USAAF Thorpe Abbotts July 2010 (Pic Heavy)

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WinchItIn

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Explored with Stuck247

I thought I would post this report up after being reminded of our visit here in July last year after reading hamishfriend recent report of the Sub-Depot site on the other side of the airfield.

Facts & Figures of Station 139 Thorpe Abbotts

Total area of the airfield was 500 acres, This included 3 runways and 300 buildings, The main runway was 6300 ft
4 squadrons of B-17 Flying Fortresses were based here- 349th XR, 350th LN, 351st EP & the 418th LD.
First mission - June 25th 1943.
Last mission - April 20th 1945.
Total missions flown - 306 (8630 planes flown).
Total number of aircraft lost - 229.
Up to 3500 men served on the base at any one time.
Over 860 crewmen & officers were killed in action.

From Wikipedia
Station 139

During the second world war Thorpe Abbotts became home to an airbase with the designation 139, Thorpe Abbotts. The airbase was built in 1942 by John Laing & Sons Ltd. The base had three intersecting runways laid with concrete which were encircled by a three and a half mile perimeter road. The perimeter road had hard standings for fifty aircraft. There were two hangars, a technical site and a domestic area. The base became operational in June 1943 when the 100th Bomb Group of the United States Army Air Force took up residency. The group became known as the ‘’Bloody 100th’’ because of the heavy losses incurred by the group on a number of their combat missions. The 100th were the only group to fly operations from Thorpe Abbots and during a period between June the 15th 1943 and April 10 1945, 306 missions were flown from the base. The 100th group flew B-17 Flying Fortress from Thorpe Abbotts. The USAAF left the base in December 1945 when the base was transferred to the RAF and it remained inactive until April 1956 when the base was finally de-requisitioned. The land owned by Sir Rupert Mann has been returned back to agricultural use but the perimeter road remained intact until 1986 when it was demolished. Some of the buildings including the control tower still survive. Today the old control tower has been fully restored and contains a museum dedicated to the famous 'Bloody Hundredth' BombGroup. The museum tells the story of Thorpe Abbotts and portrays every-day life on an American bomber base.

The museum is well worth a visit and the staff are very helpful and friendly [email protected]

On with the photo's,

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Pickett Hamilton Fort was donated from a decommissioned airfield.

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Willys Jeep.
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WAH-64 Apache giving us an air-display.
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WW2 airfield site plan.

Thanks for looking.
Winch
 
This is really superb W. There was a programme on the Military History channel this week with interviews with crew from Thorpe Abbotts. What these crew members went through was truly terrifying. Couple this with what the Bomber Command crews went through at night and when you consider their age. Cold, night fighters, day fighters, flak, failing to get airbourne with heavy bombloads, collisions, fatique and all volunteers.
 
Interesting to see a memorial to LeMay there. People often forget that he had a stellar career bombing Germany from our green and pleasant airfields before he orchestrated the complete and systematic destruction of Japan , as well as nearly persuading Kennedy to nuke Cuba!
Thanks for the pics
GDZ
 
Great report and pics - been meaning to pay a visit to here for ages so deffo on the list for this year

thanks for this
 
Is the PH fort a working example btw?

tbh Munchh, the owners didn't want me to lift the hatch to see inside in case it wouldn't shut again and cause a trip hazard. So I dont know unfortunatley.
 

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