106-394: [REDACTED] Hampton Wick Bushy Park in the London Borough of Richmond upon Thames is the second largest of London's Royal Parks , at 445 hectares (1,100 acres) in area, after Richmond Park . The park, most of which is open to the public, is immediately north of Hampton Court Palace and Hampton Court Park and is a few minutes' walk from the west side of Kingston Bridge . It
212-737: A United States Army Air Forces combat air force in the European theater of World War II (1939/41–1945), engaging in operations primarily in the Northern Europe area of responsibility ; carrying out strategic bombing of enemy targets in France, the Low Countries, and Germany; and engaging in air-to-air fighter combat against enemy aircraft until the German capitulation in May 1945. It was
318-552: A 'membership organisation that works on behalf of the rail industry to create a simpler, better railway for everyone in Britain.' The two generally coincide where passenger services are run. Most major Network Rail lines also carry freight traffic and some lines are freight only. There are some scheduled passenger services on privately managed, non-Network Rail lines, for example Chiltern Railways which runs on both Network Rail track and tracks owned by London Underground . Although
424-532: A contactless debit/credit card. Contactless also covers some areas that Oyster doesn't such as the Elizabeth line to Reading, or the Thameslink station at Oakleigh Park. The most common types of tickets available include 'advance' tickets, that specify a specific route and timing between two destinations, 'off-peak' tickets, either as a single or a return, that allow a passenger to use a train at hours where
530-587: A number of technical manuals on which travel on the railways in Great Britain is based, such as the National Rail Conditions of Travel , via their website. Pocket timetables for individual operators or routes are available free at staffed stations. The last official printed timetable with up to 3000 pages was published in 2007. Now the only complete print edition is published by Middleton Press (as of October 2016). A digital version of
636-493: A number of other medals to include 220 Distinguished Service Crosses , and 442,000 Air Medals . Many more awards were made to Eighth Air Force veterans after the war that remain uncounted. There were 261 fighter aces in the Eighth Air Force during World War II. Thirty-one of these aces had 15 or more aircraft kills apiece. Another 305 enlisted gunners were also recognized as aces. One notable Eighth Air Force casualty
742-747: A runway for planes. Originally created for royal sports, Bushy Park is now home to Teddington Rugby Club and four cricket clubs – Teddington Town Cricket Club, Hampton Wick Royal Cricket Club , Teddington Cricket Club, and Hampton Hill Cricket Club. Teddington Hockey Club was based in the Park until it moved to Teddington School ; from 1871 onwards, the rules of the modern game of field hockey were largely devised at Bushy. It also has fishing and model boating ponds, horse rides, formal plantations of trees and other plants, wildlife conservation areas, and herds of both red deer and fallow deer . The park also contains several lodges and cottages: Bushy House , housing
848-441: A significant amount of Me 262A jet fighters. The 8th Air Force was targeted in this operation. Fifteen Allied bombers were attacked, eight were successfully destroyed. On 7 April, Eighth Air Force dispatched thirty-two B-17 and B-24 groups and fourteen Mustang groups (the sheer numbers of attacking Allied aircraft were so large in 1945 that they were now counted by the group) to targets in the small area of Germany still controlled by
954-613: A single mission to multiple targets. By 1945, all but one of the Eighth Air Force fighter groups were equipped with the P-51D. Eighth Air Force did not strike at oil industry targets until 13 May 1944 when 749 bombers, escorted by almost 740 fighters, pounded oil targets in the Leipzig area and at Brüx in Czechoslovakia . At the same time, a smaller force hit an Fw 190 repair depot at Zwickau . Over 300 German fighters attacked
1060-545: A subordinate part of VIII Bomber Command. On 22 February 1944, a massive reorganization of American airpower took place in Europe. The original Eighth Air Force was redesignated as the United States Strategic Air Forces (USSTAF). VIII Bomber Command, re-designated as Eighth Air Force, and Ninth Air Force were assigned to (USSTAF). VIII Bomber Command, after redesignation as Eighth Air Force,
1166-533: A tactical air force supported ground campaigns, usually with objectives selected through co-operation with the armies. In Europe, Eighth Air Force was the first USAAF strategic air force, with a mission to support an invasion of continental Europe from the British Isles . Eighth Air Force carried out strategic daytime bombing operations in Western Europe from airfields in eastern England as part of
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#17327717338231272-426: A valid ticket boarding a train at a station where ticket-buying facilities are available are required to pay the full Open Single or Return fare. On some services penalty fares apply – a ticketless passenger may be charged the greater of £20 or twice the full single fare to the next stop. Penalty Fares can be collected only by authorised Revenue Protection Inspectors, not by ordinary Guards. National Rail distributes
1378-538: Is 24/7 bicycle access via the main avenue between the north and south gates and cycle paths/restricted access private highways across the park. 51°24′46″N 0°20′17″W / 51.412777777778°N 0.33805555555556°W / 51.412777777778; -0.33805555555556 National Rail National Rail ( NR ) is the trading name licensed for use by the Rail Delivery Group , an unincorporated association whose membership consists of
