Is
this the B17 you father flew in?
If so, it used to be based at the airfield about 3 miles from me before it went over to the 401st. Nothing much left at Rattlesden except one runway for the gliding club and the control tower, pretty much the same at all the other old bases around here, all dug up or turned into industrial estates.
A few years back I was on location at an old Spitfire base, and poked my head into a rotting Mitchell that was dumped by the perimeter road. That was freaky, seeing what a tiny little space everyone had to work in, so little (if any)protection :-(
