RAF Thorpe Abbott Hidden Remains. Control Tower, Battle HQ. USAAF 100th Bomb Group Museum Norfolk.
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- Опубліковано 25 лип 2019
- #RAF # USAAF #Airbase #Abandoned
RAF THORPE ABBOTTS / USAAF STATION 139.
Construction of the airfield, which was initially planned as a satellite for RAF Horham in Suffolk, commenced in 1942, but because of the rapid build-up of the Eighth Air Force both airfields were handed over to the United States Army Air Forces (USAAF). Thorpe Abbotts airfield was designated Station 139. The airfield area covered more than 600 acres and included three runways, 5.60 kilometres of perimeter track and fifty aircraft dispersals. The main runway was 1,920 metres (6,300 feet) long and one of the longest in the Eighth Air Force. At its peak there were about seventy B-17 aircraft and 3,500 personnel at the base.
The 100th Bombardment Group (Heavy) arrived on 9 June 1943 and was assigned to the 13th Combat Bombardment Wing. Its operational squadrons were the 349th, 350th, 351st and 418th Bomb Squadrons.
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I flew the last aeroplane out of Thorpe Abbots. Not a B17, Sadly, but a crop duster. We were using the runways, which were being broken up again sadly, and the concrete cruncher was waiting on my finishing before smashing up the last bit. I remember wandering across to the control tower (Derelict at the time) and talking to some guys who were thinking of restoring it. And here we are!.. Great effort by all concerned. We live in a world full of entitled little twerps who think they are having it tough. Its gratifying to see people preserve some real history (The sort they'd like us to forget) to remind others of what pain and sacrifice really look like. And Victory.......and glory thinking about it......
This was a great message and we really appreciate it.... We totally agree these places should be remembered and documented.... Most really don't know what these people went through... But the stress and the strain for a soldiers life still managed to lift a smile and a joke now and again.... We really appreciate these places.... And it is a shame it wasn't a b17.... But just look at it in away we do.... We might not of seen these places active but we still got to see it... That's the same as your crop duster... U got to fly 😊 thank you for your message 😊
Great video. I grew up in Upper Billingford, and my parents still reside there. They live on the plot of land, where the Officers mess was. I loved exploring these buildings back in the 1970's and 80's as a kid. Always finding old 50 cal bullets. You missed a few other buildings. Barracks, across the road from the prefabs Nissen huts. On the walls there were paintings that the GI#s put on there, one of which was of a Japanese person with a Kasa hat...I rechecked last year, unfortunately the paintings have now faded so bad, you cant see them. Two families then moved into that small building just after the war. Near to there is the old water works. There is a small building, and water pits, and granite areas, where sprinklers would rotate, sprinkling the water over the top, purifying the water...they are still there. Then there was the old map room building, which was pretty big...not so far (i min walk) from the water purifying treatment place...It had the old map room lights hanging from the ceiling, but alas, was knocked down back in the early 1990's if I recall. The battle HQ used to be full of water back in the 80's. The building you mentioned was indeed to do with the red cross, as there was a painted red cross on the wall at the main entrance, but alas is now gone. The other two buildings near to the red cross buildings, the larger one was the old picture house. The two further up, one of which was the old pump house, hence the water containers. It is a shame that the buildings are falling apart, back in the 80's they were still pretty solid. Also round the back of the red cross building, was a shell of an old car from the 1940's / 50's, something like a Ford Pop I believe, that that has since been taken. Also, if you get onto the main road, and head towards Lower Billingford, before you reach the layby on the right, to the left, was a big crater, where the Americans used to dump all their old military equipment, such as headphones and stuff like that...Alas, it got filled in back in the 1980s. Finally the open days back when I was a kid at the museum was fantastic....100's of people would attend, all dressed up. We even had the B-17 fly over, and for a time, a cockpit of a Douglas freight plane was on loan, and us kids could sit in it, but alas, people kept pinching the dials and things, so the cockpit went back to its owner. Being the only boy of my age in the hamlet back when I was a kid, thats all I had to do with my time, was to explore on my own...great times. :)
Hi there, thank you so much for your comment with all the information you mention from your memories, we always love to hear from people that can give us a better understanding about the places we explore.. We had planned on exploring many more locations around the airfield on our visit that day but unfortunately just didn't have enough time. We were also aware of the location of the Headquarters site, the sewage works, bomb store, sick quarters plus a few others along with all the buildings you mention in Site 4 across the road from the nissen huts we visited but alas time wasn't on our side, but we definitely are very keen to plan a return very soon to explore the rest as well as a visit to RAF Seething just up the road as we have researched the location of many the the remains there too. These are definitely our favourite places to explore with all the history they contain they are just amazing but like you say it's such a shame they are becoming such a state and being left to fall down, I believe they certainly deserve alot more respect than they receive. Thanks again for your informative message, it's very much appreciated. ATB Em and Stu.