1484-438: Is a brand used to promote passenger railway services, and providing some harmonisation for passengers in ticketing, while Network Rail is the organisation which owns and manages most of the fixed assets of the railway network, including tracks, stations and signals. However, the national rail website domain is managed by The Rail Delivery Group on behalf of UK based train operating companies. According to their own website, they are
1590-717: Is an internationally important assemblage of invertebrates due to the mosaic of habitats including two hundred veteran trees . A fungus gnat – a type of fly – new to the UK was found in the Waterhouse Woodland Gardens by entomologist Peter Chandler and identified as Grzegorzekia bushyae and also known as the Bushy Gnat. This fly has since been found in a forest in south-east France. The closest railway stations are Hampton Court in East Molesey to
1696-490: Is designated as U.S. Strategic Command's Task Force 204, providing on-alert, combat-ready forces to the president. The mission of "The Mighty Eighth" is to safeguard America's interests through strategic deterrence and global combat power. Eighth Air Force controls long-range nuclear-capable bomber assets throughout the United States and overseas locations. Its flexible, conventional and nuclear deterrence mission provides
1802-561: Is listed at Grade I on the Register of Historic Parks and Gardens . The area now known as Bushy Park has been settled for at least the past 4,000 years: the earliest archaeological records that have been found on the site date back to the Bronze Age . There is also evidence that the area was used in the medieval period for agricultural purposes . When Henry VIII took over Hampton Court Palace from Cardinal Thomas Wolsey in 1529,
1908-474: Is operationally-gained by AFGSC and 8 AF from the Air National Guard , while the 307th Bomb Wing is operationally-gained from Air Force Reserve Command and 10th Air Force . Major General Mark E. Weatherington assumed command of 8th Air Force on 12 June 2020. Eighth Air Force was established as VIII Bomber Command on 19 January 1942 and activated at Langley Field , Virginia on 1 February. It
2014-415: Is surrounded by Teddington , Hampton , Hampton Hill and Hampton Wick and is mainly within the post towns of Hampton and Teddington, those of East Molesey and Kingston upon Thames taking the remainder. In September 2014, most of it was designated a biological Site of Special Scientific Interest together with Hampton Court Park and Hampton Court Golf Course as Bushy Park and Home Park SSSI . The park
2120-434: Is the UK's largest and most accurate travel information website, peaking at more than 10 million visitors per day, more than its nearest competitors. The National Rail website includes a journey planner , fare and live departure information. The site is designed to complement the myriad different websites of Britain's privatised rail companies, so when users have selected which tickets they wish to buy, they are redirected to
2226-558: Is the data system that powers all the real-time information which customers use to check the status of train journeys. In 2024 Darwin celebrated its 20th anniversary. Eighth Air Force The Eighth Air Force (Air Forces Strategic) is a numbered air force (NAF) of the United States Air Force 's Air Force Global Strike Command (AFGSC). It is headquartered at Barksdale Air Force Base , Louisiana. The command serves as Air Forces Strategic – Global Strike , one of
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#17327717338232332-554: Is the joint responsibility of the Office of Rail and Road (allocation of paths) and Network Rail (timetable production and publication). Since March 2020 all ticket revenue has been collected by the Department for Transport, which also pays the operators' costs. Following the privatisation of British Rail there was no longer a single approach to railway corporate design. The look and feel of signage, liveries and marketing material
2438-511: The 307th Bomb Wing at Barksdale Air Force Base, Louisiana. The B-2 force consists of 20 bombers assigned to the active duty 509th Bomb Wing along with the Missouri Air National Guard 's associate 131st Bomb Wing at Whiteman AFB , Missouri. The B-1 force consists of 62 bombers assigned to the active duty 7th Bomb Wing at Dyess AFB , Texas and the 28th Bomb Wing at Ellsworth AFB , South Dakota. The 131st Bomb Wing
2544-746: The 389th , which was originally scheduled to deploy to England, was also assigned to the mission. The groups were transferred to Libya in July, where together with the Ninth Air Force attacked targets in support of the Allied invasion of Sicily . A few weeks after Tidal Wave, the Eighth Air Force groups returned to England. On 4 January 1944, the Consolidated B-24 Liberators and B-17s based in England flew their last mission as
2650-648: The Braunschweig area. Over 60 Luftwaffe fighters were shot down, with a loss of 19 US bombers and 5 US fighters. On 24 February, with the weather clearing over central Germany, the Eighth Air Force sent over 800 bombers, hitting Schweinfurt and attacks on the Baltic coast, with a total of 11 B-17s being lost. Some 230 B-24s hit the Messerschmitt Bf 110 assembly plant at Gotha with a loss of 24 aircraft. On 22 February 1944, due to many mistakes, Nijmegen
2756-802: The Combined Bomber Offensive . The Pointblank directive of June 1943 redirected the Allied strategic bombing effort against the German air force in order to reduce it to the point where it could not oppose the planned invasion of France in mid-1944. Also in June 1943, two groups of the Eight Air Force from England began training for the upcoming Operation Tidal Wave , a low-level raid on the Ploiești refineries in Romania. A third group,
2862-657: The Distinguished Service Cross (DSC) from General Carl Spaatz on 11 July. This was the first DSC earned by a member of the Eighth Air Force in World War II . The other American-flown Boston had been shot down over De Kooy. Regular combat operations by the VIII Bomber Command began on 17 August 1942, when the 97th Bombardment Group flew twelve Boeing B-17E Flying Fortresses on the first VIII Bomber Command heavy bomber mission of
