Honoring The History
of Boxted Airfield
USAAF Station 150, England
Share Your Boxted Story
As a Friend of Boxted Airfield, we invite you to share your family's special connection to Boxted Airfield. Please share your story in the Message box below and submit it to us via the Send button. We'll display your story on this site's Homepage in the near future. Thanks for being a Friend of Boxted Airfield!
Boxted Airfield Visitors
Boxted Airfield Historical Group has hosted several Boxted Airfield Veteran Families during the past decade. These families visited Boxted from near and far. We hope these wonderful families will share their veteran's story with us in the near future.
Bill Saling
Family of Thomas Saling III
(56th FG)
NOW FEATURED IN THE
YOUR STORY SECTION!
Nancy Church
Family of
Paul Suway
(386th BG)
Jim Hamilton
Family of
Clyde Hamilton
(386th BG)
Sandra & Richard Garnas
Family of
Clean Thompton
(56th FG)
David Suway
Family of
Paul Suway
(386th BG)
John Dobrowski
Family of
Joseph Dobrowolski
(Air Sea Rescue)
NOW FEATURED IN THE
YOUR STORY SECTION!
OUR STORY: RICHARD AND ANNE TURNER
FOUNDING MEMBERS, BOXTED AIRFIELD HISTORICAL GROUP
As a schoolboy in the 1960s, I enjoyed building plastic aeroplane kits. When I started work in 1968 this interest in model making waned and the music of the day took over.
When I married in the 1980s and had our first house, there was a spare room. I turned this into a model making workshop. I would purchase a good quality kit and then make or purchase extra components to try and make it as realistic as possible.
In 1993 my stepdaughter purchased a property in Boxted. This event reminded me I had a model kit in markings related to Boxted Airfield. I decided to go and see what I could find out in the village. The local historian explained to me that the airfield was actually in Langham village and told me this was because airfields were named after the village they were situated in. However, because there was already an airfield named Langham in Norfolk,
they named this one Boxted.
After finding the airfield memorial and noting the information on it, I spent several days and hours in the local library discovering that Boxted had a fascinating history. I decided to try and find anyone locally also interested in its history. After the local newspaper published a request from me several local people made contact. I also had a letter published in the
8th Air Force magazine in America.
Billie Boyd, Jr. responded to my letter in the magazine and I had made contact with my first veteran. Utilizing pictures and info from Billie, the library, and local people, and with the help of my wife, Anne, I hired a room at the local community centre to stage a small exhibition. I was amazed to see hundreds of people come to view it! During the next two years, as my collection of info and photos continued to grow, we staged four more displays.
At the end of 1999, local enthusiasts and myself formed a committee, later to become Boxted Airfield Historical Group (BAHG), to promote the history of the airfield. As we were in need of a secretary, Anne offered to carry out that role for a few weeks while we found someone.
Eighteen years later she is still our secretary!
During 2007-08, the plans for the museum took off. We were given a Nissen Hut originally from the airfield. We also purchased a new Nissen Hut to open a visitor centre. Around the same time we were successful with a UK Heritage Lottery fund grant to establish the museum. In 2017 we will celebrate our fifth year open to the public. Visitor numbers are growing annually!
Boxted Airfield will celebrate its 75th anniversary in 2018 and we, the Boxted Airfield Historical Group, are working on plans to commemorate this special occasion. We look forward to welcoming many of our American friends to the events associated with the anniversary. More news about the celebration will be shared with you in months ahead. Stay tuned!
Cheers,
Richard & Anne Turner