Thank you for a great video. My uncle was stationed at Thorpe Abbotts in WWII. He was a pilot and KIA. We are from the U.S. I have been to Thorpe Abbott's before, but will be back in a few months.
Thank you we always appreciate comments like this...on people's experience or family's who had members involved...thank you for your comments 😀
I enjoyed watching your tour especially the older abandoned areas of Thorpe Abbotts. My father was a co-pilot of a B17 and based here from March-May 1944. I had the pleasure of traveling from the U.S. to visiting the 100th Bomb Group museum this past summer. The museum’s staff rolled out the red carpet for me as the son of one of the US fliers that was based at T.A.. On our way back to the Diss train station, one of the museum’s trustees drove me past some of these same abandoned areas. It is a marvel to see the remains of those buildings after some ~75 years! Very cool!
I was in East Anglia in 2019 and our group visited St. Peter’s church in Palgrave. At the time I had no idea that TA was next door. Next trip is going to focus more on the old airfields even though I did get to tour the Churchill War Rooms, that just wetted my appetite for more.
@JHBlais Thanks for taking the time to watch, you must be so proud of your Father, the volunteers at the museum are so friendly and dedicated to making sure the memory of the men who were stationed here are never forgotten.. We're hoping to return this year to explore more of the area and make a better video as soon as the ground dries up abit as its incredibly muddy and water logged around there at the moment. Thanks again for watching and taking the time to comment, it's always lovely to hear from family members of the incredible people who risk their lives and in far too many cases lost them. All the best Em and Stu.
@FlightSimVRDad The military history we have all around us here in Norfolk and Suffolk is incredible, it's definitely worth taking an explore as you'll be sure to find something.. The War Rooms are great, I've been myself but it's the hidden and often forgotten history we love the most. Thanks for watching 👍
This couples enthusiasm and appreciation for the history of this airfield is so gratifying. To some, these are just broken down ,decaying structures and their significance is lost to time. The couple view this as hallowed ground (and it is). Thank you so much for this wonderful, off the beaten track, walk. I enjoyed it immensely.
Thank you so much for your lovely comment, we really do appreciate you taking the time to watch our video and comment.. Over the last 2 years of exploring together we have become fascinated by the history of these interesting places and we try our best to show them the respect they rightly deserve. We've just spent the weekend exploring RAF Rivenhall in Essex which we'll be uploading in a few weeks time and hope that if you get the chance to watch it you'll like it just as much. Thanks again for your comment. All the best Em and Stu 😊👍
I couldn't agree more. I recently read "Masters Of The Air" by Donald Miller which gives a fascinating account of the allied bombing campaign to defeat Nazi Germany & renewed my interest in the subject. Nice to see younger generations with an interest in & reverence for that generation who took on such a monumental task so many years ago. Lest we forget.
