A sign at the entrance to RAF Mildenhall on a concrete base bordered by red bricks. It reads 100TH Air Refuelling Wing, RAF Mildenhall.
Image caption,

RAF Mildenhall has been a crucial part of US operations in Europe since 1951

ByRachael McMenemy
  • Published39 minutes ago

For 75 years there has been a slice of America on the outskirts of a small market town in Suffolk.

RAF Mildenhall began life as a base for British bombers throughout the 1930s and World War Two before becoming a hub for US operations in Europe in 1951.

Residents in west Suffolk are used to the sight and sounds of huge planes. RAF Lakenheath, also used by the US military, is just 5.5 miles (8.8km) away from Mildenhall.