Page 12 - Oundle Life June 2024

There’s been no shortage of speculation and theories as to what happened to the Noorduyn UC-64A Norsman that Captain Miller was flying in, along with Lieutenant Colonel Norman Baessell and Flight Officer (and pilot on the trip) John Stuart Morgan.
in 2015 when the landowner announced he was to build 55 luxury holiday lodges on the site of the airfield. Many feared the public would no longer be able to visit the memorial to pay their respects, but public access has been maintained with a footpath leading to the memorial. It
It seems the most likely explanation
is that the aircraft encountered foul
weather over the English Channel and crashed, though no trace of the aircraft or any of the bodies was ever found.
The base of the hangar where Miller played his last airfield concert in 1944 remains and other parts of the airfield can still be seen. There’s a fine memorial to all those who served there by the side of the Kings Cliffe-to- Wansford road.
In 1983 a separate memorial was raised to Glenn Miller on the site of the hangar where he last entertained the troops. Controversy arose
memory of all those who served there alive.
For more information please join the Facebook group King’s Cliffe Airfield Museum.
View of the Airfield – the Hangar that the concert was in is at the top
What is known is that Miller was not authorised to be on that flight, and that he had merely hitched a lift as he was frustrated at his authorised flights being cancelled for various reasons. It would prove to be a fateful decision for the internationally famous Miller.
no trace of the aircraft or any of the bodies was ever found
sits within the grounds of Landal Rockingham Forest Park holiday lodges.
Rockingham Forest Park has kindly given a building on the holiday park
to be used as a new Airfield Museum which will be opening this summer. It will tell the story of the village’s airfield in WWI and WWII and help keep the
Stuart Barker is a professional writer and author. He has a keen interest in local history and likes nothing better than riding round Northants visiting historical sites on his motorcycle.
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