The 306th Bombardment Group Museum [https://www.306bg.co.uk] is located at Thurleigh, near Bedford, England. It is dedicated to the American personnel of the 306th Bomb Group who operated from Thurleigh during WWII, as part of the U.S. Eighth Air Force 40th Combat Wing, 1st Air Division. The Americans arrived in 1942.
The Museum is housed in an original WWII-era building. It opened to visitors in 2002, on weekends during warm weather months, with its season running through October. Its founder-operator, Ralph Franklin, passed away on March 24th, 2019 predeceased by his wife Daphne. On the front lawn of the Museum, now sits the 306th Memorial, which was funded and dedicated nearby in October 1982 by our American 306th Bomb Group Historical Association during our Thurleigh Reunion.
The Museum and Memorial are not in view from the public road and are situated on restricted-access property. The Museum is now maintained and operated by volunteers who, under UK law, in 2019 formed a limited company: "306th Bomb Group Museum Limited."
An appointment system arranges visits to the Museum by advance reservations at mutually agreeable times, by contact with John Watson-Read, our local Liaison. He will see that Americans have access to the Memorial and the Museum by appointment; his email is spikeread@hotmail.com.
They publish an emailed 306th Museum Newsletter; to subscribe contact Mark Fussell at fuss306thbg@outlook.com.
The 306th UK Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/306thmuseum/
Order a plaque by clicking this link and filling out the form: Memorial Plaque Order Form
About the museum:
General information regarding the founder, the property and the museum;
Inside the museum:
Pictures of items and photographs in the museum photographed in 2012;
Part 1 of 2: Ralph Franklin speaking about items in his museum and other recollections.
Part 2 of 2: Ralph Franklin speaking about items in his museum and other recollections.
10th anniversary:
Photographs taken during the museum's 10th anniversary celebration in 2012;