Len Hayes was about 14 when the war ended and remembers the bombers from Ridgewell flying overhead. He is married to Muriel Hayes. They were both 20 years old when they married. They have a son, Kevin. They live in Steeple Bumpstead, not far from Saffron Walden and came to IWM Duxford recently to tell the American Air Museum about their family's part in the history of American airmen overseas.



Len remembers:

"I was born in Steeple Bumpstead. The B-17s came over our head from Ridgewell. The woman in the sweet shop was ‘friendly' with US servicemen and you knew when 'Frank the Yank' had been over because she had sugar in!"



On meeting his wife, Muriel:

"I met Muriel after my National Service. I was in from 1945 to 1951 and had the rank of 'AC1' in the RAF. After that ended, I was working in the Havering co-op, which is where we went for the girls, and met Muriel."



On Audrey Paschal, Muriel's cousin:

"Miller’s Pianos in Cambridge had a hairdressers above it and that’s where Audrey worked. Her boyfriend was killed, he was based at RAF Saffron Walden. I remember Audrey’s mother was a very good cook. They had the Americans round for Christmas dinner and that's how Audrey and Robert met. When Audrey and Robert came to visit after the war I helped her husband with the English car they hired."