Hello,

Ridgewell Airfield Museum opens again Sunday, August 9th, and we'd love to see you! We only have three more open days this year: 9 August, 13 September, and 11 October so why not take the time to come and see us?

From 11am to 4pm, you'll find refreshed displays, real stories from the airfield's wartime past, and a new shop area with some lovely goodies to take home. The kettle will be on, bacon rolls will be sizzling, and there'll be cake too.

Entry is free. Our volunteers will be around all day to chat and share the history that makes this place so special, so whether it's your first visit or a long-overdue return, Sunday’s the day.

Renovations and Preservation

Our 1940s-era nissun hut was never meant to be permanent, and preserving it requires constant care. Thanks to your support, several renovation projects are underway to ensure this important piece of history remains with us for future generations.

You may have seen on Facebook that we’ve had a condensation problem affecting the museum ceiling. To help preserve the building—and the history it protects—our amazing volunteers have recently repainted the ceiling with specialist conservation paint. It looks fantastic, and we are so thankful for their hard work.

Our volunteers have also been busy promoting the museum at local events. On 24 July, they represented Ridgewell at American Days at Duxford, and on 26 July they were also at the Rougham Control Tower Museum. We are grateful for their enthusiasm and dedication.

Museum ceiling gets a fresh coat of special paint

Rougham Control Tower

American Days July 24th at Duxford

Fundraising Update

We are halfway to our goal of purchasing an authentic flight jacket and flight mask—a beautiful and historically significant addition that will help us properly represent the uniform worn by the men of the 381st.

· Goal: £2,000

· Raised so far: £999

Membership funds help us acquire new artifacts, but when an item falls outside our regular budget, we turn to our community through GoFundMe.

GoFundMe link:Support the Flight Jacket & Mask

Your donations truly preserve the history of Ridgewell and help bring it to life for future visitors.

Museum Walk

Sarah Allen and Cami Kenworthy are busy preparing for a Museum Walk for Saturday, 26 September at 11 a.m. This guided walk will include new photos, stories, and maps available via QR code along the route. The walk is £5, or free for members. Membership is £10 per year and includes newsletters and special members’ events. We will meet at

Tilbury Juxta Clare Church
Halstead Essex CO9 4NN.

Getting There: Parking is limited so we recommend arriving a few minutes early. The walk begins at the church where volunteers will be ready to greet you.

What to Bring: Sturdy shoes, weather‑appropriate clothing, and a bit of nimbleness for climbing over a stile. The ground is uneven, so please take that into account as well. The route is approximately three miles and includes several historic points of interest.

We will end the walk at the church and then drive to the museum where coffee, tea, and biscuits will be served.

Accessing Past Newsletters

Love our emails but can’t find them later? We’ve got you covered. Click the link below to access all newsletters from this year and future editions. Because this archive is behind a membership wall, you’ll need the link to enter.

Newsletter Archive

Stories from Jim Nazarro

In May, we welcomed Jim, nephew of General Joe Nazzaro. Joe Nazzaro, the son of Italian immigrants and raised in Queens, New York, was a West Point graduate and an American football star. In 1943 he was tasked with building a brand‑new heavy bombardment group from scratch—something never before attempted. After training in Pyote, Texas, he and his men came to Ridgewell. Nazzaro commanded the 381st Bomb Group until January 1944, when he became Deputy Director of Operations for the U.S. Strategic Air Forces in Europe. He went on to distinguish himself throughout his military career, eventually becoming a four‑star general.

We asked Jim to share his thoughts about his visit to the museum and a few personal memories of his uncle.

A Visit to Ridgewell – Memories from Jim Nazzaro

My wife and I recently visited the museum at Ridgewell for the 381st BG Heavy. I have always known of the 381st Bomb Group’s first commander, Joseph Nazzaro, because he happens to be my uncle. He and my father—his brother—were both West Point graduates and career military officers. I knew Uncle Joe a little when I was growing up, but we saw him infrequently. It never failed that when Joe was on the west coast, we were 3,000 miles away on the east coast. And if we were in Europe, Joe was in Morocco.

