Parham Airfield Museum facts for kids
The Parham Airfield Museum is a cool place to visit in Framlingham, Suffolk, England. It's a museum built on an old airfield that was named after the nearby village of Parham. This village is also known because of a poet named George Crabbe from Aldeburgh.
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What You'll Find at Parham Airfield Museum
This museum is actually two museums in one! It includes the 390th Bombardment Group Memorial Air Museum and the Museum of the British Resistance Organisation. Both parts are run by the same team. The museum keeps going thanks to amazing volunteers and donations. These donations help keep the buildings and everything inside in good shape. It's a fun day out for people of all ages, and the volunteers are always ready to share interesting facts!
Exploring the 390th Bombardment Group Memorial Air Museum
The 390th Bombardment Group Memorial Air Museum is located inside the original control tower of Framlingham Station 153. This was an important airfield during World War II. The museum focuses on the history of air forces during the war. You can learn about the U.S. 8th Air Force, the Royal Air Force (RAF), and even the German Luftwaffe.
Inside, you'll see many cool things from the war. These include parts of old aircraft, like engines. There are also uniforms, photos, and documents from that time. You can also see combat records, paintings, and other special items. This part of the museum first opened its doors in 1981.
Discovering the Museum of the British Resistance Organisation
Opened in 1997, the Museum of the British Resistance Organisation is in a special building called a Quonset hut. This building is right next to the control tower. This museum is all about the Auxiliary Units, also known as 'Auxunits'.
Imagine if an enemy army invaded Britain during World War II. The men and women of the Auxiliary Units were secretly trained for this. Their job was to stay hidden in special underground bunkers. These bunkers were called Operating Bases (OBs). From there, they would secretly resist the invading army.
At the museum, you can see a copy of one of these secret underground bases. There are also photos and special weapons. You can learn about things like 'time pencil' fuses and other explosives. The museum also shows how agents communicated using 'dead letter boxes' and a secret radio network. This network was set up by the Royal Corps of Signals.
How the Museum Started
After World War II ended in Europe, the runways at Parham Airfield were taken apart. The buildings were left to fall apart or were used for farm storage. The control tower, for example, was damaged and left empty after a big farewell party in 1945. Framlingham Station 153, as the 390th Bomb Group knew it, became forgotten.
In 1976, a small group of people decided to fix up the old control tower. They wanted to turn it into a museum. Their goal was to honor the brave efforts of the 390th Bomb Group. They also wanted to remember other Allied airmen. These airmen flew from bases all over East Anglia during the Second World War.
It took five years of hard work to restore the building. Volunteers did all the work, using their own money and resources. The 390th Bombardment Group Memorial Air Museum of the USAAF officially opened on May 13, 1981. Since then, the museum has stayed in touch with American veterans and their families. They continue to receive support from them.
The Museum of the British Resistance Organisation was created later, in 1997. The opening ceremony was led by Lieutenant Colonel J.W. Stuart Edmundsun. He was one of the people who helped start the very secret GHQ Auxiliary Units. The 'Auxunits' were one of Britain's nine secret services during World War II. Other well-known secret groups included MI5, the Secret Intelligence Service (MI6), and the Special Operations Executive.
