USAAF 457th Bomb Group 2026 England Tour

Breakfast. A full day guided tour. Visit Biggin Hill Museum and airfield. Biggin Hill was one of the commanding bases for RAF Fighters during the Battle of Britain, playing a crucial role in defending London and the South East of England during the Battle of Britain. It was a prominent target for the German Luftwaffe, suffering multiple attacks, including a major raid on August 18, 1940, where ground crews rushed to repair the runway to maintain operations.
Chartwell home of Sir Winston Churchill. He bought the property in September 1922 and he used it as his main base during the ‘20s and ‘30s for writing, painting and entertaining. Housing the largest collection of Churchill’s paintings and filled with treasures from every aspect of Churchill’s life, the rooms remain much as they were when he lived there, offering a unique opportunity to explore the home of one of Britain’s greatest leaders. Welcome dinner and overnight London

Breakfast. Coach departure from London for morning visit of Windsor Castle, home to royalty and a symbol of British history, is a majestic fortress that has stood for over a millennium. Originally built by William the Conqueror in the 11th century, it has been the residence of 40 monarchs, including Queen Elizabeth II. The castle's architectural marvels, such as the iconic Round Tower, and its rich tapestry of royal history make it a must-visit destination.
Continue north to Twinwood, a WWII RAF airfield in central England, located near the secret BBC headquarters. Glenn Miller's orchestra was based in the nearby town of Bedford where he made public performances and radio broadcasts from the town and nearby RAF Twinwood in 1944. It's the take-off point for his last flight on December 15, 1944, before his mysterious disappearance. The site is now home to the Glenn Miller and the Twinwood Aviation Museum. Dinner and overnight in Peterborough.

Breakfast. Full day visiting the 457th BG sites and memorials when we will be joined by local people. Glatton airfield (Station 130) built during 1942-43. Was first occupied by a combat unit on January 21, 1944. The last B-17 Fortress group assigned to the 1st Division, the 457th became operational in mid-February and remained at Glatton until June 21, 1945 having carried out 237 missions. Total number of sorties was 7,086 with nearly 17,000 tons of bombs and 142 tons of leaftets being dropped. The Water Tower and Memorial. Lunch in local pub. Conington All Saints church for service and historical tour. All Saints' Church is a redundant Church of England. A church was mentioned in the Domesday Book of 1086. It was rebuilt in about 1500. Stone Airman statue. Dinner and overnight Peterborough

Memorial day. Breakfast. Visit Madingley American Cemetery with wreath laying ceremony. The ABMC contains 3,811 graves. The Memorial Wall records the names of 5,127 missing servicemen, most of whom died in the Battle of the Atlantic and in the strategic bombardment of Europe.
Visit Duxford IWM and the USAAF Museum. Britain's largest aviation museum, houses exhibits, including nearly 200 aircraft, military vehicles, artillery and small naval vessels in seven main exhibition buildings. The American Air Museum at IWM Duxford stands as a memorial to the 30,000 or so American servicemen and women who died while flying from Britain between 1942 and 1945.
End the day on a traditional ‘punt’ along the River Cam. A guided tour with exclusive views of the historic Cambridge University colleges and their stunning grounds, providing a relaxing, educational, and visually rich experience by a "punter". Final East Anglia dinner and overnight Cambridge

Breakfast. Coach transfer at London Heathrow airport arriving at 11:00 hrs for return flights to USA.