The following was kindly contributed by Patricia Everson, Seething Village & 448th historian:

Seething airfield was built in 1942 by John Laing & Sons. It had 3 runways, the longest measured over mile and was fifty yards wide with six to eight inches depth of concrete plus a hardcore base. Eighteen thousand tons of dry cement was used along with ninety-six thousand tons of aggregate. Fifty miles of drainage and cable pipes was laid. It was built at a total cost of around 3.2 million pounds and paid for by the British government. Initially an RAF base it was then loaned to the United States.

The runways were surrounded by the Perimeter track which was three miles in length and fifty yards wide. There were fifty hard stands (concrete pads) for aircraft parking; additionally one of the short runways was used when needed for aircraft parking.

There was a large hill of earth which was used to test guns on (Gun Butts). The airfield included two T2 hangars and a control tower used by flying control, signals and weather Officers. Other sites included the Headquarters site with various administration buildings & bomb sight storage. Sick quarters, a theatre, mess halls, Officer and enlisted men clubs, a chapel, the briefing room, and several barracks areas for each of the squadrons and other support units could also be found in and around the base. These were some of the buildings needed to house, feed and train over three thousand young men. Bomb Stores were located further away to minimise the potential for damage in the event of an attack or accident.

The first arrivals were the 58th Station Complement Squadron formed in April 1943. They landed in Scotland during August 1943 with six Officers and one hundred and fifty enlisted men. When they finally arrived at Seething the runways were still being laid. They lived and ate with the small complement of RAF personnel who were already there until supplies from the US arrived. The 58th were trained in various areas of expertise and they set about preparing the base for the bomb groups arrival.

The 448th Bombardment Group (H) were activated at Gowen Field, Idaho in May 1943. The group consisted of the 712th, 713th, 714th, and 715th Bomb Squadrons. They trained throughout America and by November of the same year they were ready to leave for active duty. The ground crews and a few air crews travelled to England by sea on the Queen Elizabeth; some Headquarters staff flew over by a different route to be briefed on war in the ETO.

Subsequent air crews left in sixty-four B-24 Liberators with fourteen men on board, travelling via Puerto Rico, Trinidad, Brazil and North Africa, arriving in The British Isles in November of 1943 and making landfall in Cornwall. En route, two of the aircraft were tragically lost with all fourteen men on board. Another was badly damaged and the pilot lost his arm, and another still crash-landed in Cornwall and caught fire.

The first B-24 landed at Seething on the 25th of November 1943 and air crews continued training for combat. Crews flew the groups first mission on 22nd December 1943 and their last on 25th April 1945. Two hundred and sixty two mission were completed in total.

The 448th left England for the U.S in the Summer of 1945 to convert to other aircraft and to make ready to join in the fight against Japan. On the journey home one aircraft went down over Scotland with the loss of seventeen men.

There have been several reunions at Seething airfield by the veterans of the 448th and their families. The first was held in 1984 when a memorial was dedicated in the village and on the base.

Aircraft still fly from part of the old wartime base, now occupied by the Waveney Flying Group and the Control Tower is open on the first Sunday in the months of May through to October. Any groups or schools are welcome to visit with prior notice on none open days.