100th Bomb Group Museum, Thorpe Abbotts

A ride out to the 100th Bomb Group Memorial Museum, at Thorpe Abbotts, A fascinating little museum and more than worth a look if you're ever in the area. Run by volunteers, and free to enter, it tells the story of the 100th Bomb Group (part of the 8th USAAF) which flew B17 Flying Fortresses out of here from 1943 to 1945. It is stuffed with artefacts, both military and personal, from their short time here. The 100th Bomb Group suffered heavy losses early on and soo n gained the nickname of 'The Bloody Hundredth', and survives to this day as the 100th Air Refuelling Wing based at RAF Mildenhall.

[DerekHarrison-dd]

It’s only when you watch MASTERS OF THE AIR that you realise just how busy these places were.A small village like Thorpe Abbotts completely engulfed by a US Airbase of anything from 1500 to 2500 military personnel.Thorpe Abbotts, Framlingham, Debach, Metfield, Grafton Underwood, Polebrook, Glatton, it’s always amazing to visit these places, walk what’s left of the runways, visit the airfields like Thorpe Abbotts and Framlingham that have excellent museums, look at the memorials, and realise how much danger these guys went through, every mission they were involved in and how young they were.Imagine having to go through 25 or 30 missions! Again watching MASTERS OF THE AIR, you can imagine thinking if you were an airman, ’Do I really want to go through that again’! It must have been terrifying.Especially the mission where only ONE B-17 made it back to Thorpe Abbotts.And more Eighth Airforce airmen were lost in WW2 than US Marines, and those Marine Corps battles on islands like Tarawa, Saipan, Iwo Jima and Okinawa were brutal.I take my hat 🎩 off to all of you that served.

[MrMariocavalcanti]

Wonderful video. I'm passionate about the theme of the 8th Air Force. Thank you.

[century_bombers]

🙂 That's my old R/C B-17 ( seen at 10:39 in the video ). Built between 1988 and 1993, it has been on display at the museum since 1995, after I completed the larger 17 feet wingspan, 1/6 scale version.

[nicholasbell]

American kids should have lessons about these historic USAAF bases. This was well done. Thanks.

[Wilett]

Beautiful Video !! Thank YOU for sharing this Very special Museum tour ...

[matthewpayne]

I've been there several times and it's well worth a visit .

[martinhadley]

A very beautiful museum r.i.p.to all those brave men. Thank you for sharing this video. I will definitely visit

[stephensmart]

Yet to visit this air field and control tower fan of the b17 flying fortress God bless them brave Souls

[jamesross]

I didn't even know this place existed. I will have to get down there at some point.

[jamesross]

It's quite telling that the mission lists are incomplete. Luck ran out.