Happy Bottom Eighth in the East

Ridgewell Airfield
Commemorative Association
Happy Bottom
70 years ago this month a famous American actor came to Ridgewell. Fresh from filming ‘Mr. Winkle
Goes to War’, Hollywood star, Edward G. Robinson, arrived to christen a new B-17 in honour of his wife.
On 5 July 1944, Ridgewell came to a standstill. Not just for the war, but for movie actor Edward G. Robinson
(alias "Rico" Bandello, a small-time crook from the movie, Little Caesar) who’d arrived to christen a new B17G which had recently been assigned to the 532nd Bomb Squadron. Base Chaplain James Good Brown was
one of the first to greet him. He was left suitably impressed.
“What a man!” Brown later wrote. “Of all the actors who came
to the base, he showed the most human interest. He was never
acting. He just wanted to walk around the base talking to the
men, and the men wanted to talk to him.”
Robinson broke his gangster persona making the watching
men howl with laughter when he announced that he was
naming the new aircraft ‘Happy Bottom’ after his wife,
Gladys, which he cleverly mispronounced, ‘Glad Ass’.
The actor was a big hit. “When he left the base, he left with
several thousand men as his friends,” said Chaplain Brown.
Sadly, Happy Bottom didn’t fare so well. Just eleven days
later, on a mission to Munich, the aircraft was forced to ditch in the North Sea some 40 miles from the
English coast. Fortunately the pilot, Jack McGregor, was skilful enough to bring her down alongside a
waiting air/sea rescue boat. The crew managed to scramble aboard (without getting their feet wet) while
Happy Bottom bobbed along on the surface. She remained there for a full half an hour before gently sinking
beneath the waves. She’d only managed eight missions. Compared to some of the 381st aircraft, though,
she’d led a charmed life. After all, there were only a few that were christened by Hollywood royalty.
Eighth in the East
Thanks to a Heritage Lottery-funded initiative which is helping to explore the history of the Eighth Air Force
and its association with East Anglia, residents of Ridgewell and the surrounding area will soon be able to
learn more about the work of this unique airfield.
The Eighth in the East project was set up to support the work of
volunteers who care for this local heritage, and the Ridgewell
Airfield Commemorative Association has been lucky enough to
be approved as one of those organisations that will benefit from
a special Eighth in the East Community Grant.
The grants focus on providing support to organisations, groups
and museums that wish to engage in new ways with their local
community to tell the story of the Eighth Air Force and its links
to the region during World War Two. Thanks to the Eighth in
the East project, the Ridgewell Airfield Commemorative
Association Museum has been given funding to purchase a new
projector and equipment which will be used to begin a series of
audio-visual talks for the local community and village history
societies about the history of RAF Ridgewell. The equipment will also be used to present films and slide
shows at the museum on its open days.
Needless to say, we are very pleased to have been chosen for one of the Eighth in the East’s grants, and
would like to thank the Eighth in the East project and the Heritage Lottery Fund for its valued support.
If your village society is interested in hearing one of our talks, please contact Jim Tennet at [email protected]
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President—Dave Osborne
Chairman—Jim Tennet
Treasurer—Jenny Tennet
Secretary—Mike Land
Membership Secretary—Alan Steel
Historian—Chris Tennet
Volunteer—Monica Steel
Aki Bingley
DEDICATED TO THE MEN OF RAF 90 SQUADRON, 94 AND 95 MAINTENANCE UNITS AND USAAF 381ST BOMB GROUP
Newsletter JULY 2014
In this month’s issue...
Welcome to the July 2014 edition
of Ridgewell Airfield
Commemorative Association’s
quarterly newsletter.
On 22 June, 2014, members of the
association, local villagers and
other interested people took part in
a memorial service to remember
those who lost their lives in the
explosion of B-17F, Caroline, at
Ridgewell airfield on 23 June 1943.
This year’s memorial service
follows that of the 70th anniversary
service which was held last year.
Since then, membership secretary,
Alan Steel, has been busily
drumming up support and
donations, whilst organising the
construction of a permanent granite
memorial to the event. Great work,
Alan!
Unveiled on 22 June, the memorial
is still being constructed and should
be in its permanent position at the
site of the explosion by November
2014.
