At the road intersection.

A large, rounded rectangular stone boulder with a polished front face set on a concrete base, flanked either side by flagpoles with the flags of the United Kingdom and the United States of America. The main inscription is incised in black lettering in the central column. Either side of the central inscription are two black tablets inscribed in English text. The left tablet is to the Royal Air Force Squadrons that served here, and the right one to the United States Army Air Force.

Along with the depot maintenance mission, Wattisham also hosted an Eighth Air Force fighter group, the 479th Fighter Group, arriving from Santa Maria AAF, California, on 15 May 1944. The group was part of the 65th Fighter Wing of the VIII Fighter Command. Aircraft of the group had no cowling color markings as did other Eighth Air Force fighter groups and were marked only with colored tail rudders. The initial inventory of the P-38's, many of which were hand-me-downs from other groups painted in olive drab camouflage, used geometric symbols on the tail to identify squadrons, white for camouflaged aircraft and black for unpainted (natural metal finish) Lightnings.

The group consisted of the following squadrons:

• 434th Fighter Squadron
• 435th Fighter Squadron
• 436th Fighter Squadron

The 479th FG escorted heavy bombers during operations against targets on the continent, strafed targets of opportunity, and flew fighter-bomber, area and counter-air patrol missions. Engaged primarily in escort activities and fighter sweeps until the Normandy invasion in June 1944.

The group patrolled the beachhead during the invasion, strafed and dive-bombed troops, bridges, locomotives, railway cars, barges, vehicles, airfields, gun emplacements, flak towers, ammunition dumps, power stations and radar sites while on escort or fighter-bomber missions as the Allies drove across France during the summer and fall of 1944. The unit flew area patrols to support the breakthrough at Saint-Lô in July and the airborne attack on the Netherlands in September.

The 479th Fighter Group received a Distinguished Unit Citation (DUC) for the destruction of numerous aircraft on airfields in France on 18 August and 5 September and during aerial battle near Münster on 26 September. The unit continued escort and fighter-bomber activities from October to mid-December 1944. It converted to P-51s between 10 September and 1 October, using both types on missions until conversion was completed.

The group participated in the Battle of the Bulge (December 1944-January 1945) by escorting bombers to and from targets in the battle area and by strafing transportation targets while on escort duty. From February to April 1945 it continued to fly escort missions, but also provided area patrols to support the airborne attack across the Rhine in March.

Source of information: Imperial War Museum War Memorials Register, en.wikipedia.org

Source of images: Google Maps, Imperial War Museum War Memorials Register

1939-1945

Main inscription:

RAF WATTISHAM

AAF STATION 377

AAF STATION 470

LOST IN THE DARK

CLOUDS OF WAR,

REMEMBERED IN THE

LIGHT OF PEACE

1939-1945

Left tablet:

ON SEPTEMBER 4TH 1939,

BLENHEIM AIRCRAFT OF

107 AND 110 SQUADRONS,

FROM RAF WATTISHAM

DELIVERED THE FIRST AIR-

RAIDS OF WORLD WAR

TWO ON ENEMY TARGETS.

THIS MEMORIAL IS

DEDICATED TO THE

MEMORY OF ALL ROYAL

AIR FORCE PERSONNEL

OF THIS STATION WHO

FROM THAT DAY, BOTH IN

THE AIR AND ON THE

GROUND MADE THE

SUPREME SACRIFICE IN

THE CAUSE OF FREEDOM.

Right tablet:

(-USAAF Star and Bars Insignia Roundel-)

FROM MAY 1944 UNTIL VE

DAY, THE 478^TH FIGHTER

GROUP. USAAF WITH

P-38 LIGHTNINGS AND

LATER P-51 MUSTANGS

FLEW 351 MISSIONS FROM

AAF STATION 377

WATTISHAM. THE LAST

8^TH AF AERIAL

VICTORY FELL TO THE

479^TH ON 25TH APRIL 1945.

THIS MEMORIAL IS DEDICATED TO ALL

AMERICAN PERSONNEL

WHO PAID THE ULTIMATE

PRICE WHILE ON ACTIVE

DUTY HERE.