Route Recce - Stages 1 & 2

Today I set out on a 136km/84 Mile Route Recce of Stages 1 & 2.

First stop on the tour was Ipswich Lawn Cemetery to pay respects to Pte Gary Barnes of 2 Para who was killed in the Warrenpoint Massacre in Nothern Ireland in 1979. As part of the tour we hope to speak to Gary's family and retell his story.

From there the next stop was a short hop to Westerfield Cemetery to see the Commonwealth War Grave of Gunner H.W Day R.A - a well tended grave.

From Westerfield it was the B roads and the short trip to 493rd Bomb Group Museum at Debach and the associated war memorial in Debach itself. Sadly the museum isn't open midweek, but driving along the old battered runway you were able to get a feel for a typical Airbase.

The memorial to 493rd BG at Debach. Very lovely spot.

Trundling through the back roads the next leg took me down through Melton & Woodbridge out through Shottisham to Alderton before trekking down to Bawdsey for a well deserved ice-cream. Inside Alderton St Andrew Church there is an interesting memorial to HMS Defence sunk at the Battle of Jutland in May 1916. The church is well kept however I was appalled to not how poorly kept the grass is around one half of the cemetery. It was so bad I could have easily missed one of the two Commonwealth War Graves. Able Seaman C Gibson's grave is practically overgrown - by contrast the grave of V Andrews of the RAF still clearly receives visitors.

Memorial to Captain S.V Ellis of HMS Defence sunk at the Battle of Jutland 1916

A poorly tended CWWG - grass all around waist thigh high
I nearly missed the grave.

By contrast, this grave is still clearly visited

 Bawdsey Radar Station is located on private property and is undergoing a major development so I was unable to get access to the site, but the ice-cream at Felixstowe Ferry made up for the disappointment.

The white houses in the background are ex Married Quarters!

The view over to Felixstowe Ferry

The coastal road up through Hollesley and Butley to Orford was good fun. The recent rain and wind has driven sand across the road in various places which made riding 'interesting'
.
Bypassing Hollesley Church and having difficulty finding Butley Church I ploughed on to Orford and had a really interesting discussion with the National Trust team at the Harbour who gave me loads of local info about an 89 yer old lady who lives locally and was on the development team for Barnes Wallis's Bouncing Bomb. I must track her down! We also discussed the Atomic Warfare Research Establishment on the Ness and I now have a direct contact to the team that are helping to preserve the site - one to add to the tour of sites indeed.

AWRE Orford Ness. Only accessible by foot ferry. You can just make out the Pagodas on the horizon.
The site is popular with photographers and wildlife lovers. Organised tours of the site can be arranged for tourists.

Leaving Orford behind and with a belly beginning to rumble, I again followed the back roads through Tunstall Forest down to the very lovely church at Campsea Ashe. Frustratingly I couldn't find the solitary Commonwealth War Grave even though the churchyard is well kept, but I did find some interesting memorials inside. The Church has compiled a series of background stories of the men of the Parish who fought in the Great War as a Centenery commemoration which was a lovely touch.

Clearly there were a few Scotsmen in Campsea Ashe - and quite clearly Scottish Gentry!

It was on the very narrow winding road between Campsea Ashe and Marlesford where I very nearly met my maker. The road is treacherous and a 14T HGV rattling along the road whose driver was head down looking at his mobile nearly made mincemeat of me. I might need to adjust that bit of the route...

After a lovely lunch at Marlesford Cafe on the A12 I headed out on the last leg of the journey - through to Marlesford Church and then onto Parham Airfield Museum. At Marlesford Church I had a long chat with a resident who was tending his parents grave and he showed me around the beautiful church including the memorial to the legendary Flora Sandes whose story we will tell as part of the tour.

The Memorial to Flora Sandes - more on this remarkable lady during the tour

I think Flora would approve. She had a reputation for
buzzing around the lanes locally.

Parham Airfield was also closed but I had a good nosy around. Again just standing outside the control tower you get a real feel for the airfield as it was - the great open expanses that were needed for the USAF Bombers. The museum looks well laid out with separate 'wings' for the airfile aspect but also an interesting room that is set aside to commemorate the British Resistance Organisation. I am looking forward to visiting Parham.

The Control Tower with commanding views of the area.
Wish I could have clambered up there....

Looking forward to visiting this little known museum

A memorial to the BG using a downed
Bombers Rotor Blade. Poignant.

The journey home flew by and thankfully without incident. I even managed to make it all the way to Westerfield before the British Summer threw a torrential downpour at me.

I thoroughly enjoyed the rideout even though the museums were not open I've been able to get a grasp of what a logistical nightmare is facing us on the tour.