Scale Aviator International Magazine Issue 3 | Page 31

This is the Bed & Breaskfast (B&B) we stayed at during our week in England. The house is directly in the path of runway 04/22 at Boxted which lies about 2 miles to the south. You can just imagine the roar of P-47-25-RE overhead during WWII! High at the beginning when Dean Jagger goes out to visit his old base after the war. Those of you who have seen that movie will know what I am talking about. Well, we assembled the airplane, fired it up, and after testing all its components, Hairless Joe took to the air on runway 22. It was quite a moment for me! It flew well, and after about 15 minutes of flight, we decided to bring it in for a landing. our plans, we still did our best to accomplish our goal of flying this plane off of the same runway that they used in WWII as well as enjoy the airshow weekend. We stayed at a B&B just north of the field, and you could just imagine P-47s roaring overhead back then. Also, nearby was a quaint pub called The Dog and Shepherd, which was frequented by the group when they were allowed to leave base. We had several of our meals and more than a few beers, there! We also took time to visit the airfields Halesworth and Bungay nearby. My dad flew some of his combat missions with the 446th BG out of Bungay (Flixton). There is a really neat memorial to that group outside by where the original gate once stood to enter the base. Some of the structures and runways, taxiways, and hardstands are still there. It gives you chills and the feeling of being on the set of the movie 12 O’Clock I should at this point mention a historic, if a little eerie, coincidence. On August 17, 1944, Dave Schilling and the rest of the 56th FG were dispatched to Holland to suppress anti-aircraft batteries in support of the huge Market Garden operation and invasion of Holland. During this mission, Schilling was hit by flak, and it started his wing and wheel well on fire. He was able to get the fire out, and limped back to Boxted where, upon landing, the right gear failed, and he slid to a 31