'THEN AND NOW' COMPARISON PHOTOS

Views of Langham Lodge at Boxted
better known to the 56th as
"The Wheel House"

The 1944 photographs show
Hub Zemke, Lucian Dade and Wilbur Watson
outside the front door
and then getting into a waiting staff car.

The comparison photos were taken
during a visit in 2009.

A selection of
'THEN AND NOW'
photographs from Halesworth.
The colour photographs were taken before the recent demolition of much of the perimeter track, runways
and remaining hardstandings.

On the left is a shot of droptanks, taken in 1943
and below, the area photographed again in 2008

63rd FS personnel stacking 108 gallon droptanks
ready for distribution to the other hardstandings.
Taken from hardstand 43 looking across
the perimeter track to hardstanding 45.

Vehicles sit at the top of the bombdump road
waiting for the perimeter track to be reopened.
The P-47 is crossing over the perimeter
to land on runway 29.
Looking between the two trucks the firing butts
are just visible. These stood at the far end of hardstanding 36, the site of which can be seen
occupied by turkey huts in 2008.

This scene has change dramatically in the last 2 years. The perimeter track, huts, and remaining
hardstandings have been removed
and nature is rapidly reclaiming the area.

Wendell McClures P-47 razorback
named "Sneaky Mcgee" reposes on Hardstanding 21
in the 62nd FS area during late Feb/early March 1944. The Thunderbolts visible behind are on hardstanding 22.

Moving over to the 61st FS dispersal area
and Frank Klibbe's famous HV-V "Little Chief"
is seen at rest on hardstanding 30, which was
shared with Donavon Smiths "Ole Cock".

Since the colour photo was taken in 2008
this area has been cleared all traces of hardstandings and perimeter track and just a scar
on the landscape remains.

Next in the series of
'THEN AND NOW'
comparison photographs
is a set taken
around the control tower at Kingscliffe.

66 years separate the images.

The views below
were photographed in March 1943
- and again in August 2009