Route of the Question Mark
Page 19 from The Route of the Question Mark is transcribed below, describing life at Honington. After that is a *TIDBIT* about Honington Air Base.
page 19
B-17 at Honington
page 19
Honington Air Base... The planes that used to take off on bombing missions... Our "Winterized" pyramdial tents... Building a home (but with our bare hands) in the wilderness... Our drainage system... The brick latrine... The bathtub... The concrete greasepit... The Officers' Rec Hall, so splendid in all that mud it looked like Aladdin's Cave, sparkling with luxury... Movies in the mess hall... The inexhaustible supply of beer... Honey-buckets... 1st Sgt WATERS departs and T/Sgt KOWALSKI takes over as 1st Sgt... Painting the kitchen weekly with white paint... Building sidewalks... Our Battalion crest, prominently hung near the CP... Audacia Vincit... The furloughs and passes to London... The air-raids that always seemed to take place when we were in that city...
From the cover
"Audacia Vincit"
(Boldness Wins)
Crest of the
Headquarters and Headquarters Battalion
438th Antiaircraft Artillery
Automatic Weapons Battalion (Mobile)
"438th AAA AW BN"
"Audacia Vincit"
(Boldness Wins)
Crest of the
Headquarters and Headquarters Battalion
438th Antiaircraft Artillery
Automatic Weapons Battalion (Mobile)
"438th AAA AW BN"
* TIDBIT *
about Honington, Army Air Force Station 595
B-17's from the 3rd Bomb Division lined up at Honington
about Honington, Army Air Force Station 595
B-17's from the 3rd Bomb Division lined up at Honington
American airpower based in England in World War II involved the 8th Air Force, providing strategic airpower with bombers and fighters, and the 9th Air Force, performing tactical ground-attack and support missions. Both organizations required many bases. Honington had been built as a permanent English Royal Air Force (RAF) station and housed transport and bomber squadrons for its first five years. The United States Army Air Force began using Honington in 1942 as the 1st Strategic Air Depot for major aircraft overhauls, later specializing in the B-17 Flying Fortresses. Some badly damaged B-17's would be re-routed straight to Honington on return from action, instead of landing at their home bases.
All original RAF buildings were of yellow brick with excellent facilities. Officers were assigned to one of the many two-story houses. These houses were completely carpeted, with fireplaces in most rooms, both upstairs and down, and with a complete kitchen. American officers moved into the two-story houses. The main building housed the officers' dining room, club and bar, and the lounges.
Along with the 1st Strategic Air Depot, Honington was home to the 364th Fighter Group.and the First Scouting Force. Although the 364th left in November 1945, Honington remained as HQ for the VIII Air Force Fighter Command until 26 February 1946. In March of 1946, RAF Transport Command moved in and the base became crucial to the Berlin Airlift of 1948 to 1949. RAF Honington is now home to the RAF Regiment.
CLICK ON IMAGES TO ENLARGE
These three photos are from: D. Sheley's Flickr Photostream.
The B-24 crash, above, was at an English airfield like Honington.
The others are P-38 Lightnings that crash-landed at Honington.
The three photos below are also crash-landings at Honington.
Members of the 2017th Engineer Aviation
Fire Fighter Platoon work on a wreck
These three photos are from: D. Sheley's Flickr Photostream.
The B-24 crash, above, was at an English airfield like Honington.
The others are P-38 Lightnings that crash-landed at Honington.
The three photos below are also crash-landings at Honington.
Members of the 2017th Engineer Aviation
Fire Fighter Platoon work on a wreck
All original RAF buildings were of yellow brick with excellent facilities. Officers were assigned to one of the many two-story houses. These houses were completely carpeted, with fireplaces in most rooms, both upstairs and down, and with a complete kitchen. American officers moved into the two-story houses. The main building housed the officers' dining room, club and bar, and the lounges.
CLICK ON IMAGES TO ENLARGE
In a remote area of the Air Field, a small American compound was constructed of more or less temporary structures called “Nissen” huts, named after a Canadian engineer who designed them in World War I. Simply made of brick and tin, they were muddy, leaky and cold. They were also cheap, quickly built and versatile. The green-brown Nissen huts, also known as "quonset huts" made homes, recreation spots and offices for thousands of soldiers and airmen. It took more than a thousand people to put 48 single-seat fighters in the air consistently. Honington base was essentially a small town of its own, with maintenance, engineering, weather, firefighting, administration, food service, police, quartermasters, ordnance, medical, photographic, intelligence and many other functions.
CLICK ON IMAGES TO ENLARGE
Along with the 1st Strategic Air Depot, Honington was home to the 364th Fighter Group.and the First Scouting Force. Although the 364th left in November 1945, Honington remained as HQ for the VIII Air Force Fighter Command until 26 February 1946. In March of 1946, RAF Transport Command moved in and the base became crucial to the Berlin Airlift of 1948 to 1949. RAF Honington is now home to the RAF Regiment.
B-17 at Honington
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