Click here to return to the main site entry page
Click here to return to the previous page

Podington Air Base
A A F 109

The dance ticket below has prompted Richard Orloff to share some of his late father's photographs with us.

Dances were held at the American airbases and the local girls were invited
A dance ticket
A dance reservation card kept with this ticket declares
"An Evening's Fun with the 1755th Ordnance Supply and Maintenance Co. Avn." The card lists the staff:-

Squadron Staff
Committee
Guests
Capt M A Armstrong

1st Lt. H W Shelp

1st Lt. G H Orloff

1st Lt. R E O'Connor

1st Lt. C R Southern

1st Sgt. R J Beauchemin

T/Sgt. W B Belekewicz

S/Sgt. H P Bartkowski

Sgt. M De Santis

Pfc. M. Flaherty

Col. J W Wilson

Lt-Col. R P Riordan

Maj. W V Croak

Capt. M W Stevenson


Dance Ticket from 1945

1755th Ordnance S & M Co Officers
My dad was Lieutenant Colonel George H. Orloff, who died in May 2011 aged 95. Your website gave me all their initials on the dance ticket. But I can add some details. From left to right: Lt. Bob O’Connor, Lt. George Orloff (my dad), Captain Milt Armstrong, Lt. “Chick” Shelp, and Lt. Southern, whose nickname was “Colonel” according to the notes my dad wrote on the back of the photo, which was taken 10 December 1944 at Podington. Some other photos are attached, too, that I hope you will enjoy.

Richard Orloff, USA

Unknown group Garage

George with others - probably at Podington

George Orloff by the Ordnance Garage


New jacket Workshop
George Orloff in a new battle jacket & Lt Fishman Feb 1944
George Orloff, McCormack & Selkie 1944/5

92nd Bombardment group memorial details
Erected on the approach road to the airfield - now Santa Pod
Details of the memorial erected July 3rd 1999

Rushden Echo, 24th Mar 1944, transcribed by Kay Collins

Podington’s First “International”
American Air Sergeant Weds English Girl

The wedding between Sergt. Joe G Skarzynski, of the U.S.A.A.F. and Miss Lillian Taylor, of Southport, which took place at Podington last Saturday, was the first Anglo-American marriage to be held there, and was conducted in the Parish Church by the Rev. V. J. H. Coles.

The bride is the second daughter of Mrs. H. Taylor, of 10 Banastre-road, Southport, Lancs., and the groom is the eldest son of Mr. Joseph V. Skarzynski, of 2313 W Mitchell-street, Milwaukee, Wisc., U.S.A.

Attired in a blue costume with wine coloured accessories and carrying a bouquet of white carnations and fern, the bride was given away by Mr. James Albert Roberts. In attendance were Miss Evelyn Joyce Bowers and Miss Rebecca Taylor, of Southport. Both wore dresses of a London tan shade and had corsages of orchids.

Ed. Ellington, U.S.A.A.F., of Lorin Blanchard, carried out the duties of best man.

A reception followed at Hinwick Lodge, and the wedding cake was a gift of the U.S.A.A.F.  For the journey to Southport, where the honeymoon was spent, the bride was wearing a grey ensemble.


Below : label inside a USAF jacket (right) with the name 'W N Ruby Feb 1 45' added so we assume it was made for him in Rushden by J J Page.
jacket
label
The current owner who kindly allowed us to photograph this tells us this is far superior cloth to most jackets so possibly an officer's.
He might have been posted to Chelveston or Podington?
VE Day Remembered 1995

The Airbase

If you have any memories or pictures to share with us please contact us

Bedfordshire Villages Index

Click here to return to the main index of features
Click here to return to the villages index
Click here to e-mail us