Lieutenant Glenn Berge

Story Profile

In the quiet countryside of Cambridgeshire, England, nestled within the grounds of the Babraham Research Campus, a plaque and a building stand in tribute to a young American airman whose story—like many of his generation—ended too soon. Lieutenant Glenn Berge, a 26-year-old fighter pilot from Minnesota, served with the United States Air Forces (USAAF) during World War II. Though his life was tragically cut short in 1944, his service and sacrifice continue to be remembered on both sides of the Atlantic.

Glenn Berge hailed from Minnesota, a state that sent thousands of young men to serve in the war. Like many of his peers, he answered the call to defend freedom in a world gripped by global conflict. After completing pilot training in the United States, he was assigned to the European Theater, joining a fighter group based at RAF Bottisham, a former Royal Air Force airfield repurposed by the USAAF in Cambridgeshire, UK.

Bottisham was home to the 361st Fighter Group, part of the Eighth Air Force, tasked with providing air cover for Allied bombers making perilous daylight raids deep into Nazi-occupied Europe. The missions were dangerous and demanding—facing fierce Luftwaffe resistance, flak, and the ever-present threat of mechanical failure.

Lt. Berge flew the Republic P‑47 Thunderbolt, a rugged and powerful aircraft known affectionately as the “Jug.” Designed for high-altitude escort and ground-attack roles, the P‑47 was a critical component of the Allied air strategy, and pilots like Berge were its lifeblood.

On 5 March 1944, tragedy struck. During a flight near base, Lt. Berge’s P‑47 Thunderbolt suffered a mechanical failure. The aircraft crashed at Copley Hill Farm, only a short distance from Bottisham, and exploded on impact. Lt. Berge did not survive.

At just 26 years old, his life—and his service—came to an abrupt and heartbreaking end. His death was one of many during a period of intense air operations, but to those who served with him and to the local communities that hosted these airmen, each loss was deeply felt.

Nearly 80 years later, in 2023, the Babraham Research Campus, located near the site of the crash, unveiled a plaque and renamed a building in his honour. The Glenn Berge Building now stands as a reminder of the American presence in the region during WWII and the lives sacrificed in pursuit of a better world.

He was one of thousands of young Americans who crossed an ocean to fight for liberty. His story reminds us of the personal cost of global conflict—and the enduring gratitude owed to those who gave their lives far from home.