Medical Personnel and the Thriplow Hospital
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Not much history of the Medical units were found. It looks like the most of the personnel
came from the 78th HQ and the other service units. The Hospital was 2 miles from the
Duxford Airdrome in the village of Thriplow. The hospital was in the English Mansion.
The vast majority of pictures here came from a book by Thomas Whitehead, History of the
Thriplow House. He is the son of Sgt. Cecil Whitehead. Thomas wrote of his father:
Cecil K. Whitehead, from Shannon, Lee County, Mississippi had been working for Sharpe
Construction Company of Memphis, Tennessee for 4 years building highways when the
United States got in the war. His last employment with them was December 1941. He was
inducted in the military on January 7, 1942 at Camp Shelby, Mississippi. He served two
months in basic training, one month as a truck driver and three years, six months as a
medical aidman. He had his basic training in Florida and in California.
His service outside the continental United States started when he departed on November
24, 1942 from the United States and arrived in England on November 29, 1942. He
served at Goxhill until April, 1943 when the 78th Fighter Group moved to Duxford,England.
He served at the Thriplow Hospital in the village of Thriplow about two miles from the
Duxford Airdrome as a medical aidman until his departure from England on August 31,
1945. He arrived back in the United States on September 13, 1945. He was discharged
from the military on September 18, 1945 at Camp Shelby, Mississippi. He served with HQ,
78th Fighter Group, 8th USAAF.
He talked many times to us about his time he served in England telling us about friends he
had made in England. He would show us pictures he had of servicemen he knew from the
Thriplow Hospital and from Duxford Airdrome who he had made friends with. He kept in
touch with several of these friends until his death. He would talk about friends he had made
with the people of England who lived at Thriplow and Duxford. He told us that they would
take the US servicemen and treat them as part of their family. He would show us his copy
of the DUXFORD DIARY and tell us about each picture.
Sgt. Whitehead passed away October 13, 1970
came from the 78th HQ and the other service units. The Hospital was 2 miles from the
Duxford Airdrome in the village of Thriplow. The hospital was in the English Mansion.
The vast majority of pictures here came from a book by Thomas Whitehead, History of the
Thriplow House. He is the son of Sgt. Cecil Whitehead. Thomas wrote of his father:
Cecil K. Whitehead, from Shannon, Lee County, Mississippi had been working for Sharpe
Construction Company of Memphis, Tennessee for 4 years building highways when the
United States got in the war. His last employment with them was December 1941. He was
inducted in the military on January 7, 1942 at Camp Shelby, Mississippi. He served two
months in basic training, one month as a truck driver and three years, six months as a
medical aidman. He had his basic training in Florida and in California.
His service outside the continental United States started when he departed on November
24, 1942 from the United States and arrived in England on November 29, 1942. He
served at Goxhill until April, 1943 when the 78th Fighter Group moved to Duxford,England.
He served at the Thriplow Hospital in the village of Thriplow about two miles from the
Duxford Airdrome as a medical aidman until his departure from England on August 31,
1945. He arrived back in the United States on September 13, 1945. He was discharged
from the military on September 18, 1945 at Camp Shelby, Mississippi. He served with HQ,
78th Fighter Group, 8th USAAF.
He talked many times to us about his time he served in England telling us about friends he
had made in England. He would show us pictures he had of servicemen he knew from the
Thriplow Hospital and from Duxford Airdrome who he had made friends with. He kept in
touch with several of these friends until his death. He would talk about friends he had made
with the people of England who lived at Thriplow and Duxford. He told us that they would
take the US servicemen and treat them as part of their family. He would show us his copy
of the DUXFORD DIARY and tell us about each picture.
Sgt. Whitehead passed away October 13, 1970
Sgt. Cecil K. Whitehead
Pvt. R.B. Jerrell and Sgt. Cecil K. Whitehead
| Pvt. James F. Ramsey |
Sgt. Cecil K. Whitehead Cpl. Adolph Sepich
| Cpl. William J. Pronold |
Sgt. Cecil K. Whitehead 78th HQ, S/Sgt. Robert J. Killerlain 443rd, Cpl. Adolph L.
Sepich 443rd, Cpl. Herbert C. Giebisch 84th S.S., Pvt. R.B. Jerrell 78th HQ, Pvt. Olven
Hanover 78th HQ., Sgt. John A. Garrett 443rd., Pvt. Walter E. Hockers 79th., Earl C.
Geier Unk unit.
Sepich 443rd, Cpl. Herbert C. Giebisch 84th S.S., Pvt. R.B. Jerrell 78th HQ, Pvt. Olven
Hanover 78th HQ., Sgt. John A. Garrett 443rd., Pvt. Walter E. Hockers 79th., Earl C.
Geier Unk unit.
Cpl. William J. Pronold
Updated May 7 2020
A special thanks to Shirley Wittering the local historian for Thriplow.
The Thriplow Village web site. http://www.thriplow.org.uk/ the Thriplow
Society is under Links.
The Thriplow Village web site. http://www.thriplow.org.uk/ the Thriplow
Society is under Links.