Villagers to mark VE Day at former US airfield

The airfield at Matching Green was a base for the US 391st Bombardment Group

Residents of a small village that played a huge part in World War Two will be lining the streets to mark the 80th anniversary of VE Day.

A memorial service in Matching Green, near Harlow, Essex, is planned for Sunday at the Nissen hut that once acted as a hospital for US airmen.

The village was home to an airfield built for the US 391st Bombardment Group, and it was home to 2,000 men between 1942 and 1945.

Andrew Barnard, chair of the commemorations committee of St Mary's Church, said: "It was just a rural, agricultural village – very typical for this part of East Anglia – and for a period of three years it was transformed."

The airmen used to host parties for the village's children

Children used to hide in ditches so they could watch aircraft taking off and landing

A total of 197 pilots and crew members lost their lives during the time the bomb group was based at Matching Green.

The VE Day commemoration will take place in the former base hospital, which has been restored for the event.

People will be able to have tours of parts of the airfield that are not usually open. There will also be memorabilia and wartime vehicles on display.

"At one stage it had up to 2,000 men living there, at times in very adverse conditions, constructing the site and living in tents in freezing conditions, but the pressure was on to finish the project in advance of D-Day," Mr Barnard said.

The Matching Green airfield had a chapel

B-26 Marauders were often seen taking off from Matching Green

Despite the war, some happy memories have been passed down the generations from families living in the village at the time.

"The most overriding memory that most people tell me is the incredible generosity shown to the children," Mr Barnard said.

Chocolate and sweets were often given out by the US airmen, which was a particularly popular move as they were rationed at the time.

"The activity on the airfield used to attract all the young boys, and they used to hide in ditches and watch the aircraft land," Mr Barnard added.

"We think it is really important to remember the sacrifices that were made to allow us to live in a free and democratic society today."