The impact on two Essex villages of the American airforce setting up camp during the second world war is the subject of an exhibition.

The now regular shows charting the history of Boxted airfield have attracted visitors from across the country and local residents. Aviation history forms the backbone of the ever-growing display of photos, including rare colour ones, text and maps.

But aspects of social history revealing memories of villagers from Langham and Boxted when the Yanks "invaded" from 1943 to 1945 help bring it alive.

Behind the exhibitions is Colchester man Richard Turner who organised the first one at the regular venue of Langham Community Centre a year ago.

"But my interest started a long way before that, as I was interested in vintage aircraft," he said.

"My step-daughter moved to Boxted and deep in my memory it clicked that there was a Boxted airfield and I wanted to find out about it. The first day we opened we had a queue right across the car park.

"And it was just from word of mouth. So I was forced to have more exhibitions as people were going away and saying they would not wait for two hours to get in."

There are potent reasons why he is so committed:

"There are the local people's memories and they would like them preserved purely because they remember it, and there is the debt we owe to the airforce. About 80 per cent probably were teenagers. The pilots were about 21 years old and were in a lump of metal and were basically facing death."

The exhibition this Sunday and on February 13, and March 12, runs from 2.30pm to 5pm. Anyone interested in joining the support group to run the exhibitions should call Richard Turner on 01206 865275.

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