The Wayback Machine - https://web.archive.org/web/20070313165924/http://mighty8thaf.preller.us:80/php/1Loc.php?Base=Duxford
United States Army Air Forces
8th Air Force
DXDuxford Airfield
Station 357
Cambridgeshire, UK
Radio Call Sign: Rutley

Site of the Imperial War Museum at Duxford, and the American Air Museum. These facilities are co-located and present an incredibly broad range of exhibits. During the year you can see many organized and impromptu flying diaplays. Bring your walking shoes, because it is as big as ... well, as big as an airfield!

Probably the most moving memorial I have seen is located alongside the walkway up to the American Air Museum. Sculptor Renato Niemis has created "Counting the Cost" - 52 engraved plates of clear glass with 1/240 scale images of WWII aircraft - one for each aircraft that the 8th and 9th Air Forces, and the Navy lost during the war. These are arranged by unit, and stand vertically beside the path. DO NOT (as I did the first time) walk past thinking "What a pretty decorative wall." These tall glass panels require you to stop and understand what they represent. It is easy to say that 7,031 planes were lost. After you see this, you will have a gut feeling for what that really means.
Units Assigned to Duxford
UnitDates OccupiedAircraft
78th Fighter GroupApril 1943-October 1945P-38, P-47, P-51
Map location of the Duxford Airfield area
Duxford Airfield Related Photos
Imperial War Museum at Duxford

THE Place to Visit
OK, one of many places to visit. But the scope and breadth of the exhibits is incredible. From the IWM main hall at Hangar 2 (far right), to the American Air Museum (the arc towards the left), on to the Land Warfare Hall (far left), this is a don't miss location.

If you are lucky enough to visit on a weekend, you will probably see something interesting in flight.

Dress for the weather, and wear comfortable walking shoes. Even if you do ride the tram betseen buildings, you will still do a LOT of walking!

That's the M11 going off to the right, and you can just see Junction 10 that brings you right to the IWM gate. In addition to the exhibits, I always buy books and maps here, in the gift shops - its a weakness I have.

More Photos
Duxford Airfield Visitor Information
Duxford Airfield Related Websites
Surviving Duxford Airfield Area Wartime PubsUnknown - please contribute name and location.
Duxford Area Contacts Paul Bass - Mighty 8th X-Ref Consultant
Andrew Wade - Mighty 8th X-Ref Consultant
22 Elm Park Whittlesey Peterborough Cambridgeshire PE7 1EW England
Andrew Height - Duxford 78th FG Association UK Contact, Friends of the Eighth, 8thAFHS
UK: 0 1223 834254

.Site design and content � 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007 by Fred Preller.

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