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100th Bomb Group Museum visit - Wednesday July 11th


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Continuing my photos from the 8th Air Force 70th Anniversary week, the day after the Duxford trip, I took the Jeep to Thorpe Abbotts, home airfield of the 100th Bomb Group. The museum there was probably the first of the 8th Air Force Tower museums, started in 1977.

 

To start with, here's an aerial photo of Thorpe Abbotts, taken in 1997, with the runways highlighted, and a close up of the museum.

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It's been at least a couple of years since my last visit, and as usual, a number of displays have changed since last time.

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Lynne & Lyta standing at the corner of the restored control tower.

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This trailer was used on the base during WW2. It uses four B-17 tailwheels and can be seen in some of the wartime pictures of the base.

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If I remember correctly, these cowl sections come from a 100th B-17 named 'Silver Dollar' and were donated to the museum by Clive.

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An aircraft jack stands close by to the trailer.

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This dial in the glass house on top of the tower is connected to the annemometer and is a recent addition to the tower equipment.

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A useful find for me was this unofficial log by the flying control officer. I'm hoping to replicate this for the back of the Dodge.

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This view from the top of the tower is looking West along the 351st perimeter track towards one of the secondary runways.

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This was my first radio controlled B-17, just a small one at 1/10 scale, spanning a little over 10 feet. It went to the museum on permanent loan in 1995.

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This granite plaque was saved when the base was being demolished and I think ended up in someones garden. It was recently returned to the museum for display.

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I also took the Jeep for a drive around the public areas of the airfield. This is the 351st squardon perimeter, looking East towards the tower and museum.

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A new road cuts across the main runway ( now long gone ) and this shows the Jeep stopped in the middle of the runway near its West end.

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A public road uses part of the 418th Bomb Squadron perimeter, with its dispersals in the grass along side the road. The base hospital was located in the wood beyond.

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The road on the 418th area eventually turns South. The Jeep is parked on the corner of this turn. In the field ahead, the perimeter track continued towards the main Technical Site and one of the T2 hangars, located in the wood to the right.

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Back at the West end of the 418th area, the perimeter track continued, and along side, in the wood closest to the camera was the ammo dump. The Bomb Dump was located in the wood in the distance.

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Driving on the road past the Tower, it curves around four dispersals in the 351st area. The tower can be seen beyond the field behind the Jeep.

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Outside the museum entrance.

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By coincidence I stopped by there last Friday, it was closed but looked an interesting site, however as usual it was raining so no pictures to add..................but next time......Thanks Steve

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