Bury St Edmunds welcomes Donald L. Miller, whose book Masters of the Air inspired Apple TV+ series, and producer Kirk Saduski

About 100 people met a US author, whose book Masters of the Air inspired the Apple TV+ series of the same name, during a visit to Bury St Edmunds.

Donald L. Miller was joined by Kirk Saduski, producer of the popular show, who met members of the public and signed copies of the book and DVDs at an event in The Court Room at the town’s Guildhall on October 6.

They were welcomed to Bury by Town Mayor Cllr Diane Hind, who presented them with a print of The Abbey Gate by local artist Tom Crittenden.

Masters of the Air tells the true story of the bomber boys of the American Eighth Air Force, known as the Mighty Eighth.

During World War Two, the East of England became home to more than 350,000 US Army Air Forces (USAAF) personnel, dubbed the ‘Friendly Invasion’.

Other guests at the Bury event included Colonel Glenn Cameron, Commander of the 48th Mission Support Group at RAF Lakenheath with his wife Colonel Jill Cameron, Colonel Ryan Garlow, Commander, 100th Air Refuelling Wing, RAF Mildenhall and Colonel Thomas Hutton, Commander 100th Operations Group, RAF Mildenhall.

Volunteers from Bury St Edmunds Tour Guides, the Guildhall and Rougham Control Tower Aviation Museum also attended.

Dr Miller and Mr Saduski visited Bury as part of a three-night ‘Masters of the Air: The Mighty Eighth over the Skies of Europe’ tour organised by The National WWII Museum in New Orleans, which brings American visitors to the town four times a year.

Using the town as a base for sightseeing, their tour included a visit to the WWII Royal Observer Corps Operations Room at the Guildhall and a guided ‘Masters of The Air’ tour of the town with the Bury Tour Guides, which has been undertaken by some 500 people this year to date.