384th 2025 REUNION
INFORMATION PAGE⇗

384th Bombardment Group Museum

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24 December 2023 Update:
Trustees of the 384th Bombardment Group Museum have completed the purchase of the Grafton Underwood Airfield Ops Block and Norden buildings, as well as securing a 99 year lease of the museum Grounds.

Volunteers in England have organized to establish the 384th Bombardment Group Museum on the grounds of the original Grafton Underwood Airfield. They have determined that, of the few remaining structures on the field, the Operations Block building provides the best starting nexus for their their Museum. Much will need to be done to make it structurally sound and secure for adding artifacts and displays, but with the diverse skills, backgrounds, and energy of the volunteers - and with the support of the 384th Bomb Group, Inc. and others - they will accomplish their goal, to

Keep The Show On The Road

FEBRUARY 2022: venit tempus - The Time Has Come

BUILDING 384TH BOMB GROUP MUSEUM

For a pictorial overview of the area being developed as a Museum, including wartime photos, current photos of the Site, and renderings of planned development, visit 384th Bombardment Group Museum⇗ on the Photo Gallery. Also learn more about their plans and progress on their Facebook⇗. Also scroll down this page for a quick project overview, plus ways you can support this gallant effort.

Grafton Underwood Airfield Operations Block - Original Plans from 1944


Ops Block

This is the original layout of the Ops Block Area at Grafton Underwood Airfield, which the volunteers refer to as the "Site". North is at the top in this view.

  1. Picket Post
  2. Station H.Q. Offices: Two Nissen Huts connected by an enclosed passageway.
  3. Operations Block
  4. Crew Briefing Room Annexe: West Nissen Hut
  5. Interrogation & Office Annexe: East Nissen Hut
  6. Latrine
  7. Latrine
  8. M. & L. Plinth
  9. Bombsight Store and Workshop

Development Key
  • GREEN: Initial rehabilitation of existing structure
  • RED: Future rehabilitation of existing structure
  • YELLOW: Initial new construction, to be visitor center (Nissen Hut #2) and display/work space (Nissen Hut #5)
  • BLUE: Future new construction for additional display areas

Grafton Underwood Airfield Operations Block - Museum Plan


Museum Plan

This is the plan for developing the Ops Block Area at Grafton Underwood Airfield. North is to the upper left in this view.

The initial phase of development will commence with the purchase and securing the buildings on the Museum site. This will be followed by rehabilitation of the Ops Block building, installing utilities, construction and fitting out of the Group offices Nissen Hut as a Visitor Center and Museum offices, as well as creation of a car park.

Later phases envision construction of a second Nissen Hut in the space identified as the "S-2 (INTEL) BUILDING" and fitting it out as display and work space, while the remaining Nissen Hut locations will be considered for future development.

Grafton Underwood Airfield Operations Block - Then and Now

THEN

Ops Block

A distant view to the north-northwest of the Operations Block (Nissen huts obscure most of it). The Nissen huts in the foreground house the Station H.Q. Offices.

NOW

Ops Block

The Ops Block in October 2022 with 70+ years of forest growth cleared away. Photo taken from the Station H.Q. offices Nissen hut foundation.

THEN

Ops Block

A closer view, with a slightly more Northwesterly view direction.

NOW

Ops Block

The Nissen hut housing Station H.Q. offices under construction on the original foundation.

THEN

Ops Block

A close-up view in the Northeasterly direction.

NOW

Ops Block

A close-up view in the northeasterly direction of the Nissen hut foundations, showing the bicycle racks (slots in the concrete). Note the corner of the Ops Block at left and the Norden Bombsight Bulding in the distance.

HOW CAN WE HELP?

The Museum Project will be costly, well over £100,000. Our contributions and pledges are needed NOW to continue the progress being made in creating this Museum.

ALL DONORS

You may send your contributions directly to the 384th Bombardment Group Museum on GoFundMe at 384th GRAFTON UNDERWOOD FUND RAISER⇗

Please note that some versions of the Firefox browser will not load this page; it is properly displayed by (at least) Google Chrome.

Individuals in the US choosing to remit contributions directly to UK recipients should familiarize themselves with the fees that will be assessed as well as the exchange rates offered by the chosen method.

US DONORS

For the convenience of Group members and other supporters of the 384th in the US, the Group has established mechanisms to receive, document, accumulate, and transfer donations. This will provide the advantage to US donors - when our application for 501(c)(3) recognition is approved - of being deductible on your annual income tax return. These monies will be transferred to the Museum UK bank account on an as-needed basis, in consultation with Neill Howarth and the Museum Trustees, by direct transfer from the 384th Bomb Group, Inc. US account to the 384th Bomb Group Museum UK account. You may send your contributions to the Group Treasurer by personal checks or PayPal.

  1. For PayPal, send to Payments@384thBombGroup.com - and remember you must add a note to indicate the payment is for the MUSEUM. Note that PayPal assesses a fee for the service so you may prefer to send your donation by personal check.
  2. For payments by personal check, make them payable to 384th Bomb Group, Inc. and remember to write MUSEUM on the memo line to ensure proper disposition, and send them with your Donation Form⇓ to:

    RAY LUSTIG, TREASURER
    384TH BG INC.
    128 ULSTER AVENUE
    WALDEN, NY 12586

  3. PLEDGE Your Future Support: Another means for you to provide your support is to make a pledge of your support in any amount, to be fulfilled in the future on a date of your choosing. Download and print the Pledge Form⇓, and submit it according to instructions included. Pledging your support now, even if you are not ready to fulfill your contribution, is an important step that will allow the Museum group to make commitments and plan effectively to successfully undertake the project.

Note that the Donation and Pledge forms provide spaces for you to indicate your preferences for acknowledgements, "In Honor of" or "In Memory of" requests, or requesting anonymity for the donors, should you want to submit any such requests.

This section revised on 14 June 2024.

The Staff of the 384th Bomb Group website and the Board of Directors of the 384th Bomb Group, Inc., express our gratitude to the Trustees of the 384th Bombardment Group Museum, Keith Andrews, Neill Howarth, and Matt Smith, as well as all the Museum volunteers their keen interest in, and dedication to, preserving the heritage of the 384th Bombardment Group. Their unflagging support of the 384th is helping to ...

KEEP THE SHOW ON THE ROAD!