08/05/2025
Today marks the 80th anniversary of VE Day and as the world comes together to commemorate those who fought in the Second World War, we are particularly thinking of the men and women of Royal Observer Corps 14 Group, whose stories we shared in our 2023 production 'Forewarned, Forearmed'.
Under the leadership of former WW1 bomber pilot and local greengrocer Captain Frank Bright, volunteers from Bury St Edmunds and the surrounding areas came together to "spot and plot" aircraft in the skies over Britain. Based out of Bury St Edmunds Guildhall and with observation posts across the county, 14 Group worked non-stop, 24/7 from the moment war was declared right up until Churchill's declaration of victory on 8th May 1945. This massive, ambitious intelligence gathering operation was a key plank of our nation's Integrated Air Defence System during the war and saved many lives during the Battle of Britain and the Blitz.
Today we honour and give thanks for the work of these plucky locals, many of whom had never even seen a plane before signing up but who trained hard to learn to identify dozens of different aircraft by sight and sound alone. We hope to bring 'Forewarned, Forearmed' back to life soon so we can continue to share this incredible story.
If you have any family members who were involved with the Observer Corps during World War Two and would be happy to share their stories please drop us a comment or a DM!