2968-570: The Elizabeth line (formerly TfL Rail ) are hybrids: Their services are operated via a concession awarded by Transport for London (TfL). They are part of National Rail as train operating companies , where tickets can be used in the same way as other operators, and shown in the National Rail timetable. However, under Transport for London, they are considered as separate networks. They are listed separately in all materials produced by TfL than National Rail, stations serving London Overground or
3074-411: The Elizabeth line only do not have the National Rail logo shown on either the station themselves or the tube map, and fares on these two networks are priced as TfL services, the same as London Underground , rather than National Rail services. The National Rail service status web page by TfL also does not list these two systems. London Overground also owns some infrastructure in its own right, following
3180-609: The English Channel coastline began in February 1944. Fighters from both Eighth and Ninth Air Forces made wide sweeps over the area, mounting strafing missions at airfields and rail networks. By 6 June, Allied fighter pilots had succeeded in damaging or destroying hundreds of locomotives, thousands of motorized vehicles, and many bridges. In addition, German airfields in France and Belgium were attacked. On 1 May, over 1,300 Eighth Air Force heavy bombers made an all-out attack on
3286-760: The Korean War (1950–1953); Vietnam War (1961–1975), as well as the Gulf War (Operation Desert Storm), (1990–1991) over Iraq and occupied Kuwait in the First Persian Gulf War . Eighth Air Force is one of two active duty numbered air forces in the Air Force Global Strike Command. Eighth Air Force, with headquarters at Barksdale Air Force Base in Bossier Parish, Louisiana , supports U.S. Strategic Command, and
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3392-590: The London Underground uses its own tracks in the majority of its network, it also runs on Network Rail tracks and shares tracks with National Rail services, both on its own tracks and on Network Rail tracks. Twenty-five privately owned train operating companies were each franchised for a defined term by government in 1996–97. They operated passenger trains in Great Britain. However, franchises have ceased to exist and are being replaced by operating contracts, which do not involve significant commercial risk for
3498-497: The London Underground , Docklands Light Railway , London Tramlink , Blackpool Tramway , Glasgow Subway , Tyne and Wear Metro , Manchester Metrolink , Sheffield Supertram , West Midlands Metro and Nottingham Express Transit . On the other hand, the largely self-contained Merseyrail system is part of the National Rail network, and urban rail networks around Birmingham , Cardiff , Glasgow and West Yorkshire consist entirely of National Rail services. London Overground and
3604-1036: The National Physical Laboratory (NPL) at the Teddington end, and the Royal Paddocks and two areas of allotments – the Royal Paddocks Allotments at Hampton Wick and the Bushy Park Allotments at Hampton Hill . The original Parkrun began in Bushy Park in October 2004, initially as the 'Bushy Park Time Trial', then Bushy Parkrun . It is a free, timed, 5K run that takes place every Saturday morning at 9 am, attracting up to 1,500 runners each week. Events also take place annually on Christmas Day and New Year's Day. As part of an upgrade of
3710-486: The Netherlands . Alerted to the attack, the airfield defences were prepared for the raid when it arrived. The right propeller of Kegelman's Boston was shot away by flak while over the target at De Kooy Airfield Further ground fire caused damage to his right wing, and the engine caught fire. Kegelman's aircraft lost altitude and even bounced off the ground, but he was able to bring the damaged bomber home and received
3816-564: The US Army Air Forces throughout the European Theatre of Operations (ETO) and in early 1944 became commander of the newly formed US Strategic Air Forces ( USSTAF ) in Europe at Widewing . Also known by its US Army code, AAF-586, Camp Griffiss / Widewing was often confused with the wartime headquarters of VIII Fighter Command (part of Eighth Air Force ) at Bushey Hall, near Watford, Hertfordshire. The park also had
3922-471: The 15th lost 33. Less than a week after "Big Week", Eighth Air Force made its first attack on the Reich's capital, Berlin . The RAF had been making night raids on Berlin since 1940 with heavy raids in 1943 and nuisance de Havilland Mosquito raids in daylight, but this was the first major daylight bombing raid on the German capital. On 6 March 1944, over 700 heavy bombers along with 800 escort fighters of
4028-717: The Allied troops who fell on D-Day now marks the spot where General Eisenhower's tent stood. The nearby Eisenhower House is named in the General's honour, and Shaef Gate is named after the Supreme Headquarters Allied Expeditionary Force. From May 1942, a group of temporary buildings on the north-east of the park, codenamed Widewing , hosted the de facto headquarters of the US Eighth Air Force under Generals Carl Spaatz and, later, Ira Eaker . Spaatz went on to command
4134-661: The B-17s heading to Leipzig – Junkers Ju 88 production and – Messerschmitt Bf 109 fighters), Bernburg -Strenzfeld ( Junkers Ju 88 plant) and Oschersleben ( AGO plant making Focke Wulf Fw 190A fighters). The B-24s hit the Gothaer Waggonfabrik (production of Messerschmitt Bf 110 heavy fighters), the Fw 190 Arado Flugzeugwerke plant at Tutow and Heinkel 's "Heinkel-Nord" headquarters at Rostock , which produced He 111 bombers. The Luftwaffe , conversely,
4240-623: The Blandford Road Gate (next to the NPL on Hampton Road, Teddington) before continuing to Hampton Court Green via Hampton Hill. To the north, the main Teddington gate on Park Road, and a second on Sandy Lane, are only served by a half-hourly 481 bus service. But, the main gate is best reached, either on foot or by bike, from Teddington's town centre, which is served by the 33, 281, 285, 481, R68, and X26 services, via Park Road, or from
