Bungay Airfield Memorial Unveiling 22nd July 2018

Bungay Airfield Memorial Unveiling …

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On Sunday 22nd July, during our Family Fun day, another event took place at the Norfolk and Suffolk Museum. A few days before the event a memorial for the airfield, dedicated to the men who served at or from the airfield was erected. It is a large 1.5 Ton granite block.

The Memorial Stone Arrives:

Kenneth P Bannerman, Director General of the Airfields of Britain Conservation Trust who had arranged for this memorial was with us to unveil it, together with Colonel Robert A Shelton, USAF USAAF, Commanding Officer of the 100th Operations Group and 401st Air Expeditionary Group.

Several local dignitaries attended to mark this occasion from Westminster, the District Council and the local Parish Council. There were dignitaries from the towns of Bungay and Beccles as well as members from the nearby Royal Air Forces Associations, Royal Observer Corps Association, The Royal British Legion, also the local Air Cadets. Long-time members of the Museum, Associates of the 2nd Air Division Memorial Trust Library, the 446th Bomb Group Association also attended as did representatives from Suffolk Museums and the Association for Suffolk Museums. A reporter from Archant was present at the unveiling and an article was published in the local press.

Colonel Shelton said: It is quite an honour to join you and recognise a very special partnership. We have to reflect on our history to understand the sacrifice so many British and American personnel gave us in the past and that the freedoms that we enjoy today are because of their selfless sacrifice.

Just before the unveiling, a Lancaster of the RAF Battle of Britain Memorial Flight overflew the museum.

Some images of the Bungay Airfield Memorial Unveiling

There are further images on the Museum website in the Events section Further images from the day

After the memorial was unveiled a bench plaque dedicated to James Kirk Varner, Flight Engineer of the 446th Bomb Group was unveiled by John Bull and Colonel Shelton. John said that the bench was a memorial not just to Kirk Varner but to all who served at Bungay/Flixton. Kirk Varner’s (Bungay) story can be found on the link below.

Images from the unveiling of the James Kirk Varner Plaque

Author:: Steve Bell

NOTES and LINKS:

Airfields of Britain Conservation Trust

The Airfields of Britain Conservation Trust was established to acknowledge the enormous and unique contribution airfields have made in numerous spheres since 1909. A memorial is intended to be erected at each known disused airfield site in Britain in order to provide a permanent reminder for future generations. Historical information will be made publicly available and facilities provided to allow new factual details to be collated. Further information and images of the unveiling can be found on the Trust Website at www.abct.org.uk

James Kirk Varner

James Kirk Varner was a Flight Engineer with the 704th Squadron; this squadron was assigned as one of the four B-24 squadrons which made up the 446th Bomb Group (known locally as the Bungay Buckaroos). The 446th Bomb Group was part of the US 8th Air Force whilst based in Europe. The 704th was based in part at Station #125 Bungay, England. His B-24 mission diary can be found on our Museum website at Kirk Varner

The Plaque …. While reading the information on the Museum website, two friends, Les Hughes and John Bull, decided to follow up on the story and research if James Varner was still alive. Unfortunately, James died in 1996, but they found that his widow was still alive back in the United States. After being in on-line conversations with her, they decide to leave a small memorial dedication from her to him. His widow, Betty, was thrilled by this and thanked them both as the previous dedication located at the Museum was becoming worn out.