Glenn Miller’s Music Endures at Twinwood Festival 80 Years After His Death

Eighty years ago, on August 27, 1944, the renowned American bandleader Glenn Miller performed at RAF Twinwood, a base located approximately 60 miles north of London. This hub was a frequent point of departure and arrival for Miller during World War II.

However, a few months later, Miller would vanish on a flight out of Twinwood, a mystery that remains unresolved to this day.

Despite the unanswered questions about his disappearance, Miller’s legacy continues to thrive in the English countryside. At the former base’s site, his contributions are celebrated annually at the Twinwood Festival in Bedfordshire, located about 40 miles north of London.

Walking around the Twinwood grounds, visitors can still feel the historical significance. The runway has been transformed into farmland, but many of the military buildings from over 80 years ago still stand.

Robert Allen, curator of the Twinwood Aviation Museum, which is housed in the surviving control tower, oversees a collection dedicated to Glenn Miller. According to Allen, Miller arrived in England in June 1944. Over the ensuing months, he performed numerous concerts for U.S. forces stationed across U.K. bases.

“[Miller] did an hour-long concert here as a thank you to the Commanding Officer of Twinwood because the bandleader was allowed to use the airfield to move around to the various bases to perform,” Allen said.

The date was August 27, 1944, and Allen recounts that “Miller’s work schedule was hectic. He really was doing his bit for the war effort.”

Glenn Miller continued to perform outdoors at various U.K. bases until October when cooler weather set in. Then, a few months later, on December 15, he boarded a small plane, a Norseman, with Flight Officer John Morgan and Colonel Norman Baesell to fly to Paris. According to Allen, “It was going to be a live radio broadcast, so all the troops were expecting to have this fantastic concert that was going to be beamed across Europe for them, which was going to be a really big morale booster.”

Allen stressed that Miller was a pop icon of his time, comparable to the biggest names in the music industry.

“All these young lads that were out fighting, it brought a really big piece of home to them,” Allen said. “Thousands of miles away from their families and their lives, this reminded them of home and that good times were going to come back.”

Over the years, many theories have emerged about what might have happened during Miller’s fateful flight over the English Channel. Allen believes ice might have formed on the carburetor or wings. “They did know there was a problem on all of the aircraft that were operating in Europe—the icing up of carburetors,” Allen noted. “They were fitting them onto the bomber aircraft, the B-17s, the Liberators, and also the Mustangs and P-38s, but Transport Command I think would have probably been a lower priority. So they hadn’t actually got around to fitting it on this particular Norseman.”

It wasn’t until Christmas Eve, nine days later, that the news of Miller’s disappearance was reported by United Press and the Associated Press, with BBC Radio delivering the somber news. The report stated, “Major Glenn Miller, the well-known American bandleader is reported missing. He left England by air for Paris nine days ago.”

Decades later, the Twinwood Festival has been held for over 20 years, with singer and emcee Lola Lamour a fixture for most of those years. Lamour believes that Miller’s sound is inseparable from the wartime period. “I know the wartime was a terrible time, but you’ve got certain periods that just sum up the feelings of camaraderie, everybody pulling together, and the romance of it because people were making the most of what time they had together,” she said. “You can picture the couples all dressed up in their best clothes, and the boys all dressed up in their uniforms.”

Lamour adds that the vibe hasn’t changed much over the years. “You’ve got the control tower, you’ve got the main arena, all the little Nissen huts,” she continued. “I love performing in those because the ambiance is great, the little club atmosphere, and you’ve got the big dance marques.”

A highlight of the four-day festival is the performance by the U.K. Glenn Miller Orchestra, led by Ray McVay. Alto sax player Andy Potts, who has been with the band for over 25 years, playfully reminisced about performing timeless hits like “In The Mood,” “String of Pearls,” “Pennsylvania 6-5000” and “Chattanooga Choo Choo.”

“It’s really interesting, the demographics of the people that come here,” Potts observed. “When I first came here, there were people who knew Tex Beneke and all sorts of members of the original Glenn Miller Orchestra. Then it became their children, and now it’s grandchildren. And yes, it certainly does harken back to a simpler time.”

For many attendees, this event is an annual fixture, and they are already planning to return in 2025. They come to remember, to relish the nostalgia, and to enjoy the music of a bygone era at a festival that aims to endure for many years to come.

Source: ABC News