4346-633: The British in early 1942; having much success with the RAF, although it found the Allison V-1710 -engined aircraft's performance inadequate at higher altitudes. In mid-42 Rolls-Royce engineers rapidly realized that equipping the Mustang with a Rolls-Royce Merlin engine with its two speed, two stage supercharger would substantially improve performance. Also, by using a four-bladed propeller, rather than
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4452-657: The Eighth Air Force bombers and fighters were inflicting on it. In order to quickly assemble these formations, specially outfitted assembly ships were created from older bombers. By mid-1944, Eighth Air Force had reached a total strength of more than 200,000 people (it is estimated that more than 350,000 Americans served in Eighth Air Force during the war in Europe). At peak strength, Eighth Air Force had forty heavy bomber groups, fifteen fighter groups, and four specialized support groups. It could, and often did, dispatch more than 2,000 four-engine bombers and more than 1,000 fighters on
4558-633: The Eighth Air Force hit numerous targets within Berlin, dropping the first American bombs on the capital of the Third Reich . On 8 March, another raid of 600 bombers and 200 fighters hit the Berlin area again, destroying the VKF ball-bearing plant at Erkner . The following day, on 9 March, H2X radar -equipped B-17s mounted a third attack on the Reich capital through clouds. Altogether, the Eighth Air Force dropped over 4,800 tons of high explosive on Berlin during
4664-474: The German Army continued to be exposed to air attack. First seen by Allied airmen during the late summer of 1944, it wasn't until March 1945 that German jet aircraft started to attack Allied bomber formations in earnest. On 2 March, when Eighth Air Force bombers were dispatched to attack the synthetic oil refineries at Leipzig , Messerschmitt Me 262 As attacked the formation near Dresden . The next day,
4770-557: The King named three parks that make up modern-day Bushy Park and a small area beside: Hare Warren, Middle Park and Bushy Park. A keen hunter, he established them as deer-hunting grounds. His successors, perhaps less involved in traditional sporting activities, added a number of picturesque features, including the Longford River , a 19-kilometre (12 mi) canal built on the orders of Charles I to provide water to Hampton Court, and
4876-566: The Luftwaffe flew its most desperate and deadliest mission, with the dedicated aerial ramming unit Sonderkommando Elbe . This operation involved German pilots of the unit ramming their worn-out Bf 109Gs , each barely armed with only one MG 131 machine gun and 50 rounds of ammunition, into American bombers in order to get the Allies to suspend bombing raids long enough for the Germans to make
4982-479: The National Rail logotype and is displayed on tickets, the National Rail website and other publicity. The trademark rights to the double arrow symbol remain state-owned, being vested in the Secretary of State for Transport . The double arrow symbol is also a generic symbol for a railway station across Great Britain, and is used to indicate a railway station on British traffic signs. The National Rail (NR) logo
5088-417: The National Rail network and mostly operate for heritage or pleasure purposes rather than as public transport, but some have connections to National Rail track. National Rail services have a common ticketing structure inherited from British Rail . Through tickets are available between any pair of stations on the network, and can be bought from any station ticket office. Most tickets are inter-available between
5194-872: The Nazis, hitting the remaining airfields where the Luftwaffe jets were stationed. In addition, almost 300 German aircraft of all types were destroyed in strafing attacks. On 16 April, this record was broken when over 700 German aircraft were destroyed on the ground. Eighth Air Force flew its last full-scale mission of the European War on 25 April 1945 when its B-17s hit the Skoda armaments factory at Pilsen in Czechoslovakia, and B-24s bombed rail complexes in Bad Reichenhall and Freilassing , surrounding Hitler 's mountain retreat at Berchtesgaden . Following
5300-469: The P-51 and so trained Allied pilots could turn tighter than an Me 262A. However, the only reliable way of dealing with the jets, as with the even faster Me 163B Komet rocket fighters , was to attack them on the ground and during takeoff and landing. Luftwaffe airfields that were identified as jet and rocket bases, such as Parchim and Bad Zwischenahn , were frequently bombed, and Allied fighters patrolled over
5406-413: The P-51B Mustang was introduced to the European Theater by the USAAF. It could fly as far on its internal fuel tanks as the P-47 could with drop tanks. However, the P-51B was introduced as a tactical fighter, so the first deliveries of the P-51B in November 1943 were assigned to three groups in the tactical Ninth Air Force at the expense of VIII Bomber Command , whose need for a long range escort fighter
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#17327717338235512-448: The Pacific without personnel or equipment. On Okinawa, Eighth Air Force derived its headquarters personnel from the inactivated XX Bomber Command , and Lieutenant General James H. Doolittle assumed command, being reassigned from England on 19 July. The command controlled three airfields on Okinawa, Bolo , Futema , and Kadena Airfield . The Eighth received its first B-29 Superfortress on 8 August 1945. Eighth Air Force's mission in
5618-440: The Reich were still working normally, twenty-nine were partially functional, and the remainder were completely destroyed. These missions, however, carried a high price. Half of the U.S. Army Air Forces' casualties in World War II were suffered by Eighth Air Force (more than 47,000 casualties, with more than 26,000 dead). Seventeen Medals of Honor went to Eighth Air Force personnel during the war. By war's end, they had been awarded
