Famous Pubs attended by RAF airmen in WW2 and still open nowadays

[Adriano Baumgartner]

Good night to all.
I am planning my holidays in the UK this year and would like to ask for the British (or foreigners) friends of this Forum IF they do know any PUB which was frequently attended by the RAF airmen (Fighter/Coastal or Bomber Command) in London and that is still open nowadays?
Is there currently a such a PUB in London? I do remember reading on several books (which I do not have at hands now) some pubs like the Lion's, etc...
ANY advice or information would be most welcomed...I do intend to be at London in June this year for a Meeting and would like to taste a beer in one of those pubs frequented by the RAF airmen during the WW2 period.
Thanks in advance.
Yours
Adriano Baumgartner

[Revi16]

About an hour or so North of London.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Eagle_(pub)

Get to Duxford if you can, well worth the trip.

[Stein Meum]

North Weald: The Kings Arms and, on the other side of the airfield: The Blacksmith's Arms. In Epping: Thatched House. Nowadays a restaurant. All very popular with members of 331 and 332 (Norwegian) Squadrons.

Stein

[Larry]

RAF Northolt : The Orchard, Ickenham Road, Ruislip, Middlesex HA4 7DR
Tel: 01895 633481

This pub now a Beefeater Restaurant, was a favourite of all the Sqns based at RAF Northolt all through WW2 especially in Battle of Britain and was later adopted by the Poles.

The Orchard has a large model of a Spitfire circa 1/7th scale mounted on a pole (no pun intended) in the garden near the main enterance. The Spitfire carries RF codes.

Great place to visit

[DavidIsby]

Betty'a Bar in York has a mirror signed by many aircrew, especially 6 (RCAF) Group, Bomber Command.

No longer there, but commemorated by a blue plaque in Lincoln is the Saracen's Head, known as 'The Snake Pit". Its motto was 'It's safer over Essen".

[Crimea River]

Originally Posted by Revi16

About an hour or so North of London.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Eagle_(pub)

Get to Duxford if you can, well worth the trip.

Completely agree. I flew there from my native Canada, enjoyed one of the Duxford airshows, museum, and had lunch and a pint at the Eagle. A memorable trip and recommended.

[Brian Bines]

Batte of Britain pubs quoted in 'Eagle Day' are Biggin Hill pilots The White Hart at Brasted (not certain if it is not now a rebuild), Gravesend pilots Charles Dicken's beloved Leather Bottle at Cobham, Middle Wallop pilots The Black Swan at Monxton ( nicknamed The Mucky Duck)

[Adriano Baumgartner]

Brian, Revi16, Stein, Larry, David and Crimea River....thank you both of you for sharing your knowledge and information about WW2 Pubs still open...

I did my "home work" too and found some old threads about the same subjetc...even the information about a booklet that listed ALL that famous pubs, frequented by WW2 Allied airmen....

I am enclosing down here some parts of those threads....It is though, very sad to hear/read that some of those OLD Pubs closed their doors and the memorablia has gone "to space"....There is not a Cultural Law to preserve those "pieces of History" in England? Well....this is a partial list of what I found.....I am sure I will not be able to taste all that "ale", neither to visit all that places...but 2 or 3 of them will be included on the TRIP PLAN.

Thanks again for all your information gentlemen...very kind of yours indeed. If you do need some assistance being in Brazil, do not hesitate to ask, all right? I will be glad to reciprocate your advices...

THE LIST:
Pub used during the Battle of Britain by pilots stationed at Hawkinge, Kent.

Cat and Custard Pot Web-site (http://www.catandcustardpot.co.uk/)
The Plough at Plumpton has a Polish Air Force Memorial in the car park and an inside full of pictures and memorabilia. Just down the road is the Chailey Advance Landing Ground.
XV490

16th Dec 2008, 15:10

An earlier thread I started about RAF Bovingdon has, with a moderator's encouragement, turned into this new thread about pubs - specifically, those with photos/memorabilia associated with local airfields, and especially the little known ones.

Thanks, Evileyes, for the invitation. I'll get the ball rolling with a few of the obvious ones such as a couple of 'named' hostelries:

The Douglas Bader (Martlesham) - photos, memorabilia etc. inside
The Flying Fortress (near Rougham airfield) - ditto
The Dambusters Inn (Scampton) - ditto
The Woodman at Nuthampstead has photographs of the USAAF B-17s and a fine memorial in the carpark. Although I haven't been for some time and it has changed hands, the Chequers at Fowlmere had photos of aircraft based at Duxford and Fowlmere. There are photographs of more recent Duxford based aircraft at the Duxford Lodge Hotel.
The "Three Horseshoes" at Graveley (the one near St.Neots. Cambs.) Airfield plan and photos of Pathfinder Lancasters / Mosquitos and crews.
I'm thousands of miles from home so don't have the book to hand ,but I'm sure somebody will remind me of that pub near Biggin Hill with all the B of B fighter pilots signatures

That'd be the White Hart at Brasted.

