RE: Last month’s letter regarding the proposals by the MOD to bulldoze the bunker at RAF Daws Hill.

I WRITE in response to Brian Loxley’s letter “An affront to heroes”. I agree most firmly The wartime operations bunker at Daws Hill, formally the 8th USAAF base known at the time as Pine Tree, is historic for heaven’s sake. All of the ‘Mighty Eighth’s’ operations were planned and executed from that very place in High Wycombe.

It would make a very good tourist attraction, Americans that I have come across in the last few years whose fathers flew in the B-17s during the war have asked about Pine Tree and where it is. The Mighty Eighth compiled an impressive record during the Second World War. This achievement, however, carried a high price. The Eighth Air Force suffered half of the U.S Army Air Forces’ casualties in World War 2 (47,000-plus casualties with more than 26,000 dead).

They flew 985 Combat Missions losing 6130 bombers and fighters. The Eighth’s personnel also earned 17 Medals of Honour, 220 Distinguished Service Crosses, 850 Silver Stars, 7,000 Purple Hearts and 46,000 Air Medals.

That must mean and account for something !

Why not put it on the map, the map of High Wycombe. This town is so good at destroying history.

Don’t lets bury an historic place such as the wartime bunker – let’s make something of it.

I remember in the late 60s there were plans to demolish the Guild Hall because it is “stuck out in the High Street”. I know it sticks out but it has been there a long time.

Don’t let’s make the same mistake as we did with the Roman Villa on The Rye – instead of preserving it and moving the planned swimming pool along a bit...we built the swimming pool on it, thus burying it forever. I am not sure that the Bomber Command Association will be that interested but I would like to think the 8th Air Force Museum in Barkdale USA might be.

Peter C Horwood, Highwood Avenue, High Wycombe