Following the Flyboys

Today we spent the day exploring some more history of the Air War during WWII. We started off the day by heading to the American Cemetery in Cambridge. It is the only World War II American military cemetery in the United Kingdom. There are 3,812 service members buried there, nearly all from WWII. Among those a majority are airmen. There is also a wall memorializing the Missing in Action on which is engraved 5,127 names. We were really impressed with the beauty and serenity of the place and spent quite a bit of time in the visitor center which did an excellent job of telling some of the stories of a few of those buried there and even a few that survived. With the bell tower playing beautiful music we

searched among the graves for some of Uncle Mort’s compatriots. We only strolled through a small portion of this 30 acre site but were able to find several crosses with names of crew members from the 381st Bomb Group, 535th Bomb Squadron; many were on the wall of the missing as well. Even more chilling than these were the multiple grave markers that said only, “Here Rests in Honored Glory a Comrade in Arms Known Only to God.” Standing there we were saddened that someone’s family never knew their fate or their final resting place. Please rest assured that they are being well taken care of in this amazing place.

Our next stop was one that was a bit more uplifting. We had been told that there was a pub in Cambridge that was frequented by Air Crews throughout the war and felt that it was appropriate to lift a pint to them. We easily found it and wound up getting more than we bargained for. It turns out that “The Eagle” is one of Cambridge’s oldest Inns dating back to the 14th Century. The RAF bar inside the Inn was frequented by British and American Pilots who covered the ceiling in graffiti, mostly their names and squadron numbers, using cigarette lighters, candles and even lipstick. As a bonus we found out that it was also frequented by Francis Crick and James Watson from the nearby Cavendish Laboratory. On February 28, 1953 these gentlemen walked into the pub and announced’ “we have discovered the secret of life”, referring of course to their discovery of the double helix structure of DNA.

So after honoring the dead, hefting a pint and discovering DNA, where do we go from there? What could be better than a bunch of Airplanes?

Our next stop was the Imperial War Museum at Duxford. This is the largest collection of war planes both British and American in Great Brittan. We had seen many of the planes before but the individual stories about battles won and lost and the men who flew them made it extra interesting. They also have an impressive array of vintage WWII planes that still fly including the only flying B-17 in Europe.

There is a big air show next weekend so we were treated to some test flights and got a personal air show by 2 planes doing acrobatics, one of which was a British Hurricane fighter. There were also a number of old war planes that are usually not on display.

We were tired after a long emotional day so we made a quick stop for some groceries and a pint and delicious meal at the “Jollie Postie”, a pub inside an old post office. We are having a great time so far. Our only side note is that the English are so friendly and polite in person, just watch out when they get behind the wheel of a car. They are the pushiest, rudest, most infuriating drivers that we have ever experienced. I guess that is their outlet for being so prim and proper most of the time. All is well…Love to all…Good Night.