5724-406: The Reich with near-impunity. A lack of fuel and available pilots for the new jets greatly reduced their effectiveness. The Me 262A was a difficult foe for the P-47s and P-51s, possessing a distinct speed advantage. Allied bomber escort fighters would fly high above the bombers – diving from this height gave them extra speed, thus reducing the speed difference. The Me 262 was also less maneuverable than
5830-399: The United Kingdom in June and combat operations began in July with first heavy bomber operations in August. Its bomber units were deployed in the UK, chiefly around East Anglia . From June 1943 it was the daylight bombing part of the Combined Bomber Offensive against Germany. VIII Bomber Command was redesignated as Eighth Air Force on 22 February 1944. the Eighth Army Air Force (8 AAF) was
5936-425: The air components of United States Strategic Command (USSTRATCOM). The Eighth Air Force includes the heart of America's heavy bomber force: the Northrop Grumman B-2 Spirit stealth bomber, the Rockwell B-1 Lancer supersonic bomber, and the Boeing B-52 Stratofortress heavy bomber aircraft. VIII Bomber Command of the United States Army Air Forces was established early in 1942. The first combat units arrived in
6042-536: The bomber forces, losing almost half its aircraft, with claims of upwards of 47 Luftwaffe fighters by American fighter pilots. However, the Luftwaffe was successful in shooting down 46 bombers in a very unequal fight. After D-Day , attacks on the German oil industry assumed top priority which was widely dispersed around the Reich. Vast fleets of B-24s and B-17s escorted by P-51Ds and long-range P-38Ls hit refineries in Germany and Czechoslovakia in late 1944 and early 1945. Having almost total air superiority throughout
6148-410: The bombers had hit their targets, the USAAF's fighters were then free to strafe German airfields and transport while returning to base, contributing significantly to the achievement of air superiority by Allied air forces over Europe. The effect of the Mustangs, fully operating as an air supremacy fighter force, on the Luftwaffe defenders was arguably swift and decisive. The result was that the Luftwaffe
6254-492: The bombers' combat box formations in air supremacy mode, literally "clearing the skies" of any Luftwaffe fighter opposition heading towards the target. This strategy fatally disabled the twin-engined Zerstörergeschwader heavy fighter wings and their replacement, single-engined Sturmgruppen of heavily armed Fw 190As , clearing each force of bomber destroyers in their turn from Germany's skies throughout most of 1944. As part of this game-changing strategy, especially after
6360-419: The capability to deploy forces and engage enemy threats from home station or forward positioned, anywhere, any time. The 8th Air Force motto is "Peace Through Strength." The Eighth Air Force team consists of more than 16,000 Regular Air Force (e.g., active duty), Air National Guard and Air Force Reserve professionals operating and maintaining a variety of aircraft capable of deploying air power to any area of
6466-405: The collapsing German Reich, Eighth Air Force hit targets as far east as Hungary, while Fifteenth Air Force hit oil industry facilities in Yugoslavia , Romania, and northeastern Italy. On at least eighteen occasions, the Merseburg refineries in Leuna , where the majority of Germany's synthetic fuel for jet aircraft was refined, was hit. By the end of 1944, only three out of ninety-one refineries in
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#17327717338236572-414: The earliest possible date. Cold and clear weather was predicted for the last week of February 1944. On the night of 19–20 February, the RAF bombed Leipzig with 823 aircraft. The Eighth Air Force's effort was over 1,000 B-17s and B-24s and over 800 fighters. The RAF provided sixteen squadrons of North American P-51 Mustangs and Supermarine Spitfires . In all, twelve aircraft factories were attacked, with
6678-435: The end of the war in Europe in May 1945 plans were made to transfer some of the B-17/B-24 heavy bomber groups of Eighth Air Force to the Pacific Theater of Operations and upgrade them to Boeing B-29 Superfortress Very Heavy (VH) bomb groups. As part of this plan, Eighth Air Force headquarters was reassigned to Sakugawa (Kadena Airfield) , Okinawa , on 16 July 1945, being assigned to the United States Strategic Air Forces in
6784-489: The enemy's rail network, striking at targets in France and Belgium. On 7 May, another 1,000 bombers hit additional targets along the English Channel coast, hitting fortifications, bridges and marshaling areas. On D-Day, over 2,300 sorties were flown by Eighth Air Force heavy bombers in the Normandy and Cherbourg invasion areas, all aimed at neutralizing enemy coastal defenses and front-line troops. The North American P-51 Mustang first entered squadron service in Europe with
6890-414: The entire German fighter force in the West, comprising combat aircraft from some eleven Jagdgeschwader day fighter wings, took off and attacked 27 Allied airfields in northern France, Belgium and the southern part of the Netherlands in an attempt by the Luftwaffe to cripple Allied air forces in the Low Countries of Europe. It was a last-ditch effort to keep up the momentum of the German forces during
6996-426: The fields to attack jets trying to land. The Luftwaffe countered by installing flak alleys along the approach lines in order to protect the Me 262s from the ground and providing top cover with conventional fighters during takeoff and landing. Nevertheless, in March and April 1945, Allied fighter patrol patterns over Me 262 airfields resulted in numerous losses of jets and serious attrition of the force. On 7 April 1945,
