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The winter of 1942-43 was fairly quiet with a few odd bombs dropped in this area which did no damage. Quite a stir was caused near the brook between Pattiswick and Stisted when a stick of 5 bombs failed to explode. Warning notices were put up and the area roped off but boys being boys we ignored them and had a good look around and poked sticks in what looked like rabbit holes. The bombs were later taken away by the bomb disposal experts.

Before Earls Colne drome could become operational the pitched roof of the Bird in Hand pub which was in the line of the runway was taken off and a flat roof fitted, a false pitched roof was put on after the War. Operations started from Earls Colne in May 1943 with B17s (Flying Fortresses) of the 94th Bomb Group of the 8th US Air Corps. The B17s only stayed there for a month then went to Norfolk and Lincolnshire due their longer range for strategic operations. The planes had to land by crossing over the Earls Colne to Coggeshall road and the battle damage could clearly be seen which at times was so bad that some crashed on landing. I saw one crashed and burnt out at the side of the road by Heron's Farm.

The B17s were replaced by B26s, Marauders twin engined medium bombers for tactical bombing over France and Holland. The Marauders were known as Widow Makers as many of the early models crashed on landing. This was rectified by adding six foot to the wing span. In June they started operations, on the first raid of 6 planes none returned, this was at low level raid, these were soon stopped and all future raids were at medium height and losses were less.

When I started work I couldn’t get about so much but there were still exciting moments, one of these was on a Sunday morning as all our family were sitting in the back garden when we heard a plane coming very loud and very low. Suddenly a Dornier 217 bomber came over the walnut tree at the bottom of the garden. It looked brand new painted in lovely greens and browns with the swastikas and black crosses showing clearly and the pilot and crew looking at us. It was so low I felt I could almost touch it. Dad rushed inside to get his Home Guard rifle, a Canadian Ross, loading it as he came outside. Luckily for us the plane had gone before he had chance to have a shot at it. He could have been a hero that day or we could all be dead. The plane must have been damaged as it later crash landed at Pebmarsh. I still have a photo of me holding my Dad's rifle and wearing his forage cap which was taken that day.

Pattiswick is very near Earls Colne airfield and a lot of off duty American service men came to the Compasses pub and as my dad was a regular there I was allowed into the lounge bar when it was quiet. Dad got friendly with quite a small GI from Arkansas who claimed to have been a cowboy. His favourite trick was to slowly stand up and turn his trunk from one side to the other so his spine creaked like a rusty door hinge. He claimed that this had been caused by being thrown from a bucking bronco!

The Americans were very good to us youngsters giving us chocolate and chewing gum. On July 4th or the nearest Sunday to it, we were invited to the Base for an Independence Day party. We hadn't seen such food for years — ham, tinned peaches and pineapple and as much ice cream as we could eat. I suppose they missed their children at home. Our parents invited them to our house quite often, we had been led to believe that all Americans were rich but some like the cowboy were from poorer families than us — who I believe are called poor white.

Another adventurous but potentially dangerous day was in October when we found some unexploded incendiary bombs in Monkswood. These were almost certainly aimed at the airfield but missed by about a mile. Many of them did go off but no serious fires were started. The unexploded ones must have got caught up in the branches of the trees and did not hit the ground hard enough to explode. As I had found them I claimed the honour of trying to set one off. After several attempts I manage to do so. These bombs could not be put out once started as they are made from phosphorous and we had been told not to go near them for 2 minutes because some were fitted with a booby tray. Luckily this one wasn't and made a very pretty sight! The other one were taken off by the lads from Old Road where they threw it in the air until it hit the road hard enough to set it off. I was glad I wasn't there as it burnt a large hole in the road. The Police found out and the lads got a good telling off.

We also found a large bundle of what was called Window; this was supposed to come undone as it was released from the plane. It was a simple device which consisted of strips of silver paper, black on one side cut to the length of the centimetre band of the radar to confuse the air defences as they fluttered down.

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