The Official Newsletter of the 56th Fighter Group Memorial Association, Friends of the 489th Bomb Group, and 5th Emergency Rescue Squadron Friends
SPRING EDITION -
April 2026
Spring is upon us and we are happy to be opening the museum for the new season on Sunday 5 April 2026 at 2pm. We will then be open every Sunday and Bank Holiday Monday until the end of October. As always, Admission to the museum is FREE. We look forward to seeing you here.
Here is a quick review of events since our last Newsletter :
Two great highlights of the year saw the celebration of the 80th Anniversary of both VE Day and VJ day at the museum with lots of visitors, military vehicles and various displays. The refreshments went down well, especially the cakes … as always Our thanks go to all our volunteers and friends for their help and support on these days.
FAMILY VISITORS
We had a few American family visits to the museum over the year including:
In May, Alison Guiness visited with her husband Bill. Alison is the daughter of 489th BG waist gunner, TSgt Warren Diffendell who served with the George Smith crew. Warren was wounded during the mission to Ludwigshaven on 31 July 1944. Alison and Bill also enjoyed our Open Day/VE Day celebrations here at the museum.
In late September we hosted Milo Shelly who visited the airfield in memory of his Uncle Donald Holbert who was KIA on 27 September 1944. The B24 ‘Paper Doll’ tragically collided with another 489th B24 over Walberswick marshes. There were no survivors.
In October we were visited by Mary and Virginia who are the daughters of 489th Bomb Group gunner Loren Bryan. Their dad’s B24 was the lead aircraft on D-Day for the 489th. Pilot: Carl Hillstrom.
REMEMBRANCE
Our friends from RAF Lakenheath again attended our Remembrance Day services 2025 at both St Peter’s Church, Holton, and at the Memorial Site on the airfield. We are always happy to welcome these young American airman and women to the museum and we are grateful to them for reading aloud the names of all the USAAF airmen who lost their lives whilst serving at Halesworth during WWII. There were quite a number of people attending, all of whom enjoyed refreshments in the museum after the wreath laying ceremony.
We would like to thank the children of Holton Primary School for making the poppy tributes to each of the groups who served here during the war. Their artwork was admired by all those present.
James Sellar with his wife Helen, came for the day to pay respects to the fallen and especially to the Montgomery crew of the 489th whose B24 crashed onto his father’s Sussex farm returning from a mission in 1944. Three crew members died in that horrific crash and you can read the full story in the museum. James and Helen are great friends of the museum and they also came to help on our August Open Day/VJ Day celebration.
FOLDED WINGS
We were very sad to learn in August that George T Patton, who was here with the 56th Fighter Group during WWII has passed away. We sent our condolences to his daughter Meg and the family together with thanks for his service during that time.
We are also sad to report that our friend and museum colleague Richard Canham passed away in January of this year. He will be very sadly missed and our thoughts are with his wife Nina, son Chris and grandson Daniel. Flags were flown at half-mast at the museum in his memory.
Another sad loss was our friend Margaret Wickham who also passed away in January at the age of 96. Margaret was a long-standing friend of the museum who always baked and brought cakes for us on her visits. We shall miss Margaret very much and our thoughts are with her son Glen and grandchildren. Margaret’s husband Dick died in 2012. He wrote about his wartime experiences as a child in the book ‘The War at My Door’. Luckily, we have a copy in the museum library.
LOCAL VISIT
In late January, members of the East Suffolk Lines walking group visited the museum during their guided walk from Brampton Station to Halesworth Station. It was so nice to be able to host such a lovely group during our ‘closed’ season at the museum. We look forward to welcoming them back sometime in the future.
VOLUNTEERS
We welcomed a new volunteer last year, Toni, and she has been looking into what the 56th Fighter Group did at Christmas 1943. Here is the result of her research. If you feel you can volunteer at the museum, please get in touch. You can be sure of a warm welcome.
