Our biennial tour to honor the men of the 398th Bombardment Group, flying from station 131, Nuthampstead, England during WWII

Our "Journey Back to England" tour kicked off on May 25, 2018 and ran through May 29, 2018

The 2018 Biennial “Journey Back to England” Tour officially began on Friday morning, May 25 in Cambridge, England. The group of sixteen included sons, daughters, in-laws, friends and one 398th Bomb Group veteran. Leo Croce, 602nd Squadron co-pilot, Griffin and Comstock crews, attended his very first 398th event since WWII! Leo’s presence enhanced the reunion for everyone involved as he recalled many stories of 35 missions and his time in Nuthampstead Station 131.

The first organized event for the group was a trip to visit nearby Audley End House and Gardens. Audley End House and Gardens demonstrate the development of a great house (or manor house—think Downton Abbey!) and its landscape over five centuries. Built in the 17th century, the house is one of the most impressive of buildings from that era both in the exterior and interior. The collection of paintings is also notable.

During WWII, like many estates and manor houses, Audley End was appropriated for use by the Allies. The property became headquarters of the Polish Section of the Special Operations Executive. Exiled special-ops troops who volunteered to join the Polish underground movement were trained here before being dropped back into Poland to help the Resistance.

Today, the house and grounds belong to the English Heritage Trust—a charity that manages England’s historic buildings and monuments. Audley is frequently visited by tourists in the Essex area.

On Friday afternoon, a guided walking tour of Cambridge followed the Audley End visit. The guide highlighted points of interest at the famous university and this historic city. The group visited King’s College Chapel and the River Cam and several of its bridges (hence the name Cambridge) bordering the main campus.

The Reunion Group gathered at The Eagle Pub in Cambridge for a casual Friday night pub dinner. The Eagle dates back to 1667 and is owned by one of the University of Cambridge colleges. During WWII, RAF and 8th Air Force officers and airmen were known to frequent The Eagle. These soldiers created a graffiti ceiling, using cigarette lighters and candles, and burned the name of their bomb group, outfit or other cartoons overhead. The ceiling remains intact still today. A sharp eye can spot the “398” burned on the ceiling in the 1940’s and a more recent large decal of the 398th’s “Hell from Heaven” emblem on a wall near the bar. Ironically, a group of American Air Force personnel stationed in nearby RAF Mildenhall and RAF Lakenheath—including several pilots--introduced themselves and visited with members of the reunion group—particularly with their fellow pilot, Leo. It was a terrific ending to the first day of the Reunion.

The 398th Bomb group and the 55th Fighter Group memorials were the site for the Service of Commemoration for their members who lost their lives in WWII. Back in 1982, the 398th Bomb Group erected an official Monument on a strip of property adjacent to the Woodman Inn Pub built on the edge of Station 131. In recent years, a monument dedicated to the men of the 55th Fighter Group was also erected. The Woodman existed even prior to WWII and many veterans have fond memories of “sharing a pint” during their infrequent off-duty time. It is a great spot for the monument as the owners of The Woodman have graciously supported and assisted with any activities associated with the 398th BG and the 55th FG.

Rod Finn, Chairman of the Friends of the 398th, was the Master of Ceremonies for the memorial service. After the National Anthems of the USA and Great Britain, Susan Menard (daughter-in-law of Don Menard) led the Opening Prayer followed by a reading of Ephesians 6:10-17 by Jim Ledlow (son-in-law of Don Menard). 398th family members then placed flowers on the 398th and 55th Memorials followed by Taps and a minute of silence.

The day’s program included comments from several attendees including Wilfrid Dimsdale, Past Chairman of the Friends of the 398th. Wilfrid’s family still owns the property where the 398th established Station 131 as part of the 8th Air Force. Wilfrid gave insight into how the runways were built (using rubble trucked in from London bombing destruction) and described the beehive of activity with all the Yanks appearing in their tiny, previously quiet village. The Nuthampstead Airfield Museum also received praise from Wilfrid—for the perseverance and hard work that went from a lofty idea to a reality.

Sandy Johnson, of the Johnson family that owns The Woodman Inn described the history of the pub and its connection to the 398th and 55th. The pub has always welcomed the airmen and kindly continues to do so today, as well as displaying photographs and memorabilia of the 398th BG.

One of the original founders of the Friends of the 398th Bomb Group, Elaine Tyler, gave the background story of the handful of Brits that were determined to honor and remember the sacrifice and help given by the men of the 398th to the United Kingdom. The Friends were key in helping get the American Battle Monuments Commission to approve and facilitate the erection of the 398th and 55th monuments. In addition, the Nuthampstead Airfield Museum would only be an idea on paper if it were not for the selfless devotion of the Friends' time and energy.