The service was conducted by
Stambourne minister, Mr Adrian
Burr, and included a reading of the
names of those who lost their lives.
The service ended with a beautifully
bagpiped
rendition of Amazing
Grace.
The Association wishes to thank the
following for their generous
donations: Lt. Col. John Arthur, Mr
David Cole, Mr & Mrs Chadwick,
Mr A. F. Dye, Mrs S.E. Mackinnon,
Mr Tony Steel, Mr Paul Fellows,
Colin & Lynn, Locolines Ltd, Mr
Andy Waller, Mrs Pat Morris, Mrs
Josie Howe, Anna Roge (Veteran’s
daughter USA), Sonia Walsham,
Mike & Christine Land, Brian &
Irene Bird, Charles Perriello
(Veteran’s son USA), Andy Cox,
Kevin Wilson (381st BGMA
Secretary USA), Jonathan Jones, Jim
& Jenny Tennet, Mark Powell, Paul
& Aki Bingley, Alan & Mary
Bingley, Alan & Monica Steel,
Anthony Wallbridge, Granite Block
donated by Mr Trevor Thurgood.
Inscription Block donated by Irvin
(Ridgewell Airfield Commemorative
Association).
And last, but not least, the
Association would like to thank
Nigel & Sue of Stonewriters for their
help and consideration.
Chris Tennet
A profile of
Association
historian
and
long-time
volunteer, Chris
Tennet.
A Brief History
M u s e u m
Curator,
Jim
Tennet, outlines
a brief history of
RAF Ridgewell.
Happy Bottom
On 5 July 1944,
a new B-17G
was christened
by a famous
‘gangster’.
8th in the East
Details of a
Community
Grant given to
the museum by
the Eighth in the
East project.
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The Winter of ‘44 © Michael Land
Located off the A1017 (formerly A604), Ridgewell Road, Great Yeldham, Essex
Chris Tennet
A Brief History
Q: You’ve made a number of scale aircraft models
for the museum. Which is your favourite and
why?
Museum curator, Jim Tennet (with a little help and inspiration from old friend, Derek Wyndham Mayes!)
gives us a brief history of the work of RAF Ridgewell and the museum.
A: I have two favourites. The first one being a 1/48
scale P-47 Thundebolt in 78th Fighter Group
markings (Station 357 Duxford). I'm quite a
perfectionist with scale models, and this one I can't
find anything wrong with. The other favourite is a
1/48 scale B-17, marked up as 43-37657 "The Fox"
Association historian, Chris Tennet, answers 534th Bomb Squadron, 381st Bomb Group. The
questions about his time at the museum.
model is not perfect, and I made a few mistakes but it
was the first one I had made since I was younger and
Q: When and how did you first become aware of overall it's not bad. The story behind the aircraft is
RAF Ridgewell?
particularly interesting, and will soon be in the
museum alongside the model.
A: I first became aware of RAF Ridgewell simply by
living right next to it. I grew up in the village of Q: You’ve studied the history of the 381st BG in
Ovington and spent a lot of my youth playing with detail. Which event in its history never fails to
friends on the old base. Combined with my love of impress you?
aircraft, my interest in the airfield took hold.
A: There are far too many to choose from. One that
Q: How did you get involved in the Ridgewell springs to mind is the tale of Carolina Queen, unable
Airfield museum?
to lower her landing gear and with no tools to drop
A: I was involved in the early stages of the museum, the ball turret for a belly landing, they passed the
when it was an open air exhibition next to the tools in mid-air from Little Rockette (flown by Col
hospital site. Tony Ince, who started the collection, Hall) to ensure a successful landing.
invited me to come and help display the items once a
month during the summer. It was a lot of hard work Q: What is your favourite object in Ridgewell’s
as all the exhibits were stored in another airfield memorabilia collection?
building half a mile away. We did this every summer
for a number of years, before we were offered part of A: Not a particular object, but I think we are
one of the old hospital buildings as a permanent extremely fortunate to have our museum in one of the
museum.
original Nissen huts. It was one of the wards in the
base hospital, and it's a great feeling to know that we
Q: You attended a 381st BGMA reunion in are keeping the memory alive in a place where 381st
Nashville in 2010. What did you take away from men once walked. The most special items we have
the experience?
