FlyPast – August 2018

14 FLYPAST August 2018

NEWS THE LATEST IN AVIATION HERITAGE

Boxted makes it three

Boxted Airfi eld Museum in Essex

celebrated the 75th anniversary

of the former air station becoming

operational on June 10 with the

inauguration of its third

display building.

On the same day in 1943, the

Martin B-26 Marauders of the 386th

Bombardment Group (BG) – ‘The

Crusaders’ – touched down for a brief

stay until its base at nearby Great

Dunmow was ready in September.

Beyond that, USAAF Station 150 Boxted

became a fi ghter lair, in turn housing

the 354th Fighter Group (FG) and the

famous 56th FG – ‘The Wolfpack’.

Run by the Boxted Airfi eld Historical

Group (BAHG), the museum opened

in May 2011, expanding with a second

Nissen hut in 2007. The new structure,

made possible by a generous and

anonymous benefactor, will contain

a tribute to Boxted’s Marauder days

and the exploits of all Britain-

based USAAF B-26 units. It is hoped

to have this exhibition ready

sometime during the 2019 season.

The new display hall’s centrepiece

will be the rear fuselage of

96-mission veteran B-26C 41-

Mr Shorty which served with the

323rd BG, not far away at Earls

Colne. Scrapped at Burtonwood,

Lancashire, in June 1945, the

hulk lingered in a scrapyard at

Warrington, until it was rescued in

1974. This relic, the largest surviving
      element of a B-26 in Europe, is on
      loan to BAHG from the trustees of
      nearby Marks Hall. KEN ELLIS

The rear fuselage of B-26C ‘Mr Shorty’ is destined to become the centrepiece of the Boxted

Airfi eld Museum’s new display hall. JOHN CAMP

Co-directed by David Fairhead and

Anthony Palmer, Spitfi re – a feature-

length documentary about the

legendary fi ghter – will be released in

cinemas across the UK and Ireland

on July 20, following previews on

the 17th.

The fi lm includes breathtaking aerial

footage shot by well-known aviation

photographer John Dibbs, along with

rarely seen and digitally remastered

archive fi lm from the 1940s. It also

includes the personal recollections

of surviving veterans, plus an original

score from composer Chris Roe.

Spitfi re also explores the

considerable legacy of the fi ghter,

explaining how it has become an

international icon. The fi lm receives

its world premiere on July 9 at Curzon

Mayfair, London, followed by ‘one night

only’ screenings across the country

on July 17 – the latter will include

additional and exclusive footage.

The fi lm is an Elliptical Wing

Production presented by British

Film Company, with Haviland Digital

and Mark Stewart Productions. It

is produced by Gareth Dodds, John

Dibbs, Steve Milne, David Fairhead and

Anthony Palmer. http://www.facebook.com/

spitfi rethefeaturedoc

A trio of Spitfi re Mk.Is fl ying in the new

feature-length documentary.

ELLIPTICAL WING-JOHN DIBBS

Spitfi re documentary

set for UK

cinema release