The 398th Bomb Group’s own Historian, Lee Bradley’s remarks were a poignant reminder of the importance of history. Lee encouraged and challenged all present to reiterate to others, especially our younger generations, the significance of what has happened in the past and to remember the contributions of those men and women who fought during WWII.

In attendance at the Commemoration Service was World War II veteran Leo Croce, co-pilot in the Griffin and Comstock crews. Leo shared recollections of a few of his 35 missions. On one of Leo’s missions, in August 1944, his plane became the first 398th aircraft to land on the European continent after D-Day. And Leo explained another major mission occurred on Christmas Eve 1944. After days of terrible weather, ground forces in the Ardennes Forest of Belgium were in dire conditions, having had no air support. When the weather finally cleared, the 8th Air Force high command called for a maximum effort from all bomb groups. Consequently, to this day, the Christmas Eve mission became the largest air strike in the history of air warfare. The 398th participated by sending 53 B-17’s to the aid of the Allies during the Battle of the Bulge.

Leo remains humbled that he survived all 35 missions and like so many other vets, reminded us that those airmen who did not make it back, are the true heroes. It was a real privilege to have Leo and his family at the reunion—to the delight of the other attendees and the many Friends and Brits in attendance at the service.

After Leo’s speech, Karen Neff (stepdaughter of William Wells), recited the Closing Prayer. Rod Finn gave Closing Remarks and invited all in attendance to visit the Nuthampstead Airfield Museum.

Initially, the crowd gathered in the Garden area of the museum for a surprise unveiling. After a great deal of fund-raising and work, the museum trustees had erected a beautiful granite monument to the 398th BG and 55th FG. Leo proudly cut the ribbon to reveal this wonderful new feature in the Garden. Afterwards, the Hunter and James buildings were descended upon to check out the fascinating exhibits and displays. Numerous items and memorabilia help any visitor imagine the life of an airman during WWII. The museum is a great tribute to the strength of the 398th Bomb Group, 55th Fighter Group, the 8th Air Force and the English people.

After browsing through the museum, the tour group made their way into the Woodman for a good pub lunch. Some were delayed though, by taking a tour of the old airbase in US military jeeps driven by visiting re-enactors. Re-enactors, dressed mostly in Yanks WWII fatigues, love to make appearances and visit at nearby museums and services. The jeep ride was a bit bumpy and windy but was a great way to get a guided tour of the remnants of Station 131.

One more special ceremony was held that afternoon. The Dimsdale family has been kind enough to allow an American flag to be flown at the sight of the 398th’s Control Tower. For veterans and/or their families, the vet’s casket flag may be sent or brought to Nuthampstead and flown over the airfield flagpole. For veteran Don Menard, his family including daughter, Mellisa and her husband, Jim and Don’s son, Mark and his wife, Susan were able to personally deliver Don’s flag, per his wishes. A group of Friends and others on the tour drove over to the site and solemnly and quietly witnessed the flag raising. It was a beautiful day and the flag looked terrific waving in the strong breeze. For the Menard’s, it was emotional and lovely and a wonderful final tribute to another WWII veteran. [Don was the radio operator on the Sheely Crew, 603rd SQ.]

With English weather being abnormally warm and clear on the following Sunday morning, the group headed to St. George’s Church in the village of Anstey. Anstey sits at the very end of the main runway of Station 131 and back in October 1944, the very small community was in grave danger of being destroyed by a B-17. Upon take-off, the William C. Meyran crew of the 603rd Squadron immediately had engine trouble. Rather than crash into Anstey and St. George’s, the plane nose-dived into a moat right next to the church. Being loaded with bombs, the plane exploded and the entire crew was killed. The village and its residents were spared and unbelievably, only one window was broken at St. George’s. The grateful English people have never forgotten. On Memorial Day weekend, every other year, the church dedicates its service to the 398th Bomb Group and especially to those who gave their lives.

Back in 2000, a beautiful stained-glass window was installed in the church. It is filled with planes flying upward representing daylight bombing and planes flying downward representing chaos and violence. But what dominates the window are the butterflies flying upward. And etched on the butterflies wings, are the names of every 398th airman who lost their life. Please look up more details about the window on the 398th website.

After the church service, church parishioners offered coffee, tea and cookies and lots of warm conversation.