Christmas 1943 at Halesworth Airfield
As the horrors of war continued to be played out all over Europe, the men of the USAAF 56th Fighter Group, stationed at Halesworth Airfield, prepared to mark a very different Christmas in December 1943.
Far from home, their families and friends, in an unfamiliar country, crews risked their lives every day flying into battle, never knowing if they would return.
Glimpses of their celebrations have been gleaned from the 1943 daily diary archive held at Halesworth Airfield Museum.
Throughout the month, entertainment included films such as A Night to Remember, Reveille with Beverley, Honeymoon Lodge and The Ghost of Frankenstein. Live entertainment was provided by ENSA (Entertainments National Service Association), performing Come Out and Play and The Patsy. The USO (United Service Organization) stage show, USA Calling, took place on the 17th.
The festivities began on December 18th when officers of the 62nd Squadron “entertained various young ladies at a dance on the station.” It was deemed a “huge success” although several of the guests “were adversely affected by drinking punch on empty stomachs.”
On December 21st, a dance and Christmas party was held in the evening. Approximately, 200 WRNS (Women's Royal Navy Service), WAAFS (Women's Auxiliary Air Force) and WLA (Women's Land Army) girls attended. Jivin' Yanks and The Blue Chasers provided the music and “there was food for all.”
Unfortunately, on December 22nd , the children's party was cancelled “due to the unavailability of a proper film and adequate transportation. The candy donated by the enlisted men was sent to the schoolmaster at Halesworth, who distributed it to the school children.”
Religious services were held on 24th including a Christmas Eve Candle Light Service in St Peter's Church, Holton and a high Mass at midnight in the Station theatre followed by refreshments.
On Christmas Day, it was work as usual with “skeleton crews in most of the departments” while “most of the officers and enlisted men were sleeping off a too merry Christmas Eve.”
The Christmas Turkey Dinner “was highly successful, however, all the turkey you could eat and how we did eat.” Each man was given candy and a pack of cigarettes and “a plate so full he could hardly carry it.”
On 30th December, the enlisted men held a dance. “There were about 40 girls including WAAFS, WRNS and WLA . Refreshments were served and a good time was had by all.”
While the pilots had gone out on a long mission in afternoon, the officers were busy on the 31st, preparing for the New Year's Eve party. “Those of the pilots that did return were almost too tired to enjoy the party and went to bed early.” Women guests staying overnight were given rooms at Holton Hall. “The officers residing there went elsewhere to bunk for the night. All in all it was a very successful party and the officers are looking forward to another in the future.”
This daily diary gives a fascinating insight to wartime life on the base. The wider archive provides a unique resource for research.
(Toni Miller)
LEGION OF HONOUR
We were delighted to learn that our 489th veteran, John Homan, was awarded the Legion of Honour medal from the French Government in December 2025. This medal is France’s highest decoration for exceptional civil or military service by citizens or foreigners. The award was made during a ceremony at Foxdale Village in State College on Wednesday. We sent John our warm congratulations for this special honour.
John was Co-Pilot on the B24 ‘Jo’ during 1944 and he flew 34 combat missions with the 489th Bomb Group. He wrote the book ‘Into the Cold Blue’ co-authored by Historian Jared Frederick, Assistant Professor of History at Penn State Altoona. We have John’s book in the museum library. This book tells John’s own story and we can highly recommend it.
Historian Jared Frederick visited the museum in June 2025 with some friends and he saw where John had served between July and November of 1944. That afternoon, he telephoned John and a few of our museum volunteers were able to speak directly with John. He was in great form and we were able to thank him for his service. John was 102 years old in January.
We look forward to seeing you at the museum this year if at all possible. If you would like to volunteer with us please let us know.
Happy Easter!
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Halesworth Airfield Memorial Museum
Sparrowhawk Road
Upper Holton
Halesworth
IP19 8NH
Telephone 01986 875084 (answer machine)
www.halesworthairfieldmuseum.co.uk
email: info@halesworthairfieldmuseum.co.uk
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