A proposed Burtonwood UK reunion scheduled to take place in May has had to be cancelled due to the Coronavirus pandemic and the ban on air travel between the UK and the United States.
Burtonwood Association President Aldo Feruson said : “It with great regret that we have have had no choice but to cancel the reunion scheduled for May. Our Foreign Office has just advised that no-one should fly between the US and UK unless absolutely necessary.
“With the Covid-19 outbreak and the close-down of flights and travel general it would be impossible to go ahead.
“We are advising those who have booked and the plan is now to postpone the reunion until May next year.
“Please make a mental note to keep May 2021 clear as we need as many as possible to join us.
Full details of future proposals will be sent by e-mail, within the Burtonwood Times and on the web site.
But Mr Ferguson said the proposed Little Rock reunion is “most definitely still on” from Tues October 6 to Saturday October 10. Full details in the Burtonwood Times, on the web site and on Facebook.
“Please book up and join us there; it will be fun.”
RAF Burtonwood was opened on 1 April 1940 as a RAF Aircraft Receipt, Maintenance and Repair Unit and immediately started issuing Spitfires into RAF squadrons fighting in the Battle of Britain.
After rapidly growing in size and output the base was sending over 150 aircraft per month to the front line.
After the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor the USAAC needed bases in Britain, especially maintenance bases, and Burtonwood was ideal being near Liverpool and its docks and a reasonable distance away from marauding German bombers.
Burtonwood grew to become the largest and busiest US air base in Britain and played a pivotal role in wining WWII. It was home to over 18,000 US military personnel and had a lasting impact on the NW of England.
