This is a wonderful museum dedicated to all US servicemen and women who served with the 96th Bomb Group. It is located at the former base hospital for Snetterton Heath, now Aurora Eccles School (Quidenham Road, Quidenham, Norfolk NR16 2NZ).The Museum is open from 1000 until 1600 one Sunday each month. The next opening day is this Sunday 21st April.
During April we were delighted to welcome American families who visited the church and the village under the auspices of the National Museum of the Mighty Eighth Air Force in America, very professionally and sensitively led by the Educational Tour Director, Mark Copeland. Our visitors spent a peaceful time looking round the church and the graveyard in warm Spring sunshine. They paused for a while at the Memorial Chapel with its beautiful window, recalling the sacrifice made by over 900 American servicemen between 1943 and 1945. The memorial window dedicated to them is the oldest 8th Air Force memorial in Britain.The 96th suffered the second highest loss rate of the 8th Army Air Force and the highest in the Third Division. Altogether the 96th flew 321 missions, lost 190 aircraft and 938 airmen. The chapel was dedicated in November 1944 with the sanctuary lamp being donated by a former officer.We are so grateful to Mark for bringing these families to Quidenham. Their presence brings to life the stories of extraordinary sacrifices which young (sometimes very young) members of the American armed forces made to help Britain. We also enjoyed comparing experiences with this very interesting group of visitors.
Here is what happened!Minutes of a meeting of the PCC held at the Rectory on Jan 23rd 1947 (extract)Present: The Reverend Harper Mitchell, Lord Albemarle, Miss Mitchell, Mrs Deare and Mr F W Leatherland.The suggested alterations to the Sanctuary as proposed by Mr Dykes-Bower were presented and passed unanimously. The memorial to the late Mrs Garnier taking the form of Communion Rails, Silver Cross and Candlesticks. The Rector to forward the drawings to the Advisory Board before applying for a Faculty.It was stated by the Rector that Mr Chas (?) Garnier had very generously offered to present two Indian carpets to the Church. The offer was gratefully accepted, subject to Mr Dykes- Bowers’ approval of them blending with his other work.In a discussion of the disposal of the Brass Cross and Candlesticks and Brass Flower Vases, it was decided that these should be sold at a later date. Correspondence was read re the disposal of the Oak pews and it was suggested that this should be deferred, as they may be needed for further use.Permission was asked for the Memorial Tablet to the late Canon Garnier to be inserted into the Wall and the letters to be altered to a different colour. This was approved.Details of the Faculty drawn up and granted 16th April 1947That it is proposed to carry out the following work in the Church of Quidenham aforesaid: (1) To replace the present brass Cross and Candlesticks with Silver ones (2) To replace Brass Communion Rails with Oak Communion Rails (3) To repave Sanctuary (4) to replace Reredos with Dorsal (7) To furnish Sedilia (8) to cover new Altar with new Frontal to carry out all suggestions made by Mr Dykes-Bower in accordance with his drawing. The suggested alterations to the Sanctuary as proposed by Mr. Dykes-Bower were presented and passed unanimously at a Parochial Church Council on 23.1.47.Minutes of a meeting of the PCC held in the Church on Sunday November 16th 1947 after Matins (extract)The drawings of the memorial window to the late Admiral Keppel having been submitted, were unanimously passed by the Council.It was proposed by Lord Albemarle, and seconded by Mr George, that power should be given to the Churchwardens to sell, if possible, the surplus Church possessions, Stained Glass Windows, Brass Communion Rails, Brass Cross and Candlesticks. The Oak Pews to be held for a time so that they may be made use of if needed. Minutes of a meeting of the PCC on 10th December 1948A Parochial Church Council meeting was held in Quidenham Church on Friday, December 10, 1948 at 6pm. Present: Commander Garnier, Mrs Mitchell, Mr & Mrs George, Miss B Deane, Mr Sidell and Mrs Nicholson.Many letters were brought forward by the Rector from churches in different parts of England and Wales in answer to his advertisement in the Church Times offering, as a gift, church furnishings at our disposal which have become available since the enrichment of the church with the Garnier memorial. The gifts in question were: stain glass window, brass Cross, 2 large brass Vases, 2 brass Candlesticks, Reredos, Brass Altar lectern, Brass altar rails and 3 mats.After careful consideration of all the letters it was finally agreed that all these articles should go to the Mission Church in the Conventional District of St Michael’s & All Angels, Beckton, E6, apart from the Brass Cross, which is to be offered as a gift to Snetterton Church.It was also agreed that Mr Foulger of Eccles should be approached with regard to transport of these articles from here to London.Letter of thanks from Mission Church 15th December 1948Dear RectorI was very happy to receive your letter of 11 Dec. The extent of your gift is rather overwhelming and I am afraid that any thanks I can express are inadequate. Certainly the items will enable us to re-establish our mission church in a way we could hardly have hoped for.Please accept my very sincere thanks. No doubt, at a later date, our PCC will convey to you more formal thanks, but I should now like to express gratitude most of all for the thoughtfulness behind the gift. Here we work among so many indifferent thousands that such assistance from ‘outside’ greatly strengthens our purpose. Perhaps I have expressed myself badly, but I am sure you will gather the trend of thought.The mission (incomplete or otherwise) is to be re-opened on Jan 9 and so I hope to be able to arrange collection before this date, if this is convenient to you. Naturally, our PCC must first approve, but I have no doubt as to their feelings in this matter. I am now making enquiries about the best means of transport and will let you have full details as soon as arranged.In concluding, perhaps I might ask if the work of our mission could find a place in the intercessions of your church, for I am sure that they would be a great source of strength for our attenuated forces.Sincerely yoursG Kimmance (the incumbent at St Michael & All Angels)Minutes of a meeting of the PCC April 22nd 1949 (extract)It was also unanimously agreed to present Snetterton Church with the white frontal which is not now in use at Quidenham.MORE NOTES ON ST MICHAEL AND ALL ANGELS Beckton Road E6A Church of England church in East Ham, east London. It opened as a mission of St Mary Magdalene’s Church, East Ham (now one of three churches in the Parish of Holy Trinity, East Ham) in 1883 and immediately rebuilt after burning down three years later. A permanent church was built on a new site behind the Ferndale pub, around 1906, funded by the Gas, Light and Coke Company. A new mission district was formed for it about 1922, but the church was not rebuilt after bombing in 1941 during the London Blitz and ultimately the district was dissolved in 1952, to be merged back into St Mary's parish. St Michael's had also founded two mission churches of its own, St Mark's, Ferndale Street (c.1890) and St Andrew's, Roman Road (1934) - these both closed in 1952 when the district was dissolved.ST MARK Ferndale Street, Cyprus Place E6Linked with St Michael’s the building [provided by the Gas Light and Coke Co] was used for 62 years between 1890 and 1952 and then stood derelict until 1966.ST ANDREW Roman Road E6Another mission of St Michael’s with short-lived work between the building in 1934 and closure in 1952 before the sale in 1957.