The next stop for the group was the Imperial War Museum at Duxford. The museum at Duxford is the largest air museum in Britain. Eight separate buildings highlight aviation including modern airspace, the Battle of Britain, Air and Sea and a large American Air Museum, along with several others. The tour group was able to browse through any and all of these buildings but as a bonus, Duxford was hosting an Air Show on that particular Sunday afternoon. The show included a World War I re-enactment of a dogfight using Tiger Moths and bi-planes, a pair of wing walkers and even the French equivalent of the USAF Thunderbirds, the Patrouille de France. There were many wonderful performances by everyone participating, but perhaps the highlight for our group was seeing the beloved B-17, the Sally B do a fly-over. The Brits are every bit as sentimental about the Sally B as the Americans, as she’s the only Flying Fortress left still flying in all of Europe. There was still one more surprise to finish off the terrific airshow. A P-51 Mustang flew over an enthusiastic crowd to applause and cheers.

The official 2018 American Memorial Day holiday fell on Monday, May 29. Following tradition, the service was held at The Cambridge American Cemetery. The cemetery contains the remains of 3,812 of our war dead and 5,127 names are recorded on the Walls of the Missing. Among those WWII veterans buried here are 17 398th Bomb Group airmen. Every grave was marked with two flags—the UK flag and the American flag. Small bouquets of flowers were also placed at the 398th member’s headstones.

After the British and United States National Anthems, remarks were given by several dignitaries including Sir Keith Pearson, representative of the Queen, and Major General Jon Thomas, Commander, HQ USAF in Europe and Africa. The focus of the commentary from the speakers honored those interred and listed on the Wall of the Missing and the parents, widows, children and families of these servicemen who, having made the ultimate sacrifice, did not return home after WWII. It was a poignant reminder to never forget those who died to maintain freedom.

The Presentation of Floral Tributes then began as 111 representatives of various Bomb Groups, veterans groups, museums, individuals and many British organizations (all who continue to honor and remember the 8th Air Force’s contributions in WWII), lined up in front of the Wall of the Missing. 398th veteran, Leo Croce, laid the group’s wreath on the wall along with the other organizations’ representatives. This was followed by a moment of silence and a 21-Gun Salute and Taps. Honoring the fallen servicemen with a fly-over, a USAF KC-135R Stratotanker, stationed at RAF Mildenhall, then roared over the cemetery. Coincidently, the pilot was one of those the reunion group had met at the Eagle Pub in Cambridge on Friday. To close out the memorial service, a solo member of the Royal Scottish Highlanders led the participants out of the ceremony playing a mournful lament on the bagpipes.

Lunch followed the Memorial Day Services at Coton Orchard and Garden Centre. The orchard is one of the last orchards in the Cambridge area and probably the most picturesque. The adjacent café provided a lovely spot to dine on a beautiful and warm afternoon.

Bletchley Park, the central site for British (and subsequently, Allied) codebreakers during WWII, was visited by the Reunion Tour Group on Tuesday, May 29. The once privately owned mansion was bought for use by the Secret Intelligence Service in 1938. People of various backgrounds including mathematicians, linguists, chess champions, crossword puzzle solvers, etc. were recruited to help break the Axis-power codes like Enigma and Lorenz ciphers. It’s been said that the intelligence produced at Bletchley shortened the war by two to four years.

Our group ventured onto the Bletchley grounds and explored many of the wood Codebreaking Huts. Huts 3 and 6 had been restored back to their WWII days and there we saw the different tasks the Codebreakers and their colleagues tackled on a daily basis. Hut 8 included Alan Turing’s office and a number of interactive tables exploring codebreaking techniques. Several of the brick “Blocks” were restored as well. The Block B Museum had a fine collection of original objects, including codebreaking material and cipher machines used during WWII. Then of course the beautiful mansion was a ‘must see’ on our list. Commander Denniston’s Office and the Library were both faithfully recreated as they would have looked during WWII.

Later that evening the group gathered at the Cambridge City Centre Hotel’s restaurant, “Bull & Bass”, for a very memorable Farewell Banquet. Once again, Leo was the star attraction! Geoff and Marilyn had brought along several copies of Leo’s WWII photos showing the handsome co-pilot in his leather A-2 jacket and crusher cap. During the cocktail hour, Leo autographed the pictures for everyone. Geoff and Harvey had each brought their art print of “Jet Hunters” purchased from Russ Abbey’s Merlin Aviation Art Gallery. “Jet Hunters” is a gorgeous painting by Robert Taylor showing a P-51 ‘little friend’ flying alongside a formation of 398th B-17’s. What made the print very special to all was that it depicted the 602nd Squadron, Leo’s Squadron! So naturally, Geoff and Harvey had Leo autograph their prints too. After a delicious dinner and good conversation, everyone gathered around Leo for a Q & A session. He also told of his life on base at Station 131, sprinkled with a few hair-raising mission stories. You could hear a pin drop!

It was a terrific reunion, and with a heavy heart we all said our “so longs”… but just until next time when we meet again “across the pond”.

Audley End House is a largely early 17th-century country house outside Saffron Walden, Essex.
A palace in all but name, it is renowned as one of the finest Jacobean houses in England.