7102-411: The first Atomic Bomb, Little Boy , on Hiroshima from the Boeing B-29 Superfortress , Enola Gay . During World War II, the offensive air forces of the United States Army Air Forces (USAAF) came to be classified as strategic or tactical. A strategic air force was that with a mission to attack an enemy's war effort beyond his front-line forces, predominantly production and supply facilities, whereas
7208-425: The first week of March. The photograph shows housing destroyed by the RAF during night raids. On 22 March, over 800 bombers, led by H2X radar equipped bombers hit Berlin yet again, bombing targets through a thick rainy overcast causing more destruction to various industries. Because of the thick clouds and rain over the area the Luftwaffe did not attack the American bomber fleet, as the Germans believed that because of
7314-434: The former British Rail Rail Alphabet lettering to varying degrees in station signage, although its use is no longer universal; however it remains compulsory (under Railway Group Standards) for safety signage in trackside areas and is still common (although not universal) on rolling stock. The British Rail typefaces of choice from 1965 were Helvetica and Univers , with others (particularly Frutiger ) coming into use during
7420-482: The full timetable is available as a pdf file without charge on the Network Rail website; however, passengers are recommended to obtain their timetables from the individual train companies. The National Rail website, previously called National Rail Enquiries, handles an average of 2.5 million journey planning enquiries every weekday through its website, apps and contact centre, and through information services supplied to third parties (such as open access data feeds). It
7526-478: The ground echelon of the 97th Bombardment Group , which arrived at RAF Polebrook and RAF Grafton Underwood on 9 June 1942. VIII Bomber Command launched its first raid in North-western Europe on 4 July 1942, when six RAF Douglas Boston (A-20 Havoc) bombers flown by crews of the 15th Bombardment Squadron (Light) , accompanied by another six Bostons from the more experienced No. 226 Squadron RAF , commanded by Captain Charles C. Kegelman attacked four airfields in
7632-411: The largest formation of German jets ever seen, most likely from the Luftwaffe's specialist 7th Fighter Wing, Jagdgeschwader 7 Nowotny , made attacks on Eighth Air Force bomber formations over Dresden and the oil targets at Essen , shooting down a total of three bombers. However, the Luftwaffe jets were simply too few and too late to have any serious effect on the Allied air armadas now sweeping over
7738-577: The largest of the deployed combat Army Air Forces in numbers of personnel, aircraft, and equipment. During the Cold War (1945–1991), 8 AF was one of three Numbered Air Forces of the United States Air Force's Strategic Air Command (SAC), with a three-star general headquartered at Westover Air Force Base , Massachusetts commanding USAF strategic bombers and missiles on a global scale. Elements of 8 AF engaged in combat operations during
7844-577: The mid-19th century until World War II , Londoners came here to celebrate Chestnut Sunday and to see the abundant blossoming of the trees along Chestnut Avenue. The customs were discovered and resurrected in 1993 by Colin and Mu Pain. Among those who served as ranger (an honorary position, long including residence at Bushy House ) was King William IV , while Duke of Clarence (1797–1830). To ensure his consort Queen Adelaide , could remain at their long-time home after his death, he immediately appointed her as his successor as ranger (1830–1849), after whose death
7950-404: The most relevant train company website, where they can buy their tickets without booking fees. In 2012 the website was joined by a mobile app mirroring its functionality. The app is available for iPhone , Android and Windows Phone . In June 2020, a real time personalised messaging service, Alert Me, was launched, providing real-time disruption and crowding information via Messenger. This
8056-415: The nation’s neglected railway industry". The NR title is sometimes described as a "brand". As it was used by British Rail, the single operator before franchising, its use also maintains continuity and public familiarity; and it avoids the need to replace signage. The lettering used in the National Rail logotype is a modified form of the typeface Sassoon Bold . Some train operating companies continue to use
8162-528: The operators. The Rail Delivery Group is the trade association representing the TOCs and provides core services, including the provision of the National Rail Enquiries service. It also runs Rail Settlement Plan , which formerly allocated ticket revenue to the various TOCs, and Rail Staff Travel, which manages travel facilities for railway staff. It does not compile the national timetable, which
8268-618: The park facilities, the new Pheasantry Café was added, and the restored and largely reconstructed Upper Lodge Water Gardens were opened in October 2009. The work was supported by the Heritage Lottery Fund . Bushy Park is part of the Bushy Park and Home Park SSSI designated in September 2014 for its range of semi-natural habitats such as acid and neutral grassland , scrubland , woodland , and wood pasture . There
8374-633: The park's various ponds. This period also saw the construction of the main thoroughfare, Chestnut Avenue, which runs from Park Road in Teddington to the Lion Gate entrance to Hampton Court Palace in Hampton Court Road. This avenue and the Arethusa ' Diana ' Fountain were designed by Sir Christopher Wren as a grand approach to Hampton Court Palace. The park has long been popular with locals, but also attracts visitors from further afield. From
8480-674: The passenger train operating companies (TOCs) of England , Scotland , and Wales . The TOCs run the passenger services previously provided by the British Railways Board , from 1965 using the brand name British Rail . Northern Ireland , which is bordered by the Republic of Ireland , has a different system. National Rail services share a ticketing structure and inter-availability that generally do not extend to services which were not part of British Rail. National Rail should not be confused with Network Rail . National Rail
