The traditional Remembrance Service will be held this coming Sunday 12 November starting at 10.55am at the airfield's war memorial. The United States will be represented by a senior officer from Lakenheath Air Base. All are welcome to attend.
Old Buckenham Airfield has announced the opening on this Remembrance Sunday of a second Museum; the 8th Air Force Heritage Gallery. This new addition has been designed to complement the existing 453rd Bombardment Group Museum which houses the largest collection of 453rd memorabilia in existence. It will be formally opened following the remembrance service.
The new Gallery showcases some of the extensive collection of James Clarey. His collection, combined with that of the late Pat Ramm, is partly on display in the 453rd Museum, of which James is also curator. James, however, has not limited his collecting to the 453rd and has so many exhibits relating to the 8th Air Force (of which the 453rd was a part) that the decision was taken to create the 8th Air Force Heritage Gallery to provide a place where these exhibits can be on public display.
Based in the Airfield’s ‘Small Blister Hangar’, the Gallery contains a host of displays and exhibits. At its heart is a faithful recreation of the 'Post Exchange' which was a key feature of the lives of all the servicemen at Old Buckenham during the war. The Post Exchange was the place for parcels and letters to go back and forth between England and the US. For most servicemen this would have been the most tangible link with home and the Post Exchange also served as a shop and social centre on the base.
Remembrance Sunday will also see the unveiling of new ornamental railings to enclose the Memorial Garden. The railings were built in-house at the airfield and a new LED lighting system completes this latest update, the first major improvement since the Garden was created in 2012.
No comments:
Post a Comment