WARRINGTON North MP Helen Jones has given her support to RAF Burtonwood Heritage Centre for an oral history project about Burtonwood Airfield.
Helen Jones met with a representative of the project recently to discuss how she should best support this exciting local initiative.
The plan is to conduct 50 interviews with people connected to the base to document for posterity their personal stories, experiences and reflections.
It aims to provide a different perspective of life on and around RAF Burtonwood over its 54 year history, with interviews to be coupled with contemporary footage.
This oral history will add an extra dimension to the heritage centre in a way accessible to all.
Burtonwood Air Base was opened in 1940 as a servicing and storage centre for British aircraft. After being transferred to US Army Air Force control in 1942, it became the largest airfield in Europe during WWII with over 18,000 servicemen stationed there by 1945.
In later years, the airfield became a storage and supply depot for US and NATO forces, and was closed in 1994 following the end of the Cold War.
Helen Jones said: “This is an exciting project – I will be fascinated to discover the tales of those whose lives have been associated with RAF Burtonwood.
“Oral history is a great way to gain a more personal insight into our history.”
“I have no doubt it will be a fantastic addition to the Burtonwood Heritage Centre, and I am looking forward to seeing the project in its final form.”
