"Per Ardua" or "Runways on the Moors" by Douglas Bailey.
Chapter One (Dec 1943) Interview at the Air Ministry, and appointment as Assistant Civil Engineer. Arrival at Attlebridge. Lodging at Ernie's smallholding. Shortage of manpower met by Irishmen labourers. Air raids over Norwich. High winds damage partially constructed huts.
Chapter Two Royal Dutch Naval Air Service use Attlebridge for a flying school. Walking the dog, catching hedgehogs and waterfowl. Sweeping the chimney. Difficulty getting a haircut. Attlebridge used as an emergency landing site. American Eighth Air Force arrive in the area. Ministry send additional engineer to speed up construction at Attlebridge.
Chapter Three American Commanding Officer arrives at Attlebridge with a small advance force. American 113th Engineer Aviation Battalion move in to lay huge quantities of concrete. Petrol tanks installed badly by specialist contractor. Using the PX stores. Large numbers of vehicles, aircraft and fliers arrive. The first major mission. Attlebridge almost complete.
Chapter Four (Easter 1944) Ceremony to hand Attlebridge over to the U.S.A.A.F. and a party afterwards. Move to Deopham Green, then to Attleborough. Bombs dropped on Deopham Green. Move to Horham. June 6th 1944 (D-Day). Lodgings at Champneys, Diss. Wife joins me, after a difficult train journey. Move to Halesworth.
Chapter Five The Tea Shop at Bungay, and Mrs. Hall. Fitzpatrick and the Novo Breaker. Accident unloading bombs at Metfield. The flying bomb. Moving in to Beccles.
Chapter Six Comfortable home at Beccles. Metfield repairs completed. Beccles airfield occupied by Coastal Command. New commanding officer (Colonel Carlson) at Halesworth. Problems at nighttime with a concrete mixer. Workmen on strike through lack of weatherproofs. Air Ministry boss talks to me about my future. 100th Mission party at Halesworth.
Chapter Seven Beccles water supply contaminated. Italian prisoners of war move in. Local woman murdered. New U.S.A.A.F. unit moves in to Halesworth. The commanding officer is a very unpleasant man. Home for Christmas, and a long cold journey back to a frozen airfield. The roof lets in melt-water, and the runways get frost damaged. Halesworth converted for passenger use. The War in Europe ends.
Chapter Eight Australian fliers briefly occupy Beccles. The Navy take over Halesworth. The QDM alignment markings of the runways are found to be incorrect. Wife moves back to Colne, I move in to a hotel, spend weekends with the Hall family. Infestation of flies at Beccles. Boiler breaks down - I drive lorry to Bradford and back. Hiroshima and Nagasaki bombed - the war ends. The Air Ministry boss again talks to me about my future. Move to Fakenham.
Chapter Nine Terrible hotel. Eventually found lovely lodgings with the Wakefield family. Matlask grass airfield returned to the plough, and F.I.D.O. equipment removed from Foulsham. I get a job near home, and tender my resignation from A.M.W.D. (Dec 31st 1946)