Remembering the Mighty Men of the 381st Bomb Group

The all-volunteer museum honors the memory of the 381st Bomb Group, which was stationed at the Ridgewell Airfield in England.

Meg Godlewski

Friday, November 11, 2022 at 07:56 AM ET

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B-17 'The South Boston Shillelagh' [Courtesy: Ridgewell Airfield Commemorative Museum]

Key Takeaways:

Ridgewell Airfield in England was a crucial World War II base for the USAAF's 381st Bomb Group, flying B-17 Flying Fortresses, and has largely reverted to farmland with few physical remnants.
The Ridgewell Airfield Commemorative Museum, housed in a surviving Nissen hut from the original hospital, meticulously preserves the history and personal stories of the servicemen who served there, driven by dedicated volunteers and donations.
Both the physical museum and active online communities, such as a dedicated Facebook group, provide vital platforms for veterans' families to connect with their heritage, share information, and experience the profound emotional impact of walking in their ancestors' footsteps.

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In the fall of 2020, I was researching a story about Texas Raiders, the B-17 owned by the Commemorative Air Force Gulf Coast Wing. The aircraft, which is still airworthy, is painted in the colors of the U.S. Army Air Force (USAAF) 381st Bomb Group. All I knew about the 381st is that it had been based at Ridgewell Airfield in England during World War II.

Lucky for me there is a Facebook group, “Bomb Group at Ridgewell During WW2,” that provides a wealth of information. The page is loaded with requests for information from people trying to learn about their family members who served there, and posts from people who have come across military records, personal items that belonged to a serviceman, newspaper clippings, battle reports, letters home, and photographs of daily base life.