Uniformed and public service students from the College of West Anglia Wisbech campus have been lending a helping hand at the Fenland and West Norfolk Aircraft Preservation Society.
The society uses restored crash sites and artefacts to tell the human story behind the wartime sacrifices and ensure they are not forgotten.
Maintenance, restoration and upkeep of the exhibits and buildings are an ongoing and difficult task for the society. As a result, its members want to express how very grateful they are to the College of West Anglia for allowing students from the uniformed and public services course to regularly visit the museum and help in all aspects of this work.
Jim Paradine from Fenland and West Norfolk Aircraft Preservation Society said: “The students’ enthusiasm and willingness to pitch in and lend a helping hand has proved invaluable.
“Not only have they willingly completed the mundane and boring tasks of general maintenance and site clearance, they have shown a great interest in technical based restoration of exhibits.”
Students have restored items such as a historic gun turret, a valuable propeller and other delicate aeronautical items. They have also helped to enhance displays with new aircraft information boards, completed to a very high standard.
Mr Paradine added: “The students have proved to be capable of completing tasks on their own initiative, they are hardworking and trustworthy, and the society hopes that the association with the college shall continue into the future, as their help has proved invaluable in preparing us for the new display season.”
BACKGROUND
The Fenland and West- Norfolk Aircraft Preservation Society was formed in 1975, with the aim of researching and excavating the numerous aircraft crash sites in the area. The purpose of the society was not the simple recovery of wreckage, but to tell the human story behind these occurrences, and ensure that wartime sacrifices were not forgotten. The society amassed a large amount of material, and decided that a museum should be opened. Over the years the museum has expanded greatly, and has become a popular venue for aviation enthusiasts and visitors to the area.
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