Graduates at King’s College

Our tour guide highlighted many historical points of interest during the walk.

"The Eagle is one of the oldest Inns in Cambridge with evidence of a tavern on its site from
the 15th Century. The RAF Bar with its famous ceiling boasts signatures and squadron
numbers of men and women from all over the world which forms a unique record of the
armed forces who came together in The Eagle during the Second World War."

Sandy is proprietor of the Woodman Inn. Karen is the step-daughter of Bill Wells, a 600th SQ
pilot who was killed in action April 8, 1945 while flying a mission to Derben, Germany.
Marianne is one of our very good UK friends who is always there to help out.

Leo was a co-pilot with the 602nd SQ Comstock and Griffin crews.

L to R: Marilyn Gibb-Rice, Pamela Goode, Leo Croce, Lee Anne Bradley, John Goode,
Mellisa Ledlow, Cheryl Swearingen, Bob Swearingen, Karen Neff-Evola, Susan Menard,
Mark Menard, Elaine Tyler (our UK friend hiding behind the tree!), Jim Ledlow.

398th BG veteran Leo Croce and Nuthampstead Airfield Museum Chairman Harvey Ditchman
shake hands after Leo cut the ribbon and unveiled the new NAM Memorial. Located in the
Nuthampstead Museum’s Memorial Garden, this new memorial is dedicated to the
men of the 398th BG and 55th FG.

Mark and Mellisa are brother and sister.
Their Dad was veteran Don Menard, Radio Operator on the Sheely Crew, 603rd SQ.

Cheryl is the daughter of the late Ray Talbott.
Ray was a tail gunner with the Costanzo Crew, 601st SQ.

Here she points to a nurse’s uniform she wore to several WWII themed
dances given by the locals during previous 398th tours. Elaine told us;
“My uniform was my pride and joy! I thought I was the “bee’s knees”.
Being an authentic piece, she graciously donated it to the museum.

The photos displayed are of Leo and also dads and uncles of the tour group.
Clockwise from top: Leo and his wife, Leo at Nuthampstead,
Ray Talbott's crew photo, Bill Wells, Bill Wells and family,
Frederick C. Bradley, Jr (candid), Frederick C. Bradley Jr. (portrait).
Center photo: Don Menard.

Pamela and John Goode, Leo’s daughter and son-in-law,
are right there with him.

Brother and sister, Mark Menard and Mellisa Ledlow solemnly look on while Jim Ledlow assists
in raising their dad’s flag over the old Station 131 airfield.

The church holds a special service every two years
for the 398th men lost during WWII.

These three lovely ladies are sisters!

Wilfred is a longtime UK Friend of the 398th.

Russ, a director at Merlin Aviation Art, set-up a marque at the
airshow filled with gorgeous paintings and prints.

L to R: Jackie Green, Andy Green, Leo Croce, Harvey Ditchman, Rod Finn.

Frederick C. Bradley, 601st flight engineer, was Lee’s dad
and James Crouch, 601st gunner, was Marilyn's dad.

Marianne tells us that her Dad is originally from Staten Island New York.
He was stationed at Mildenhall in the 1960’s and has been
living in Norfolk, England ever since!

L to R: Karen Neff-Evola, Geoff Rice, Mark Menard, Mellisa Ledlow, Jim Ledlow, Pamela Goode,
Lee Anne Bradley (hiding in back with sunglasses), Jackie Green, Susan Menard, Leo Croce
(Marilyn Gibb-Rice is completely hiding behind Leo!), John Goode, Cheryl Swearingen,
June Tucker (almost hiding behind Cheryl), Bob Swearingen, Terry Tucker, John Gluhosky.

The mansion at Bletchley Park housed Commander Alastair Denniston’s office,
he was head of the Government Code and Cypher School.
His office has been faithfully recreated as it had looked during WWII,
along with the library which was used as a Naval Intelligence Office.

Leo autographed several vintage WWII photos of himself and a beautiful
Robert Taylor print entitled “Jet Hunters” which Marilyn had bought
for Geoff at the Duxford Air Festival from Merlin Aviation Art.

Chairman Harvey Ditchman (left) and Trustee Geoff Rice (right) enjoyed the
Farewell Dinner with Leo at the Bull & Bass.
Geoff is also our Photo Historian for the 398th BGMA.

Standing L to R: Frank Evola, Harvey Ditchman, Geoff Rice, Pamela Goode,
Jackie Green, Andy Green, Cheryl Swearingen, Bob Swearingen,
Terry Tucker, John Goode.
Kneeling L to R: Peter McDonough, Karen Neff-Evola, Lee Anne Bradley,
Marilyn Gibb-Rice, Leo Croce, June Tucker.