THE MAN WHO PUT THE 95TH ON WHEELS

Tom Perkins (former Redlingfield schoolboy)
(Originally published in Courage, Honor, Victory)

Official transport from Horham to Ipswich, Norwich, and other large East Anglian towns was limited, so when the 95th's off-duty personnel wanted to visit nearby villages the essential piece of equipment was the bicycle. On the many airfields throughout East Anglia occupied by the Eighth Air Force, the lowly bike (as it was known locally) soon became a most valuable and prized possession, jealously guarded by all owners, both civilian and military. The man who had bikes for sale and who would repair them became king due to the insatiable demand for wheeled transport. Such a man was the unforgettable Basil Rodwell. 

Basil, a bachelor, had his workshop in the former blacksmith's forge in Horham and, prior to the arrival of the U.S.A.A.F., worked with his father, the village blacksmith. Basil also sold and repaired bicycles for the local communities of Horham, Denham, and Redlingfield. In those days before the war, most English villages had their bicycle specialists, but in my opinion, none had more of a character than Basil Rodwell. He very quickly established a reputation with the 95th Group as the man to get you mobile again. Inner tubes from 28-inch wheels, no longer repairable in that size, were cut down to make tubes for 26-inch wheels by a clever process of folding the damaged tube back on a broom handle, then applying adhesive. There were many such tricks of the trade known only to the old hands of the cycle repair business. 

Needless to say, Basil had many friends among the American airmen, and one of his delights was to be invited to the base for an occasional meal. On one such occasion, when the duty officer was seen approaching the mess hall, the diminutive Basil was unceremoniously deposited out of sight inside the large refrigerator in the kitchen. After the inspection, and the coast was clear, the fridge door was opened; there was Basil, busily demolishing a large bowl of his favorite ice cream! 

Sadly, Basil is no longer with us. His bicycle repair shop has also gone, together with the old prewar enameled exterior signs advertising cattle food and car and bicycle accessories. 

However, Basil will long be remembered by the many veterans who knew him as the man who put the 95th on wheels; the man who made possible those pleasant summer evening bicycle rides through the beautiful Suffolk countryside to neighboring villages. Memorable and enjoyable journeys to village pubs such as "The Grapes" at Hoxne, Worlingworth, "Swan," Brundish "Crown," Southolt "Plough," while "The Green Dragon" at Horham itself was always a popular haunt with the GIs. Saturday night dances at Dennington Village Hall and many more similar excursions to other recreational meeting places were also made accessible to the men of the 95th during those momentous days. All of which, of course, brought a much needed and welcome change of environment from the grim realities of the air war, especially for the 95th's combat and ground crewmen.