A Mustang over England (My dream come true!)

[PADDY]

A few weeks ago I had the chance to trek around many of the former USAAF WW2 airfields/bases in England (Norfolk/Suffolk/Cambridgeshire), and I know how much many of my US friends would love to have such easy access to this history with only a few hours drive, so yes, I do feel lucky on that count.

I cam across this little baby, tucked away in a hanger on an old airfield that many people don't know exists (Hardwick AAF Field). I really felt that I had stepped into...The Twilight Zone! (anyone hear that strange eerie music..? LoL!

This is one of only about 5 flying P-51's in the UK, if not Europe. And I had the priviledge to sit in it! Now here's the rub!...I missed a flight in it by 24 hours (that's another sad tale! that makes me cry to think of).

By total chance, I was wearing my original Aero A-2 that day, so it seemed appropriate to have it on while travelling back in time to 1943. I'm not going to bore you with a load of plane pics with a cheesy Irish guy fiddling in a cockpit, but here's just one to give you a flavour.

Out of interest, David still lives in the Bungalow that belonged to the camp's C.O. In this ordinary looking bungalow set in the middle of rural Norfolk, stayed guests such as James Stewart, Glenn Millar and James Cagney! what a claim to fame, yet you wouldn't know, except he mentioned it in passing (he's well into his 80's).
The little duck pond (well, that's what I thought it was! what do I know? lol) beside the bungalow, was the dipping pond for new pilots joining the squadrons! sort of "wetting the baby's head!" And I had a jolly nice cup of tea with strawberries as we sat by the pond and talked shop on the airfield.

Passing shot! David gave me a sheet of rivetted aluminium off one of the old B-24's that had crashed there! what a lovely memento.

 

[Andykev]

Whoo Ha!

Paddy, you certainly wouldn't bore me with a load of pictures from the old air base, and the plane. I doubt if I'm alone in that assessment! Bring em' on!

Beautiful plane. That and the P-47 were my favorite fighters of the war. The B-25 is my favorite bomber. The Doolittle thing.

 

[Nathan Flowers]

Great picture and description, Paddy.
There's nothing like the sound of that V-12. I had the good fortune to see one land at our local airport around 10 years ago. In fact, it is hangared about 35 miles from my house. My brother is in the aircraft business, so I'll ask him if he still knows the guy. I may even be able to get pictures.

 

[hatguy1]

Where's the pics?

A few weeks ago I had the chance to trek around many of the former USAAF WW2 airfields/bases in England (Norfolk/Suffolk/Cambridgeshire), and I know how much many of my US friends would love to have such easy access to this history with only a few hours drive, so yes, I do feel lucky on that count.

I cam across this little baby, tucked away in a hanger on an old airfield that many people don't know exists (Hardwick AAF Field). I really felt that I had stepped into...The Twilight Zone! (anyone hear that strange eerie music..? LoL!

This is one of only about 5 flying P-51's in the UK, if not Europe. And I had the priviledge to sit in it! Now here's the rub!...I missed a flight in it by 24 hours (that's another sad tale! that makes me cry to think of).

By total chance, I was wearing my original Aero A-2 that day, so it seemed appropriate to have it on while travelling back in time to 1943. I'm not going to bore you with a load of plane pics with a cheesy Irish guy fiddling in a cockpit, but here's just one to give you a flavour.

Out of interest, David still lives in the Bungalow that belonged to the camp's C.O. In this ordinary looking bungalow set in the middle of rural Norfolk, stayed guests such as James Stewart, Glenn Millar and James Cagney! what a claim to fame, yet you wouldn't know, except he mentioned it in passing (he's well into his 80's).
The little duck pond (well, that's what I thought it was! what do I know? lol) beside the bungalow, was the dipping pond for new pilots joining the squadrons! sort of "wetting the baby's head!" And I had a jolly nice cup of tea with strawberries as we sat by the pond and talked shop on the airfield.

Passing shot! David gave me a sheet of rivetted aluminium off one of the old B-24's that had crashed there! what a lovely memento.

I'm quite new to TFL. As I look back thru older posts, I see several with references to photos included that are no longer there or the link to them isn't visible anymore. Why is this? Thanks.

 

[Edward]

Photos on Louge threads typically aren't hosted here - they're on folks' blogs, photobuckets, Flickr accounts, et cetera and linked to here. If the photo is moved, as can happen with older threads, the link is broken, hence they don't show up here.

 

[hatguy1]

Photos on Louge threads typically aren't hosted here - they're on folks' blogs, photobuckets, Flickr accounts, et cetera and linked to here. If the photo is moved, as can happen with older threads, the link is broken, hence they don't show up here.

Bummer. Sure wish I could see some of these pics....

Thanks for the explanation.

 

[Phantomfixer]

would have been nice....I can relate though.... back in the early 90's I went to Mildenhall on temporary duty with the USAF...flying into Mildenhall I could spot several old airfields..mainly just the runways in the fields...visited a few of the fields while there including of course Duxford...While sitting in Cambridge, on the banks...a P-47 (from Duxford) started playing around above ..it was very surreal for me. Then off to the Eagle Pub...What a stay...

oh yeah..and Mildenhall at night with the fog....very erie...all quiet, hardly a sound, foggy...knowing 60 years ago this field was alive with Merlins and such..crew chiefs working all night...flood lights going...engines being started and shut down...