To commemorate the 80th anniversary of the end of World War II, volunteers from the Commemorative Air Force (CAF) are honoring 423 British servicemen who were killed while training in the U.S. during World War II and remain buried on American soil.
The “Bringing the Boys Back Home” initiative reconnects the legacy of these soldiers with their families in the United Kingdom.
In March and April, volunteers set out to reach all 423 gravesites in 71 cemeteries across 28 states—from Maine to Hawaii. Once there, volunteers tended to the graves, some of which had been neglected for years, and made a non-destructive rubbing of each headstone.
The completed rubbings were catalogued and photographed at CAF National Headquarters—Henry B. Tippie National Aviation Education Center in Dallas to ensure all gravesites were accounted for.
The rubbings will be transported from the U.S. to the U. K. aboard the CAF’s 1944 Douglas R4D aircraft, named Ready 4 Duty, which begins its transatlantic flight on April 24 as part of this year’s historic Navy to Victory Tour.
“U.S. and British forces trained and fought valiantly together during World War II. We’re honored to commemorate their sacrifices and to help ensure their memory endures for future generations,” said CAF President and CEO David Oliver.
Other organizations participating in the initiative include:
- The British Embassy
- Ministry of Defense
- British Flying Training School Museum in Terrell, Texas
- Maxwell AFB in Montgomery, Alabama
- Military Aviation Museum in Virginia Beach, Virginia
- Pearl Harbor Aviation Museum in Honolulu, Hawaii
- Patriots Point Naval & Maritime Museum in Charleston, South Carolina
- British Commonwealth Remembrance Project USA
“What a wonderful gesture by our American allies,” said 104-year-old Colin Bell, a Royal Air Force bomber pilot, Distinguished Flying Cross recipient and British flight instructor based in the U.S. during the early years of World War II.
Bell added, “Bringing the Boys Back Home properly recognizes the sacrifices made by these brave individuals, some of whom I served with, 80 years after they paid the ultimate price to protect our liberties and freedoms.”
