Memorial day in Cambridge UK

Subject: Memorial day in Cambridge UK
From: "Keith Willshaw"
Date: 6/2/04 1:45 AM Pacific Daylight Time
Message-id:


"ArtKramr" wrote in message
...


Who'da thunk it. from that little airdrome with one runway and a load of
shacks
it is now a major airport... Guess I'd never recognise the old field now.
But
I'll always remember it the way it was. When it wasn't cloaked in a
peasouper,
it was raining like hell.(sigh)



You can see pictures of the modern field at
http://www.baapicturelibrary.co.uk/

Keith




WOW !!!! From cowpastures do mighty airports grow. It is a beauty To get an
idea of wat it looked like during the war see the movie "12 O'Clock High" It
looked like the field in that film. Somewhere on the Stansted field is a plaque
to the 344th. Is it still there? A photo of the plaque is on my website. If
anyone knows, lemme know. Thanks Keith for the website and the great photos.
Memories.Always memories.




Arthur Kramer
344th BG 494th BS
England, France, Belgium, Holland, Germany
Visit my WW II B-26 website at:
http://www.coastcomp.com/artkramer

"Keith Willshaw" wrote in message
...

"ArtKramr" wrote in message
...


Who'da thunk it. from that little airdrome with one runway and a load of
shacks
it is now a major airport... Guess I'd never recognise the old field
now.
But
I'll always remember it the way it was. When it wasn't cloaked in a
peasouper,
it was raining like hell.(sigh)



You can see pictures of the modern field at
http://www.baapicturelibrary.co.uk/

Keith




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Thanks Keith,....I was searching for a website showing the layout of the
airport, you saved me a lot of time !

BMC

In article , ArtKramr
writes
ubject: Memorial day in Cambridge UK
From: "Brian Colwell"
Date: 6/1/04 2:59 PM Pacific Daylight Time
Message-id: 5%6vc.640170$oR5.170110@pd7tw3no


"ArtKramr" wrote in message
...
Subject: Memorial day in Cambridge UK
From: "Keith Willshaw"

Any ceremonies at Stansted, the home of the ol' 344th?


I dont know but I doubt it Art, Stansted is
now a major commercial airport.


Originally it was a cowpasture. It got levelled, they lay down a runway
and
threw up a load of Niessen huts and we (the 344th moved) moved in. Now a
major
commmercial airport. eh. I guess the ol' 44th left a mark of greatness on
that
ol' cowpasture. (grin)


Arthur Kramer
344th BG 494th BS
England, France, Belgium, Holland, Germany
Visit my WW II B-26 website at:
http://www.coastcomp.com/artkramer

Art,
They now move approx. 200 million passengers a year and it is the 4th
busiest aiport in the UK...see what you started :-))

Regards, BMC




Who'da thunk it. from that little airdrome with one runway and a load of shacks
it is now a major airport... Guess I'd never recognise the old field now. But
I'll always remember it the way it was. When it wasn't cloaked in a peasouper,
it was raining like hell.(sigh)



Arthur Kramer
344th BG 494th BS
England, France, Belgium, Holland, Germany
Visit my WW II B-26 website at:
http://www.coastcomp.com/artkramer

Here's an extract from the first volume of "Action Stations", covering
military airfields in Essex and East Anglia:

As long ago as July 4 1942 the 817th US Engineering Air Battalion
arrived to build the 1,919-acre airfield, which opened in July 1943,
after more engineers had arrived, as an Air Depot for US forces in
Britain. By October 1943 an airfield existed with the customary three
runways, a main NE/SW 6,000 x 150-foot runway and two subsidiaries, both
2,000 x 150 feet, running roughly NW/SW and N/S. To Stansted came many a
Marauder to be prepared for combat in the ETO. But it was the arrival of
the 344th Bomb Group with B-26s that really brought the station to life.
The Group commenced operations on March 6 1944, flying daylight raids
on France, Belgium and Holland and concentrating its attacks on bridges
in May 1944. For its July operations it was awarded a Distinguished Unit
Citation.
The Group moved to France in late September 1944, leaving the 30th Air
Depot Group in residence. After the war the airfield was used as an
American transit centre. On August 12 1945 the Americans moved out and
the RAF took over, siting 263 MU here. Some German POWs were held here
pending repatriation.


The article continues with Stansted's post-war history, both military
and civil, up to 1979.

--
Peter

Ying tong iddle-i po!

Subject: Memorial day in Cambridge UK
From: Peter Twydell
Date: 6/6/04 2:08 AM Pacific Daylight Time
Message-id:

In article , ArtKramr
writes
ubject: Memorial day in Cambridge UK
From: "Brian Colwell"
Date: 6/1/04 2:59 PM Pacific Daylight Time
Message-id: 5%6vc.640170$oR5.170110@pd7tw3no


"ArtKramr" wrote in message
...
Subject: Memorial day in Cambridge UK
From: "Keith Willshaw"

Any ceremonies at Stansted, the home of the ol' 344th?


I dont know but I doubt it Art, Stansted is
now a major commercial airport.


Originally it was a cowpasture. It got levelled, they lay down a runway
and
threw up a load of Niessen huts and we (the 344th moved) moved in. Now a
major
commmercial airport. eh. I guess the ol' 44th left a mark of greatness on
that
ol' cowpasture. (grin)


Arthur Kramer
344th BG 494th BS
England, France, Belgium, Holland, Germany
Visit my WW II B-26 website at:
http://www.coastcomp.com/artkramer

Art,
They now move approx. 200 million passengers a year and it is the 4th
busiest aiport in the UK...see what you started :-))

Regards, BMC




Who'da thunk it. from that little airdrome with one runway and a load of
shacks
it is now a major airport... Guess I'd never recognise the old field now.
But
I'll always remember it the way it was. When it wasn't cloaked in a
peasouper,
it was raining like hell.(sigh)



Arthur Kramer
344th BG 494th BS
England, France, Belgium, Holland, Germany
Visit my WW II B-26 website at:
http://www.coastcomp.com/artkramer

Here's an extract from the first volume of "Action Stations", covering
military airfields in Essex and East Anglia:

As long ago as July 4 1942 the 817th US Engineering Air Battalion
arrived to build the 1,919-acre airfield, which opened in July 1943,
after more engineers had arrived, as an Air Depot for US forces in
Britain. By October 1943 an airfield existed with the customary three
runways, a main NE/SW 6,000 x 150-foot runway and two subsidiaries, both
2,000 x 150 feet, running roughly NW/SW and N/S. To Stansted came many a
Marauder to be prepared for combat in the ETO. But it was the arrival of
the 344th Bomb Group with B-26s that really brought the station to life.
The Group commenced operations on March 6 1944, flying daylight raids
on France, Belgium and Holland and concentrating its attacks on bridges
in May 1944. For its July operations it was awarded a Distinguished Unit
Citation.
The Group moved to France in late September 1944, leaving the 30th Air
Depot Group in residence. After the war the airfield was used as an
American transit centre. On August 12 1945 the Americans moved out and
the RAF took over, siting 263 MU here. Some German POWs were held here
pending repatriation.


The article continues with Stansted's post-war history, both military
and civil, up to 1979.

--
Peter

Ying tong iddle-i po!



Interesting stuff. Thank you.


Arthur Kramer
344th BG 494th BS
England, France, Belgium, Holland, Germany
Visit my WW II B-26 website at:
http://www.coastcomp.com/artkramer