Day One
Posters at the Corby Hotel
Images from the past that greeted us on our arrival.
The Hotel Lobby.
Articles of the past in the lobby of our hotel.
Posters from the Past.
Crewman from the 401st inside the Corby hotel.
The Welland Viaduct
As seen from Seaton Rd on our way to Spanhoe Airfield.
Spanhoe Airfield Monument
The group stopped for pictures at Spanhoe airfield, just north of Corby.
On the way to Spanhoe
The countryside between Uppingham and Spanhoe Airfield.
Downtown Oundle
Wandering the streets of Oundle.
Uppingham School
Stopping for lunch at the Uppingham School.
Leaving Rockingham.
The morning done, the 401st leaves Rockingham for lunch at Uppingham.
Rockingham Keep.
The inner keep of Rockingham.
Rockingham Keep.
Members of the 401st explore Rockingham's inner keep.
Rockingham Keep
Rockingham's inner sanctuary stands behind its walls.
Entering Rockingham.
The entrance to Rockingham castle.
Rockingham Gardens.
The well maintained gardens of Rockingham Castle.
Rockingham Keep.
Wandering among the walls of Rockingham.
Rockingham Grounds.
Looking across the grounds of Rockingham to its Long Gallery.
Rockingham Gallery.
A close up of Rockinghams Long Gallery.
Rockingham shire.
The English countryside in the distance, the view unobscured by Rockingham's missing walls.
Rockingham Chapel.
Rockingham Chapel and shire in the distance as seen from its Long Gallery.
Stopping for a moment on our way to Rockingham to pose before the Memorial.
The group started their day by driving past the airfield and taking a moment to pose at the memorial.
Day Two
A Norman Church
A local Norman church seen on the road as the group drove to Spanhoe Airfield.
Thatched Roof
One of the many thatched roofs that can be found in rural parts of England. This one was on our way to Kirby Hall
Kirby Hall from across fields of wheat.
An Elizabethan country house, located near Corby.
Kirby Hall
Kirby Hall as we approached it by bus. This was a once stately place that has now fallen in to partial disarray.
Boarded up windows at Kirby Hall.
It has been used for film locations, despite missing portions of its roof.
The Gardens of Deene Park Hall.
Looking from an upper story window to the landscape beyond.
The Deene Park Gardens.
Looking west across the Gardens of Deene Park Hall as seen from a bathroom window.
The gardens of Deene Park Hall.
After touring the Hall, the group spent some time wandering the gardens outside.
Support Structures
Many of the old structures that used to support the airbase.
The Flight Control Tower
Another view of the control tower that used to send many men in B-17s across the Channel to Germany.
The Wheatsheaf
The old pub where members of the 401st used to relax after a long and often stressfull mission.
A Jeep at Upper Beenefield
A member of the 401st climbs aboard an old army jeep.
More Thatched Roofs
The local cottages of Upper Benefield that can be seen from across the street at the Wheatshief.
Army Jeep
An army jeep waits to transport members of the 401st to their former airfield.
The Old Tower
The ruined control tower, up close and personal, with the American flag proudly on display.
Tower Talk.
Paul Knight discusses the control tower and the past with a member of the 401st.
Nissen Huts
The remains of Nissen huts and other structures that used to support the 401st airfield.
Driving the Airfield
The veterans drive the main runway of the airfield in an array of old jeeps.
The Main Runway
The Old Runway
A red truck approaches the veterans from across the runway.
Posing at the Airfield
Members of the 401st pose for a picture surrounded by army jeeps.
The 401st Historical Society.
Left to right: Graham Bratley, Ray Corby, Paul Knight and Ron Sisme.
Buzzing the Airfield
We were honored with a number of flyovers by this P-51.
P-51 Mustang
A Mustang flies over the airfield in honor of the veterans.
Biplane Tribute
Trailing smoke, the biplane makes a dive for the Earth.
Biplane buzzes the Airfield
A closeup of the biplane that performed for the veterans.
Chapel Windows
The windows of the 401st Chapel, now part of the Church at Weldon.
Weldon Church Windows
The Virgin Mary stained glass windows of the Weldon Church.
Weldon Church Windows
New Testament scenes can be found at the windows of Weldon's Church.
Church Alter
The main alter at Weldon's Church.
Weldon Church
The old church near at Weldon that has the stained glass windows that once belonged to the 401st's Chapel.
Graves at Weldon
Graves surrounding the Weldon Church bell tower.
Day Three
The entrance to the American Cemetery at Madingley near Cambridge.
Remembering the fallen at the American Cemetery, Madingley, Cambridge.
The final resting place of many a patriot, American Cemetery, Madingley.
Remembering the fallen, the American Cemetery, Madingley.
The map of American Raids into Europe, the American Cemetery, Madingley.
The memorial at the American Cemetary of Madingley.
Reflection Pond and Memorial, the American Cemetery, Madingley.
Never forget, the American Cemetery, near Cambridge.
Remembering the fallen, the Memorial at Madingley.
The Mary Alice on display at Imperial War Museum, Duxford, England.
Noveda Dana rests for a moment inside the Mary Alice.
I wouldn't want to be a Messerschmitt right now.
Edward G Dana poses at his old position inside the Mary Alice.
The bomb bay of the Mary Alice.
The ball turret as seen from the radio room of the Mary Alice.
The port wing of the Mary Alice.
Oxygen tanks (yellow) and support equipment inside the Mary Alice.
Learning about the history of the Mary Alice.
The Mary Alice sits inside its hangar at the Imperial War Museum, Duxford, England.
An ME-163 (Komet) on display next to the Mary Alice.
A P-51 Mustang being serviced inside its hangar at the Imperial War Museum, Duxford.
Kings College as seen from King's Parade, Cambridge, England.
King's College Chapel, as seen from the Cam river.
One of the many colleges of Cambridge, seen from the Cam river.
Day Four
A biplane on display at the Royal Airforce Museum, Cosford.
An unusual biplane at the Royal Airforce Museum, Cosford.
Another biplane at the Royal Airforce Museum.
A British Spitfire, Royal Airforce Museum.
A diorama representing past events, Royal Airforce Museum.
Crossing the Thames, London.
Parliament on the Thames, London.
Big Ben and Parliament, London.
A barge sails past the offices of Parliament, London.
Crossing the Thames.
Trafalgar Square, London.
The memorial to Trafalgar at Trafalgar Square.
The entrance to the Westminster Abbey.
Westminster Abbey, near Parliament, London.
Big Ben, near Parliament, London.
The Roundabout near Trafalgar Square.
The winged rats of Trafalgar Square.
The National Gallery at Trafalgar Square.
Day Five
Picadilly Circus, London.
A typical London Street.
The memorial that sits in the center of the roundabout near Buckingham Palace.
Buckingham Palace sits in the background of this memorial.
The entrance to the Tower of London.
Mary, Queen of Scotts, and many others, lost their heads here.
The Tower of London.
The Royal Armouries at the Tower of London.
The Tower bridge beyond the parapet of the Tower of London.
The Tower Bridge near the Tower of London.
St Paul's Cathederal.
Inside St. Paul's Cathederal.
The architecture of St. Paul's Cathederal.
The dome of St. Paul's.
A cross inside St. Paul's.
Looking back at St. Paul's.