When I learned of the museum dedicated to the 381st, I knew I wanted to visit, but simply didn’t—until my wife planned a trip to England and added Ridgewell to the itinerary. Since I don’t drive “on the wrong side of the road” for safety reasons, one of my Facebook friends, who is also a member of the museum’s group, kindly offered to meet us at the train. He met the wayward Yank and his wife at the station and delivered us unscathed to the museum, where Alan Steel, Sarah, and Cami welcomed us.

I was amazed at the museum and how many artifacts were on display. I teared up seeing a picture of Uncle Joe proudly displayed high above the cases. Cami and Sarah then rode with us around the property where the airbase had once stood. Sarah had images from the days when the base was active and pointed out where buildings had been, and where Uncle Joe likely spent his days. She even took a photo of us standing in front of gates that probably once led down the driveway to his home on base.

Seeing what remains of the runways—now the glider field—the baseball pitch, and the intact bomb shelter reminded me of the opening scene of Twelve O’Clock High, when Major Stovall remembers the B‑17s taking off into an overcast East Anglia sky. I felt oddly close to my uncle, as I’m sure many descendants of those who flew and maintained the aircraft of the 381st do when they visit this wonderful memorial to their bravery and accomplishments.

After the tour, we returned to the museum where some kind ladies asked me to autograph books they had purchased, so they could have a signature from a Nazzaro. One woman said she had bought the book for her son’s birthday and wanted the signature for him. My eyes were so tearful I had trouble writing my name. I’m nobody, but I was honoured to sign them in memory of Uncle Joe.

When I was asked to write this article, Cami said I could share a couple of stories about my uncle.

My first memory is from a family trip to visit him when I was seven years old at Offutt Air Force Base, just south of Omaha, Nebraska. At the time, Joe was Commander of SAC—the Strategic Air Command of the U.S. Air Force. He asked if I wanted to take a ride with him, and of course I agreed. We climbed into the back seat of his staff car, which had two blue flags with four stars on the front. What a thrill that was—not only did his car have flags, but he had a driver, and as we approached a gate, it magically opened before us! In 1962, gates didn’t open automatically, and I was very impressed as we drove onto the flight line. Imagine a seven‑year‑old boy who loves airplanes seeing row after row of B‑52s and B‑58s parked on the tarmac. When I could finally take my eyes off the aircraft, I noticed there was a phone in the car. I had never seen that before. I asked if I could call my parents and tell them all about the airplanes. Joe said, “Sure,” and I made my first “cell” call from his car.

Another favourite memory is from around 1969, when Joe came to visit us in Virginia while he had meetings in Washington, D.C. We drove him to Bolling AFB in my mother’s car and were stopped at the gate because we didn’t have a military identification sticker on the bumper. Joe was to stay at the BOQ on base. The sentry—a young airman in full uniform, standing in the typical Washington heat of 90+ degrees—asked, “May I have your I.D., please?” Uncle Joe couldn’t find his ID. He searched his wallet over and over again, frustrated. Joe was never in civilian attire on base and was always in a staff car, so he wasn’t used to having to show identification. I could tell the guard was getting annoyed. Finally, after several minutes, Joe found his ID and handed it over. Suddenly the sentry snapped to attention, saluting a four‑star general, probably believing he was about to be chewed out for keeping him waiting. That didn’t happen. Joe apologised to the young man and said he was sorry for keeping him standing in the sun in the 90‑degree heat. He added, “And from this point on, I’ll know where my damned ID card is.” That was my Uncle Joe—a four‑star general apologising to a young airman.

I want to thank everyone at the museum for a wonderful and memorable trip. I am so glad I got to meet you all and see the amazing work you’ve done keeping the history of the 381st alive. It was an experience I will always treasure.

Thank you, Jim, for giving us a glimpse into the personal life of an incredible man.

Thank you for your continued support of this important historic place. Everything you do helps us preserve Ridgewell’s legacy and share it with future generations.

Take care, The Ridgewell Airfield Museum Team

Your Support Keeps History Alive

Ridgewell Airfield Museum is volunteer-run and receives no external funding. The doors stay open because of the people who support us, through memberships, donations, and simply turning up.

There's always more to do. This winter brought repairs to the roof, and ahead of us there's a growing collection to care for and new stories still coming to light. If you'd like to be part of that, a membership or donation of any size genuinely helps.

Please consider donating today.

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