I enjoyed watching my Father was in the 100th bomb group I have heard a few stories about the base he would have loved to see this but he passed in 1992
We are very pleased that you enjoyed our video also really happy to think your farther would of enjoyed it to thank you very much for your comments 😊
Thank you both, well done. My great Uncle Evan was based at Thorpe Abbott Airbase. He is buried at Cambridge. Evan left Thorpe Abbott on a brand new B-17G Miss Lollipop. This was the first mission for Miss Lollipop and her last. The plane took flak over the coast of France and caught fire. Its one mile of the Dover Coast in the English Channel. Evan died that day. My wife and I visited Thorpe Abbotts Field and Cambridge. Wonderful People at the 100th BG museum. I was so happy to visit the museum and I hope to go back soon.
Hi Bill, thank you so much for sharing the story about your Uncle Evan with us, what an amazing sacrifice he made, you much be incredibly proud. The volunteers that run the museum at Thorpe Abbotts are very knowledgeable and friendly, we also definitely intend of returning there very soon. Thanks for watching and taking the time to comment. Kind regards Em and Stu.
This airfield is going to get a lot of attention with the new WW2 series coming out this year. Thanks for sharing this!
Does it feature in it? We shall have to keep a look out for it if so.. Hoping to return back again this year to try to discover more.. thanks for watching 👍
@@ExploringWithEmAndStu It features the 100th Air Group which given the accuracy the producers are known for they will recreate Thorpe Abbot down to the lived in wear and tear of the base. It should create the same kind of buzz as Band of Brothers and The Pacific created. Thanks again
Last saw Thorpe Abbotts in 2001 when stationed at Mildenhall. Now that I moved back from the States, I’m looking forward to seeing it again (give us a break COVID-19).
This place was great we really enjoyed our day there and the ppl at the museum where great and welcome back 😊
Y'all are awesome. Great video. I can't wait to go to TA one day. Home of my grandpa's stompin grounds in 1944.
I actually live near the old airfield and used to work at the museum, I often go for walks in search for these types of buildings!
Very good video, guys!!
Thanks Joe! It's amazing how many of these old airbase building still exist all around the country and many of them hidden and forgotten.. Glad you liked the video 😊👍
Great explore guys. My Dad took me to Thorpe Abbots airfield a couple of times in the 1980's and your video brought back a few memories
We hope we only brought back good memories 😊 hope you are well and keeping safe 😊👍
Amazing wish they kept all air bases as part of future interest for new generation’s today good video keep it going thanks
We said this just yesterday... Its a part of our history and should be seen 🙂
The item with cables attached to a notched wheel is a wire tensioner. Each metal hoop of the Nissen hut had a wire running around the flange which was ratchetted tight at ground level with the tensioner. The tensioner remained in place under the ribbed sheeting and kept the hoop from swaying around.
Thanks very much. You are a lovely enthusiastic couple showing the meagre accommodation used by all the brave servicemen in WWII
Thanks Jim.. We absolutely love learning about the history of these places and the remains we managed to find our just fascinating! I just wish more people would appreciate the importance their role played in the past and they'd be looked after more.. Thanks for watching and your lovely comment 😊👍
So many young kids, so far from home, flew out of that base and never came back.
This is very true sad to think ☹️
I was always being dragged around this type of stuff when I was a kid. Both my Grandfather (Ex-RAF WWII) and father (Ex-RAF 1960's Aden and Africa) filled my youthful head full of this type of stuff. Thanks for making the video, great stuff.... PS. From what I can make out the aircraft at the end was a North American Harvard trainer.
Thanks that's really interesting to know about the aircraft, my parents always dragged me round old and historic stuff too as a child which is probably where my fascination came from. Thanks for your comment 🙂
Until recently I was on the engineering crew with SallyB and would often fly as 2nd Engineer when doing displays etc. It was always awesome to fly over some of the old American Eighth Air Force bases in a B-17 but noting beats the nostalgia of trekking around the bases themselves. Great vid.