8586-493: The position was left vacant and fell into disuse. During World War I , Bushy Park housed the King's Canadian Hospital in the modern "White Lodge", and between the wars it hosted a camp for undernourished children. During World War II , General Dwight D. Eisenhower planned the D-Day landings from Supreme Headquarters Allied Expeditionary Force (SHAEF) at Camp Griffiss in the Park. A memorial by Carlos Rey [1] dedicated to
8692-465: The railway station. The main north and south gates, connected by the Chestnut Avenue private highway, provide vehicle access to traffic from 6.30am until dusk (or to 7.00pm in the winter months). There is one straight road through the Park between the two gates but cars are no longer permitted to drive straight through the Park, and can only access respective car parks from either gate. There
8798-433: The reopening of the former London Underground East London line and the extension to Barking Riverside . Eurostar is also not part of the National Rail network despite sharing of tracks and stations (along High Speed 1 ). Northern Ireland Railways were never part of British Rail, which was limited to England, Scotland and Wales. There are many privately owned or heritage railways in Great Britain which are not part of
8904-444: The same carbon commitment, which was referred to as 'The Green Travel Pledge' and was cited on its website and via Rail Delivery Group media. In June 2023 the website was completely overhauled with an entirely new frontend retaining little of the old designs but the brand logo remained. The website is quoted as saying its website is, "cleaner, more modern, and full of better information". In addition, its original mobile website which
9010-402: The sectorisation period after 1983. TOCs may use what they like: examples include Futura ( Stagecoach Group ), Helvetica ( FirstGroup and National Express ), Frutiger ( Arriva Trains Wales ), Bliss ( CrossCountry ), and a modified version of Precious by London Midland . Several conurbations have their own metro or tram systems, most of which are not part of National Rail. These include
9116-510: The service is not busy, and 'anytime' tickets, which can be used on any train. Season tickets, which offer unlimited travel between two stations for a specified period, are also available. A 'rover' travel card ticket also exists that allows unlimited travel in a set area or on services of certain operators, for a certain period of time. Rovers which allow unlimited travel for only one day are sometimes referred to as ranger tickets, and are usually available for smaller areas. Passengers without
9222-505: The services of all operators on routes appropriate to the journey being made. Operators on some routes offer operator-specific tickets that are cheaper than the inter-available ones. Through tickets involving London Underground , or to some ferry services ( RailSail tickets) are also available. Oyster pay-as-you-go can be used on National Rail in Greater London from 2 January 2010. These same areas can also be journeyed to using
9328-631: The south, Hampton Wick to the east, Teddington and Fulwell to the north, and Hampton to the west. All are within a 10- to 20-minute walk. Transport for London bus routes 111, 216, and 411 pass the Hampton Court Gate on Hampton Court Road (the main southern entrance to the Park). R70, R68, and 285 buses stop near the two Hampton Hill Gates off the High Street, while the R68 also serves
9434-643: The stagnant stage of the Battle of the Bulge ( Unternehmen Wacht am Rhein ). The operation was a failure for the Luftwaffe as the losses suffered by the German air arm were irreplaceable and over 300 Luftwaffe aircraft were shot down, mostly by Allied anti-aircraft guns. The losses of the Allied Air Forces were replaced within weeks. The operation failed to achieve air superiority , even temporarily, and
9540-687: The three-bladed one used on the P-51A, the performance was greatly improved . The USAAF now finally had an aircraft that could compete on equal terms with the Focke-Wulf Fw 190 and the later models of the Messerschmitt Bf 109. The USAAF was finally fully sold on the Mustang, and a letter contract for 2,200 P-51Bs was issued. The engine was to be the Packard V-1650-3 , based on the Rolls-Royce Merlin Mk68 . In late 1943,
9646-482: The war from RAF Grafton Underwood, attacking the Rouen-Sotteville marshalling yards in France. Colonel Frank A. Armstrong may have been the commander of the 97th, but at the time of the raid, not yet left seat qualified. On this mission, he sat in the co-pilot's seat of the lead B-17, Butcher Shop The pilot in command and leader of this historic mission was Paul Tibbets , who on 6 August 1945, dropped
9752-650: The weather the American bombers would be incapable of attacking their targets. Even so, the "pathfinder" bombers of the RAF Alconbury -based 482d Bomb Group proved very capable of finding the targets and guiding the bombers to them. In a prelude to the invasion of France , Allied strategic bomber forces were switched from industry to the transport network to isolate Normandy from enemy reinforcement routes. Air attacks by American forces against railroad junctions, airfields, ports and bridges in northern France and along
9858-512: The website. However, the website was quickly reverted back to its original design the same day following customer accessibility feedback. In July 2021 the Department of Transport published the world’s first ‘greenprint’ to decarbonise all modes of domestic transport by 2050 in the UK. It was published two months before the climate summit COP26, and planned to provide a world-leading ‘greenprint’ to cut emissions from 'seas and skies, roads and railways'. The nationalrail.co.uk website also signed up to
