Recently, we were blessed with a visit from WWII veteran Casey Bukowski, who returned to Ridgewell to celebrate his 102nd birthday. His homecoming — after surviving being shot down over Germany — reminded all of us why we preserve history: to remember the sacrifice of the brave men and women who served here.

To continue that mission, we are raising funds to purchase an authentic WWII leather flight jacket currently displayed in the museum. This jacket represents the young airmen of the 381st Bomb Group who flew from Ridgewell, and it has become one of the most meaningful items in our collection.

At the moment, the jacket is on loan.

The owner has generously offered us the chance to purchase it permanently, but this is a rare opportunity — and one we cannot afford to miss.

If we cannot raise the funds, the jacket is at risk of leaving our collection forever. As a wise person once said, “It belongs in a museum.” And we wholeheartedly agree.

The Ridgewell Airfield Museum is small, volunteer‑run, and dedicated to preserving the history of Ridgewell Airfield and the 381st Bomb Group. We operate entirely on donations, and we rely on the generosity of people who believe in honouring and remembering the past.

Please consider donating today to help us keep this remarkable piece of history at Ridgewell for future generations.

This fundraiser is based in the UK, so donations appear in pounds (£).

US donors can still give normally — GoFundMe automatically converts USD to GBP.

Your gift will go directly toward purchasing the jacket and keeping it at Ridgewell.

This is just one of the many historical items we’re working to acquire for the museum. We’ll share more updates and requests as new opportunities come up. Thank you all for your support.

UPDATE:

We are delighted to share that the WWII flight jacket has now been successfully purchased and will become part of the Ridgewell Airfield Museum collection.

This acquisition was made possible through a combination of generous donations received through this fundraiser and additional funds contributed by the museum. We are incredibly grateful to everyone who supported the campaign and helped preserve this important piece of history.

Thank you for your kindness, encouragement, and support. We look forward to sharing the jacket with visitors and telling its story for years to come.