493rd BG Debach, My Favourite event for 2005

[Jessie The Jeep]

This year, my most enjoyable event was the 493rd Bomb Group Museum open day June 12th. For a small, recently started museum, they put on a very professional days entertainment. http://www.493bgdebach.co.uk/dahome.htm

 

The control tower has been restored, and other airfield buildings are being restored or built new on the museum site. There were also several memorabilia stalls and 1940's displays around the site. On the Saturday evening before the event, there was a large 1940's hangar dance held in one of the large technical site buildings.

 

I was attending, supporting on two fronts. The main reason for being there was as part of the USAAF Model Team, flying our 1/6 scale radio controlled warbirds from the grass runway beyond the control tower. I also took my jeep, which turned out to be very useful ferrying aircraft and support equipment to the flight line.

 

One guy, called Clive if memory serves me correctly, had a truck with an operating battery of four .50 cal machine guns. He took great pleasure in trying to "shoot down" my P-47 Thunderbolt while I straffed him. I reckon I won as my P-47 had eight x .50's to his four!!!!

 

There were about 60 vehicles there, I think many were from the Essex Area MVT, some of which you may recognise from the few small pictures of the event below.

 

 

 

 

A great day out and well worth a visit next year.

 

 

What has been your best event this year??

 

Steve

[Jack]

Hi Steve.

 

For me, ithas to be June 6th commerations down at Upottery. Which is where elements of 101st Airborne left for D-day in the late hours of June 5th. The C47's then came back to tow the gliderborne troops across.

 

It was the formal unveiling of a memorial to all of the men that didn't come box and the memorial is a Sentry box that stood on the edge of the marshalling area, it is now listed.

 

 

 

 

 

Runway 27, is the runway that they took of from on June 5th 1944 they would of passed Eliza and taken off into the distance, destination, Normandy.

 

Very very special place.