skin of kevlar (?), less than an eigth of an inch thick. The design provided for a very large unimpeded area below.
A few of the Group were dropped off at the Tower of London, which they especially wanted to see. The passengers on the double-decker tour bus probably got a better view of the Tower than me.
Close by is Tower Bridge, a double bascule lifting bridge which, in times past, when London was very much a port, was frequently opened near high tide to let boats through into the Pool of London - i.e. the docks. When this happened, traffic chaos resulted. Now the docks have gone, it is much rarer to see it open, but when it does, what happens with the greater volume of road traffic is anyone's guess. Click on a picture for a bigger view. Tower bridge may appear to be a stone bridge, but it is in fact a steel one that is simply clad in stone to make it blend in with the nearby Tower of London.
Next stop was St. Paul's cathedral, built by Sir Christopher Wren and standing some 365 feet high. Although not open to the public, there is internal access to the golden ball just below the cross. I know this because my mother, as a baby, was lifted up into it. A photo call has all the Momme's lined up - Al., Tom, John and Brad.
From St. Paul's we were dropped near to the the Houses of Parliament and Big Ben. But to be precise, you can't see Big Ben from the outside, for it is the big bell in the clock which chimes the hours. What you can see is St. Stephens' Tower. Click on a picture for a bigger view. In the background, half a mile away can be seen The London Eye - a Ferris wheel some 484 feet high. This is one of the most popular attractions in London.
This remarkable wheel was originally assembled lying flat supported on barges floating on the Thames, . When complete, it was hoisted from the horizontal to the vertical. The weather conditions were excellent today and visibility was great. The gondolas are air-conditioned, so despite the sunshine, comfort inside is assured.
Fifty years ago, the only building to break the skyline was St. Paul's cathedral. Now look at it. Note the red double-decker buses. These are just the normal transport buses for London, but from the upper deck, they provide the visitor with an excellent view of the capital.
On our way out of London, we passed under this unusual bridge. Yes, they are real, living trees. It links two small parks in a delightful way. Click on a picture for a bigger view.
Sunday. Links to [ Friday ] [ Saturday ] [ Monday ] [ Venlo ]
The first stop on Sunday was at the Maddingley American Cemetery near Cambridge where 3812 members of the U.S. armed services who lost their lives are remembered.
The long wall on the right carries the names of all those for whom there is no known grave. Among the many names, Sgt. Edward F. Bailey of 587 bomb squadron, 394th bomb group is remembered here. Click on a picture for a bigger view.
Our veterans of 394th remember and salute their fallen comrades.
Within the chapel, Col. Sidwell reads out the citation on the wreath before laying it in front of the altar.

while outside, friends look for and find the graves of several men from the 394th.
Worthy of note are the windows in the sides of the chapel. All the States are depicted in a similar way to this one for Wisconsin.

From Maddingley, we popped into Cambridge for a short hour.

Cambridge is renowned for certain things.	Perhaps first and foremost is King's College Chapel.
	Then we have 'The Backs' comprising the river Cam which flows along the back of the colleges. The river is a fairly constant depth, with a firm bottom, enabling the use of shallow-bottomed boats called punts. These are propelled by the use of a long pole, demanding a certain ability to operate successfully. If you are only a casual visitor, you would be well advised to use a guide/boatman.
	And then there are bikes - hundreds of them - used by the students to get around town. Today being Sunday, there were very few on the roads.
But for the veterans there is an interesting pub 'The Eagle' where, during the last war, airmen would congregate and leave a memento of themselves on the ceiling, their initials being smoked on to it with the aid of a lighter or candle.

After a short hour in Cambridge we continued to the Aircraft Museum at Duxford where, by chance, there was an exhibition of wartime Spitfires owned for the most part by private individuals. Three of them took off during the afternoon and one did aerobatics for the crowd, estimated at between 10,000 and 15,000. This presented a slight problem for our buddies ( right ) who can been seen considering where is the best viewpoint.

If our two friends on the left are lost, I expect the man in the right picture will be able to help. (Look at his Tee-shirt.)

On the left, Al is busy explaining some finer detail about this aircraft. Listening on the extreme left is Cathy Craig.

I will let the other pictures speak for themselves.

After a very hectic day, we returned to the village of Pleshey, about three miles from Little Waltham, and to the White Horse pub for an excellent meal.

Monday. Links to [ Friday ] [ Saturday ] [ Sunday ] [ Venlo ]

Monday was the day that the Group left Chelmsford to go westwards to The New Forest prior to crossing the Channel (that strip of water that kept the Germans at bay sixty years ago).

How driver Dave managed to stow all the luggage into the hold of the coach, I really don't know. (Dave is the little white blob in the cellar.)

As a matter of interest, the empty coach weighed 13 tonnes, but when loaded with passengers and luggage, it went up by another 5 tonnes.

Nearing the New Forest, I spotted this delightful 'picture-postcard' thatched cottage and a little further on, these ponies, for which The New Forest is well known.

The memorial at Holmsley South commemorates the joint effort of the several airfields that were once disposed hereabouts. The occasion was special and numerous V.I.P.s including Al Momme (right) were present

This is the inscription on the wreath.

After leaving the memorial, the Group were taken to a nearby open area of the New Forest to see the vestiges of one of the longest runways. Although the concrete has long since been removed, no bushes have encroached on the terrain and I guess it would still be possible to land a plane here in an emergency, though it would be a pretty bumpy landing with perhaps a burst tyre.

The local Council provided an excellent buffet lunch and to ensure that we did not lose our way, our coach was preceded by an American jeep.

Here, a copy of Guy Ziegler's book 'The Bridge Busters' was present to the mayor.

Then it was 'On to Portsmouth !' in readiness for the crossing to France, Belgium and Holland on the next morning.

And there I had to leave the Group in order to return home and create this page of souvenirs.

The following pictures have been received indirectly from a Dutch person whom I believe to be Hub Groenwald. My thanks to him.

Edwin Leach

Click on a picture for a bigger view.

Venlo Links to [ Friday ] [ Saturday ] [ Sunday ] [ Monday ]

At Venlo, the veterans gathered once more -

- to lay a wreath while a lament was played on the bagpipes by a lone piper.

Following the laying, everyone observed a one minute silence in memory of those who fell.