A Tank Crewman in the 95th Bomb Group

Walter Stitt's notation to me on this photo reads: "This is what a potential tank gunner looks like in Basic Training at 18 years old. Camp Polk, LA 1943". Stitt went on to fight in some of the intense tank battles in Germany in 1944-45, losing two tanks and parts of two crews before his injuries took him to the 95th Bomb Group. (Walter Stitt photo)

One of my favorite interviews this past year was with a gentleman named Walter Stitt, a retired Lutheran pastor who lives in South Bend, Indiana. Stitt's journey to the 95th Bomb Group is a strange and fascinating one.

Stitt arrived in England on D-Day, and landed on Omaha Beach two weeks later. He was assigned to a tank crew in the U.S. 3rd Armored Division as a loader shortly thereafter. In early September, Stitt's tank was one of the first to enter Germany, and on September 19, his tank was hit by German shell, killing the tank commander and a gunner. Stitt was wounded in the legs but patched up and assigned to a new crew.

In November, his new tank hit a mine in a minefield, destroying the tank but luckily not killing its crew. Assigned to a new tank, the crew forged on into Germany, and participated in the Battle of the Bulge.

On January 6, Stitt's tank was hit by a Panzerfaust anti-tank weapon, killing the tank commander and wounding Stitt in the head. He was shipped to a hospital, where he recuperated and returned to combat yet again. This time, however, he became sick and was evacuated to a hospital in Bristol, England.

At this point, Stitt was given a status of 'limited service' and sent to the 95th Bomb Group at Horham. His original job was that of an Armorer and bomb-loader. However, he could not lift his arm above his shoulder without dislocating it. The 95th needed to find something else for him to do.

"They sent me to work in the PX. Wonderful! Any time I had money I went to London. They didn't really need me in the PX." In fact, Stitt was in London on VE Day. "After the flyers and the support troops started to go home, I was put in charge of the Enlisted Men's Beer Hall. A job to die for!"

Stitt returned to the States and became a Lutheran pastor, and retired in 1992. He has visited the base at Horham several times since the war.

Englishman Ray Howlett Completes 95th Base Diorama

One of the new crewman at the 95th Horham is Ray Howlett. Ray is the gentleman who put together the excellent museum display of Leonard Herman's 95th BG artifacts. But it turns out that Ray is a man of many talents. Here are photos, used with permission, of a diorama Ray built of the Horham air base, 95th BG, during WWII. It's amazing. Can't wait to see it in person.

Ray writes: "Firstly my diorama, it measures 11 ft 7 ins X 8 ft 3 ins [ 3.5 mtrs X 2.5 mtrs ] which includes the full airfield, bomb dumps, Horham Village and the Technical Site.
To try and cover the time span of 1943 through to 1945 I have included such events as B-26 Marauders, C-47 Skytrains, B-24 Liberator and a A-10 Catalina ASR. In the road transport, 6x6 trucks, jeeps, runway control vehicles plus many civilian vehicles. Finally, people and base personnel.

All is in 1/700th scale. All the buildings are made from scratch-- built from plasti-card and plasti-strip. I must say I was amazed at the interest especially from the local people, the one big and continuous question is, "where is the Red Feather Club"? I am pleased to say that I have started work on the Group's living quarters, hospital and communal sites [ including the RFC]. This section will measure 5 ft X 6 ft 6ins [ 1.53 mtrs X 2.00 mtrs This will complete the picture and help the school children that visit see the size of Station 119."



Main street through Horham, base on left. Where the road turns to the right at top, you can see the St. Mary Church. One of the base entrances was right next to it and the Old School.

Model of the 95th celebrating the first daylight raid over Berlin. The 95th was the first heavy bomber group to bomb Berlin in daylight.

Town of Horham, with St. Mary church (tall gray structure) in lower center. While I was in Horham, I stayed with Alan Johnson in the house at the very bottom of this phot in the center. the brown area is the village green, and the buildings right below it are the Horham Community Center.

Hardstands.

Base visitors.

95th Base in Horham, Suffolk Adds a New Building

When I visited Horham, Suffolk (a small town in East Anglia not far from the North Sea) last June, the British museum board was just writing a grant proposal to the English government to help raise funds to build a long Nissen hut perpendicular to the existed entrance to the Red Feather Club on the 95th Bomb Group's old air base at Horham. The Red Feather Club served during the war as the enlisted men's club and bar, and was rebuilt from derelict condition by British volunteers some years ago. This is my favorite museum anywhere, not because it is the biggest but because it presents its topic so lovingly and accurately.

The 95th at Horham has been very fortunate to gain the services of Roy Howlett, who since joining the group, has done some great things. More about those in the next post. First of all, some photos, sent by Roy, of the building of the Blue Room Nissen hut--from foundation to Big Band celebration in well under a year. Congrats, and hope to see it in person soon.

British readers, I would appreciate names of those in the photos if you can help me out. I'd like to post them.

Visit the 95th Horham Museum here, and consider making a donation: http://www.95thbg-horham.com/index.html
I recognize John Blott in the blue denim. Help me out with the other workers.

Leonard Herman Display Now Open at Horham, England

This shot shows Len's service flimsey, his bombardier's briefcase, identification, and news articles about him saved by his family during the war.

Last summer, when I traveled to Horham, England for research on my upcoming history of the 95th Bomb Group (H), I donated, with Leonard Herman's permission, the things he had saved from his time in the 95th Bomb Group, and other items from his training. Leonard was so excited to know his stuff would be on display back in Horham, and when I visited him last summer, we talked about going over to visit this summer, even though he was ailing. Sadly, Leonard passed away in October, so he never got to see his exhibit at the museum. But I know he would have been so pleased and proud had he seen the marvelous job on the display by museum worker Ray Howlett, who put this display so lovingly and accurately. In fact, I wept with happiness when I first saw these photos today. Thanks so much, Ray, and to all our English friends who do so much to honor the legacy of the bomber boys in WWII.

