Madar said three of Andy’s sisters are still alive, and they and Madar have plans to return to Ridgewell to walk in the footsteps of Andy Piter Jr. and to remember him on the 80th anniversary of the crash. Piter arrived at Ridgewell on June 23, 1943. “That day, improperly loaded bombs on the B-17 #42-30024 Caroline exploded, killing 23 people including a civilian. I have my uncle’s notes on the accident,” Madar said. His uncle was not injured in the explosion—he would spend more than a year more at Ridgewell. In 2017, we were named ‘runners-up’ in the 2017 Museums + Heritage Awards’ ‘Project on a Limited Budget’ category,” Bingley said. “This has led to more individuals donating and loaning items for display. We are particularly keen on personal items, as the ethos of the museum is to tell their stories. We can see just how deeply these stories resonate with visitors.” We wanted to go for the 75th anniversary, but the pandemic got in the way,” he said. 1st Lt. John A. Silvernale and crew after completing their tour in March 1944. [Courtesy: Ridgewell Airfield Commemorative Museum] Remembering the Bomber Boys The men of RAF Bomber Command were only given their own memorial 10 years ago,” he said. “Winston Churchill didn’t help by failing to mention them in his victory speech, as he had done with ‘The Few.’ Museums like Ridgewell help to tell the story of those bomber boys who answered the call of duty—most of them volunteering, before serving thousands and thousands of miles away from their friends and families,” he said.

My uncle was one of 31 men killed just 15 days before the end of the war in an airplane crash on the Isle of Man. They were heading to Northern Ireland for a week’s leave.” Deadliest Crash on the Isle of ManIf I could witness any historical event it would have to be aviation-related. The Eighth Air Force’s 760th mission on Christmas Eve, 1944, would certainly have been a spectacle. Imagine clear skies extending all the way into Europe. Now visualise over 2,000 heavy bombers escorted by more than 800 fighters, all winging their way towards western Germany to strike at its airfields and communication centres. This “maximum effort” raid proved to be the largest air strike operation of the Second World War. Every American bomb group and all but two of its fighter groups took part. Despite the clear weather over Europe, it wasn’t the case in England. When the groups returned, bad weather over their home bases forced many bombers to divert. In the case of the 381st Bomb Group, its base at Ridgewell was open. The Essex airfield subsequently saw the arrival of more than 125 B-17 Flying Fortresses. With another 700 mouths to feed, Christmas turkey for the 381st’s men had to be supplemented by plates of Spam. After such a long and challenging day, I can just imagine there was many a glum face at Ridgewell.

I admire James Holland for his ability to convey military history so well. Unfortunately, I just don’t have his capacity to write the number of books he has. He’s a veritable writing machine. For books covering aviation, I highly recommend Sagittarius Rising by Cecil Lewis, First Lightby Geoffrey Wellum, and Combat Crew by John Comer. Three outstanding books by three very brave individuals.His next book, Essex: A Hidden Aviation History, uncovered the many forgotten (and oft-ignored) tales behind the county’s many memorials, museums and markers. From Essex’s links to the origins of the Supermarine company, to the UK’s largest known surviving group of Royal Flying Corps buildings on a former First World War aerodrome; Essex: A Hidden Aviation History is the perfect pointer.

An intimate history of a B-17 Bomb Group at the heart of the US Eighth Air Force's daylight bombing offensive against Hitler's Germany. During the course of researching Bomb Group, I discovered that Ridgewell was the temporary home of 90 Squadron – an RAF Short Stirling unit. The interesting thing about 90 Squadron is that it had previously been the first outfit to take the B-17 Flying Fortress over Germany. During the summer of 1941, 20 B-17s were transferred to the British as part of the US Lend-Lease programme. The RAF reactivated a dormant 90 Squadron to operate the bombers. I’m now working on a project to tell the stories of those 20 B-17s and the crews who flew them.One of the frequent contributors is Don Madar, an author and historian. Madar has written several books about military history, all of them with a family connection. His interest in the 381st is tied to his uncle Andy Piter Jr., a member of a ground crew at Ridgewell who did not make it home. It is Paul’s passion for the American Eighth Air Force that drove him to co-author his most recent book, Bomb Group: The Eighth Air Force’s 381st and the Allied Air Offensive over Europe. Drawing on his extensive knowledge of the 381st Bombardment Group, Bomb Group has been widely praised as “vivid”, “extraordinary” and “sure to become a WW2 aviation classic.” Firmly wedded to the doctrine of daylight precision bombing, they believed they could help turn the tide of the war in Europe.

He’d been sending his money home and he bought his parents a house. They had a room waiting for him.” Don Madar, nephew of a Ridgewell ground crew memberAn intimate history of a B17 Bomb Group at the heart of the US Eighth Air Force's daylight bombing offensive against Hitler's Germany. The authors do a good job using the diaries, interviews, and books written by group members to convey a vivid--sometimes too vivid--picture of war at its most elemental." --The Journal of the Air Force Historical Foundation Bingley said he first learned about the 381st in 2003 when he read the book Combat Crew by John Comer, who had served as an engineer and top turret gunner with the 381st at Ridgewell. The museum on opening day, June 2022. [Courtesy: Ridgewell Airfield Commemorative Museum]