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
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