Eighth Army Air Corps 493rd Bomb Group Museum Debach Airfield, Suffolk, England

Completing my trip to the four corners of England (relatively speaking), I went to see the airbase in the South East where Grandpa Reynolds was stationed with the "Mighty Eighth" in the last few months of the War in 1945 and where he flew his B-17 over the skies of Europe. Two enthusiastic and knowledgeable volunteers led me through the base. For personal reasons, this was my most memorable excursion in England.

My sincere thanks to Richard Taylor, who has restored and preserved the base from his own private resources. Thanks also to his team of volunteers (especially Darren Jelley and Helen) who work tirelessly to acquire and organize accurate information on the many soldiers who were stationed in Debach and who maintain the grounds and museum exhibits.

Cap. Earl Reynolds, 1945 (after being an operations officer from 19 Dec. 1941-March 1945). He remained in the Air Force until 1967, went into civil service, and retired a colonel in 1984. He went to be with Jesus on Christmas Eve, 2012.

 The rural countryside of the South East, from the train...

 Much flatter than in the North East...

 Pictures of Ipswich, going to my hotel...

 The old bottle opener and the pie for dinner...

 A pub which my grandfather almost certainly visited.

 On the slab where the mess hall was set up; grandfather stood on this ground...

Debach airfield: from mess slab looking towards the airfield

 Looking toward the 493rd HQ Buildings...

 The memorial to the 493rd, next to the old oak tree.

 The name of one of the African Americans who constructed the base, written into the concrete...

 Various supply and soldier barracks (now farm sheds and various museum buildings)...

 The original control tower...

 A painting of HQ and the oak tree...

 Original layout of the base (standard figure eight track with cross runways in the middle)...

 Grandfather with his men (far left)

  Going towards the old hanger bays (now, no longer in existence).

More hanger areas

Main north/south runway, where Grandpa lifted off with his B-17.

 Crossed runways (north/south & east/west)

 Inside the museum...

 One of these dentists had his hand in Grandpa's mouth...

 Only one of these per room... Grandpa had to share this with many men...

 Toys built by the German prisoners of war...

 Music written by a prisoner of war...

 The home front... or the reason why Grandpa came... to save these people.

 Darren and Helen

...Ride off into the sunset