9964-561: The world. This air power includes the heart of America's heavy bomber force, deploying the Rockwell B-1 Lancer, Northrop Grumman B-2 Spirit and the Boeing B-52 Stratofortress. The Mighty Eighth's B-52 force consists of 76 bombers assigned to two active duty wings, the 2d Bomb Wing at Barksdale Air Force Base, Louisiana and the 5th Bomb Wing at Minot Air Force Base , North Dakota, and one reserve wing,
10070-501: Was bombed by twelve aircraft of the 446th Bombardment Group and two aircraft of the 453rd . They did not realize that they were over Dutch territory. 850 civilians, including children on their way to school, were among the casualties. On 25 February, both the Eighth and Fifteenth Air Forces hit numerous targets at Fürth airfield, Augsburg and Regensburg , attacking Messerschmitt Bf 110 and Bf 109 plants. The 8th lost 31 bombers,
10176-484: Was Brigadier General Arthur W. Vanaman , Chief of Intelligence, who was captured by the Germans in northern France on 27 June 1944, becoming the highest-ranked American POW captured in Europe during the war. In January 1945, the Luftwaffe attempted one last major air offensive against the Allied Air Forces. Over 950 fighters had been sent west from the Eastern Front for "Operation Bodenplatte" . On 1 January,
10282-526: Was a sub-domain (m.nationalrail.co.uk now redirects) was switched off. Earlier in 2024 National Rail's digital journey planner was also switched off and redirected to the new version. Online Journey Planner (OJP) was the engine used to plan routes, calculate fares and establish ticket availability. The OJP accesses real-time information directly from Darwin, meaning all journey plans take account of delays, schedule changes and train cancellations. The OJP data feed APIs are available for use under licence. Darwin
10388-606: Was assigned VIII Fighter and VIII Air Support Commands under its command. This is from where the present-day Eighth Air Force's history, lineage and honors derive. General Carl Spaatz returned to England to command the USSTAF. Major General Jimmy Doolittle relinquished command of the Fifteenth Air Force to Major General Nathan F. Twining and on January 6, 1944, took over command of the Eighth Air Force from Lieutenant General Ira C. Eaker at RAF Daws Hill. Doolittle
10494-542: Was critical. The first escort mission for the bombers was not flown until 5 December. As the new commander of the Eighth Air Force since January 1944, Major General Jimmy Doolittle 's major influence on the European air war occurred early that year when he made a critical change to the policy requiring escorting fighters to remain with the bombers at all times. With Doolittle's permission, American fighter pilots on bomber defense missions would primarily be flying far ahead of
10600-535: Was followed in September 2021 by a similar service made available through WhatsApp. The service was closed in June 2023 leaving only a simple SMS based messaging service in place for customers. Both services were provided by a British transport technology company Zipabout. In April 2021 the National Rail website turned from colour to greyscale in a tribute to The Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh who had died. The gesture however backfired after users highlighted accessibility issues and complained they could no longer use
10706-764: Was introduced by ATOC in 1999, (previously British Rail logo as used from 1965), and was used on the Great Britain public timetable for the first time in the edition valid from 26 September in that year. Rules for its use are set out in the Corporate Identity Style Guidelines published by the Rail Delivery Group, available on its website. "In 1964 the Design Research Unit—Britain’s first multi-disciplinary design agency founded in 1943 by Misha Black, Milner Gray and Herbert Read—was commissioned to breathe new life into
10812-495: Was largely the preserve of the individual TOCs. However, railway reforms which are currently in progress will restore the pre-privatisation position, with design responsibilities for the whole network resting with the new 'guiding mind', Great British Railways. However, National Rail continues to use BR's famous double-arrow symbol , designed by Gerald Burney of the Design Research Unit . It has been incorporated in
10918-405: Was notable by its absence over the skies of Europe after D-Day and the Allies were starting to achieve air superiority over the continent. Although the Luftwaffe could, and did, mount effective attacks on the ever-larger formations of Allied heavy bombers, the sheer numbers of B-17s and B-24s attacking enemy targets was overwhelming the German fighter force, which simply could not sustain the losses
11024-464: Was reassigned to Savannah Army Air Base , Georgia on 10 February 1942. An advanced detachment of VIII Bomber Command was established at RAF Daws Hill , near RAF Bomber Command Headquarters at RAF High Wycombe , on 23 February in preparation for its units to arrive in the United Kingdom from the United States. The first combat group of VIII Bomber Command to arrive in the United Kingdom was
11130-466: Was undertaking the sixth major raid of the "Baby Blitz" the following night (20/21 February), with only some 165 German aircraft sortieing against British targets. The raids on the German aircraft industry comprising much of "Big Week" caused so much damage that the Germans were forced to disperse aircraft manufacturing eastward, to safer parts of the Reich. The next day, over 900 bombers and 700 fighters of Eighth Air Force hit more aircraft factories in
11236-477: Was well known to American airmen as the famous "Tokyo Raider" and former air racer. His directive was simple: "Win the air war and isolate the battlefield." Spaatz and Doolittle's plan was to use the US Strategic Air Forces in a series of co-ordinated raids, code-named Operation 'Argument' (popularly known as ' Big Week ' ) and supported by RAF night bombing, on the German aircraft industry at
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