Dickleburgh 100th Bomb Group Memorial Museum brings digital photos to light after converting negatives that had been in storage for decades

Photos of an infamous US air division, which fought alongside British forces in the Second World War, have been revealed in digital form after spending decades in archives as negatives.

The stunning digital photos were able to be produced by the 100th Bomb Group Memorial Museum, with the help of Each Moment, which converted the files to digital format so they could finally be seen by the public 75 years after they were first captured.

Richard Gibson, one of trustees at the museum in Dickleburgh, which is located in the original control tower and other remaining buildings of the former RAF Thorpe Abbotts airfield, described the photos as “really quite special”.

He added: “It was many years ago that these negatives came to us, along with several other photographs associated with the 350th Squadron.

“Due to the odd-sized negatives, they kept being put back in the package. Three weeks ago, they surfaced again and, as technology has changed, our thinking was different.”

One photo shows Colonel Thomas Jeffrey, Commander of the 100th Bomb Group, who was credited with making them one of the 3rd Air Division’s outstanding units, receiving the Polish Cross. He eventually retired as a Major General.

Another photo shows pilot Captain Austin Dunlap receiving the Polish Cross, with other pictures showing B-17G aircraft of the 350th Squadron.

The 100th Bomb Group flew its first combat mission on June 25, 1943, and its last on April 20, 1945.

During those 22 months, the group was credited with 306 missions, losing 785 airmen and 177 aircraft, with 894 airmen captured as prisoners.

The 100th Bomb Group gained the reputation as the ‘Bloody Hundredth’ due to the heavy losses suffered.

Fellow museum trustee Sophie Towne said: “These little glimpses into life during the Second World War are vital clues to the past.

“The phrase ‘a picture can speak a thousand words’ has never been more pertinent in this case.

“We can see men being rewarded for their bravery through adversity, along with what would have been the day-to-day activities at Thorpe Abbotts.”

The museum is dedicated to preserving the stories and memories of American involvement in the war, with displays housed in the original control tower used in the conflict.

The museum, which is free to enter, has been closed for 12 months but hopes to reopen from July 1, between 10am and 5pm, via booking on Eventbrite.