Bill and GI Marc in the Swan
A 1940s VE Dance At Debach Airfield, Debach, Suffolk - 11th June 2005
DH gets wind of a VE-day celebration dance, in 1940s style, at Debach Airfield near Woodbridge in Suffolk. Before long, fancy-dress fever grips the gang as various costumes are purchased from eBay and elsewhere in order to go with something of a suitable vintage, or at least with a nod to the period. The gig comes complete with camping privileges, so we arrive 45 minutes early to set up camp. This, it turns out, takes several attempts: we first pitch next to a noisy pig shed, then we end up where the line-up of military vehicles will end up, and finally we're "not quite in the alotted space" so it's fourth time lucky. When the event commences, there's an impressive array of military uniforms, Home Guard, land girls and evacuees, accompanied by the swing band "Sticky Wicket", plus the entertaining arrival of a Sherman tank during the proceedings. A few days before that, we head up to the Swan to test our gear out.
next album: An Airfield Open Day, Debach, Suffolk - 12th June 2005
previous album: BREW Fest and Huey Lewis and the News, Balboa Park, San Diego, California - 2nd June 2005
Nosher in RAF gear
Suey as a WRAF sergeant
Marc at the bar
Bill, Suey and DH
Marc has a little sleep
DH reads some paperwork
DH stands by his 'tent'
Captain Bill adjusts his tie
The gang walk to the hangars
Marc, Sue, Phil, Bill, David and Jen
Inside the dance hangar
Jen, Bill and Suey
Marc the GI
An Apprentice Sergeant, US Navy captain and GI
DH and Marc
The Boy Phil
Suey and Marc
Bill ponders his next move at the bar
Phil, Jen and Suey
Marc, Bill and DH chat to one of the wardens
Clive 'Chickens' and Suzanne dance around
In black and white, it could almost be the war
Not entirely 1940s sunglasses
DH chats to the 'tank boys'
The tank lads
Captain on deck
Benches outside the hangar
A ladder is held up by Richard, the co-owner
Richard checks the time
A Willys jeep arrives
A Sherman tank appears, after a 5-year restoration
Marc stands in front of the tank
Heads pop up from the tank
The Sherman driver leaps off the tank
The Captain and the RAF
Jen and Suey
More dressed-up guests
Veterans from the 493rd bomb group and 8th Air Force
Marc gets a beer in
The Boy Phil in his RAF threads
Marc has a roll-up on the go
Suey cleans her specs on Jen's trousers
Some swinging action
Marc has a doze
'Sticky Wicket', the band
The crowd applaud the band
The drummer grins
The piano and bass players
DH and Suey have a dance
Marc and another US Army chap
The venue after the crowds have dispersed
Jen and Sue scrounge some spare pancakes
Back at the campsite
Suey brews up a cuppa
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Bill and GI Marc in the Swan
Bill and GI Marc in the Swan
Nosher in RAF gear
Suey as a WRAF sergeant
Marc at the bar
Bill, Suey and DH
Marc has a little sleep
DH reads some paperwork
DH stands by his 'tent'
Captain Bill adjusts his tie
The gang walk to the hangars
Marc, Sue, Phil, Bill, David and Jen
Inside the dance hangar
Jen, Bill and Suey
Marc the GI
An Apprentice Sergeant, US Navy captain and GI
DH and Marc
The Boy Phil
Suey and Marc
Bill ponders his next move at the bar
Phil, Jen and Suey
Marc, Bill and DH chat to one of the wardens
Clive 'Chickens' and Suzanne dance around
In black and white, it could almost be the war
Not entirely 1940s sunglasses
DH chats to the 'tank boys'
The tank lads
Captain on deck
Benches outside the hangar
A ladder is held up by Richard, the co-owner
Richard checks the time
A Willys jeep arrives
A Sherman tank appears, after a 5-year restoration
Marc stands in front of the tank
Heads pop up from the tank
The Sherman driver leaps off the tank
The Captain and the RAF
Jen and Suey
More dressed-up guests
Veterans from the 493rd bomb group and 8th Air Force
Marc gets a beer in
The Boy Phil in his RAF threads
Marc has a roll-up on the go
Suey cleans her specs on Jen's trousers
Some swinging action
Marc has a doze
'Sticky Wicket', the band
The crowd applaud the band
The drummer grins
The piano and bass players
DH and Suey have a dance
Marc and another US Army chap
The venue after the crowds have dispersed
Jen and Sue scrounge some spare pancakes
Back at the campsite
Suey brews up a cuppa