Polebrook airfield was the base for the 351st Bomb group of the United States Air Force from 1943 to 1945. Clark Gable served there for some of the time, although it is almost certainly not true that the house called "The Gables" in Polebrook is named after him!

An epic adventure involving a doomed plane "Ten Horsepower" took place in 1944, when a crippled aircraft tried to make its way back to Polebrook after the death of its pilot. Although some of the survivors parachuted to safety, the two flying the plane refused to bale out because they would have had to abandon a wounded crewmate. Sadly these two perished in the crash landing.

More than 400 men died on service from Polebrook. The history of the 351st, including their time at the base, has been researched and written by Rick School and Jeff Rogers and is available from a website devoted to the 351st in the USA.

Click here to go to their website.

Below is a painting "Valor at Polebrook" created to commemorate the doomed flight. Copies are also available from the website.