As many people know, just a few months ago, we in America recently celebrated Veterans Day and Thanksgiving. For those who are unfamiliar with our traditions, these are days in which we honor those who served in the United States military and give thanks. I decided to spend time during those holidays giving thanks for the memory of a truly great man and World War II hero, my great-uncle, Joseph Sonnenreich, and to those who helped me uncover his wartime past.
Uncle Joe, as we called him, was a very influential person in my life. He always encouraged me to do my best, and never failed to give me support whenever I needed it. However, as genealogists know, every family member has his or her secrets, and my great-uncle was no exception to the rule. He rarely spoke about his wartime experience. Growing up, all that I knew about that part of his life was that he was a B-24 pilot stationed in England, that the plane he flew was nicknamed “Our Baby,” that he had witnessed unspeakable horrors, and that he had a difficult time transitioning back to civilian life. It wasn’t until his funeral in 1999, that I got a glimpse into his wartime experience. Uncle Joe always remained close to the members of his crew, the Crockett crew, and regularly attended reunions. One of his crew members, William Patman, who served as the bombardier came to the funeral and talked to me and my family about the bombing missions they flew over Germany. A few years later when I was taking a German class, I learned from a military historian in the class that Uncle Joe would have been stationed in Norfolk at Old Buckenham Airfield, then RAF Old Buckenham in Norfolk (East Anglia).
Not long after my son started school, my husband and I realized we had a history buff on our hands. We soon realized that we would have to tailor our summer trips around his interest, history. Thus, he celebrated his 10th birthday in Rome. Since then, he has managed to celebrate his birthday in many other places of historical interest.
As the years went on, he became particularly interested in World War II. After a successful trip to the D-Day beaches in Normandy, and my research into my family’s genealogy, we decided the time had finally come to visit Old Buckenham.
As usual, we went into full-blown trip planning mode. Our mission was to visit the 453rd Bombardment Group Museum at Old Buckenham Airfield. I contacted James Clarey, the museum’s curator and historian. James and his wife, Patricia, graciously welcomed us, and served us a delicious lunch in the museum’s cafe, Jimmy’s, which is named for actor Jimmy Stewart, the Group Operations Officer during my great-uncle’s time at Old Buckenham.
For those who are unaware, this museum contains the largest existing collection of memorabilia pertaining to the 453rd bombardment group. James has been collecting ever since since he was a child.
The museum, which opened in 2015, is housed in a wartime Nissen hut. When you enter it, you feel as if you are stepping back in time and getting a glimpse of how the servicemen would have lived, and what their daily routine would have been like.
I should add that not only did we get a delicious meal, James gave us a comprehensive tour of the facilities (I was even able to literally walk in my great-uncle’s footsteps and see the direction his plane would have taken), showed us countless records of the missions that my great-uncle’s crew flew and answered our many questions. For the family genealogist who has been running into brick walls trying to find information from other sources, this was like manna from heaven!
As James explained, the museum is in a constant state of expansion. He has built all of the exhibits himself, and has faithfully recreated the lives of the servicemen, thus preserving a vital piece of history. I hope to go back for another visit sometime soon. I can’t wait to see the new additions!
If you have family members who may have been stationed at Old Buckenham Airfield during World War II, this is a great place to research their records while experiencing history. For more information on the museum, please visit 453museum.com.