Thank you Geoff for sharing your memories with us, must have been an amazing experience! We really love exploring these old remains and documenting them on camara before they are lost forever 😞 Thanks for taking the time to watch and comment on our video 👍
Merci beaucoup pour le partage de cette exploration, c'est vraiment très intéressant 👍😉
merci beaucoup d'avoir regardé nous l'apprécions vraiment Joyeux Noël et bonne année à vous
So glad that some of these air bases have been preserved for future generations, nice explore guys 👍👍👍
Yes we feel the same, it's just a shame that so many have been demolish with no respect for what they stood for.
Extremely good video you two. This is only the second "dry" battle HQ I`ve seen on YT, good find. I love old RAF bases and wish there were some near to me. Sorry to be pedantic but the semi circular buildings you looked at are NissEn huts. "Nissan" is a relatively new name of a car maker 😀
It's my accent and others have pointed that out..al I can do is apologise for it 🙂 we both really appreciate your comments and for watching our little video...thank you 😀
Again Em and Stu brilliant video and picture's. I said this before this is really my interest old airfields. Not had a car for a few years now but when I did was a lot of old airfields visiting in Cambridgeshire and Bedfordshire and the ones in my county Buckinghamshire. The one I visit every 5 years RAF Snaith in Yorkshire was spread over 6 sites inc the airfield .Two of them were the WRAF sites but not many left now. Thanks again for this video 👍👍👌
Keep an eye open we might have something you may enjoy coming soon 😊
Very interesting, thank you for alovely video x there are a lot of ww2 airfields near me a d I have often thought what went on there , and now they are in decline x
This was a great place and if you ever get a chance to go to one you should great history 😊
Yes will if safe to do so x
Love the history that goes with these places cool vid
Thank you glad you liked our video
Nice one guys!
Thanks for watching, glad you liked it! 🙂
Wow, Not sure how I stumbled upon your Channel, but really glad I did. Nice coverage of this old airbase and its old buildings. Really enjoyed your video and well worth my subscription. Keep up the good work and looking forward to watching your other video's. Great team work. Thank you. 😀👍👍👍👍👍👍
Thanks really nice of you to say what a nice comment.. We have a few new things coming to our Channal 👌😁👍
Great videos guys. Been up quite a bit of the night watching them. The 100th bomb group is still around but transformed into the 100th ARW (Air Refueling Wing )And is based just up the road at RAF Mildenhall. Its the only USAF unit that still carries the bomb goups bloody hundreth D code on the tail of its aircraft.
Thanks Mark, we're really glad you are enjoying our videos, we appreciate your information and had no idea the 100th bomb group is still about even in their transformed state.. Thanks again for watching and commenting, ATB Em and Stu 😊👍
thanx em n stu for a great informative film,i been there a few times but never gone out exploring,yr vid has made my mind up to get out more in the woods around these old yank bases.my local in bedford is twinwood airfield,wild camped up there which was scarey as its haunted being that its the airbase that glen miller took off from and mysteriously never returned..the 100th bomb group at thorpe abbotts i think had the nickname the bloody hundredth as had the most casualties in ww2..new sub..
Hi Garth, yes you are correct it was know as the bloody 100th I believe due to its high number of casualties unfortunately. Its amazing how many old remains are still hidden in woodlands around the area especially of east anglia, we've got so many we'd like to explore when we get the chance to, they are fascinating and I'd definitely recommend taking a look about.. Let us know how you get on 😊 Thanks for watching and commenting ATB Em and Stu 👍
Great video. Love the history lesson, especially as a AF vet myself. Great stuff.
Thanks, we absolutely love exploring these old airbases, there's usually so much of it remaining still, well hidden in the undergrowth that most people don't even know is there! Hoping to do more around the area very soon. Thanks for watching 👍😊
When I was there, about five years ago, they had a soundtrack in the control tower of B17's returning from a daylight bombing mission, which was very poignant
It's a great place to visit.. the volunteers to run it work really hard to preserve its history 😊
100th BG is still based in England even to this day and is now known as the 100th AFW based at Mildenhall. The KC-135R Stratotankers still wears the 100th BG 'D' on the tails of their aircraft.
Oh really, we didn't know that.. that's interesting 😊👍
Fascinating place great video too.
