Joan Roper
95 th BOMB GROUP (H) ASSOCIATION
ORAL HISTORY PROJECT
2001 Reunion Las Vegas, NV
This is Sam Tarkington from the Legacy Committee of the 95th Bomb Group interviewing Joan Roper. Welcome, Joan. Could you state your name, where we are and the date, please.
JR: The date is October 4 th 2001, my name is Joan Roper from Horham, England, and we’re at the Monte Carlo Hotel in Las Vegas.
ST: Joan, what connection do you have with the 95 th Bomb Group?
JR: My husband was a young lad during the second WW. Charlie Gallagher and Bob Capen
had their barracks on his farm and he always seemed very interested in it. When we married I followed on and carried on in England with the interest.
ST: Today can you tell me what you do in the Horham area?
JR: I’m Treasurer and Secretary of the Red Feather Club and I used to work at the Community Center. Frankly, when Ricky came over to see when the reunions were going to start I was part of the first group of people that organized it.
ST: Can you give us some details?
JR: We formed a committee and they decided to open a private Red Feather Club - which we did. We restored it and we now try to raise more funds to finish the job,.
ST: What all needs to be done to finish it?
JR: We need to reroof part of it, keep the grass cut and clear the dugouts. ST: The dugouts are air raid shelters?
JR: Yes. Just use it for various functions which we hold.
ST: What would these functions entail?
JR: We have open days where the public comes and has a look in the Red Feather Club; gives donations, has a look at photographs of the veterans and we do a raffle.
ST: ?
JR: Yes we did. We had a great one two weeks ago. We made 550 pounds which will go towards help to restoring it.
ST: Are there any other parts of that area that your organization has an interest in restoring?
JR: A friend of mine bought - he didn’t buy the runway - he hires the runway. It belongs to a farmer. He uses it to take his light aircraft - he actually flies out of Horham airbase now.
ST: Is the runway paved?
JR: Yes. Concrete. It’s just the same as you left it. Andrew Castleton is the pilot and Alan Johnson helps as well. We’ve had various offers of help to restore it and hopefully, now, with some younger members we shall continue on and do it.
ST: How many members do you have?
JR: About 20 at the moment and we hope we will get more. We have film shows to keep an interest through the winter. We have about 3 film shows over a period and tour guides during the summer.
ST: Do you have any sorts of publicity to generate interest?
JR: The Local Council - they organize the Friars and Flyers. They give donations to us and pay Public Liability insurance for us. They’ve done lots of publicity. Without them I don’t think we’d have gotten off the ground again.
ST: How about getting the word to tourists - particularly American tourists?
JR: That’s done through the Friars and Flyers; the Local Council they’re very good. Do lots of flyers for us; newspapers….
ST: What sorts of things can the 95 th do to help your organization?
JR: Just support us, I think, to make it worth our while to raise the money to restore it. Because there’s lots of interest in everybody; loads of people come who are really interested in it especially the murals because there’s nothing like it. We try our best to keep it going.
ST: How would one send financial support to your organization? I mean how do you send money to England?
JR: Laugh. Well today I’m the treasurer and any donations would be welcome.
ST: Can I just send a check in American dollars?
JR: Yes, you can. You can put the Red Feather Club - or 95 th Bomber Group is the best thing.
ST: Can you tell us anything more before we close?
JR: Well, I just hope we can keep it going.. With Andrew flying out now - we’ve got a few new members and we hope we will be able to keep it going for a long time to come.
ST: Anything else you’d like to add. This concludes our interview with Joan Roper. Thank you.