Roger A. Freeman Heritage Tour - "The Mighty Eighth" - Spring Tour 2026

Experience the history of the WWII "Mighty Eighth" heroes on the Roger A. Freeman Heritage Tour, titled "The Mighty Eighth." This immersive travel experience is provided by the National Museum of the Mighty Eighth Air Force.

Join us on our upcoming tour as we visit heavy bomber bases, fighter group airfields, and select off-the-beaten-path sites. Our tour offers a unique opportunity to explore the legacy of the "Mighty Eighth" while also allowing you to discover the beauty this country has to offer on your own.

Your Tour Leader and Tour Manager are both experienced authorities on the history of the Eighth Air Force, RAF Bomber Command, and general World War II history.

The tour will be led by Mark S. Copeland, the Director of Educational Travel for the National Museum of the Mighty Eighth Air Force. Mark is a leading authority on the Eighth Air Force during World War II and is widely regarded as one of the most knowledgeable and respected historians in the field. He has a deep passion for World War II history.

For over four decades, Mark has traveled extensively throughout Europe and has specifically designed this tour to be the finest of its kind. You will visit unique sites that are not included in any other tour itinerary. Throughout the journey, you will also have the opportunity to meet several local historians, museum docents, and volunteers, enriching your experience even further.

Day 1 - Thursday, April 9, 2026 - Arrival Day at MacDonald House

Participants will arrive at Heathrow Airport in London, where they will be greeted by a representative from the National Museum of the Mighty Eighth Air Force. Our team will escort guests to their private car, complete with a dedicated driver, who will take them to the beautiful MacDonald House Hotel in Windsor.

After checking in, you will have the opportunity to explore the village of Windsor before joining us for a cocktail reception and welcome dinner. This event will allow you to meet the other tour participants and ask any questions you may have about the itinerary.

Day 2 - Friday, April 10, 2026 -  Battle of Britain Bunker at Uxbridge / High Wycombe 

We will start our morning with a visit to Wycombe Abbey, known as "Pinetree," which served as the wartime headquarters of the Eighth Air Force during World War II. Our group will enjoy a private catered reception, followed by a welcome lecture given by our Tour Leader, Mark Copeland. We will also have the opportunity to explore the actual wartime offices of General Ira Eaker and General James Doolittle.

After lunch at the Crown and Treaty Pub in Uxbridge, we will continue our day with a private guided tour of the Battle of Britain Bunker at RAF Uxbridge.

The command bunker at RAF Uxbridge was the main center of communication for the Royal Air Force Fighter Command during the critical days of the Battle of Britain. Please be aware that accessing the bunker requires descent down 76 steps, as there is no elevator available. For those who choose not to enter the bunker, there is an excellent video presentation that tells the history of the bunker in the conference room.

We will conclude the day with a casual dinner at the MacDonald Hotel in Windsor.

Day 3 - Saturday, April 11, 2026 - RAF Debden / Bury St. Edmunds

Our group will depart from Windsor and travel to the picturesque village of Rickling Green for lunch at the Cricketer's Arms pub. After lunch, we will take a tour of RAF Debden, a key airbase during the Battle of Britain that was later transferred to the U.S. Eighth Air Force Fighter Command.

Although it is now an active British Army installation, our group will be allowed on base for a tour of this historic Eighth Air Force landmark. This tour will include a drive down the actual wartime runways where Fourth Fighter Group Spitfires, Thunderbolts, and Mustangs once operated.

The day will conclude with check-in at The Angel Hotel in Bury St. Edmunds, after which you will have a free evening to explore the city.

Day 4 - Sunday, April 12, 2026 - St. Andrew's Church - Quidenham / Old Buckenham / Horham

Our first stop will be St. Andrew's Church, located in the tranquil village of Quidenham. This beautiful church was built in the 15th century. We will have the opportunity to view the exquisite "airman's window," which is also duplicated in the Chapel of the Fallen Eagles at the National Museum of the Mighty Eighth Air Force.

Next, we will continue to Old Buckenham, home of the 453rd Bomb Group. This group flew the Consolidated B-24 Liberator and served in the Eighth Air Force, Second Air Division. We will be hosted by Eighth Air Force historian Mr. James Cleary as we tour the excellent Eighth Air Force Heritage Museum. After our museum visit, we will enjoy lunch at a local pub, The Gamekeeper.

To conclude our day, we will make a special visit to Horham, the wartime home of the 95th Bomb Group. We will explore the Red Feather Club, a restored NCO Club that now serves as an amazing museum and dance hall. There, we will enjoy a delicious catered meal while listening to vintage "big band" music from the 1940s.

Day 5 - Monday, April 13, 2026 - 100th B.G. Memorial Museum / Framlingham Airfield Museum

Today, we will travel to Framlingham/Parham Airfield to visit the restored control tower, which has been converted into a first-class museum. This site is significant as it was the wartime home of the 390th Bomb Group.

Next, we will head to Thorpe Abbotts to visit the 100th Bomb Group Memorial Museum, where we will have private access to this remarkable tribute to the 100th Bomb Group. The 100th Bomb Group is prominently featured in the Apple TV nine-part miniseries "Masters of the Air."

We will enjoy a delicious meal at the Scole Inn Hotel, a favorite pub of the 100th Bomb Group airmen during World War II, followed by a free evening after our return to the hotel.

Day 6 - Tuesday, April 14, 2026 - Bottisham Airfield Museum / Cambridge

The tour will depart the Angel Hotel late morning and travel to Bottisham Airfield Museum, the home base of the 361st Fighter Group, where participants will have a chance to ride in wartime Willys jeeps and take a trip around the wartime airfield.

We will conclude the day by checking into the beautiful University Arms Hotel in Cambridge with a three-course evening meal.

Day 7 - Wednesday, April 15, 2026 - Bassingbourn / Duxford Museum

Participants have the option to choose how they’d like to spend their day. 

Our last airfield stop will be at Bassingbourn Airfield, the wartime home of the 91st Bomb Group, the longest serving unit in WWII Eighth Air Force Bomber Command.

We will then visit one of the finest collections of vintage aircraft and armor in the world at the Imperial War Museum - Duxford.  Lunch will be on your own at one of the many food outlets located throughout the museum.

Or, you may spend the day exploring the city of Cambridge on your own or with a recommended professional tour guide.

Dinner will be at a traditional English pub, the Red Lion at Grantchester.

Day 8 - Thursday, April 16, 2026 - American Cemetery Madingley / London

We will depart Cambridge to visit the Cambridge American Cemetery at Madingley.

Lunch will be at the nearby The Three Horseshoes pub before departing for London and check in at the Clermont - Charing Cross, with a free evening to explore the city.

Day 9 - Friday, April 17, 2026 - Churchill War Rooms / St. Paul's Cathedral

The day will begin at the Churchill War Rooms beneath the National Treasury Building with a private tour that allows participants to go "behind the glass".

Lunch will be at Café Rouge, and we will continue to St. Paul's Cathedral, which includes the American Chapel and the U.S. Roll of Honor.

Back to the MacDonald House for an evening dinner.

Day 10 - Saturday, April 18, 2026 - Free Day in London to explore the city!!

Participants will have the day free to explore the sites of this amazing city.

To close out the tour, a special farewell dinner will be held at the Clermont Hotel - Charing Cross.

Day 11 - Sunday, April 19, 2026 - Departure Day

Our guests will enjoy a smooth check-in process for their flights back to the United States. Transfers will be arranged via private car, with a 20-minute drive to Heathrow Airport. You will be dropped off at your respective terminal for departures.