Other Events

As well as holding events at our own museum, wherever possible we try to support other events in the area. Below are some photographs taken in the last few months and years.

February 20th, 2020 Remembering the ditching of Frederick Stindt Crew 43-38568 on the 75th Anniversary

George Collins, who was 14 at the time

Target for the day was to be the railway marshalling yard at Nurnberg, Germany.   493 rd BG Mission #115

The Frederick Stindt crew were at the time, assigned to the 860 th Bomb Squadron.  Their own aircraft had been left on the continent by another crew, so the Stindt crew were assigned a “Spare” aircraft for today's mission.

This aircraft was 43-38568.

The aircraft had flown on the mission to Rheine, Germany, the previous day without any reported issues.

“568” was fitted with Radio Countermeasures (RCM) equipment,  used to jam the German flak gun radar,  for this mission RCM operator Norman Reck was assigned to the aircraft.

After breakfast, briefing and aircraft preparation the engines would have been fired up and the crew would have taken the aircraft up the perimeter track from hardstand 45 (near Thistleton hall) up past the control tower area, to join the line up for take-off.

We know that the first aircraft left the runway at 0900. The runway in use was the main North/South runway.  Take-off was from the top (northern) end.

At 0914 Frederick Stindt in the Pilots seat, and Irwin Roth in the co-pilots seat pulled “568” into the air.  Jewel Haynes, the flight engineer was stood behind them, as was normal practice.   The remainder of the crew were in the radio room aft of the bomb bay, again, standard procedures.

As Jewel Haynes was raising the undercarriage and closing the engine cowls he noticed a fire in the #3...(right hand inboard) engine.  He notified the co-pilot who deployed the fire extinguisher.  At first the fire appeared to go out.

The normal procedure now would be to carry on ahead and go out to sea to jettison the bombs (40 miles N.E. of Southwold) but today, #3 burst into flames again and was (reportedly) burning fiercely

Eye witnesses Arthur Reeve and Arthur Hunt saw the aircraft with the “wing on fire” over Waldringfield,  they were stood on Ramsholt Quay at the time

The pilots made the decision to ditch in the river Deben, and did so just off Ramsholt quay.  The time of ditching was approximately 0920

On hitting the water the Perspex nose broke away allowing the freezing cold water (remember they have had a hard winter) to rush through the plane and it sank almost immediately.

In the cockpit Jewel Haynes was able to undo the co-pilots, and pilots side windows.  Irwin Roth went out of the right hand window whilst Frederick Stindt went out of the left hand side, closely followed by Jewel.

Whilst Frederick was able to make his own way to shore, Jewel had difficulty inflating his Mae West lifejacket, and with only one side deployed his head would have been pushed into the icy water.    Fortunately the two Arthurs (mentioned above)  had already made their way to their boat and were able to help Jewel and bring him back to the shore.

After setting back out to look for the co-pilot they were too late,  his body was found and recovered further downstream.

For the remainder of the crew, there were no survivors and all 8 men drowned.

A rescue/crash team was sent from nearby RAF Woodbridge and the two survivors were taken from the Ramsholt Arms to Woodbridge Hospital, before being returned to Debach

Neither Frederick Stindt nor Jewel Haynes flew in combat again.

The crew

Note the aircraft had previously been named by an earlier crew but this name was removed in the first days of December 1944,  so the Frederick Stindt crew only knew the aircraft by the serial number 43-38568   or “568”

The original photo frame inside the pub, showing photographs of the downed aircraft was presented to the then owner on 3 rd May 1992 by members of the 493 rd BG Association,  the original members of the 493 rd BG.

On 2th May 1994 the members of the 493 rd BG Association returned, and presented and dedicated the brass plaque next to the side door of the Ramsholt Arms. 

Aircraft 568 crash Ramsholt
The 493rd Bomb Group were stationed at Debach Airfield after a hurried construction in 1942 to 1944 this was fairly late on in the war. 2,900 personnel were stationed there. The group went operational on D Day 6th June 1944. 38 four engine bombers took off that day to bomb Lisieux in France. Two of these collided and 20 airmen lost their lives.
Although, the airfield was only operational for one year, 254 servicemen lost lives during that period.
The crew of aircraft 568 crashed at Ramsholt only six minutes after take-off from Debach,
8 of these airmen died but luckily 2 survived.
Today we are here to rededicate that event. Many of the veteran families have travelled a long way for this ceremony and our heartfelt thanks go out to them for making this event so special. Also, volunteers from the 493rd Bomb Group Museum have brought World War II vehicles to commemorate the occasion.

Christmas Tractor Run December 2017

Ipswich to Felixstowe Run

Once again the Volunteers of the 493rd Bomb Group Museum took Felixstowe by storm in a convoy consisting of 9 military vehicles.

Even the long suffering Wives were catered for thanks to

On a wet and windy 6th May, 2012 we joined the Ipswich to Felixstowe vintage vehicle rally.