are always the personal items, such as William
A: It was an incredible experience for me, Scruggs' class A uniform and an original A2 leather
particularly listening to stories being shared between jacket worn by Claude Mullins.
old friends. It makes it all seem more real to hear
these tales first hand, of things experienced at such a Q: What would you like to see more of at the
young age. When I was 19 or 20 I was at college, but museum?
these great men were risking their lives to free
Europe from tyranny. Very humbling. I only wish I'd A: Anything from a B-17. An instrument panel, a
had a tape recorder. Also while in Nashville I got to Sperry ball turret, a Browning .50 cal, maybe even an
fly on CAF’s Texas Raiders. There were six of us on actual B-17. I can dream.
the flight, including 381st waist gunner Dick
Schneider. It was something I'll never forget.
Although built for specific use by the US Army Air Force, Ridgewell Airfield was initially used as an R.A.F.
station, part of number 3 group in Bomber Command. Because the US 381st Bomb Group were not ready
and, despite many buildings not being completed, it was first used in January 1943 until June by RAF 90
squadron flying Short Stirlings. Although there for only a short period, 90 Squadron suffered 31 incidents
during that time, most of which were a total loss and claimed many lives.
The United States Army Air Force 381st Bomb Group, commanded by Colonel Joseph J Nazzaro, was
formed and trained at Pyote, Texas, being equipped with Boeing B17E Flying Fortresses. With its training
complete on the 2nd February, 1943 the group moved to Pueblo, Colorado, where it 'fine tuned' until the 9th
May, 1943. Early in May, the commander learned that the group was destined for action in the European
theatre of war and on the 12th May, an advanced party flew, by means of
a C54 Skymaster aircraft, to Prestwick, Scotland. The B17 aircraft and
their crews then began their transfer to England, departing Pueblo on the
4th of May to 'Smokey Hill' Army Base, Salinas, Kansas. The first
aircraft departed Salinas for England on the 15th of May, 1943. Those
aircraft with long-range 'Tokyo-Tanks' flew direct to Prestwick. The
remainder travelled via Bangor, Maine to Goose Bay, Labrador to Bluie
West 1, Greenland to Keflavik Field, Iceland to Prestwick, Scotland and
finally to Bovingdon in Hertfordshire, England. Arriving on the 25th of
May, they spent the next ten days being indoctrinated with the
knowledge necessary to fight over Europe. This mainly concerned 'Chug A Lug IV' comes into land at Ridgewell sometime during 1944
additional defensive formation flying for the pilots and practice at the
advanced gunnery school ranges over the Wash for the gunners.
Meanwhile, between the 9th and 26th May, the ground crews transferred from Pueblo to Camp Kilmer, New
Jersey. After 14 days they embarked onto the 'Queen Elizabeth' arriving in Greenock, Scotland on the 1st
June, 1943. They then travelled by rail to Great Yeldham in Essex, which was the nearest station to their new
airfield, Station 167, Ridgewell, Essex, 26 miles S.E. of Cambridge, arriving on 3rd June, 1943. The
Americans christened the old L.N.E.R. (London and North Eastern Railway) single line railway, which
connected Marks Tey, Halstead and Haverhill to Cambridge, 'The Toonerville Trolley' because of its
antiquated and 'quaint' engines and rolling stock.
Building work was still on going when the 381st arrived but when completed, the airfield had three
intersecting runways- two of 2,000 yards and one of 1,400 yards; 50
aircraft dispersal bays; two 'T2' Hangers and accommodation for
2,900 men in temporary buildings.
The 381st Bomb Group epitomised the tremendous courage and
sacrifice made by the men of the United States Army Air Force
under the most difficult operating conditions and against every
single manned and unmanned ant-aircraft device that Germany could
range against them, including air-to-air bombs and rocket projectiles.
After 22 months of combat and the loss of 131 aircraft, the 381st
licked its wounds and departed from Ridgewell and the shores of
B-17s of the 381st Bomb Group in the skies over East Anglia
Britain forever.
Ridgewell was but one of the many airfields operated by the USAAF during the Second World War. Their
heroic stories and sacrifice was reflected throughout every airbase from which they operated.
The museum that is dedicated to the brave men of the RAF and the USAAF is open on the second Sunday of
each month from April to September but we may be extending that for another month or two. For those who
wish to support the museum, there is a membership of £10 per year.
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