Thank you Raymond, we really enjoyed, glad you did too.
Nice people, nice video. Regards from the Netherlands
Ah thank you nice person for saying so 😊
Cool bit of history guy's big 👍 from us.
Thank you, really glad u liked it 🙂
Site 6 was occupied by civilians until 1959/60 and my Mother was the postmistress who delivered mail to Upper Billingford and Site 6 and the Air Base during WW11. She was Postie from 1927.
This is what we really like about having this channel... People like you commentting on these videos sharing you experiences thank you very much for information on somthing personal thank you 😊😊😊😊😊😊
The structure @ 27.10 looks like an engine rebuild and testing building. There's a similar one alongside the Quiddenham-East Harling road at Snetterton (formerly home of the USAAF 96th Heavy Bombardment Group).
Thank you for your information on this... We still look around these places and to this day not know everything about them so it's nice ppl csn help us from time to time 😊
@@ExploringWithEmAndStu : My very great pleasure.
PS... really enjoyed the vid 👍
Thank you we wish we could of done it better but it was over a year ago now and we do thing very different these days we really appreciate you watching 😊
Enjoyed watching, thank you.
Thanks Gary, we appreciate you watching 😊
Great explore. Awsome job. 👍👍👍👍👍☺
Thanks as always, glad u liked it 🙂
Very interesting especially the latter part. Reminds us of our favourite bunker we been to so many times. Thank you !
Yes the museum was interesting but it's the hidden stuff we really want to get our teeth into! Lol. We r hoping to explore a few more places like this in the future. Thanks for your comment, glad u liked it.
Nice video em and stu so much history in those old air bases loved it cheers
Hopefully we will visit more after lockdown 😊
The brick enclosure with the stove pipe coming out does look like a home made fireplace. Many airfield buildings were occupied by homeless families for several years after the war and things like that were commonly added. It doesn't look like an original military feature to me but you never know.
I think you are probably correct, we believe these nissen huts were used by the Red Cross after the war to house the homeless so its likely later additions were added.. 👍
Lovely video guys very interesting,it’s now on my list to visit! Thanks for sharing and showing us what’s out there to see especially military history in east Anglia 👍🏻
Thank you, we really enjoyed this one, Hoping to do more in the near future 👍
Looks a very interesting place to go 🙂
Thanks Candice, this is definitely our favourite type of explores, we love hunting for all the hidden remains.. hoping to do a few more soon. 🙂
Nice one 👏❤️😁x
Thanks, glad u liked it 👍
That's cool to see how nature takes back what's its when people are gone.
Yeah we love explore like this, it's good fun trying to hunt for all the hidden stuff! Hope to do more in the near future. Thanks for watching.
Great explore, made me want to go and have a look. Not really been to Suffolk yet.
This place is really great! It is infact right near the Norfolk/Suffolk boarder but technically in Norfolk.. my mistake! 🙈 Glad u liked it though, thanks for watching 👍
@@ExploringWithEmAndStu Meh, don't let county lines get in the way of a good explore. It was good to watch.
@Barbellion Cheers! 😊
Do you have any clear photos of the hot water tank which stood next to the large water tower please? (the tower with the original roof line visible in one wall). That would have been part of a boiler room, possibly attached to the water tower. Great explore thanks.
Unfortunately not we will be going back one day to do a better video on this location so hopefully we can get better footage and better photos for our Subscribers...they would be posted on face book and Instagram when we complete the video 🙂
The best persevered control tower and the buildings have been put back as they were in the 1943 / and the hundredth bomb group
Which was called the bloody hundredth / becouse they lost more crews than any other bomb group / Ronnie baltley and people who helped
To get every thing back as it was when the crews flew from Thorpe Abbott’s // I’d love to see a B17 Flying Fortress // even one that don’t fly
Put in a hunger for all to see the younger generation would be able to see this bomber that flew from this airfield in 1943 when U.S. A . Came over
And also would be the best way to honour and and give the 100 th bomb group // and a lasting memory to all them crews that never came back
You have got bombers standing just in the gates of the airfields/ even if the B 17 came over in parts and put together from the U.S.A.
