01 May The Grand Tour

Today is Day 1 of The Grand Tour. It’s been in the works for more than three years! As I write this my computer is in my lap, and I’m at the Boston Airport waiting for my son Johnny.  He will be my bodyguard, my chauffeur and my videographer as we walk the World War II steps of my parents, his grandparents … Herman and Hedy Allen.

Here is our schedule:

May 2 and 3:  London. Hedy worked for OSS London from January 1944 until August when she went on to Stockholm. Herman visited here along with more than a million other American servicemen during the war.

The Liberty Lady flies over the village of Hemse. March 6, 1944.

May 4 and 5: We drive north to Bedford and Thurleigh airfield. This is where Herman’s crew began their B-17 missions across the English Channel.

May 6: We fly from Heathrow to Stockholm to the island of Gotland. Three plane rides in one day so we need good vibes that weather and ETA’s cooperate.

May 7 and 8: We’re staying in the historic city of Visby but will drive south about an hour to Hemse. This is the little village where the Liberty Lady finally came to rest … on a farmer’s bog known as the Mastermyr. The ground was soggy with melting snow so the B-17 slurped to a stop and all ten crew members emerged unharmed. Soon a crowd of men, women and children from the village had gathered to see the huge bird from the sky. We will meet three or four of them … they were barely teenagers on March 6, 1944 but will have lots of stories to tell. One of them took this picture as the Liberty Lady appeared over the rooftops.

May 9 thru 12: Stockholm

May 13 and 14: We’ll drive north from Stockholm to Uppsala, a well-known university town. Then farther up to Falun and Rättvik, two of the town were the American internees including Herman and his crew stayed during the war.

May 15 and 16:  Back to Stockholm for two more days until we fly back to the US on the 17th.

It begins now … The Grand Tour.

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