Heritage president
writes to US chief with request to house aeroplane

THE president of the Burtonwood Heritage Centre has written to the US president to offer a home to one of hundreds of military aeroplanes residing in aviation graveyards in the American desert.

Roy Thorpe-Apps has urged Barack Obama to allow the heritage centre in Warrington to have special dispensation to look after and display one of the many aircrafts currently being stored in Arizona, California and New Mexico.

Mr Thorpe-Apps said: “We may not enjoy the same climate as the Arizonian desert here in Warrington but we do have the passion to care for retired aircraft at Burtonwood.

“Thousands of Americans were stationed here during the war, Warrington’s population grew by 25 per cent so it’s a huge part of our town’s history and make-up.

“To display a military aircraft would be the perfect way to keep the memory of RAF Burtonwood alive for the guys in America and the UK but we need the support of the USA to do that.”

Mr Thorpe-Apps added: “We would do our utmost to keep it in tip top condition on behalf of the US Air Force, and if Mr Obama would like to pay us a visit to check out the centre for himself, we'd be delighted to give him and the First Lady a VIP tour.”

Around 60,000 US servicemen were stationed at RAF Burtonwood – known as the ‘Gateway to Europe’ – over a 50-year period from 1942 spanning the Cold War and the Second World War.

Jim Bentley, US President of RAF Burtonwood Association, flew back to Warrington for Burtonwood’s biennial veterans’ Reunion Weekend and co-signed the letter to Obama.

He said: “I’m one of the youngest in the Association and I’m nearly 80. Around 7,500 of us married British girls and I was included in that – my wife and I met in 1955 and got married in 1956.

“We look forward to coming back and visiting relatives and keeping the memory of RAF Burtonwood alive is so important to us all.”