European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - May 30, 1991, Darmstadt, Hesse Rust and corrosion have taken Oyer where once there was gleaming paint or shiny Metal. Lavenham Airfield is located one mile North of the town of Lavenham just off the a-1141 Bury St. Edmunds Road. Driving North Quot out of Lavenham take the first left turn after the water Tower. The sign says Quot to Smithwood _ Green follow the winding Road until you reach a Quot to Quot Junction. Turn lefty and you will be on the Orbital taxiway. The control Tower half Way around the taxiway and support buildings Are All painted White and Are easy to locate. A the Lavenham tourist information Center located in _ the old Guild Hall in downtown Lavenham Sells a map of the Airfield for 20 Pence about 35 cents that shows the layout of the buildings and runways 1the Airfield is not a tourist attraction in the usual sense of the phrase located on John Pawsey s farm it is not advertised and there is Nojeem involved. Visitors Are free to wander among the old buildings and drive around the taxiway. However since there is no Way to control the flow of visitors to the Field people Are asked to Telephone Pawsey a answering machine in Advance of the visit at 0284-828226, and leave their name the make and color a of automobile License number and approximate time of visit. That Way Pawsey can account for the unidentified vehicles that traverse his s Grandfather David Alston was the owner of the farm when the 487th bomb group set up operations there in the Spring of 1944.Quot my Grandfather continued his farming right in the they Gaye her Candy and chewing because his family was so personally involved with the Airfield Pawsey has tried to preserve it for sentimental if not for historical reasons. But the expense and Effort As Well As the loss of Good tillable land make it difficult. When visitors arrive at the Airfield Pawsey sometimes takes a break from farm duties to give them a Little _ a personalized background about the Field. Quot a few of the remaining members of the old 487th still come Back for one More look at the place Quot said Pawsey. Quot one fellow even offered to buy the control Tower dismantle it ship. It Back to the states and reassemble it there but i really l know what to do i d really like to keep it Here in its original _ a one former b-24 Pilot told me about the time his bomber ran off the end of the runway and my a a Grandfather pulled him out of the mud with his tractor Quot Pawsey said. Quot i invited. Him up to the farmhouse to took through a Box of old photographs and the first picture we pulled out of the Box showed his bomber sitting in a a the mud at the end of the v the num per of 487th veterans visiting the Airfield a. Dwindles each year Pawsey says but he Hopes to keep the interest in the Field alive by locating an organization that might be willing to Quot take it under it s Wing Quot and help restore it a j. Quot it would be a shame to just let it die Quot he says. A Dave digit stripes Magazine May 30, 1991