Sadly, the blackout screen with all those signatures is no longer there. I think that it might now be at the Shoreham museum?
*Zwitter*

16th Dec 2008, 19:11

The famouse blackout screen is here
The Shoreham Aircraft Museum (http://www.shoreham-aircraft-museum.co.uk/)
The MARQUIS CORNWALLIS at Chedburgh, in Suffolk where I now live. Chedburgh was a Lancaster/Stirling/Halifax base during the war with Polish Squadrons. Indeed, there is a War Memorial to the Squadrons in the village, near to the pub. Photos of crews and aircraft line the walls. Just off the A143, halfway between Bury St. Edmunds and Haverhill.
XV490

17th Dec 2008, 10:00

The Three Compasses at Aldenham (<h2>The Three Compasses</h2> (http://www.thethreecompasses.com)) claims to have been the Black Swan in the film 633 Squadron.

Which makes me wonder - where is the fictitious Jackdaw pub that appeared in The Battle of Britain?
WHBM

17th Dec 2008, 10:33

Which makes me wonder - where is the fictitious Jackdaw pub that appeared in The Battle of Britain?
Not fictitious, but real ...

Jackdaw Inn, Denton, Kent:: OS grid TR2147 :: Geograph British Isles - photograph every grid square! (http://www.geograph.org.uk/photo/86546)
Other pubs:

One on the A40 near Little Rissington which has a lot of photos celebrating local association with the Red Arrows;
The Jail Inn near Biggin has quite a few photos but I haven't been there for a while and can't remember what they are of!
Also one in northern Eastbourne (the Star?) which had a lot of RAF photos on display but there are no local airfields that I can think of - perhaps the Landlord was ex RAF? Visited it about 10 years ago, must have been a Harveys pub.
MELLYMELL

17th Dec 2008, 16:55

St George And The Dragon at Clyst St George near Exeter airport.Used to have the signatures of aircrew based at Exeter during WW2,dont know if they are still there (The signatures not the aircrew).
the Tipperrary near to RAF Honiley ( disused ).

Cracking little pub with lots of squadron and airfield photo's and stuff on the walls.

Pub is on the main road between Balsall Common and Warwick just near to Honiley village.

summertime is nice in the garden as its under the approach to Brum.

mines a pint

Geoff
Get me some traffic

15th Feb 2009, 21:58

There's a pub at Tattershall Thorpe (near Conningsby) called The Blue Bell (I think). It's on the road between Tattershall and Woodhall Spa. Full of memorabilia. There's the Petwood Hotel in Woodhall Spa, once the OM for 617sqn. It used to have part of an "upkeep" in the grounds as well as interesting displays inside.

At Tees-side Airport formerly Middleton St George, the St George Hotel is the old OM. There's a memorial outside with a statue of Myanarski VC, plus some pictures inside.
Paintings of Gibson feature on the wall of the bar of the Olde Crown pub in Lincoln, a pub that Gibson frequented regularly when he was based at RAF Scampton
· My father was on 111 Sqn and 72 Sqn, Spitfires, 1941-42 at North Weald, Hornchurch and Biggin Hill. The pub he and his chums used to use was "The Jail", just behind one of the dispersals at Biggin. Seem to remember nipping in there in the mid-70s with him and my mother and he recognised a few of the bits and pieces that were still there.

No idea what it is like these days.

jf

·

· kevmusic

· 27th Nov 2006, 16:39

· This the one?

http://www.beerintheevening.com/pubs...ld_Jail/Cudham

Sorry, I don't know how to re-word links!
The Swan at Lavenham - signatures preserved on the wall and as far as he knows my dad is still barred.

· GOLF_BRAVO_ZULU

· 28th Nov 2006, 20:32

· http://i120.photobucket.com/albums/o182/GOLF_BRAVO_ZULU_photos/DOWNHAMMARKET1943-2.jpg

Well, many of the 6 Group boys would have been familiar with Downham Market. The Crown was a regular Haunt.

http://i120.photobucket.com/albums/o182/GOLF_BRAVO_ZULU_photos/DOWNHAMMARKET1943-1.jpg

So was the Castle.

I've been in both and well worth the visit.
· What about the 'Marrowbone and Cleaver' in Kirmington Village close to the now Humberside Airport? Frequented by 144 squadron, Lancasters.
H49
The Hoops, Basssingbourn village was a favourite of B17 aircrew. It was also featured in the B of B film.
Category:
Pubs Brasted | Pubs Westerham
Address:
High Street, Westerham, Kent TN16 1JE
01959 560651
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Yours
Adriano Baumgartner

[aaatripp]

An outstanding thread, gentlemen. There was the Red Lion Inn at Colchester, near Boxted Airdrome, which was popular amongst the boys of the 354th FG, 9AF. Was it visited by RAF chaps as well?

Tripp

[timothy]

1 Sqn used the Haycock on the M1 when at Wittering.

= Tim