Dad, Love of WWII aircraft & cold war jets. Beer, bikes & Hobnobs, letter to Breznev - a great film. Born when aircraft were aircraft. 🏴
often found on old airfields
Joined March 2012
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on July 26th, John Morgan would be co-pilot in B-17F 42-29802 ‘Ruthie II’. The aircraft, 1 of 19 from the 92nd BG headed for the tyre plant at Hanover, when a canon shell ripped through the windscreen splitting the pilots head. aviationtrails.co.uk/2026/07…
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January 2 1945, the skies over Norfolk resonated once again with the sound of a crashing aircraft, when B-17 42-32112 of the 337th BS/96th BG based at Snetterton Heath crashed whilst forming up over Beachamwell a stone’s throw east of RAF Downham Market. aviationtrails.co.uk/2026/07…
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Gardner’s aircraft contacted Hemswell twice in the early hours of the Thursday Morning to gain fixes on their positions. Possibly out of fuel, the aircraft finally came down at Sporle, a few miles west of Norwich, aviationtrails.co.uk/2026/06…
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Flying B-17G, Lawley departed the target area with his bomb load still aboard after frozen release mechanisms prevented it from being dropped. Without warning, cannon shells tore into the cockpit, killing co-pilot 2nd Lt. Murphy & severely wounding Lawley. aviationtrails.co.uk/2026/06…
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Every airfield has its heroes, and #RAF #Chelveston was no exception. Among these was 1st Lt. Edward S Michael of the 364th BS. In April 1944, he found himself Wounded, outnumbered and in a crippled aircraft, his efforts would earn him the Medal of Honour. aviationtrails.co.uk/2026/05…
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In a third B-17, the ball turret gunner, S.Sgt. Lee ‘Shorty’ Gordon was captured after baling out of his stricken aircraft. His determination to ‘get home’, though, led to him escaping no less than a reported 5 times, even posing as a child in one attempt. aviationtrails.co.uk/2026/04…
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The 305th, who arrived here in early December 1942, were led by the tough and innovative Col. Curtis LeMay whose drive and leadership led to the rookie 305th, being known as the ‘Can do’ Group. aviationtrails.co.uk/2026/04…
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In the second part of Chelveston’s history it is handed over to the #RAF and the first unit arrives. Gliders are preceded by the Central Gunnery School (CGS) and then followed by the US 60TG. The American’s ownership is nearing. aviationtrails.co.uk/2026/03…
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The beginnings of how this quiet stretch of countryside evolved from construction site to operational wartime airfield. RAF Chelveston opens its runways and the station starts its journey toward becoming an important Allied base. aviationtrails.co.uk/2026/03…
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Whilst the threat of invasion had subsided by the end of 1941, attacks from German bombers were never far from the minds of those in command. With Sutton Bridge being one of the largest training airfields in England, it was rarely devoid of enemy attention aviationtrails.co.uk/2026/01…
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By early 1940, with the squadrons gone, Sutton Bridge pivoted once more, becoming a hub for new recruits and small training flights, laying the groundwork for its next vital role as 6 Operational Training Uni aviationtrails.co.uk/2026/01…
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#AviationHistory #RAF #WW2
New on the blog: RAF Sutton Bridge – Part 1.
How did an isolated stretch of land become a key RAF site?
Discover the station’s early history, planning, and purpose.
aviationtrails.co.uk/2026/01…
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On 31 Dec 1943, 2nd Lt. John Walter Crago, a young US pilot from the 55th FS, lost his life when his P-38 suffered trouble en route to a briefing at RAF #KingsCliffe. With engine smoke seen, he crashed near Woodnewton, aged just 26.aviationtrails.co.uk/2025/12… #WWII #RAFHistory
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Tonight we remember the five young lives lost on 1 Dec 1943 — the children of the Robson family — when a returning RAF bomber mistakenly crashed into their farmhouse near Amble, killing little Sylvia, Ethel, Margery, William and baby Sheila. #raf #ww2 aviationtrails.co.uk/2025/12…
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At 9.30pm on the evening of March 29, 1943, a Stirling bomber with seven young men aboard thundered down the runway of RAF Downham Market and into the dark skies above.
The aircraft and its crew, with an average age of 26, were never to return. edp24.co.uk/news/23006924.cr…
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In Nov 1945 over the Kent coast at Herne Bay, the Gloster Meteor Mk III shattered the world air-speed record averaging 606 mph over an 8-mile low-level run! Piloted by Group Captain H.J. Wilson (with rival chief test pilot Eric Greenwood recording 603 mph. aviationtrails.co.uk/2025/11…
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On this day in 1945 – high above the Kent coast, two sleek Gloster Meteor III jets raced over the sea at just 250 ft, smashing the 600mph barrier & rewriting the record books. One pilot, Group Captain H.J. Wilson, landed the world-record mark at 606.38mph aviationtrails.co.uk/2025/11…
On the night of 3/4 Nov 1943, Flt Lt Bill Reid fought through flak, fighters and blood loss to bomb Düsseldorf — flying his shattered Lancaster home with his navigator dead beside him. His courage earned the Victoria Cross. Read his story here. aviationtrails.co.uk/2025/11…
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Dive into the heroic story of Captain Edwin “Ted” Swales VC DFC — RAF Pathfinder, SAAF officer and master bomber who led his crew from RAF Little Staughton in one of WWII’s most daring raids. A brilliant story of courage and sacrifice. aviationtrails.co.uk/2025/10…
October 9, 1944.
Mosquito KB261 lifted from Downham Market into the night — its crew, Flt Lt Reginald Gardner & F/O Oswald Sweetman, never to return.
After a flawless mission, ‘D-Dog’ circled home…then, without warning, plunged from 1,000ft to the ground. aviationtrails.co.uk/2025/10…
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