Walking through the centre of the town of Bedford last week, I noticed this plaque on the wall of the Corn Exchange, so whipped out my little pocket camera for a quick photo. Bedford was where GM and his band were stationed in 1944 and Twinwood Farm, the airfield from which he disappeared, is just outside the town.
Very, very nice....... I'm also a fan of Glenn Miller, and other coetans, as Beny Goodman, other Big Bands..... Digg in http://www.archive.org/ and you will find old radio transmissions of his concerts in old USA Radio stations....! Why not digitize this music? Seems very interesting these pieces..... Jan.
Very nice ! I'ma trumpet player myself , Love big band. I think someone needs to find the plane Glenn Miller was on when it went Down.... Tablesaw
Sadly, after all these years, any prospect of locating the wreckage of a small, fabric-covered aircraft in the depths of the English Channel must be very slim indeed ( not impossible though - nothing ever is...). But this seems a fair place to recommend the 'After The Battle' book, 'Glenn Miller In Britain - Then & Now' by Chris Way which ( as with most ATB publications ) is deeply fascinating for anyone with an interest in the subject.....
The great Glenn Miller and his band once performed at Burtonwood airbase in 1944. The base is close to were i live and also hosted shows for base personel which included appearances by Bing Crosby and Bob Hope.
Absolutely right, jp - and my trusty copy of Way's book confirms that it happened ( twice! ) on August 15th 1944. Apparently, it was quite a 'do' with guests Joe Loss and 'forces sweetheart' Vera Lynn. Glenn and his band arrived in two B-24s and, so huge was the base, played before 8,000 men between 14:30 and 16:00, followed by another 9,000 at 19:00 ( it was so dark when the B-24s returned to Twinwood Farm that the pilots mistakenly landed at nearby Thurleigh......)
I can well believe the attendance numbers quoted, Martin. At it's peak, the base had 18,000 personel serving there! Sorry for deviating slightly from the threads subject, but i have a great interest in Burtonwood airbase and could waffle all day about it.
The M62 motorway was actually built over the main runway. I passed the old site yesterday, and all that remains to be seen now is a very small section of taxiway.
Another lost opportunity for me - I was up that way on business in mid-2008 and stopped at that service area. I saw two surviving hangars nearby but had no camera - not even a camera-phone. In FlyPast earlier this year I saw the headline - 'Last Of Burtonwood's WWII Hangars Demolished' and thought... ...DAMN !!
All hangars have now been demolished, along with all the taxiways leading to them. There is now no trace of there ever being a base there! Martin, next time your in my part of the country, make sure to call in for a cuppa.
