Bill Hutchmacher of Terrell was awarded the British Empire Medal for his work at the No. 1 British Flying Training School Museum in Terrell.

TERRELL, Texas — Bill Huthmacher, a Terrell resident, was awarded a British Empire Medal from King Charles III for his work as chairman of the No. 1 British Flying Training School Museum, according to a press release from the museum. 

Hutchmacher received the award Oct. 3 at the formal investiture ceremony at the British Embassy in Washington, D.C., the museum said. The award was given “in recognition of his outstanding achievements and services to the United Kingdom,” according to the press release. 

The No. 1 British Flying Training School Museum tells the story of 2,200 British Royal Air Force cadets who learned to fly in Texas skies during World War II, according to the release. The cadets were welcomed by the residents of Terrell and held reunions there after the war. 

The Terrell school was one of six similar civilian flight schools around the U.S. It is the only school with a stand-alone museum to preserve the history of the cadets’ time in the U.S.

“I am deeply honored and humbled to receive such a prestigious award,” Huthmacher said in the release. “and must thank the current and former staff of His Majesty’s Consulate in Houston for this nomination. While this may be an individual honor, it really recognizes a group effort of the people of Terrell, our volunteers and staff, as well as my wife, Gerrie, who have supported The No. 1 British Flying Training School Museum through the years.”

Huthcmacher is the son of a U.S. Army Air Corps Captain, who was stationed in England in 1942, the release states. He joined the board of the museum in 2017 and became chairman in 2019. Since taking over as chairman, visitor numbers have increased by 85%, the museum said. In a visit to the UK, he met with a small number of surviving cadets and recorded interviews to capture memories of their time in Texas. 

“The story of the young British pilots who trained in Terrell during the 1940s is one of courage and valor, and Bill has worked tirelessly to ensure that this history is not forgotten,” Keith Scott, the British Consul General in Houston, said. “His leadership at the No.1 British Flying Training School Museum has kept alive a remarkable chapter of UK–Texas ties. I am thrilled to see him receive this well-deserved award.”