Masters of the Air: Online Resources

If Masters of the Air has inspired to find out more about the real ‘Friendly Invasion’, there’s nowhere better to start than these online resources. From personal stories, interviews, and digital archives including files from World War II, here’s the best websites to start your research.

The American Library

The American Library, found inside The Forum in Norwich, is rich with plenty of online and physical resources related to the Second Air Division, Eighth Air Force’s occupation of East Anglia. Online resources include:

• The Roll of Honor – a permanent memorial to the fallen men of the Second Air Division. Find out more here.
• Second Air Division History – An entire hub filled with resources surrounding the Second Air Division, including information on bomb groups and airfields, fighter groups, and the B-24 Liberators. Find out more here.
• Explore Second Air Division History – A series of fact sheets showing the impact of the ‘Friendly Invasion’ on East Anglia. Find out more here.
• Wartime memories – A host of stories and video interviews with veterans of the US Air Force telling all about their wartime experience. Find out more here.
• The American Library YouTube Channel – A collection of videos surrounding American life and culture, including more interviews of US Air Force veterans. Find out more here.

The Second Air Division Digital Archive

This handy online archive is full of digital documents from World War II, where you can find letters, maps, photographs, artwork, diaries, memoirs, and much more. Explore the full archive on their website.

The Norfolk Record Office

Another digital archive, the Norfolk Record Office has vast amounts of online resources relating to the US Air Force’s occupation in East Anglia. You can discover files from individual airfields as well as different units on their website. These files are also available at the Norfolk Record Office in-person, found at Martineau Lane, Norwich.