Glenn Millers last airfield concert.

hedge hopper · Dec 30, 2012

On tuesday October 3rd 1944 the Glenn Miller band played their final airfield concert. This being within the Hangar at the 20th Air Force's fighter base of KingsCliffe, Northants.
The Hangar has long-since gone, but the base still remains. During 1998 someone told me that a memorial to commemorate this event exists on this old base. On saturday 3rd October, that year, armed with a cassette player, Glenn Miller tape and my old camera my girlfriend and I drove to this old airfield.
We had to walk about half a mile along a bridleway to reach this base, we soon saw this dedicated memorial to Glenn and the band. Placing the cassette player by the foot of this stone cairn I switched it on, we were soon dancing along to this wonderful music, a shame that no-one else had arrived for this 54th anniversary, but great to have the place to ourselves.
After a while we started scratching-around among the dirt-piles around the base's edge, within minutes Sandra pulled a large gasket-looking thing from some loose earth ''What's this thing'' she asked excitedly. Cleaning it off as best that I could, I very quickly discovered just what it was....

hedge hopper · Dec 30, 2012

This is the panel Sandra found at KingsCliffe airfield. It came from a P-51B Mustang that crashed on take-off due to a coolant leak. This was February 1945, the Pilot was slightly injured and returned to the USA.

Airframes · Dec 30, 2012

Great stuff. And what a find!

Aaron Brooks Wolters · Dec 30, 2012

Excellent find!!!! :thumbright:

hedge hopper · Dec 30, 2012

Cheers chaps, As I was a member of the 20th FG Association in the U.S. I wrote to the Editor Mr Jack ILfrey (A former Pilot and Commander) telling him of our find, and the memorial. He wrote back later with the information concerning the aircraft and Pilot. All this was gleaned from the Radio Code number seen on the broken tag above. 37000. Sadly Jack has now got 'folded' wings, but I still receive some newsletters about the 20th FG.

meatloaf109 · Dec 30, 2012

Great find, and you should have set up a video cam for the dance! Maybe next year?

hedge hopper · Jan 4, 2013

meatloaf109 said:
Great find, and you should have set up a video cam for the dance! Maybe next year?

Cheers meatloaf, Yes it would have been great to have a recording of our few dances that day, but a video cam over here in those days? it would be (for me) a great task even now. I still struggle with my old film camera !!
A few years after photographing this memorial it was reported within the local newspaper that it had been destroyed by vandals. I saw this article showing the damage done, I was really angry,vowing to get-even with those responsible for this mindless act of treachery. Turned-out to have been done by accident by a farm-worker on a tractor. It has long-since been repaired, and is proudly back on display. Unfortunately the initial mistake of ;USAF; Instead of USAAF; was not rectified. I hope to make a re-visit very soon....

bobbysocks · Jan 13, 2013

i think i would go back there armed with a metal detector and glenn miller on my iPod.....then again i think if i lived over there that wold be my weekend recreation...metal detecting old airbases..with owners permission of course.