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After a brief stop at Metfield...still trying to my head around 1200 tons of bombs going off at the same time !!!... we jumped back in Tone's jalopy and we sped off to the next stop at Halesworth. Remember , we're trying to get around nearly 8 + stops each day so time was absolutely of the essence and we could not afford to linger (much as we wanted to !) at all the stops.
So, about Halesworth...
Halesworth was built in 1942–1943 as a bomber station. It had a 6,000 ft. main runway and two additional runways of just over 4,000 ft length. It had initially, 51 hardstands and 2 T2 hangars. It was given the USAAF designation of Station 365.
First on the airfield where the P-47 Thunderbolts from the 56th Fighter Group and they arrived in July '43 and immediately got stuck into action. One of the top aces was non other than Francis Gabreski !
The 56th had 3 Squadrons...
61st Fighter Squadron
62nd fighter Squadron
63rd Fighter Squadron....Note how the Squadrons all seemed to run in 3's, even for the Bombers !
Then in April '44, the Fighters left as the 'Lib's where coming to the Station and the Fighters moved to Boxted
The 489th Bombardment Group moved in from Wendover AAF, Utah in May '44 and were assigned to the 20th Combat Bombardment Wing and the group tail code was a "Circle-W". Its operational squadrons were:
844th Bombardment Squadron
845th Bombardment Squadron
846th Bombardment Squadron
847th Bombardment Squadron
Of particular note is the following courtesy of Wiki...
In an attack against coastal defences near Wimereaux on 5 June 1944, the group's lead plane was seriously crippled by enemy fire, its pilot was killed, and the deputy group commander, Lt Col Leon R. Vance Jr., who was commanding the formation, was severely wounded; although his right foot was practically severed, Vance took control of the plane, led the group to a successful bombing of the target, and managed to fly the damaged aircraft to the coast of England, where he ordered the crew to bail out; believing a wounded man had been unable to jump, he ditched the plane in the English Channel and was rescued, and he was awarded the Medal of Honor for his actions !. If you've seen the video of a strengthened B-24 being ditched in a river on Youtube...you'll realise just how lucky he was !
View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WjadMxpXprk&t=75s
She broke her back !!!
So that's a brief history of Halesworth.
Unfortunately, due to the timings we were there...it was very early and very frosty and cold !...the Museum was closed and we did not have time to drive around and look for airfield remains, son its a case of a few pics of the Memorial and then back in the car and off to the next stop.
We will return to this station later this year !
So, about Halesworth...
Halesworth was built in 1942–1943 as a bomber station. It had a 6,000 ft. main runway and two additional runways of just over 4,000 ft length. It had initially, 51 hardstands and 2 T2 hangars. It was given the USAAF designation of Station 365.
First on the airfield where the P-47 Thunderbolts from the 56th Fighter Group and they arrived in July '43 and immediately got stuck into action. One of the top aces was non other than Francis Gabreski !
The 56th had 3 Squadrons...
61st Fighter Squadron
62nd fighter Squadron
63rd Fighter Squadron....Note how the Squadrons all seemed to run in 3's, even for the Bombers !
Then in April '44, the Fighters left as the 'Lib's where coming to the Station and the Fighters moved to Boxted
The 489th Bombardment Group moved in from Wendover AAF, Utah in May '44 and were assigned to the 20th Combat Bombardment Wing and the group tail code was a "Circle-W". Its operational squadrons were:
844th Bombardment Squadron
845th Bombardment Squadron
846th Bombardment Squadron
847th Bombardment Squadron
Of particular note is the following courtesy of Wiki...
In an attack against coastal defences near Wimereaux on 5 June 1944, the group's lead plane was seriously crippled by enemy fire, its pilot was killed, and the deputy group commander, Lt Col Leon R. Vance Jr., who was commanding the formation, was severely wounded; although his right foot was practically severed, Vance took control of the plane, led the group to a successful bombing of the target, and managed to fly the damaged aircraft to the coast of England, where he ordered the crew to bail out; believing a wounded man had been unable to jump, he ditched the plane in the English Channel and was rescued, and he was awarded the Medal of Honor for his actions !. If you've seen the video of a strengthened B-24 being ditched in a river on Youtube...you'll realise just how lucky he was !
View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WjadMxpXprk&t=75s
She broke her back !!!
So that's a brief history of Halesworth.
Unfortunately, due to the timings we were there...it was very early and very frosty and cold !...the Museum was closed and we did not have time to drive around and look for airfield remains, son its a case of a few pics of the Memorial and then back in the car and off to the next stop.
We will return to this station later this year !
