Strana 109
That feeling was amazing, and it always
will be. As you make your way through the
thickets and blackberry bushes, you know
what lay beyond them. Like the dried-up pond
behind the old hardstands, where the ground
crews used to throw whatever came to mind
on a whim. Suddenly, you can see where the
hardstands were embedded in the undulating
edge of the grove (and when you enter that
grove, you can tell exactly where the old forest
ends and the wild growth begins - where
nature has reclaimed what belongs to her).
If you’re driving from Common Road (where
the exit from the Museum joins) to Billingford
- turn left toward the south onto a small paved
road (Wood Lane), and after a short while you’ll
cross the former taxiway (the well-preserved
section will be on your left); after a few dozen
meters, the paved road will become somewhat
bumpy - you’re crossing the area where the
main runway used to be, and then you’ll come
upon the taxiway again. There, however, today’s
paved road connects to the taxiway, and you
continue for nearly 350 meters directly on the
path once travelled by the B-17s of the Bloody
Hundredth. The taxiway concrete is still under
the asphalt of your current road.
The woods themselves hold many surprises
in the form of building ruins, drainage systems,
and other infrastructure. However, these are
private properties, and entry is permitted only
with the owners’ consent. That, however, does
not diminish the sense of history you can feel
in the area. You can even see some of these
silent witnesses to those times directly from
roads and public paths. And there are many
such places throughout England associated
with the activities of the 8th and 9th Air Force
and the RAF (and, of course, not only there -
I recall my encounter with abandoned airport
buildings at the Brandis base near Leipzig,
Germany, where, among others, JG 400 was
stationed, or my visit to the fields and woods
in Welzov and Alteno, where two groups of
JG 4 were based for a time). All it takes is
a little preparation, some knowledge of the
subject, a deep connection to it, and an open
mind. The genius loci of that place - whatever
it may be - will find you.
TAIL END CHARLIE
B-17Gs from the 100th BG taxiing to take off on a combat mission.
A today’s look from Hardstand No. 5 to a section of the perimeter track.
INFO Eduard
109
September 2026