Parham Airfield Museum

Parham Airfield Museum is a small, volunteer-style museum in the Suffolk countryside, built around the old control tower of a Second World War bomber base. It is really two museums in one place: a memorial to an American bomber group and a collection devoted to Britain's secret wartime resistance force. Together they make an unusual stop for anyone interested in the home-front side of the war.

Where is Parham Airfield Museum?

The museum stands near the village of Parham in East Suffolk, England, on the grounds of the former RAF Framlingham airfield. The site uses the surviving control tower and several neighbouring buildings. The airfield was never a large tourist complex, and the rural setting is part of the atmosphere: flat farmland, wide skies and the quiet that replaced the noise of heavy bombers.

What is the history of the airfield?

The base was handed to the United States Army Air Forces, and from 1943 to 1945 it was home to the 390th Bombardment Group. The Americans knew it as Station AAF-153. Crews flew missions from here over occupied Europe as part of the US Eighth Air Force, whose bases were scattered across East Anglia.

After the war the airfield returned to other uses, but the control tower survived. Work to restore it began in 1976, and the memorial museum was dedicated in May 1981, set up largely by people determined to keep the story of the group alive.

What can you see in the 390th Bombardment Group museum?

The displays in the tower and adjoining rooms tell the story of the Eighth Air Force, the Royal Air Force and the German Luftwaffe during the Second World War. Expect uniforms, equipment, photographs, models and personal items that give a human scale to the air war. Being inside the original tower, where flights were once directed, adds to the sense of place.

What is the Museum of the British Resistance Organisation?

Alongside the airfield collection is a museum about the Auxiliary Units, a secret force created in 1940 when a German invasion of Britain seemed possible. Its members were ordinary civilians, such as farmers and gamekeepers, trained to hide, sabotage and operate behind enemy lines. This museum presents itself as the only one in the UK dedicated to all the men and women who served in the various sections of the organisation. It was formally opened on 30 August 1997.

A highlight is the reconstruction of an underground operational base, modelled on the one at Stratford St Andrew, which visitors can enter to see how such hideouts were arranged.

Visiting tips

• Opening is seasonal, usually on Sundays and bank holidays from spring to autumn, with extra days in summer. Hours have changed over the years, so check the museum's own website before travelling.
• Admission details are reported differently in different places, so confirm them before you go.
• Allow a couple of hours to see both museums without rushing.

Frequently asked questions

Is Parham Airfield Museum one museum or two? Two collections share the site: the 390th Bombardment Group Memorial Air Museum and the Museum of the British Resistance Organisation.

Which air force was based here? The US Army Air Forces' 390th Bombardment Group, from 1943 to 1945.

Can you go inside the underground bunker? Yes, the reconstructed operational base is open to visitors.

When is it open? Mostly on Sundays and bank holidays in the warmer months; check current times first.