23 May IWM Duxford
My son Johnny and I left London on Friday, May 4th in a cute little rental car. He took the wheel. Still, for me, it was a nightmare. It was just like years ago when Johnny was learning to drive … He would look over and say, “Mother, you don’t need to hold on so tight.” Thankfully, he has driven on the left before. There were no mishaps, even in the roundabouts. Johnny did a great job.
I will never complain about Atlanta traffic again.
The Sally B, Europe’s last remaining airworthy B-17
Once we hit the countryside it was smooth sailing. Our first stop was Duxford at the Imperial War Museum, housed on the grounds of the former First and Second World War airfield. It was easy to find, right at the exit of the highway we were on.
Duxford is an airplane junkie’s paradise. The first thing you see as you walk outside toward the various exhibit buildings is the Sally B, Europe’s last remaining airworthy B-17 flying fortress. The Sally B, while not part of the Museum’s collection, is permanently housed at this working airfield.
In several exhibits hundred of airplanes …
There are seven different exhibits as you can see from this Visitor Map. Close to two hundred magnificent airplanes are suspended from the ceilings or sit on the ground, all right there for close inspection, often with audio or video explanations. Be prepared for lots of walking.
The 1940 Operations Room, an accurate reconstruction in the actual building used in 1940, was my favorite exhibit. After the fact I found this little film that explains more about it, along with photos from “back then.”
I love the stories about the RAF pilots who fought the Battle of Britain. Here and in the Battle of Britain exhibit in Hanger 4 they come to life.
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