To all them crews will always be remembered god bless and keep them in gods house / a big thank you for making our world safe //
This place was amazing such a history there brave people and total respect for the place 👍😊
Great video . I wonder if you are familiar with a book I think called ‘one last look’. It concentrates on some history of American air bases and how some of the buildings looked back in the 70’s when the book was published. Lots of American wall murals etc. A very nostalgic read. I will get some more information if you are interested. I was actually born at Mildenhall right at the end of the war. My Dad was based there on Lancasters. My brother joined the RAF in 1951 ending up as a Navigator on the Vulcan. A lot of those bases have now been abandoned or sold for development and it does sadden me. As his much younger brother, I used to love staying with him on the air bases such as Waddington, Bimbrook, Wittering and many others.
Thanks Roger, I have a good few military Infomation books but not heard of this one so will have to look into it.. We always appreciate hearing about people's memories of these places, we visited another one last week and it's sad to see how they are just left to fall down with all their history slowly being forgotten by most.. Thanks for taking the time to watch and we appreciate your comment. 😊👍
We tried walking the liberation way at thorpe abbotts at the weekend but the footpath signs are missing and the ground so waterlogged couldnt do it.
Sadly it's the same for most of the countryside around Norfolk and Suffolk at the moment, everywhere is so boggy with all the rain and floods we've had. We tried to take another look around the surrounding site ourselves a couple of weeks ago as we wanted to make a better video as well as another nearby ww2 airfield but there was just water and mud everywhere.. 😔
I'm sure it will begin clearing up soon though so if you get another opportunity later in the year don't give up, there's so much history to find hidden around the area as well as the museum will open again soon which is well worth a visit.
Thanks for watching, and good luck with your future walk 😊
Brilliant. Made my own video on that battle hq a while back if you wanna check it out. Never been to that museum. Good stuff👍
Thanks Alfie, I imagine I've seen your video of it in the past as I've watched all of yours but not realised it was the same place.. will give it another look tho. The museum is well worth checking out, the volunteers there are so friendly and full of information. Thanks again for watching, hope to see some more on your channel soon 👍
I'll go and have a butchers at that vid. I love Battle HQs. The base commander always had the final say on where they were positioned. Strange to think they were never used, not in a functional sense. Just there for a 'what if' scenario.
The building at 28:45 has a balcony
We will be returning at some point we will look again 🙂
Just a quick word of warning for anyone planning to visit the abandoned buildings/ battle hq, police use that land now for police dog training, I live right near the airfield and I have seen police using that area for police dog training. So please stay off that land. Ty
Oh we didn't know that thank you for the warning apologies for this 😊👍
@@ExploringWithEmAndStu if you ever want more locations of buildings to explore in thorpe abbotts just let me know
That is very kind of you to offer that thank you 😁👍
Is there no historic maps available showing these structures with descriptions ?
Interesting as 2 of my relatives were stationed there during WW2.
Thanks from Texas
No not that we can see but we are so pleased you have watched our video we will find out if we can 😊
There are maps in the museum itself and you can find them by searching in the internet. I live locally, about a mile from Thorpe Abbotts, it’s a fascinating place but guys, please bear in mind that a lot of it is on private property and it is always best to seek the landowners’ permission before exploring, as they tend to get a bit antsy when people just wander round without asking.
We didn't know at the time as we found out after and most was at the side of public footpaths we didn't go any ferther then that thsnk you for warning us thank very much appreciated 😔😊
@@ExploringWithEmAndStu The full, original site maps for most of the WW2 airfields are available from After the Battle magazine, and for a fee from the Royal Air Force museum. These are copies of the original drawings and cover the airfields and dispersal sites. Every building is numbered and their use given. They are absolutely priceless if exploring old airfields. Hope this helps.
@@fightersweep oh yes that helps alot that info will help alot.... Thank you so much 👍😊