Commentary -- A piece of history

  • Published
  • By John Williamson
  • 100th Air Refueling Wing Historian
RAF MILDENHALL, England --  It isn't often that a piece of history just lands on my doorstep at the 100th  Air Refueling Wing History Office. But, in this case, it was a World War II B-17 radio operator's seat that hadn't seen the light of day in more than 60 years. 

Mr. Quentin Bland from Grafton Underwood near Kettering in Northhamptonshire, England, acquired the seat and other B-17 aircraft parts from his uncle's farm sometime after the war and recently brought them to the attention of a U.S. civilian contractor visiting him from the States. 

It seems that after WWII, when the USAAF departed the nearby Grafton airfield, the local inhabitants picked up whatever useful things the GIs left behind, along with bits and pieces of aircraft that the Army gave away. 

Now 63 years later, Mr. Bland, a retired child care charity worker, wanted to see the seat and parts find a more appropriate home - the National Museum of the Air Force. 

Moreover, the seat and other aircraft parts will be used in the restoration of the 'Memphis Belle' of WWII fame, now undergoing refurbishment at the museum. Although the Memphis Belle didn't fly from Grafton Field (Station 106), the former USAAF airfield was used by thousands of Eighth Air Force bombers and crews, including units like the 384th Bombardment Group which flew B-17s and received two Distinguished Unit Citations during the war. 

To put this into perspective, our Air Force Heritage is not just about the stories of past warriors. It is also about the historical aircraft, artifacts and tools they used to bring the fight to our enemies.