OVERPAID OVERSEXED OVER HERE
Whilst perusing a book on military aircraft in a bookshop, I noticed a photograph of an American B36 bomber from the 1950’s. My thoughts instantly returned me to an evening in the mid 1950’s on a small hillock close to my home in St Helens. Sat with a friend I spent several hours looking in awe at a squadron, possibly eight or ten B36F bombers circling overhead, the drone of the engines echoing in the silence. What was special about these aircraft? Living under the flight path of approaching aircraft I was familiar with the large aircraft of the day flying overhead. B19 Super fortresses and B29 Stratocruisers were commonplace but the B36F was different. The B36F had the largest wing area of any military aircraft, having no less than 10 engines. 4 jet engines set under the wing tips and 6 propellers set three either side to push the plane along.
But why were they here? The B36 was an atom bomb carrier and were temporary based at Burtonwood Air Base near Warrington, at that time the largest U.S. airbase
outside of America.
The East/West runway at Burtonwood was lengthened to take these giants of the air, and at that time was the longest runway in Europe. The runway now forms part of the M62 starting close to the rear of IKEA and running in a westerly direction past the new Junction 8. Until 2010 the old airfield hangers could be seen on the north side of the runway (demolished to make way for new warehouses).
During the Second World War and for the next fifteen years Burtonwood was an American town on British soil. In its heyday 20,000 personnel were stationed there.
Local residents had mixed feelings about the Americans; many locals were employed on the base receiving good wages and also many of the frills enjoyed by the service personnel. Others saw the Americans as ‘overpaid, oversexed and over here’ and as a threat especially to the young local males, who were unable to provide their young ladies with the perfumes, nylons and other trimmings not available in a country recovering from the war and rationing.
Thousands of young girls travelled from around the country, attracted like bees to honey, seeking riches and the possible opportunity of a life in the land of opportunity.
Marriages between the young women and the Americans were commonplace and they become known as GI Brides. (American service personnel were known as GI’s because all their equipment was stamped G.I. – Government Issue.)
Many went to America and led happy and prosperous lives, others returned home disillusioned, whilst yet others, waiting for the promised call from the new found love of their lives were left, literally, holding the baby.
The Americans left early in the 1960’s but returned several years later following a bust up with the French government who closed down U.S, bases in France. The new breed of Americans tended to have families with them and occupied the bungalows situated at the Warrington end of the base. Gone were the hordes of GI’s filling bars and dance halls for miles around, gone were the flash cars full of young women.
Unfortunately memories do not always fade, as a friend of mine found to his cost. He is an American, now living in England, and was stationed at Burtonwood Air Base around 1972. On a visit to a bar for a quiet drink in Warrington, a local man approached him and asked ‘Are you a Yank?’ to which my friend replied ‘Yes’ ‘Are you at Burtonwood’ He asked. ‘Yes’ he replied. When my friend picked himself up from the floor, blood pouring down his face, he was informed that the man’s daughter had gone to America with a GI from Burtonwood and he had never forgiven the Americans.
Many distant memories aroused by a single photograph. I closed the book and left the shop.