It was a pleasure and a privilege to provide MVs to take a
World War Two veteran and families of other veterans on a tour of the former
USAAF B-17 base at Deenethorpe, near Oundle. The veteran, 92-year-old Don Anderson, was a Flying Fortress
tail gunner with the 401st Bomb Group, 614th Squadron and was making
the nostalgic trip back to Northamptonshire with his wife Dorrie. Ex-Staff Sergeant
Don, who carried out 22 missions, was accompanied by 40 other Americans on the coach
tour and were delighted to climb into eight Jeeps and a stray Land Rover
Lightweight for a drive around the crumbling concrete perimeter track and
runways of the old air base. Although the control tower was no more, several airfield
buildings survived and there was excitement to find some B-17 tie-down rings
inserted in concrete on one pad.
Several Americans gathered pebbles from the runway and one
lady was determined to take a complete house brick back home to Texas! After the air base tour it was on to Oundle for a pub lunch,
with our guests saying that the Jeep convoy had made their day. Words and pictures by Peter Clarke
American visitors gather at the roadside memorial to the 401st Bomb Group
B-17 tail gunner Don Anderson and his wife Dorrie
Land Rover full of Americans related to former USAAF veterans
Part of the eight-Jeep convoy
Glorious sunshine made the day special
Examining some WW2 air base buildings
A visitor clears dirt from a B-17 tie-down ring on a hard standing pad