Former RAF Thorpe Abbotts, USAAF Station 139. Control Tower

Tucked away in the corner of a field between Harleston & Diss is the Home of the Bloody Hundredth or as they were officially known, 100th Bomb Group, United States Army Air Force.

Absolutely beautiful little place with artifacts from when B-17 Bombers crowded the fields and the skies of East Anglia before forming up over the coast and flying as one to do what needed to be done in the skies over Germany.

Sadly the only four engined aircraft to be found today was a Mini 3 Pro but if you really want to hear the sound of many Pratt & Whitney R-1690s then go and stand in the glasshouse on the top of the tower and if you strain your ears really hard you still can.

Such a superb little monument to the men who fought, the men who died & the men who returned.

Free to enter, knowledgeable volunteer staff, so many artifacts from the real Masters of the Air are kept here and kept well.

I’ve been meaning to visit for a long time as it’s only 30 mins up the road & on the back of having recently seen Masters of the Air and it being a nice day it was simply rude not to.

Might be free to get in but I still did £40 in the gift shop. Tea, coffee, soft drinks, hot food all available on site and you can take your own picnic if you want. Dogs welcome too but not on the roof of the tower.

If you’re in the region and such things interest you, it’s worth every second of your time.

Seek it out.

TOLP from a very quiet country lane just outside the main gate. Overflight permission granted.

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