This shot shows Len's stencil, escape currency, a letter from his pilot's wife to Len after pilot Johnny Johnson was killed on a mission, a crew photo, and on the far end of the case, the telegram informing his parents of his being wounded in action on the same mission Johnny Johnson was killed.
Crew photo, some of Len's chest ribbons, Len's bombardier briefcase, embossed with his name, a roll of chaff, and Len's Purple Heart License plate.
Close-up of Len's Jewish Prayer Book, issued by the U.S. Military, as well as service records.

Len and me, July 2008, Columbus, Georgia.

Brad's Bar Open Again at Horham Red Feather Club

During the war, young Brad Petrella wore many hats at the 95th BG base at Horham, England. One of these was to tend bar at the Red Feather Club, the non-commissioned officers' watering hole and meeting place on base. With his trusty night stick hanging on the wall just in case, young Petrella kept the men's whistles wet and their spirits up.

Photo above from 'Contrails' shows the original Red Feather Club, though not the bar.

Brad tends the bar, with a little help from fellow enlisted man Philip Mutton. His 'enforcer' hangs on the wall next to the window.

Many years later, when the Red Feather Club had been restored, including the bar, to its former glory, Brad returned and tended the bar once again. The bar has been painstakingly restored to look as close to the original as possible. In these photos taken in 2007, Brad serves up some pints to modern-day re-enactors, including 95th BG Heritage Association James Mutton's son Philip with Brad behind the bar. I had the pleasure of meeting Brad at the Tucson Reunion in March 2008, and also the pleasure of meeting Philip Mutton in England in June. Philip shares his dad's interest in the history of the 8th Air Force and the 95th Bomb Group.

Sadly, Brad Petrella passed away October 5, 2008, but his memory lives on at 'Brad's Bar'. Drop in for a pint next time you're in Horham, England. Tell 'em Brad sent you.

To read more about the life of Brad Petrella, click here.

A Trip Back in Time: Horham, Suffolk and the 95th Bomb Group

The tiny village of Horham, in Sussex, as seen from the tower of the church. During the war, Horham had a population of around 50. In contrast, the adjoining American base had 3,000 men.
Aerial view of the town of Horham today.

Aerial view showing the town of Horham and the airfield. Main runway at center.

When they hired me to write the history of the 95th Bomb Group, the 95th BG Association felt it was important that I visit the places where most of the 95th history occurred--at and around the air base at Horham, a small English hamlet in the rolling green hills of Suffolk, East Anglia. The 95th also felt that a major chapter in the story of the 95th should focus on the relationships between the young American airmen and the local villagers among whom they lived for three brief but intense years--years during which the wide, crop-lined runway at Horham was the last place on earth that many young flyers ever stepped. As one of the first American bomb groups up and running in England during the war, the 95th flew many missions with inadequate fighter escort against a still-powerful Luftwaffe. Losses were staggering. The terror of the flak-filled skies over the continent was a dramatic juxtaposition to the bucolic, peaceful village of Horham for these young airmen. Fighting loneliness and knowing that each mission could bring sudden death, the Americans bonded with the kind people of Horham. The villagers welcomed them into their homes, and the young village children ran to the base each day to visit their favorite Americans. Alan Johnson came by this spot many days to visit his American friends on the base. The guard box was near the spot where the phone booth is located in this photo. A hundred yards or so down the lane in center, and a child was on the base.

"Got any gum, chum?" was a common refrain by English children when meeting American GIs. One meticulous English child saved all the wrappers after eating the gum, and these are now in the 390th Museum at Framlingham.

The Blue Dragon Pub in Horham, frequented by Americans and Brits alike during the war, fostered many enduring friendships. It is now a private residence.

In return, the Americans often brought hard-to-find gifts to the locals--who were suffering under strict war rationing and had very little. The relationship between the locals and the airmen became very close--and for many in Horham, it continues to this day.

During the war, young Alan Johnson loved to run over to the base and hang out with the ground crewmen. Alan Johnson today, in his vintage Jeep. Alan was the driving force behind preserving the history and buildings of the 95th Bomb Group in Horham.

Many years later, realizing that the former air base was falling into disrepair and could soon vanish completely, Alan and other members of the 95th Association in England purchased the land upon which sat the non-commissioned officers' club, named the Red Feather Club.

The Red Feather Club's exterior as it looked when Alan began his crusade to rebuild it.The Red Feather's interior before restoration began.

Alan and others set out to rebuild it, and spent fifteen years working to bring the old building back to life. Working alone at first, and then with a few dedicated partners, the Red Feather Club now lives again in the form of the 95th Bomb Group Museum. The Red Feather Club today. (Photo from Tom Philo's website: http://www.taphilo.com/)

The Red Feather's Bar is up and running again, restored to its original specs.

The 95th Bomb Group presence at Horham is completely run by Brits, though it does get some funding help from the American 95th Association. A registered museum in Britain, the museum continues to expand. While I was there, a grant was awarded to build a large dance hall back onto the front of the club, where today all that is left is a concrete pad. Over the past two years, the Red Feather Club has hosted big band dances and parties, and Alan says when he walks outside into the night and listens, he feels like he is back in 1943 all over again. It's an amazing story.

Alan in front of the 95th Museum.

Stay tuned----Much, much more to follow. Next entry--the old 95th base, then and now.